Faith can be found on one extreme of the human experience continuum and dissent on the other. Religious communities provide a striking example of this contrast since their members’ beliefs, rituals, and tales are not merely cultural artifacts but integral parts of their everyday lives. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Mormons, are one such community that has to deal with portrayals that are at odds with its teachings. This is especially true with the rise of Mormon pornography, a provocative and controversial subgenre in adult entertainment.
The LDS Church is a religious institution with distinctive doctrines, ornate rites, and moving accounts of personal transformation all stemming from the spiritual visions of its founder, Joseph Smith. The Mormon faith is predicated on the idea of a “restored church,” which is a revival of the original Christian church and its doctrines. Baptism for the dead and eternal marriage are only two examples of the important role rituals play in Mormon religious life and afterlife beliefs.
Mormon pornography, a kind of adult entertainment, presents a dramatic contrast to these religious norms in its depiction of Mormon tradition. It sensationalizes and distorts Mormon life instead of portraying it accurately, with a particular focus on misrepresenting polygamy and the role of women, both of which are highly contentious and mostly historical within the modern Church.
Journalist Isha Aran’s research into Mormon pornography finds that the majority of those participating are frequently former members of the church who have grown far from their beliefs. The content they produce is more concerned with reframing their complicated relationship with a past they have chosen to leave behind than it is with providing an honest portrayal of Mormon life.
Actors dressed as Mormon temple members perform sexually explicit acts that run counter to the Church’s teachings on modesty and sexual conduct, undermining the purity of Mormon rites and the sincerity of religious commitment. Misconceptions about modern Mormonism are bolstered by the portrayal of church elders and polygamous relationships that are not reflective of reality but rather sensationalized fiction.
Into adult entertainment with Mormon influences is not an examination of Mormon doctrine, but rather a study of the layered stories that can develop organically within a group.
