The soundtrack is a rollercoaster. You’ve got “Hello!”—a peppy number where missionaries chant their opening line over and over until you want to scream. Then there’s “Turn It Off,” a jazz-hands showstopper about repressing emotions. Surprising fact: The song “I Believe” includes the line, “I believe that God has a plan for all of us; I believe that plan involves me going to a planet with my own name.” This is actual Mormon theology, not a joke.
Broadway tickets to the Book of Mormon | musement
The most shocking part? The show has heart. By the end, you’re rooting for Elder Cunningham’s ridiculous lies because they bring hope to a desperate village. One critic called it “the most uplifting show about hell ever written.”
The Controversy and the Punchline
When it premiered in 2011, religious groups picketed with signs like “Hell Awaits.” Then they actually saw the show. Many admitted they laughed. The musical even led to a spike in people Googling “Mormonism.” Surprising fact: A real Mormon missionary saw the show and said it was “90% accurate” and “more respectful than my high school prom.”
Why does it work? Because the creators respect the source material enough to mock it lovingly. They don’t bash Mormons—they bash hypocrisy. And they do it with songs like “I Am Africa,” where white missionaries pat themselves on the back for “connecting” with a continent they can’t find on a map.
Gallery | The Book of Mormon Musical
