When I watched James Cameron’s film Avatar, it was reminiscent of the story of the early Latter-day Saints that were driven out of Nauvoo and into Utah—but this story, taking place in a remote fantasy world, is more palatable for a broader audience. The humans’ insistence on destroying the Na’vi’s home (despite its sacredness) and driving them out echoes the persecution that the Saints received in violent events like Hawn’s Mill massacre and the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. Grace’s death by the hands of her own kind was symbolic because it became the point of no return for the humans’ downfall. Similarly, Joseph implies that the destruction promised to the United States in Doctrine and Covenants 87 will be the result of an angry God avenging his persecuted Saints (87:6–7).
While I viewed the movie from this more historical perspective, Dr. Burton’s analysis of the film as a representation of our mortal journey toward an exalted state got me thinking about it in new ways. I thought that Jake Sully’s being a paraplegic was a cool concept, but casting the film in a Mormon light makes his condition all the more significant, since our bodies (like his avatar form) give us agency and more abilities. This view also made me ponder how I can use the avatar of creative writing as a vehicle for exploring both my personal identity and my identity as a Latter-day Saint. Some avatars of experience are neutral (e.g., social media), but can be either disastrous or character-building depending on how we use them, a cautionary truth that the film demonstrates.
I never thought about the massacres and how the saints were driven out of their homelands. Now that you mention it, I do see the connections between the saints and their struggle of being kicked out of their home and trying to find a new one.
ReplyDeleteWow! I love your twist on a church history kind of telling. I was mostly focused on the plan of salvation side of things.
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