Portrayal Needs the Perfect Audience

"Will wonders never cease." That's what Kyle Hooper's mom, Lucille, would say to him whenever he did something surprisingly good in the new LDS novel from Douglas Thayer. Will Wonders Never Cease is about a fictional teenager named Kyle, who gets himself in a predicament, and has to realize what he believes to find the strength to survive.

I think representing Mormonism through fiction can be done quite well and accurately, but not all of it is going to be exact. What an author may create in their mind as to which LDS rituals should be insanely overdone in their novel may turn the reader away from the LDS faith. Especially if it was someone who is unfamiliar with Mormon culture. The same goes with the way Kyle Hooper sees his religion. I know that he is really starting to learn what he believes in this book and he's very sarcastic about everything, but there were many times that I felt like I should defend my religion. This book has to have the correct audience; the way that Kyle Hooper seems to make fun of it.

Personally, I would rather read a fiction novel over non-fiction more often than not. But take "Meet the Mormons" for example. If the stories in that movie were expanded with more details into a non-fiction book, I would instantly read it. Non-fiction would be a better way to portray the "Mormon experience" because it can provide real insight of real people and their lives. Sheri Dew also writes great non-fiction books on how the LDS religion works, her most recent one titled, Women and the Priesthood: What One Mormon Woman Believes. Non-fiction would be more accurate because of the ability to tell real stories, real experiences, real emotions, real solutions. Not just a scenario that was made up in someone's head.

Depending on the audience and the way they represent LDS culture, both non-fiction and fiction books can accurately portray Mormon experience. Will Wonders Never Cease needed a Mormon audience, who could recognize the sarcasm of Kyle Hooper's religious experiences.

The Sneaky Way

I think sometimes it is very difficult to share personal experience and personal opinion.  Maybe it is because we are afraid of being judged, ridiculed or analyzed.  Maybe it is because there is such a thing as "over sharing"- T.M.I. and the whole casting-pearls-before-swine thing.  Regardless, today is the age where information can be shared and spread very quickly and it can become "viral" instantly, either in a good way or a bad way.  In no time at all, you can be praised or maligned by people around the world. Because of this, political or personal subjects are risky to share and have to be shared in the right way...maybe from the viewpoint of someone else.


I think we all have sought advice by saying "So my friend (insert controversial topic here)" to someone we trust or value their opinion, really referring to ourselves.  It is because we don't want to be judged or we want to gauge the reaction of others before spilling the beans.  This takes the personal connection out.  They can't be disappointed or angry at us because it was "our friend" who believed in such-or-such or got in trouble with so-and-so.

This is why it is a good tactic to share beliefs, strong opinions, politics and all other controversial topics through fiction. The blame or praise can all be placed on someone who doesn't actually exist.  I think Douglas Thayer does a fantastic job of this in his recent novel, "Will Wonders Never Cease" in which a mother talks about taboo subjects like sex, masturbation, same-sex attraction, and political correctness.  The mother essentially tears into her son for calling someone "gay" which arises thoughts on accepting people in the Mormon community who have such affiliations.  She affirmed that they can be strong, active and completely worthy members of the church if they continue to live the same commandments everyone else does.  There has been much controversy about this recently in the church, and it is a good way in narrative form to sneakily bring in Thayer's thoughts on the subject.
 I think if Thayer wrote it from a personal narrative, he might get a lot of hateful comments as being blatantly pro-gay or maybe affiliated that way.  But, like I said, opinions coming from fictional characters allow for people to be a little more un-attached and not necessarily attack ideas they don't believe in because those ideas could be fictional.

The Flexibility of Fiction

In a previous post, I questioned to what degree a personal essay has to stay true to the actual events in question. Ultimately I concluded that some embellishment is appropriate for nonfiction works, and even helpful, but the core events must remain rooted in fact. This allows for a personal connection to the author, but can also make it difficult to write a compelling story.  This is in contrast to fiction, which can use almost any compelling story to help draw the reader in and convey a message.

Because of the increased leeway when writing fiction, authors can often forge stronger connections with the reader. Circumstances can be created that are ideal for sharing a given point or capturing interest, in ways that would feel contrived or disingenuous in nonfictional writings. Because the reader is not asked to believe that the circumstances are true, unlikely stories can still be enjoyed. Candor and honesty can still be shown through the use of characters or themes, even as the plot is synthetic.

Doug Thayer uses a gripping plot in Will Wonders Never Cease in which a teenage boy is trapped in a suburban for more than a week. Though a relatively implausible story (he somehow has heat, food, water, and air sources while trapped under an avalanche), this story provides a framework for a coming-of-age introspective narrative that entertains and gives pause for reflection. In essence, the plot is used to draw the reader in and connect with characters. This is in contrast to Nephi Anderson’s Added Upon, in which he uses the plot itself (which follows the life and death of a common farmer) in an attempt to connect with his audience. Unfortunately, the characters were didactic role players in the plot, and it lacked the sense of authenticity of Thayer’s work. Regardless, in both works, the authors used the flexibility available to them through fiction to convey their message in a way they could not have with nonfiction.

What is the Real Mormon Experience?

No two people ever truly experience the exact same thing.  One of the beautiful things of life is that it is unique for every single person; even amongst the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Because we all experience things from an inimitable point of view, it is impossible to capture a Mormon experience that can represent that experience for everybody, be it in fictional or non-fictional form.  However, in Douglas Thayer’s novel, Will Wonders Never Cease, his use of fiction to relate the coming-of-age experience of a Mormon teenager, can authentically represent common Mormon beliefs and themes.

I believe that it was much easier for Doug Thayer to express these themes in a fictional way rather than a non-fictional story.  Like Andrew Olson said here, “, it is very difficult to represent the negative aspects of a culture through one’s own personal writing or speaking.  Often the negative things in life get pushed aside and those involved try to ignore them.”  Thayer was able to tactfully demonstrate a Mormon viewpoint on things like repentance, sin, and sex education; whereas in a non-fiction setting, Mormon’s are generally less willing to discuss sex or even past sins publicly (like Kyle getting drunk at age fourteen).  We try to see from a more positive perspective, and save the personal information for Bishop’s interviews. 

Other works of Mormon fiction, like Nephi Anderson’s novel, Added Upon, can also relate important beliefs and themes in a way non-fiction could not.  It would be incredibly difficult to obtain the personal accounts of people who have experienced all of the stages of the Plan of Salvation, from the pre-existence to exaltation, like the characters in Added Upon.  However, while both novels relate themes and beliefs in a way that non-fiction may not, it is possible that they do not relate true Mormon experience as well as a personal essay would.  Real experiences from real people, real Mormons, could more accurately tell the reader what life could be like for a Mormon.

I personally enjoy fiction more than non-fiction.  It has the ability to explore the outrageous, even though it is not always 100% accurate.  As I read, I like being able to be placed in the minds of people like Kyle from Will Wonders Never Cease.  It allows me to go on their adventures with them, even though I have not experienced those things myself.  

Fiction as an Outlet for Authenticity

Fiction allows true aspects of LDS experience to be depicted in a light-hearted, humorous way that could be more difficult to accomplish in non-fiction. This is seen repeatedly in Doug Thayer’s novel: Will Wonders Never Cease. The principle of chastity is a big focus of many youth lessons and talks by leaders of the LDS church. This is conveyed in the novel through Lucille’s determined and constant efforts to teach Kyle, and other youth, sex-ed. She holds ward sex-ed meetings, she makes Kyle look up sexual words in the dictionary and discuss them with her and when she attends the 6^th grade sex talk with him, she finds it to be woefully uninformative. This preoccupation with chastity is ingrained in Mormon culture and depicted in a somewhat humorous, exaggerated way in Thayer’s novel. It illustrates an authentic part of Mormon beliefs and youth life, while also making such a serious, heavy topic more approachable. And although it pokes some fun at this overzealousness, Kyle is also seen as a little grateful for this education because he doesn’t have the same confusion as his friends.

In the non-fiction genre, writers have to stick closely to the facts of a situation and leave out exaggerations. Additionally, in non-fiction writing such as a personal essay, writers may find it difficult to include personal flaws or the less flattering aspects of the church. The same perceptions that would be relatable and funny from fictional character may come across as deprecating or critical when expressed by a faithful member of the church, especially to a non-member audience. Also, personal essay writers may not want to offend those close to them by disclosing their unfiltered perceptions and judgments. Kyle, on the other hand, is allowed to share his unfiltered thoughts and comment on his mother, father, brothers and friends without fear of giving offence because he is a fictional character, not a real person consciously sharing a life experience.

Fiction Opens Doors

When one attempts to represent Mormon experience in a fictional form, doors are opened for understanding and honest experiences. I think there is power in sharing these experiences in this genre, as opposed to sharing similar life experiences in nonfiction writing.

Mormon experiences are unique. Latter-day Saints are daily striving to achieve perfection, or to become like Christ. And while falters are inevitable and common, they are not the main focus. Saints normally try to focus on the positive and uplifting aspects in life. While there are circumstances where learning and love can grow through the sharing of common sorrows, there tends to be a line drawn about the kinds of sorrows that are comfortably heard. There is a tendency for trials of life (losing a loved one, losing a job, illness, etc.) to be heard easily. But often times as soon as one mentions a moment where their faith has waivered or a question about doctrine, it becomes an awkward situation that is not as inviting and open for love and support.

By writing about these moments of teeter-tottering faith, or questions about doctrine in fiction, it provides a safety net and safety zone where I believe Latter-day Saints are more comfortable to discuss and listen to the questions of beliefs at hand. Why this is so, I do not know. But I think it is important for such works to be written, so that we can open our eyes to things that really are going on around us that we may not know how to deal with.

Douglas Thayer in his novel “Will Wonders Never Cease” provides for a conduit for Latter-day Saints to see first hand some of the experiences in Mormon life that aren’t normally talked about. By using fiction, there is the safety net, which allows for the candor and honesty to be openly received (at least in most cases). By having the inside scoop into the protagonist’s thoughts, we are able to be candid, and are more likely able to relate to the thoughts and experiences—especially to the ones we have tried to keep private from others. This kind of writing is not only eye opening, but I think it is also a healthy release that others can relate to similar feelings in a safe way.  

-Lizzy S.