Why Many LDS Families Like VeggieTales
Mormons are always looking for ways to teach the scriptures and good principles to their children. Many members of the LDS church use the Living Scriptures. The Living Scriptures are really good, yet they only tell the stories. Learning the stories is only part of understanding the scriptures. Members of the Mormon faith try to do what Nephi says in the Book of Mormon to make them like the scriptures. There have been attempts to create entertainment that not only tells the stories but also compares them to children’s lives, these too have been successful.
Although VeggieTales was not produced by the LDS church or created by church members, it has gained popularity among members of the Mormon faith. VeggieTales is a show in which talking vegetables in computer-generated animated episodes tell Bible stories. These stories are often in a parody format. Although members of the LDS faith believe in the Book of Mormon and other scriptures, the Bible is a very important part of their religion.
VeggieTales is a universally Christian program, which means that it tries to be suitable for all Christian denominations. The program does not make pronouncements of doctrines, but rather teaches specific Christian principles. I wouldn’t see them teaching an opinion on grace versus works, or a belief in the resurrection. The program teaches things like being nice to your neighbor, helping others, and just being a good person.
VeggieTales is non-denominational, because of this the show tends to be attractive to LDS members. The program will tell stories like Jonah, The Good Samaritan, Joshua, and others to illustrate for children how they can apply what is taught in the scriptures to their own lives.
VeggieTales’ motto is “Saturday morning fun, Sunday morning values”, this rings true to what Mormons look for in entertainment. Deseret Book carries selected Veggietales DVDs, which means they should be appropriate for LDS families, as Deseret Book is owned by the LDS Church. Material sold by Deseret Book must go through a short approval process. This does not mean that VeggieTales should be displayed at your next elementary or Sunday school lesson, in fact that would be against church policy, but what it does mean is that it is appropriate for families to view it at home.
As a parent, I have found that for my family we can all sit back and enjoy watching them together. My two-year-old already knows the story of Jonah. I like the fact that there are people who want to make good, high-quality entertainment to help bless the lives of children.