The Church is pretty good at filming stuff. When the full-length feature Meet the Mormons was released in theaters throughout the country, it was a crowning moment in our long history of cinematic exposure. And let's not forget about Church video campaigns, such as I'm a Mormon and Because He Lives, which have provided our faith with excellent publicity for years.
But was it always this way?
You need only watch one old Seminary video to realize how far the Church has come in its production quality—though admittedly, much of that is a result of societal advances in technology and presentation. But even if they traded more professional acting and modern fashion trends for a surprising excess of musical numbers, we love the Church videos of yesteryear because they're ours.
So in the spirit of another hilarious '80s Church commercial we recently unearthed, here's a list of four more classics. The messages found therein are timeless—even if the wardrobe choices are not.
This ad shows what can happen when the power goes out in a home full of distracting technology. If this was relevant 30 years ago, it's even more relevant today.
No Mormon mother would EVER provide four young girls with only three cupcakes. That inaccuracy aside, this is a surprisingly touching look at selflessness and sharing.
Baseball? Opera? A broken window? We are a peculiar people. Oh, and this song should be on everybody's iPod.
We're pretty sure this commercial was the inspiration for High School Musical.