The Book of Mormon: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Broadway Musical (edition 2011)

I've been listening to the music from the Broadway play, but this book makes everything clear. It's certainly darker than just the music would make one think and such an excellent treatment of the subject. Naive young Mormon missionaries are sent to Uganda where none of the other missionaries have been able to convert even one person. When their white bread positive thinking American can-do spirit is confronted with the realities of this African village they're taken aback. The village people are mad at god? The General wants to circumcise all the women because clitorises are bad. Some men have sex with babies in order to cure their AIDS. The missionaries say "That's terrible" and the Africans say "We know." They're not stupid, they're suffering and they don't see how Jesus is going to make anything better for them.

Elder Cunningham's unique imagination saves the day. Nabulung, the beautiful African love interest, (whom Elder Cunningham alternately calls Nab Bon Jovi or Neosporin) sings I can imagine what it must be like. This perfect happy place. I bet the goat meat there is plentiful and they have vitamin injections by the case. The warlords there are friendly. They'd help you cross the street. And there's a red cross on every corner With all the flour you can eat...Sal Tla Ka Siti, The most perfect place on Earth, Where flies don't bite your eyeballs and human life has worth. The other stand out songs are I Believe about what Mormons believe and I Am Africa about the missionaries' falling in love with their assigned country. If you can't see the play, the book with a side of sountrack is the next best thing. ( )