Axel with the Mormons

Currently, there is a series on Flemish TV called 'Axel in America'. Recently, there was an episode in Utah, where Axel visits fundamentalist Mormons and talks about their polygamy. This naturally leads to commotion among members of our church because within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, polygamy is forbidden and now we are linked to it again.

Well, I really need to get this off my chest: this episode and the portrayal of 'Mormons' is our own fault. The producer of the series contacted me as a communications manager before they left. I immediately made contacts via Frankfurt, who responded quickly and put me in touch with someone from Salt Lake City who was going to help. Axel is very positive about religion and wanted to spend a few days with a family in Utah to map out their lives. All questions were clear and there was no hidden agenda.

However, the communications department in Salt Lake City procrastinated everything. Granted, it was in the run-up to the General Conference in April 2024. So I can understand that they were busy. But I immediately made it clear to them that the film crew would already be in Utah at the beginning of April. In vain... A response only came at a point when the producer honestly replied: “Sorry David, we are leaving in a few days, I couldn't keep waiting. We have arranged other things.”

In short, that Flemish TV presents this image and we are not involved, is our own fault. No bad word about Axel and the entire production team. They were open, fair, and correct. That must be said and we must conclude that we have sabotaged this opportunity ourselves.