Covering the entire spectrum of LDS membership, Todd Robert Petersen takes his readers into the minds of “Jack Mormons” to “Peter Priesthoods” and everyone in between, through his collection of short stories titled: Long After Dark, published by signature in 2007.
Power relations with Mormon culture are blurred when The spirit of the law is found in the those who couldn't even recite the basic ABC's of it, as Petersen tells of the gambler that insists on paying tithing with his earnings, the junkie who steals a picture of Christ from a church house and displays it in his room, and the drunkard who bears testimony of the gospel while plastered.
These members become connected with their seemingly opposite “active members” when those who seem to be living in harmony with God's laws are seen past their "commandment- letterman-jackets," revealing that although they might be one of the ninety and nine, they can feel as lost as the one who physically strayed.
This can be seen in one of the short stories titled "Quietly," which tells of an African man named John, who is both "lost" and "found." He is loyal to authority, yet seemingly mistreated by the same. He doubts some of the teachings of his missionary discussions, yet is faithful to the covenants he made because of them. His trust in something he also simultaneously questions ultimately vexes his Branch President "by the fact that John was, at the same time, oddly resistant and strangely compliant" (40). Amidst his war ravaged country, this broken, yet Christ-like man, offers healing and comfort to his neighbors, when inside himself he is "spinning in the wide mouth of infinity…Ascending and spiraling down like a man quietly but decidedly torn" (45)
"Parables of the New World" depicts a Sheriff named Dave, who struggles to keep sexual thoughts out of his head after being aroused when he accidentally walks in on his friend's wife, named Beth, bathing nude in her swimming pool. Unlike King David, Sheriff Dave flees the scene. Distracted while driving, he hits a coyote. Three "Indians" pull up in a truck and one gets out toassist the Sheriff. The reader is so engaged in finding more allusions to the King David story that they almost miss the reference to the "Three Nephites" and their road side service. Petersen brings the three in so casually, raising no red flags to the reader's attention, but all the evidence is there in the conversation between the "Indian" and Sheriff Dave as they clean the dead coyote off the road. "You know [the Nephite comments] nothing stops sheriff, that coyote is on her way to somewhere. You just cut her spirit loose and she took off…Someday my cousins and I will feel what it's like to be cut loose. "(57). Subtle hints add up, eventually giving the reader that "aha!" moment of epiphany when they finally see a layer deeper into "Parables."
Petersen adds his short Novella “Family History” at the end of his book, which presents a family in the context of where they came from, why they are here, and where they will be going. Larry is a writer and begins his recordings of the first time he met his future wife stating "Mona was suppose to be one of those 'What-happens-in Vegas-stays-in-Vegas' deals"(104), offering a perfect thesis statement for the several non-committal nights of sex between the two, that would blossom from lust into love within this first section of Petersen’s Novella. The second part of the Novella, takes place years later when the couple is married. Bringing in the voice of Mona, she writes about the couples search for Mona’s father who has disappeared from home. During the search Larry and Mona are directed to where her father is staying by two Mormon missionaries who had found her father wondering the street and had taught him a first discussion.
In the third part of the book, Mona and Larry have joined the church and their adult son David narrates the last insert of "Family History," taking us into the futuristic years of the 2020's and '30's. Petersen gives interesting insight of the latter day events that prelude the second coming, including the prophetic exhortation by the then Prophet of the Church, President Bednar, for all members to finish their family history work before time runs out. Terminal with cancer, Larry enlists his son to search the house for his writings of when he and Mona first met (composing the first part of the Novella,) explaining to David "I want you to destroy it, Dave. It's dangerous." Larry was embarrassed by his promiscuity and sensual pre-marital relationship with his wife. Though it occurred before his conversion to the Church, he had great anxiety about what it would do to his and Mona's reputation if the truth got out. His son opposes the destruction of this piece of his family's history and argues "Truth is truth, dad. Don't you have to honor the truth?" (145).
David ends up preserving the manuscript, against his father's knowledge. By doing so he reveals one of the themes of "Family History," and an overall theme within Long After Dark. That while sin, vice, pain, or personal weakness may not be pleasant or glamorous, it is the truth, and apart of the history that makes up the fam ily of the Church body.
When evaluating Long After Dark as a universal narrative, outside the contours of the Mormon literature audience, one of the books strongest characteristic is its intelligent employment of the parabolic structure. When bringing it back down to the interruptive community of the actual readers, evaluating it on the more domestic scale of Mormon literature, Long After Dark deserves praise for its insightful commentary on Mormon culture, which is cleverly hidden in the parabolic labyrinth. Latently buried, interpretations are afforded many options, and Petersen presents ideologies with out seeming "preachy." Not to mention the validation brought to the reader when they discover the hidden meanings.
Petersen’s way of connecting others is innovative in approach, as the collection of short stories in this book place members of the Church that seem to be degrees of glory apart from one another into the same kingdom. Coalition replaces separation as the protagonists of the stories find themselves united in the universal struggle to seek out some light even when its long after dark. Perhaps this concept is best summed up by the "Nephite" in the short story "Parables From the New World:" "I got one foot in each world, Sheriff. It makes people nervous, Hell, it makes me nervous. Except everybody's caught between worlds…Maybe it's the only thing any of us got in common" (57).
Petersen seems to offer opinions on debates among the Mormon community, when he reveals universal problems shared within the church, which often times includes the vices that some people feel should be excluded from media because the observer will be tainted by mere exposure. Thus raising the question if hiding the existence of darkness from one another, when such darkness is found in everyone, helps build Zion, or divides it? A scenario is given with appropriate application to such a question in one of the short stories titled "Sunday School." Here Petersen takes us into the minds of all those in attendance, revealing incredible pain in each person, yet "They will never bring it up. Church is not a place for burdens such as these." (28 ). More alike with one another then they know, all will leave the lesson with trivial applications because they believed their trials were too taboo to share.
Zarahemla Books brings us a moralistic piece of literature, though its depictions of sex, drugs, violence, and then a little bit more sex, causes it to fall far from the typical pieces found in the Eden of Deseret Book. This review gives warning of such content to those in the community that avoid certain moralistic media because of their depictions of sin and vice. Nevertheless, a conversation between one of the "Three Nephites" and Sheriff Dave is fittingly relevant to those who would avoid this book because of its adult content. The "Nephite" offers a rather sexual parable telling a story of a Badger who sleeps with the wife of his friend the Coyote. Spiritual application is offered to Sheriff Dave, who is struggling with sin aroused by exposure. Responding to the parable "Dave asked unsettled… 'That a
Navajo story?'
'Nope I read it in a book somewhere. Don't you think it's funny that the old Book of Mormon doesn't have any stories like that one?'
'No sir, and for good reason,' Dave said.
'I think it might be a good idea. Things like that happen all the time. Scripture can get you feeling like nobody's ever too horny for their own good.' "(58 ).
While Petersen addresses the paradoxes of the Mormon culture, the Church is still portrayed with grace, respect, and devotion. Petersen does not take his readers into the darker end of the individuals that dot the entire span of the Mormon spectrum, with out showing them a way out. Tones of hope through the grace of the Savior are found in the nighttime settings, encouraging improvements within the LDS community, as the glitches of Mormon Culture are presented in a tenor of loving admonition.