I was recently watching the LDS classic 'Legacy' when I noticed something that disturbed me. In the movie, the heroine starts out betrothed to a good man, however, the filmmakers have clearly made a point of making him unattractive. He's bald and wears glasses. She later meets a new convert who represents the platonic ideal of handsome -- tall, dark, strong and he has hair. So of course, she leaves her betrothed in order to marry the better-looking guy.
My concern is the message this sends to non-members. This film was shown in Salt Lake to let people know about the church and it's still used today as a missionary tool. If I were good-looking and a non-member, I would see this and go, 'I'm totally going to join that church where you can steal away some ugly dude's girlfriend.' But what about the unattractive people of the world? Wouldn't a film like this discourage them from joining the church? Isn't there a place in heaven for all of God's children, even the ugly ones?
David Sallay
Provo