The Line Between Morality and Reality

by Jeffrey S Savage

As a member of the LDStorymakers, I am often able to take part in literacy events with a panel of other LDS authors. These events are typically presented to Relief Societies, Firesides, and occasionally YM/YW. The idea behind the events is to promote literacy (e.g. the importance of reading with your family, offering good books to your children, the importance of literacy in a financial, spiritual, and emotional sense, etc)

At the end of each session, we are generally asked questions from the audience. This is probably the most fun part. Although I have to admit that watching James Dashner get the kids involved in creating a story about cheese trees and headless bodies was pretty dang funny. Anyway, last week the panel was asked what we thought of Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight series. Of course my first thought was that I wished I could sell a million plus books and get the kind of advance she did. But I’m not sure this was the real intent of the question. What the audience was really looking for was whether we “approved” of the series or not.

This is where the ground gets really squishy. I’ve only read the first book. But for the most part I enjoyed it. Of course there were parts I thought could have been better. But what author doesn’t think they could do something better at least in some areas when they read another author’s book? But again, I don’t think the audience was asking about quality. They wanted to know if it was “morally” okay. I remember thinking, this is a teenage romance where despite temptation the couple doesn’t have sex. In today’s morally ambiguous book market that’s great right?

But then I was reminded that although they didn’t have sex, they did spend multiple nights in bed together. And I’ve heard that in the third book she is pretty much begging Edward to have sex with her. What kind of example does that set? Especially when the author is LDS? Wow. There is the crux of the matter.

If I am writing as an LDS author to an LDS audience, my guidelines are pretty clear. If I didn’t stick to them, my publisher wouldn’t stick with me. And actually that is not a concern. I know who my audience is and I know what they expect. This doesn’t mean all of my characters are good Mormons. It doesn’t mean I have to have spirituality in all of my books. In fact my current mystery series has almost no overt religion and as I’ve mentioned before, I am working with Covenant on publishing a mainstream Mormon horror novel. But even then, I couldn’t have a girl and guy jump into bed together and call it good, or my publisher would have a fit.

But what about when I am writing for a national audience, and my protagonist is not LDS? Is it inherent for me to “set an example?” Let me point out here, that for me personally there are many lines I have no desire to cross. I am very careful about the language I use. I try to make a clear differentiation between good and bad, right and wrong, and make sure actions have consequences. But what about situation where a man and a woman, not of the LDS faith, sleep together. I’m not even talking about teenagers this time. Grown up man has sex with grown up woman and they are not married. Not in erotica detail. Just the fact that it happens. In a national book by a non-LDS author, I probably wouldn’t give that a second thought. But when the author is LDS do we have different expectations? Should we have different expectations?

It’s funny. I’ve seen reviews of Meyers’ books that say she is being too Mormon by not having the couple have sex. I’ve also seen reviews that are very offended a good Mormon would write a series where the girl wants to have sex with the guy—even if they don’t end up doing it. In LDS fiction a guy and a girl could sleep together, but you would have to show a negative consequence. (Which in reality there often is.)

I guess where I find myself stuck is that so much national fiction treats intimacy in such a cavalier way, that it’s nice to actually read a book where the people do have standards. I personally think that authors like Dean Koontz have an innate morality that shines through without being preachy. But then I accidentally pick up a horror novel by an author like Bentley Little that is so foul and twisted I actually throw it in the trash. (Which it takes a lot for me to do. I REALLY value books.) And I think how much it bothers me that so many authors believe we all want to read graphically twisted garbage, and I really want to be an author that scares your socks off without all that garbage.

So I guess where I stand is that I want to be able to write and read believable books. I haven’t read Myers’ last two books, but I think the very fact that there is sexual tension, desire, etc, is true. And the fact that for whatever reason the sex does not happen is commendable. Was it necessary for her to have the two of them share the same bed regularly? Maybe not. But walking the fine line between was is real and what is moral is a tough balancing act. If parents read these books with their children and it opens up discussion about the kinds of decisions we should make and why, it is a great thing.

I will say that I don’t think this is a series for the twelve and under crowd that seems to be devouring it. I am really concerned that they may take the wrong message from it. I will also say that I think the world needs more good, exciting, scary, exhilarating books that also have strong values. I had this exact discussion with Shadow Mountain and it made me very proud that they feel the same way and are publishing just those kinds of books for the YA middle grade market. Not that every kid is going to pick those books. But if positive alternatives are available, we’re at least doing our part.