When I was about 13, a church play came out that was really popular called Saturdays Warrior.  So called because we generations in these "latter days" are the chosen ones.  The most elite and strongest spirits saved for these latter days when only the strongest can survive this evil world.  I loved the play and can still sing for you every song word for word. 

In the story we meet the Flanders children in the pre-existence and witness them promising to always stick together as a family and to make sure that each of them down to the youngest gets born to this family.  Mom and Dad are already on earth, temple married and sealed to each other.  There is a touching scene where Jimmy, the oldest brother, promises Emily, the last set to be born, that he will make sure she is born to their family. After all Emily did just say that she loved Jimmy so much that she would die for him (in song, of course).  Brave words for the pre-existence where death, being a mortal thing, is not really known. Thus setting the stage for the "earthly" drama about to unfold. 

Fast-forward to earth and all but the last child has made it through to be part of the Flanders family currently numbering seven.  Jimmy and Pam are twins born first to the Flanders and, as twins, share a close bond.  Pam has health issues though that has her wheel chair bound.  Jimmy and Pam are about 17, and Jimmy, who is a healthy 17-year-old male, is out there listening to his bad influence friends who try to pull him away from his family.  Singing a really lame song called Summer of Fair Weather and spouting such things as "there is no sin, you must be free" and ideas of "zero population" aimed at making him feel guilty for his large family sucking up precious earth resources.

Mrs. Flanders is pregnant with the eighth child.  A girl to be named Emily, if she can make it to birth.  The problem comes when Jimmy takes off with his friends to try and "find himself".   Being disobedient comes with a cost and while he is out partying with his friends, his sister Pam becomes very sick and dies and pregnant mom has problems with the pregnancy almost miscarrying the baby.  Which brings us to yet another touching scene of late sister Pam now in heaven with yet to be born Emily yelling at earth bound Jimmy to "try and remember his promise" to Emily and go back to his family (and the church, the real but unstated issue here) and be the obedient child so that Emily can be born to the Flanders family "not to another one" as adorable Emily says in her emotion choked voice.  So do you see what happens when people "fall away" from the church?  Death and miscarriage and confusion and heartache. 

Of course Jimmy does return to the family in time to save the pregnancy and little Emily joins the family.  Phew!  That was close!  Of course, this is just a synopsis of the whole play and you really need to see the whole thing to really get all the little twists and turns of the screws that will secure your indoctrination of the "gospel" according to Joseph Smith. 

There are other side stories too, like the two "Elders" or missionaries that can find no one to baptize.  One missionary was the boyfriend of Julie, one of Jimmy's sisters.  She promises to wait for him for the two years he is on his mission no matter what, "through thick and thin and rain and snow and ice."  Proclaiming "If they should torture me with ants, I will still be true!" among other things.  Of course before long she's sending (singing) him a Dear John letter. 

As it turns out the missionaries find one man in the park one day, Todd Richards, who has been sitting there drawing pictures of the "man he wants to be".  "A man with courage on his brow, who's licked his doubts and fears somehow, a warrior of true nobility", etc., etc.... instead of just a wandering kid, “a cipher on the wall, not even brave at all”.  So with their mission coming to a close, these two bumbling (but loveable) missionaries get one baptism. 

Back at home, a young wife waits...  Oh wait, wrong story, sorry.

Back at home, Julie is having these "feelings" that she should go to the airport to meet the returning missionaries and while she doesn't understand these feelings, she goes.  The new convert, Todd, gets off the plane with the missionaries (a highly unusual event) and as soon Todd and Julie lay eyes on each other it's all over but the song.  The wedding march to be exact, or rather in this case, the temple vows and sealing together as man and wife for eternity.  Not just till death do we part.  You see in the first "pre-existence" scenes we also saw these two as a couple pledging their eternal love and promising to find each other on earth.  As my momma used to always say, all's well that end's well. 

So here are your "gospel" lessons for the day.  We chose our families and friends and lovers in heaven, or pre-existence to be more precise, before we were born to this earth.  BUT these choices were NOT written in stone.  If you screw up on earth and go all mortal (read fallible) on your family and the church then you will just mess up everything!  Everything that goes wrong from that point on will be your exclusive fault.  Your "sins" will rain down on everyone's parade!  But no pressure here, okay? 

Looking back on this now, the "indoctrination" and subtle brainwashing becomes so very clear as to make me nauseous.  Even so it really makes me sad to tear down this beloved play.  It’s painful to open my eyes to the blinding truth here.  I still love the songs, silly though some of them are.  Recognizing the play for what it is now though feels like just another betrayal of trust, though I'm sure good intentions were involved in the writing and making of it. 

Oh and by the way, should you see the remakes of it?  Trust me, they in NO WAY are near as good as the original California production of the play.  The remakes are remarkable lame in fact.  So please don’t judge my 13 year old tastes too harshly.