Author: Matt Page
Title: Future Day Saints: Welcome to New Zion
2020. 8” x 10” hardcover picture book. 58 pages, including stories in comic book format, storybook format, pin up illustrations, coloring pages, and activity pages.
Reviewed by Austin Smith, July 2020
This is an absolute must-read if you love unique/weird Mormon culture and theology, and I think it would still be highly entertaining for anyone else, too. The conceit is basically that this is an intro book to a world called New Zion, set about 900 years in the future, populated by the native Othersheep race and various “Zioneers” who came from other planets after hearing the Mormon gospel. There are short history lessons, action comics, coloring pages, a moving adaptation of the best story in the Bible, and ads for toys and a futuristic Mormon-themed ska album, etc etc.
I’m not quite sure what I was expecting. Maybe that it would be more heavy-handedly “here’s what changed in Mormonism after 1000 years and an interstellar voyage!” Instead it’s more . . . “incidentally” Mormon? I mean, it is absolutely chock full of Mormonness on every page, but that’s not really the focus. As one review I saw said, a kid (or adult) who doesn’t know anything about Mormonism can still be captivated and “get” it. They’ll no doubt also realize there’s even more depth they’re not catching, but not in a way that prevents them from enjoying it all.
I was surprised by the sheer depth of the world-building in such a short book. The tremendous amount of thought that clearly went into everything is fantastic and rewards attentive reading. For example, there were so many things that hinted at the backstories, whether religious adaptations or the aliens’ physiology and culture.
Finally, I was very pleasantly surprised by the wholesomeness. There is such a refreshing, simple, and profound message of inclusion and love throughout the book, expressed in so many fun ways. It is the pure gospel of Christ in 80s cartoon format.