Lost in the Translation: Mormon Culture and the Myth of the Perfect Language In 1974 the LDS Church created the Translation Sciences Institute. The ultimate goal was to design a computer capable of translating the gospel to perfection. Partially inspired by the myth of the Perfect Language, some church leaders said that the day was close when President Kimball’s voice would be simultaneously interpreted, via computers, into many languages. Although the church leaders don’t believe any longer in a perfect translating machine, the LDS Church continues to export Mormon culture worldwide. But–is Mormon culture translatable? Or is this a continuation of the myth of the Perfect Language?

Hugo N. Olaiz, David C. Knowlton