‘A sparkly Mormon family’: An internet theory links Twilight to Stephenie Meyer’s beliefs and it’s starting to make sense

Stories about vampires and werewolves often take inspiration from Christianity, but ever since Slug Princess (@slug.princess3) theorized Twilight and its links to Mormons, TikTok couldn’t see the story the same way ever again. Stephanie Meyer, the author of the renowned series, was raised Mormon—so are these all just coincidences, or did Meyer’s upbringing actively shape Twilight?

“This is a sparkly Mormon family,” Slug started her theory, gesturing to a poster of the Cullen family. Vampires from Twilight are known to sparkle underneath the sun—the Cullens are no exception to this rule. Slug further explained that the Cullen family is the representation of the “perfect eternal family” in Mormonism.

The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) believes that the eternal family is essential to their spiritual growth, as without it, they can’t ascend to the celestial kingdom. Moreover, marriage is a covenant that transcends death. Vampires in the Twilight series don’t die, and once they mate, they are also eternally bonded. Perhaps Slug is onto something here.

Slug likened Carlisle to Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. Oddly enough, they seem to share the same goals. They both “collect virgins” and convert them to “true believers.” Except Carlisle turns his chosen family into vampires—who, thereafter, live affluent and comfortable lives with him in a secluded area away from humans who might lead them to temptation.

Parallels between Mormons and the Cullen family

“Much like the true believers of Mormonism abstain from coffee, tea, and alcohol, they abstain from the temptation and sin of other vampires by drinking only animal blood,” Slug continued. The Cullen family was framed in a good light for drinking only animal blood compared to the other vampires in the series that survived on human blood. Allies of the Cullen family would do the same thing.

Another similarity that Slug pointed out is that the Cullen family tends to dress modestly. If they break into a Mormon church, will they pass as members? Probably, because there doesn’t seem to be any difference between their attire and what Mormons usually wear.

But what seems to tie the theory all together is abstinence. Slug said, “Eddie has one rule for his horny teen girlfriend: resist premarital sex and be rewarded with eternal life, youth, beauty, wealth, and the perfect, eternally bonded family.”

So, Bella being turned into a vampire is just code for conversion into Mormonism? Social media seems convinced after one video, but there are so many other elements that haven’t been touched upon by Slug. What about the werewolves? Where do they fit in the narrative?

The tribe of werewolves as the Lamanites

According to Slug, Mormons believe that they share genetic ties to modern-day Native Americans from one common ancestor. This man had two sons—one of them became the ancestor of the modern-day Mormons.

As Slug puts it, these descendants are described as “white, fair, and exceedingly handsome.” The other son was “wild and rebellious.” Slug quoted that the Lamanites were “cursed with dark skin.” Nevertheless, Slug puts a disclaimer that the modern-day Mormon Church disavows racism. But back in the day, these two real-life groups were also advised not to interact with each other. It’s on the nose with the books, as vampires and werewolves have had a long-standing animosity.

An aside Slug mentioned is that the tribe that Twilight took inspiration from did not receive any profits from the franchise. More aptly, the tribe’s culture was appropriated and oversimplified as a literary device.

So, the Cullen family are a bunch of Mormons, and the werewolves are Lamanites. But what about the Volturi? They’re also vampires, but they seem to be their own separate faction.

The Volturi as the Catholic Church

They live in an ancient, walled city in Italy as a “millennia-old” organization. Is this the Vatican? Nope, it’s the Volturi, and it’s their job to enforce the rules for all vampires worldwide. It’s similar to how the Vatican enforces its rules on all Catholics around the globe.

As Slug says in her third video, the founder of Mormonism hated that Catholics drank wine during mass—also known as the blood of Christ. Thus, he left to establish a church that is “morally superior” in his view. If the first two references failed to convince, this last analysis definitely leaves too much for a mere coincidence.

Stephenie Meyer, an active member of LDS, admitted that the Book of Mormon is the book “that has the most significant impact” on her life. She didn’t explicitly explain how her personal beliefs affected Twilight, but social media has started connecting the dots.

One social media commenter wrote, “I feel like I’m having an epiphany.” At this point, there are too many jaws to pick up off the floor.

(featured image: Netflix, slug.princess3)

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