Deseret Book version of Romeo and Juliet

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Romeo comes from a Fundamentalist Mormon family and Juliet comes from a mainstream LDS family. Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin, talks to the forlorn Romeo about the fair Rosaline, who has just been married to an older uncle of Romeo’s. Benvolio want to cheer Romeo up and encourages Romeo to go to Rosaline’s wedding reception in hopes of showing him how miserable she is. Juliet, a distant cousin of Rosaline who has no idea she is marrying polygamously, catches Romeo’s eye and he falls instantly in love with her. Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, is furious that Romeo has dared to put himself forward with any woman, and threatens to kill him, but Juliet’s father is appalled at the thought of such bloodshed.

Romeo sneaks over to Juliet’s hotel room and tries to “woo” her, and she agrees to go to a movie with him. While they are gone, people assume that they have run off together and the two families are furious. Bishop Laurence, Juliet’s bishop, tries to convince them all they should assume the best of the two young people, but Juliet’s father wants her to be excommunicated and Romeo’s family wants him to be shunned. Only three hours later, when Romeo returns, Tybalt attacks Romeo physically and both end up with black eyes. Bishop Laurence again tries to intervene, but the two families are too busy threatening each other.

In the end, Romeo dies a terrible death in the hospital from kidney failure and Juliet swears to be celibate the rest of her life. Bishop Laurence succeeds in reconverting all of the FLDS so that they can all be together again with Romeo in the next life.

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