SOUTH Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are no strangers to controversy, having ridiculed topics such as Scientology, the search for Osama Bin Laden and the death of Steve Irwin.
The pair have sparked global debate for regularly running obscene episodes of the adult animation sitcom since its launch in 1997.
But local worshippers say their latest project – "shocking" West End show The Book Of Mormon – has increased exposure of the religion.
Don Carpenter, director of the church's Newchapel base, the London Temple Visitors' Centre, said the production provides an opportunity to spread the word of Mormonism.
"The show has brought a lot of attention to the Book of Mormon and to the church, and we have more people coming to visit us now because of it," he said.
"We have had people come in and ask for a copy of the book and we're communicating with a lot of people on the website.
"It brings out people's curiosity and we have found they want to know more about the church. The awareness of The Book Of Mormon is positive, but the play itself is pretty harsh. It is quite shocking and offensive in places, but good-thinking people will see through that. In that sense, it's not all bad."
The musical comedy, which follows the journey of two Mormon missionaries who are sent to a remote village in northern Uganda ruled by a brutal warlord, takes its title from the church's main scripture.
Naïve and optimistic, the two try to share the Book Of Mormon – which only one of them has read – to inspire locals who are more concerned about war, famine, poverty and AIDS than about religion.
Mr Carpenter said: "I haven't seen it, but I have seen some of the reviews and I have seen the posters. You can't get away from them, they are pretty massive. People can't ignore it."
Last week the church – it's official name being the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – started a month-long advertising campaign in central London to invite those who wish to know more about the religion to contact missionaries online or via e-mail.
"We don't yet know the full impact of this campaign, but we've had people come to the visitors' centre at the temple in Newchapel, asking about the church and requesting copies of The Book Of Mormon," said Mr Carpenter.
"We are getting a lot of publicity for the book because of all the advertising.
"We don't endorse the play, but we appreciate the attention so we can tell people what the book is really about."
He added: "This play will not hurt the church.