Stan Way, a Latter-day Saint from Jasper, Ala., had just finished dinner out with some Mormon missionaries when he noticed a car slowing as it approached.
The missionaries were wearing the traditional white shirts and dark ties that identify them as Latter-day Saints. It was about a month before Election Day, when voters would decide whether Republican Mitt Romney, the first Mormon major party presidential nominee, would become the first Mormon president.
The driver stopped and lowered her car window. "Hey," she said, "it's a good time to be a Mormon!" Then she drove off.
"We stood there in shock," Way said. "That usually doesn't happen in Alabama."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has entered a new era after Romney's run for president. His candidacy illuminated a changing landscape for the religion, where Americans are growing more curious than fearful about the faith, and allies can be found even among Christians with deep misgivings about Mormon beliefs.
"After this, it's hard to say the Mormons are really outsiders," said Jan Shipps, a scholar of American religion and expert on the LDS church.
No one would argue that prejudice and misunderstanding have disappeared. And many wonder how long the new tolerance will last beyond the election. But over the years since Romney first indicated he would try for president, there have been signs of real progress.
Mormons no longer stand alone against insults to their church; leaders of other faiths join them in protest. Christians who once spoke about Mormonism only to condemn it, now also acknowledge the church's dedication to family, charity and community service. Until recently, prominent Christian preachers risked their standing in their communities by appearing at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. That backlash has since diminished. And ministries such as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association are discouraging conservative Christians from calling the LDS church a cult, a theological term with a specific meaning for Christians that morphed over the years into a broad rebuke.
"I think this change in tone is significant, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the long run," said J.B. Haws, a historian at Brigham Young University who researches public perception of the LDS church. "From a Mormon standpoint, it has to be encouraging, since the softening of the 'cult' rhetoric diminishes the 'strangeness' factor that is always tied to charges that Mormons aren't Christians."
Richard Mouw, dean of Fuller Theological Seminary, a prominent evangelical school in Pasadena, Calif., said Romney's candidacy didn't cause the shift, but was a sign of changes already under way.
Mouw is co-leader of a group of evangelical and Mormon scholars who have been working behind the scenes for more than a decade to bring civility to their theological debate. In recent years, growing numbers of evangelical and other religious figures have made their way to Temple Square. Mormon authorities have also been reaching out, scheduling visits with leaders of other faith traditions while traveling for regular church business, according to Michael Purdy, a spokesman for the LDS church.
The Rev. George O. Wood, head of the Assemblies of God, one of the largest U.S. Pentecostal denominations, met in September with LDS authorities and local evangelical leaders in Utah. The Assemblies of God considers Mormonism heretical, but Wood said leaders from the two churches can relate over their similar "marginalized and persecuted backgrounds."
At the same time, non-Mormons are having more frequent contact with Latter-day Saints in their everyday lives.
Christian conservatives often find themselves working with Mormons in the business world, Mouw said. (Evangelicals often ask him if it's OK to pray with Mormons at a working lunch.) At a recent talk about Mormonism to an evangelical community in Phoenix, Mouw said about a dozen people came up to him afterward and said, "My pastor says Mormons are evil, but I have next door neighbors who are Mormon and are really wonderful people."
During the rollercoaster anyone-but-Romney Republican primary, the prospects for civil discussion about Mormonism seemed dim as evangelical leaders scrambled for an alternative nominee. Their motivations were varied, including concern that Romney wasn't sufficiently conservative. However, religion was a factor.
At a private Texas meeting of evangelical leaders last January, organized to decide who they should back, Romney received just four votes out of about 150, according to Mark DeMoss, an evangelical adviser to Romney who was there representing the campaign. The leaders endorsed former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a conservative Roman Catholic.
"I thought there was much more negative attention to the LDS church and its beliefs and history in the primaries," said David Banack, a Latter-day Saint and Wyoming attorney who voted for Romney.
Once it was clear Romney would be the nominee, criticism of Mormonism mostly stopped. (Banack also credits President Barack Obama for restraint on the topic during the election. "There aren't many positive things I would say about the Obama campaign," Banack said, "but that was one of them.")
Interest shifted away from beliefs that set Mormons apart to how Mormons worship and live. The spotlight on Romney spread to a broad array of Latter-day Saints, including Harvard management gurus, authors and bloggers. At the University of Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish football team is led by star linebacker Manti Te'o, a Latter-day Saint who talks openly about how he prayed to choose among the dozens of college scholarships he was offered.
On a few occasions, reporters managed to attend church with Romney and his wife, Ann. LDS leaders in many cities held open houses, called "Meet the Mormons" or "The Mormons Next Door," to answer questions about the faith. The Republican National Convention included emotional stories from fellow Mormons about how Romney had helped them and their families while he was a church leader in Massachusetts. Latter-day Saints have no professional clergy and their congregations are led by lay volunteers.
"I thought he put the religion up there front and center in a positive light, even though he didn't make it a focus," said Anthony Ramon, a 49-year-old Salt Lake City investment broker who is Mormon and voted for Romney. "They (Americans) know a little more about people that represent the Mormon religion, and I think it will drive away further controversy."
On Election Day, evangelicals, a key Republican constituency, supported Romney in greater numbers than they did 2008 GOP nominee John McCain, according to exit polls.
However disappointing Romney's loss to Obama, Shipps said it was likely the best outcome for the church. As the first Mormon in one of the most powerful jobs in the world, any unpopular moves Romney would have made in the U.S. or abroad could have rebounded badly on Mormonism. Now, the church will get a break from the spotlight. After the election, Mouw estimates that evangelicals can be divided into thirds: one group that accepts Mormonism, another that rejects it, and another group that is conflicted about the faith.
Sarah Fishler Rice, a 32 year-old Latter-day Saint from Salem, Ore., didn't vote for Romney. A registered Democrat, she cast a ballot for Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate. But she said Romney had performed a service for Mormonism.
"I think at the end of the election, people were seeing him for his political beliefs rather than his religious beliefs, I think that was a really big hurdle that he overcame," Rice said. "Maybe the next time — maybe one of his sons will run for president one day — people will get over the Mormon issue more quickly and see the candidates for who they are."
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AP reporter Paul Foy contributed from Salt Lake City.
tededitedit posted at 10:57 am on Sun, Jan 20, 2013.
Manti Te'o may still turn out to be gay, but even with the lies he;s already admitted to won't he lose his Temple access for at least a year?
Carlos posted at 5:32 am on Fri, Nov 23, 2012.
Meadow Mountain massacre was not a doctrine of the church and was a bunch of isolated followers that were pushed to the limit. The ring-leader was excommunicated from the church and shot by a firing squad. Shall we talk of the Spanish Inquisition, or the many mormons killed by evangelical christians during the early days of the church? Rather than focus on the fact that some people take their beliefs to a strange new level, let's focus on the good and noble. There area lot of good and generous people in a lot of churches throughout the world. Why do people get worked up mostly about the LDS church? One day, it will stand against the whole world of churches--all of them against the one. You can tell the success of a church by the number of those who openly and secretly oppose it. Rail on good people, you cannot change my faith.
Engaged Voter posted at 11:42 am on Thu, Nov 22, 2012.
Want an example of what Mormons do when they have complete control of a regiion?
Here you go:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_massacre
(not only did they murder innocent men, woman, and children, they LIED to them in order to get them to surrender, so they could shoot them in the back. They also dressed up like Native Americans to try to shift the blame for the murders.)
Not slander, not propaganda, the TRUTH.
Engaged Voter posted at 11:39 am on Thu, Nov 22, 2012.
teejcee44 - So Kolob is just someone's attempt to slander Mormons?
You might want to tell your elders to stop preaching about it then.
Unless, of course, your comment was a lie... ;)
teejcee44 posted at 2:17 pm on Wed, Nov 21, 2012.
And downtown resident, who is offering me a planet? You are speaking out of the side of your mouth. Obviously you don't know anything about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When you study, and understand the religion, then you can speak with intelligence. Until them, don't try to dissect a religion you know nothing about.
teejcee44 posted at 2:14 pm on Wed, Nov 21, 2012.
Leon Ceniceros, you don't know what the heck you are talking about. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I served with many members of the Church in Viet Nam. I was there in 1967 and 1968. You are not talking for me. Many of my friends went on missions, only to come back and VOLUNTEER to join the Military. Foolishness is just around the corner from totally uninformed people, and you of course are one who is not very well informed.
downtownresident posted at 9:45 pm on Sat, Nov 17, 2012.
Leon,
For once, we agree!
It's still a cult! What religion offers you your own planet?
Not to mention the other "perks".
Leon Ceniceros posted at 4:27 pm on Sat, Nov 17, 2012.
Every Religion has strange rites, not just the Mormon Religion. Just look at all the different quirks like circumcision, long hair or no hair, Jesus was married or wasn't married, Jesus' body was hidden by his apostles or ascended to Heaven, Judas was the Beloved of Jesus or a traitor, thousands of years later and we still don't have the answers, if you want to look at something that streatches credulity, just look at the story of Noah's Ark.
What my problem is the manner in which the Mormon Church conducted itself concerning the Viet Nam War Draft. Thousands and thousands of Gentiles" (non-Mormons) were substituted for "deferred" Mormons. How many of those "Gentile replacements" were wounded, maimed or killed in Viet Nam who "stood-in" for Mormon "ministers of God" or whatever term was used by the Mormon Church describing able-bodied, eligible, young Mormon men who received a "pass" a "deferrment" from Military Active Duty Service to their Nation.
Mitt Romney was one of these "ministers of God". Instead of possibly serving in Viet Nam, he served his Church in Paris, France for more than 2 years. It wasn't Mitt Romney's only "deferrment" either.
Until the Mormon Church comes out publicly and tells the American People that they will no longer seek "deferrments" for their young men if America finds itself in a War Situation again and needs to institute the Draft. When Mormon young men are in the trenches, the fox holes, the ships and the planes of the United States Military Services along side their equally Drafted "Gentile" Brothers in Arm, the Mormon Church (along with Orthodox Jews and others given Religious Deferrments) will never be accepted as 100% Loyal Americans, worthy of becoming the Commander-in-Chief of the Military and America's President.
Mormons have made "strides" in becoming "Main Stream Americans" but it won't be until their young men "march" alongside their Fellow American young men that they will become fully integrated in the Fabric of American Society.
tededitedit posted at 8:09 pm on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
Oops, forgot one last thing. How could ANY TBM (True Believing Mormon) President of the United States who was not the current President/Prophet of the LDS church EVER be considered the true leader and Commander-In-Chief of our country? He would HAVE TO do the bidding of the President/Prophet of the LDS church and the Quorum of the Twelve of the LDS church! They are all just other men!
tededitedit posted at 7:46 pm on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
Thanks Mitt! I too investigated the Mormon corporation further during this election year. They do some Christian things, but they do not give Christ or God their full status. They use deceptive conversion tactics, and Billy and Franklin Graham have recently aided them in these. They've added 3 more whole works besides the Bible to proclaim their gospel. They have levels of heaven, levels of access (secret temple ceremonies), levels of priesthood powers (beyond just clergy titles), baptism by proxy of dead people, and the ONLY time you'll ever see a Mormon wearing or displaying a cross is as a military chaplain posing as a Christian chaplain. They are an attempt to reach God or god status (a religion), but they are NOT part of God's success in reaching man (Christianity).
JMJ posted at 6:20 pm on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
I am beginning to think that the EVT is a tool for the Mormon Church given all the recent publicity about how the church will allow younger missionaries, to name another article that recently appeared.
Working in Mesa I was warned by adults who had gone through the schools, there, about how they were shunned if they were not in the church, especially throughout their secondary years. Knowing that, I made sure we never lived in Mesa, and I still don't, even though my kids went through Mesa schools due to east valley ranch boundaries that were grandfathered boundaries, predating city boundaries.
When one of my kids was bused back to junior high from one of the high schools, the "elder" [who was all of 21] at the "seminary" that abutted the high school would regularly come out to the school bus that was parked there, carrying junior high students back to their respective schools, and "talk up" the Mormon Church and invite them to visit the "seminary". How friendly. My kid knew not to go "visit", and informed me that it felt creepy when this guy would show up to "chat" with the kids.
Friends I have who have kids in Gilbert experience the same thing. They are strangers in their own neighborhoods, because they are not a part of the "ward", and their kids are not included in things because of that. Perhaps there are some neighborhoods in Gilbert where that is not the case, but I have a multitude of friends who say it is that way. They are not included.
I am glad Romney lost. I would never vote for a Mormon in any political race. The families I have known over time [due to my occupation] are very nice in a public setting [not a neighborhood, apparently], they are caring parents [generally], but Mormons in charge is something I had to stomach for two-thirds of my adult working career. Mesa is SLC South, and I am glad I never have to work there, again.
All religions have "good" and "bad" people, but Mormons seem to have a particularly insular, 'holier-than-thou' outlook. They look out for themselves, first, and themselves, second, and themselves, third. Then, they'll throw you a crumb now and then IF they need you for something.
Mitt lost. I am glad.
Bluepoet posted at 2:11 pm on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
True religion is like real imagination. Mormonism is no more a cult than any other religion, and it's not a cult at all, for those who are mormons. Please people, try to refrain from lumping all Mormons together. There are at least two distinct sects of Mormonism. The one that could even be regarded as a cult, at all, is the Reformed LDS church, who are the ones who practice polygamy, and mostly live on the border of AZ and Utah. The mainstream LDS are almost indistinguishable from any other Protestant Faith, except that they were not formed, as a schism of the Catholic faith, via Martin Luther (which could be argued as being a cultist, from a Catholic point of view). They worship the God of the Old and New Testament, and that should be enough for anyone to name them Christians...
Yes, they have some weird beliefs, but that can be said of any, and I mean any religion, old or new...think about it...every single religion can be viewed in the light of its own hubris. Why? Because every single religion is a construct of man, and any claim made otherwise only reinforces that logic...
Religion is not faith...it is dogma, it is interpretation of men, to a book, or books, most of which were written long ago, further diluting their original meanings. So, it's ludicrous for people to assign the word cult to Mormonism, while at the same time being members of the same sort of institution!
If one really wishes to use the word cult, in this context, it should at least have some sort of proof that the so-called cult is evil, or harmful, and not merely just another interpretation of the same old story.
And, the great artists and composers influenced by religion? Well, they lived in a time when there were two benefactors to the arts...Religion and Royalty...of course, their influence had to do with those who kept them able to do their art!
Schools? The same thing...the only people allowed to read and write, until the printing press, were the clergy and royalty! The printing press was, in efffect the rebirth of secularism! (not the origin of it, though...that was the Greeks, for a short while). So, yes Religion has done good, but, again, being power constructs of man, they have done much harm, too.
That's why the article (remember the article?) seems so ironic...Mormons win, because they won't be in the spotlight anymore, while at the same time, they will gain converts, because of their "15months" of fame!
mesateacher posted at 2:02 pm on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
Einstein was not an atheist - he was agnostic. Big difference.
Asimov was not either. He wrote several books on the Bible. His Foundation series was based on the idea that God created this universe for mankind, and that's why there were no aliens, not one, in those books. Asimov was no Torah-thumping believer, but he was no atheist.
Religion may be a fairy tale, but there is no denying it's civilizing effect.
Juggernaut8000 posted at 1:51 pm on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
Mesateacher,
You are a fool...you forgot to mention some other athiest's that were quite productive to our society, such as Einstein, Hawkin and Asimov to name a few.
Religion is a complete fairy tale and it is a shame to see adults still believe in that nonsense.
downtownresident posted at 1:19 pm on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
PROPAGANDA cannot change the truth. All the Mormons did is put forth a bunch of un-truths and half true propaganda to try to help Mitt Romney get elected.
It didn't work.
Mormons have many weird beliefs that fly in the face of logic and true religion.
Starting with their Billion dollar temples, full of priceless artwork and tons of gold.
PROPAGANDA does not alter the fact that Mormonism is a CULT, afraid to reveal its true self for fear of even more bad publicity. Forget the truth, cause it has not yet come out what the cult's real secrets are. Nor just how paranoid the entire cult is.
PROPAGANDA is just that. Lies masked as begnin information intended to mislead the non-Mormon majority that they are just plain folk.
Well, Mitt proved just how down-to-earth Mormonism is. NOT!
Let's all have a Pepsi, or Coke, That'll make those Pagans think we're normal.
VofReason posted at 1:04 pm on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
Hmmm, halting the progress of civilization? And how is that so? As pointed out above, religion has been at the center of education since there was civilization. Harvard, Princton, Columbia, all schools started under the banner of religion. Maybe a better question, has secularism advanced society?
mookie13 posted at 11:11 am on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
I am Catholic and I have never thought of Mormons or any religion as outsiders. I live in a neighborhood with mostly LDS families and In my neighborhood in the past 10 years, my son was never allowed to play with any of the LDS children; He was always sent home. If the children came to my home or talked to me, The LDS mothers would run over and grab their children before I even had a chance to say hello. The older LDS children have antagonized my family as well as thrown garbage on my property. Who is the outsider?
Lynnda37 posted at 9:53 am on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
I don't care what religion someone is as long as they are a good person but I don't want to hear about Billy Graham changing his mind about the Mormons being a cult. Franklin Graham was running his mouth and said they were Billy still had it up on his website until he endorsed Romney. Makes me wonder if the Grahams are in it for the money.
Thugnificent posted at 8:44 am on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
the only thing religion is good for is halting the progress of civilization.