3. Most Mormons are white, English-speaking conservatives.
Five Myths
A feature from The Post’s Outlook section that dismantles myths, clarifies common misconceptions and makes you think again about what you thought you already knew.
From its American beginnings, Mormonism has grown into a global religion, with 14.1 million members worldwide. Fewer than half live in the United States. More LDS Church members live in South America (about 2.1 million) than Utah (1.9 million). There are significant Mormon populations in the Philippines, Tonga, Samoa and other Pacific islands, and the church is growing in Africa. In the United States, a majority of converts in recent years have been Latinos. Worldwide, 4.5 million LDS Church members speak Spanish.
American Mormonism has earned a reputation as conservative, partly because of Mormon figures such as Glenn Beck and Utah’s status as a reliably red state. But this is a 20th-century custom, not a doctrinal mandate. While recent polls show that only 39 percent of American Mormons identify as “moderate” or “liberal,” shifting demographics suggest that number may grow. For example, the influx of Latino Mormons has led the church to adopt more progressive stances on immigration reform.
4. Mormon women are second-class citizens.
Mormon women are sometimes perceived as voiceless, mindless members of our faith; LDS Church spokespeople portray us as uniformly happy with our situation. Neither perspective is accurate.
It is true that mainstream Mormonism does not accord women equal status with men. The worldwide LDS Church chain of command — including all positions of clerical, institutional and fiscal authority — is entirely male. Women cannot hold the lay priesthood shared in by men age 12 and older. The church’s Proclamation on the Family declares that men “preside” over the household. Unequal gender language is also a part of Mormon temple worship and marriage ceremonies.
But Mormonism also has more progressive elements. Our concept of God is not exclusively male: We believe in a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother. Our theology teaches that all individuals can receive inspiration directly from God. Our history gives us many examples of strong, independent-minded women, such as 19th-century suffragist Emmeline Wells and writer Eliza R. Snow. And thousands of progressive LDS women and men today call ourselves “Mormon feminists” — rejecting parts of Mormonism that promote inequality while holding to affirming elements of our tradition.
5. A Mormon president would blur the line between church and state.
The Romney and Huntsman campaigns have raised questions about the potential relationship between the LDS Church and a Mormon president — much as John F. Kennedy’s campaign did decades ago regarding the Catholic Church.
Many Mormons believe that the election of an LDS president would improve perceptions of our faith. But some non-Mormons remain suspicious of the church’s political ambitions, especially after the heavy investment of Mormon money and volunteers in campaigns to defeat same-sex marriage, including California’s Proposition 8 in 2008. For 2012, the church has asserted its neutrality and instructed employees and officers not to donate to, endorse or campaign for any candidate.
It should be remembered that Mormons have held local, state and federal offices in America for more than a century. Fifteen Mormons now serve in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) — and few seemed to worry that the LDS Church was influencing his debt-ceiling proposals.
Joanna Brooks writes on Mormonism for the online magazine Religion Dispatches and on Twitter (@askmormongirl). She will be online at 11 a.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 8, to chat. Submit your questions and comments now.
Read “Five myths about church and state in America,” “Five myths about Muslims in America” and “Mormons on Broadway could bring them into the White House.”
Read “Why religion will matter in 2012,” On Faith debate: Is this Mormonism’s moment?”
and “Under God: Mormon Mitt Romney not ‘Christian,’ says Fox News host.”
Want to challenge everything you know? Visit our “Five myths” archive.
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