Mormon church works to dispel mystery as profile is raised

For a religious denomination that claims about 2 percent of the American population, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is getting a lot of attention these days.

There's the award-winning Broadway play "The Book of Mormon." There's the Mormon author of the popular "Twilight" vampire series, Stephenie Meyer. And Donny and Marie Osmond are still performing to sold-out crowds at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

Everyday people have gotten their moment, too, thanks to a 2010 church-funded national advertising campaign called "I'm a Mormon."

But the spotlight has been shining brightest lately in the world of politics. On Jan. 31, Florida Republicans will be voting in a primary with a Mormon on the ballot — front-runner Mitt Romney, who served as a bishop in the church and governor of Massachusetts. There would have been two Mormons to choose from, but Jon Huntsman, a former Utah governor, dropped out last week.

Victor Patrick of Tampa, a retired lawyer and father of eight, welcomes the focus on his faith, even if it isn't always in the best light.

"Any attention gives us a chance to tell others about ourselves," he says. "Yes, we would rather it be all positive. But we find that the more people get to know us, they learn we are a lot more like them than not."

What many Mormons such as Patrick say, according to a new survey, is that Americans know little or nothing about their religion. Mormons don't think they are seen as part of the cultural mainstream, and many concede that outsiders consider their faith a "cult."

Despite this, a majority said the country is ready for a Mormon president and that acceptance of their faith is rising.

Those findings were released this month by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life in what is considered the largest survey of its kind about Mormons by a non-LDS research organization. Called "Mormons in America: Certain in Society but Uncertain of Their Place in Society," it covered a wide spectrum of issues, from religious beliefs and practices to social and political views.

Luis Lugo, Pew Research Center director, emphasized that the survey was not "solely or even chiefly" about politics. However, its timing comes when Americans are making a decision whether to let a presidential candidate's religious beliefs be a factor in voting for him.

Patrick, president of the Tampa Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which includes about 3,600 members in eight wards, thinks the more Romney succeeds in the primaries, the less voters will be concerned about his church.

"They're going to see him more as a person than a stereotype," Patrick says. "Here's what they will learn: Mormons are regular people with jobs, who love their families and get involved in their local communities. We're not some wide-eyed cultists planning some nefarious plot."

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The 1,019 respondents in the Pew survey, conducted between Oct. 25 and Nov. 16, identified themselves as Mormons. It did not include people who were no longer active in the church.

The findings reveal a group of believers that is satisfied with the way things are going in their lives (87 percent) and had a strong commitment to the teachings and practices of their faith. Eight in 10 say that religion is very important in their lives, and upward of three-quarters say they attend worship services at least once a week. Pew researchers noted that Mormons exhibit a "higher level of religious commitment" than many other groups, including white evangelical Protestants.

What are the most important elements of being a good Mormon? Eighty percent say the belief that founder Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ is essential; working to help the poor came in a close second at 72 percent. Less than half believed that following certain church revelations — such as not watching R-rated movies or drinking coffee and tea — were as important.

And more than half said "family home evening," where the clan gathers one night a week to pray and play together, is an essential part of the faith.

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Though polygamy was officially banned by the church in 1890, it can't seem to shake the perception that Mormons still support it. A resounding 86 percent say it is morally wrong. As for divorce, they don't feel so strongly — only 25 percent consider it immoral.

Mormons have a more old-fashioned view of married life, though. Nearly six in 10 (58 percent) say that the most satisfying marriage is where the husband provides for the family and the wife takes care of the house and children, with 38 percent preferring both spouses working and sharing household duties. That's the opposite of most Americans' opinion, according to other polls.

Another disconnect between how Mormons view themselves compared with how others see them: Latter-day Saints overwhelmingly consider themselves to be Christians, while a November poll said only 51 percent of Americans agree with that. The most common description they gave of the religion was "cult."

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Dorothy Hawkins, who teaches incarcerated youth for the Pasco County School District, acknowledges her Mormon faith may have some different rituals and beliefs than other Christian denominations, but "ultimately, we are all Christians," she says.

"We believe God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost are three different beings, so that's an issue for some. But we definitely believe in Christ," she says. "I think given the times we're living in, we should find our common bonds and not let the differences divide us. As this country becomes more secular, we need to work together."

Hawkins, married and the mother of two grown daughters, says she gets more comments about her height (she's 6 feet tall) than her religion.

"One woman I bowled with was a little wary when she found out I was a Mormon," Hawkins recalls. "Finally she said, 'You don't act like I thought you were supposed to act.' I think people are always apprehensive about what they don't know about. So I welcome being able to share the truths of our church with them."

Service to others is a big priority for Mormons. As president of the stake relief society — the all-female arm of the church that helps the needy and does charitable projects — Hawkins organized a quilting marathon in October. In one day, 300 volunteers made 117 quilts, which were donated to Metropolitan Ministries, and they donated 64 units of blood.

"What a lot of people don't know is in every major disaster, the Mormons are usually the first to arrive because we have missionaries all over the globe," she says. "We work with existing organizations to meet the needs in the wake of the event. This is a big part of who we are, but we don't necessarily publicize that. We're just doing the Lord's work quietly."

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Despite some of the views Americans have of Mormons, Pew researchers say there is no evidence that would prevent rank-and-file Republicans from rallying behind Romney if he wins the GOP nomination. That could be because the same people who have doubts about his faith are the most vehement opponents of President Barack Obama, surveys show.

Romney continues to make moves that show he's working to build a constituency among those voters. Last year, Mark DeMoss, who leads the country's largest public relations firm that caters to evangelical Christian clients, joined the Romney team as an unpaid senior adviser.

DeMoss told The Tampa Tribune that he was the one who sought out Romney in 2006 because he thought the former governor and businessman was the "most qualified person to run for president in my lifetime."

"His values match mine, his competence is unmatched and he is capable of getting elected," DeMoss said.

Robert DesJardins isn't so sure. The Los Angeles-based lawyer went on a fact-finding mission to learn about the church, its history and its secretive rituals for his mystery-thriller novel "Land of the Saints."

The more he researched, the more he realized he didn't know much about the 181-year-old church. He said he learned that Smith, the church's founder, was a fortune hunter; that the United States almost went to war with the Mormons in 1857 over Utah; and that members wear special undergarments to protect them against Satan. The Mormons also maintain the world's largest genealogical library, with a database of more than 600 million, so they can baptize the dead and ensure they will be together with their ancestors for eternity.

His conclusion: Mormons are nice people, but "their beliefs are very bizarre." They definitely march to the beat of a different drummer, he says.

"Despite what the polls say, I think a lot of evangelicals would just as soon fall under the sword before they would vote for Mitt," DesJardins says. "Of course, I once said an actor named Ronald Reagan would never get elected governor of California, either."