The Mormonizing of America: How the Mormon Religion Became a Dominant Force in Politics, Entertainment, and Pop Culture

200 Pages·2012·2.59 MB·English

by  Stephen Mansfield

Copyright © 2012 by Stephen Mansfield
Published by Worthy Publishing, a division of Worthy Media, Inc., 134 Franklin Road, Suite 200,
Brentwood, Tennessee 37027.
eBook available at www.worthypublishing.com
Audio distributed through Oasis Audio; visit www.oasisaudio.com
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012937694
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ISBN: 978-1-617950-78-0 (hardcover)
Cover Design: Christopher Tobias, Tobias Design
Cover Photos: Composite angel, © Paul Chesley/Getty Images; Flag, © iStockphoto.com
Interior Typesetting: Susan Browne Design
Printed in the United States of America
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 LBM 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To
David Foster
(1953–2012)
ALSO BY STEPHEN MANSFIELD
Never Give In: The Extraordinary
Character of Winston Churchill Then Darkness Fled: The Liberating
Wisdom of Booker T. Washington Forgotten Founding Father: The Heroic
Legacy of George Whitefield The Faith of George W. Bush

The Faith of the American Soldier

Benedict XVI: His Life and Mission The Faith of Barack Obama

The Search for God and Guinness
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
On Saintly Language
Prologue: Scenes from the Land of the Saints
Introduction: Engine of the Mormon Ascent
Chapter 1: The Mormon View of Mormonism
A Mormon Chronology
Chapter 2: In Search of True Religion
Chapter 3: Joseph Smith: Prophet and Magician
PHOTO SECTION
Chapter 4: The Golden Plates
Chapter 5: An American Gospel
Mormon Beliefs in Plain Language
Chapter 6: A New Breed of Men
Chapter 7: Among a Progressing People
PHOTO SECTION
Chapter 8: The Earthly Fruit of Faith
Chapter 9: The Work Unfinished
Appendix A: Joseph Smith’s Articles of Faith
Appendix B: Surprising Quotes from Mormon Leaders
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
I was five minutes into Dr. Grant Underwood’s class at Brigham Young
University when I made my strategic mistake. Grant had graciously invited me
to participate in his Mormonism in the American Experience class and I had
eagerly accepted. Once I arrived, he urged me to introduce myself to the
students. That’s when I nearly fell into the pond. I talked about my life for a
while and then explained how my fascination with faith had brought me to them.
Feeling the moment, I wanted to say something about how welcoming everyone
had been, not just at BYU but at headquarters in Salt Lake City and everywhere I
had spoken with LDS scholars, politicians, or believers around the country.
That’s when I used one of my favorite throwaway lines: “Will you adopt me?”
I say it all the time. If someone bakes something wonderful and offers me a
bite, I’ll say, “Oh, how nice. Will you adopt me?” If a friend builds a house with
a beautiful view and a pool, I’ll almost automatically ask, “Will you adopt me so
I can live here?” So the words fell thoughtlessly from my lips—in that class at
Brigham Young University … in front of supercharged young Latter-day Saints.
There, you know, just south of Salt Lake City and the Temple and all.
The bright kid in the class—which is all of them, of course, but by bright I
mean smart aleck—didn’t miss a beat. He cleared his throat and said, “Well, of
course, we will. Would you like for us to call the missionaries?”
And the whole class cracked up. They had me. Of course they would adopt
me. That’s what they’re on earth to do. Family. Eternity. Belonging. Connection.
Progressing together. Grant gave me a look that said, Wow, you walked right into
that one. And you have a doctorate? Must be in basket weaving or volleyball or
something.
It was the type of warm, human moment in which far more is radiated than
anyone tries to describe. I loved it. It was sweet and endearing, and I saw in that
instant a bit of the enveloping community that has enabled the Latter-day Saints
to do what few religions have in the tumultuous modern world: allow people to
belong before they believe.
I found this same openness and—what is it? Kindness? Or some mystical gift
for connection?—as I plied Dr. Kathleen Flake of Vanderbilt University with