E.F. Bloomfield - Research: Self-Reflecting on Religion and Society ...

In a previous post, I discussed the current climate of Mormonism in world news publications to show how the general public and news media reflects and absorbs information about Romney's faith. A recent Pew Forum poll is a relevant complement to my previous post by representing the Mormon opinion on their faith and position in society.

Acknowledging simultaneously that the Mormons have experienced a "Mormon Moment" and also only make up 2% of the population, the Pew Forum amassed fascinating poll numbers that show the current opinions of Mormons on their ascent to mainstream coverage.

Below I've listed the polls that I found particularly interesting, but the entire report can be accessed for more in-depth explanations.

• 62% of Mormons believe that Americans know nothing or very little about Mormonism

Although Mormonism is receiving more coverage and has become an important topic, there is skepticism on behalf of the Mormon population that people still do not know detailed information about their faith. This could be a result of limited media coverage that explains the faith rather than merely commenting on it or the reticence on Romney's part to discuss and advertise his faith in the campaign.

• 63% of Mormons believe that the acceptance of Mormonism is rising

Despite a lack of information about Mormonism, Mormons believe that they are becoming more accepted by the American population. Simply having more coverage and attention placed on the religion perhaps provides respondents with confidence that the coverage is leading to people being more comfortable hearing about and thinking about the faith.

• 54% of Mormons believe that media portrayals hurt the Mormon's image, but
• 52% of Mormons believe that news coverage is fair

Mormons are split nearly down the middle in how entertainment media and news coverage of their faith influences their perception by the general public. By these numbers, news coverage is favored slightly more than media coverage, perhaps because of the emphasis on polygamy in entertainment, which is no longer supported by nor representative of members of the Church of Latter Day Saints. News coverage, however, is more likely to acknowledge this abandonment of polygamy and contextualize Mormonism by discussing Romney.

• 56% of Mormons believe America is ready for a Mormon president

Whether or not respondents are specifically referring to Romney's bid or a Mormon president in general, it is clear that Mormons are less confident in their ability to garner the highest office in the United States. The operationalization of "ready" can be complicated, but I feel comfortable in concluding that Mormons are still hesitant to declare themselves as fully integrated in the population and as a viable faith for the presidency, despite their acceptance being on the rise.

Perhaps the most fascinating part of the paper is the comparative polls between Mormons and the US public.

• 97% of Mormons consider Mormonism a Christian religion, whereas only 51% agree

This large disparity between considering Mormonism a Christian religion could spell disaster for Romney's presidential bid. A likely reason for such a large gap is the media coverage that is given to outspoken pastors and priests that denounce Mormonism as an un-Christian cult. Not being able to connect to Romney on the value of faith could be damaging to his ability to swing undecided and independent voters. The 46 points difference clearly speaks to the belief by Mormons that by?worshiping?Jesus Christ, they should be considered a Christian faith, whereas the general public is too skeptical of the additional Book of Mormon strays too far from traditional Christian teachings.

Mormons may be experiencing their own 15-minutes of fame, but the negative media representations and American skepticism that confronts them are a foreseeable future. Especially in the upcoming 2012 presidential election, Romney and Mormons will continue to gain the spotlight as the faith attempts to endorse the first Mormon president.

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