by brady | Jan 18, 2012 | About Mormons, Mormons in the News
There should be no real surprise to find out that the majority of those who identify themselves as Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) are politically and morally conservative. After all, they are a religion that teaches things like not to drink coffee or tea, not to smoke, not to date until you are at least the age of 16, that every life counts and that families can be together forever. The recent Pew Research Center Forum on Religion & Public Life, ‘Mormons in America’ survey results were recently released, and the Deseret News has put together a five part series looking at different aspects of this research. In this their fourth piece called, “Mormons’ immigration attitudes set them apart,” we find out some of the areas where Mormons are seen as questioning, challenging or supportive in response to the current political cycle.
The article begins by stating, “U.S. Mormons are more conservative (66 percent) compared to the general public (37 percent), and on most issues, they closely track white evangelicals. But immigration is one issue that sets Mormons apart from their evangelical counterparts.” There is some very good information presented and the Desert News presents this hot topic in a way that can help all readers get a clearer picture about what Mormons believe concerning immigration. (more…)
by brady | Jan 18, 2012 | About Mormons, Mormons in the News
When people search for reasons why organizations, teams, bands, religions or families are successful, there is no question that one of the most important attributes is commitment. With commitment you are not only saying what you believe, you are taking action to follow through with those beliefs. In a recent survey by the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion & Public Life, ‘Mormons in America,’ there was quite a bit of evidence that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes erroneously called Mormons) are committed. According to the Deseret News in their third article titled “LDS religious commitment high, Pew survey finds,” we find out just how committed the Mormons are to their beliefs.
The article starts off with a staggering statement and number stating, ‘ the highest, most overwhelming numbers are these: 98 percent of respondents said they believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 97 percent say their church is a Christian religion.” In order for people to feel this way, there has to be commitment and people are taking notice that the Mormons are committed to their religion. It is interesting to compare those numbers with a recent survey the article refers to, stating, “32 percent of non-LDS U.S. adults say the LDS Church is not a Christian religion, and an additional 17 percent are unsure of the LDS Christianity.” (more…)
by brady | Jan 17, 2012 | About Mormons, Mormons in the News
We have all heard the statement “proof is in the pudding.” In a recent survey by the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion & Public Life, ‘Mormons in America,’ many great topics were addressed and a better understanding gained of what Mormons think about those topics. The Deseret News has taken a look at this research and has created a five part series discussing different aspects of the survey. In their piece “New Pew survey reinforces Mormon’s top goals of family, marriage” they take a deeper dive into the findings surrounding these critical beliefs of those who are Mormon.
The article references a very important statistic that was found through the Pew survey, “81 percent of Mormons say being a good parent is ‘one of the most important things in life.’” I guess from one perspective you could ask the question, based on what Mormons are taught about the role and importance of families, why this number is not 100%… but 81 is a good number. There are probably a number of reasons that number is not higher which may lead to some good follow-up research. (more…)
![Mormons Say Polygamy Morally Wrong]()
by brady | Jan 16, 2012 | About Mormons, Mormons in the News
By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 7:00 p.m. MST
David Letterman knows how to get a laugh.Like most comics, he riffs on the day’s news, deadpans the camera and revels in audacity.”Oh, did you hear about this?” the host of CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman asked his audience recently. “A campaign staffer on the Newt Gingrich campaign was fired because he was making negative comments about Mormons. I thought, now, wait a minute — isn’t Newt in favor of multiple wives?”
Laughter rumbled from the audience followed by applause. The polygamy punch line is a familiar one when it comes to poking fun at Mormons — as though Mormons and polygamy are synonymous in mainstream media. Ironically, the practice that’s most linked to Mormons is a practice most Mormons oppose, according to a groundbreaking new study of Mormons in America released Thursday by the Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion and Public Life. (more…)
by Terrie Lynn Bittner | Jan 16, 2012 | About Mormons, Mormons in the News
A recent The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted an in-depth survey of Mormons in the United States. Mormon is a nickname sometimes used to describe members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fourth article in a series that appears in Deseret News is evaluating the results of this survey and providing context for the results.
Immigration is a controversial topic in the United States. The survey asked one question on this topic. They were asked which of two statements most closely matched their view, even if they didn’t completely agree. They were asked whether immigrants strengthen or burden the nation. No distinction was made between legal and illegal immigration, leaving those polled to decide for themselves what the question meant.
In the general U.S. population, 45 percent of Americans feel that immigrants strengthen the country, while 44 percent burden it. 12 percent feel that neither or both are true or they have no opinion on the subject. Mormon views closely mirror these statistics. 45 percent of Mormons also believe immigrants strengthen the nation, although a smaller number, 41 percent, consider them a burden on society. The number of Mormons who accept both or neither or who have no opinion is higher, at 14 percent.
These numbers put them at odds with evangelical Christians, one of the few political areas in which they disagree. Within the white evangelical population, 59 percent believe immigrants are a burden, and 27 percent believe they strengthen the country. Like Mormons, 14 percent answered both, neither, or no opinion. (more…)
by Gale | Jan 14, 2012 | About Mormons, Mormons in the News
In a world where we often are looking for answers to big questions, we search long and hard to find our results. In business for example, companies will spend millions of dollars doing research to find out why their competitors are doing better than they are, or one department will accuse another department of not doing their part and that is why there was failure. When all is said and done, more often than not, the answers are usually found in our own backyard, so to speak.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has been a global religion for a number of years now. Even though it is the fourth-largest religion in the United States, many here in America are just now starting to understand what it is the ‘Mormons’ believe. Ironically enough, those that are of the LDS faith are now being put in a position to more clearly understand their faith so when they are questioned, they can respond with genuineness and correctness. With the amount of attention that ‘Mormons’ are receiving, in large part because of the political landscape and very deliberate branding campaigns by the Church, getting a better understanding of the ‘Mormons’ is a very hot and trending activity. (more…)
