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A Republican presidential hopeful, celebrity converts and a Broadway musical "“ it seems Mormons are everywhere
As the ex-Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney gears up for his second bid to enter the White House next year, there are some in the Republican party who can already foresee the day when President Romney will be in charge of the country: namely, its Mormon members.
You might think Romney's status as poster-boy for the divisive religion might make him a less popular choice for Commander in Chief (in a 2007 poll, 22% said that being a Mormon was an undesirable characteristic for a president), but the odds might actually be stacked in his favour, as Mormonism seems to be having a moment.
Mormons have overcome adversity and assassinations, have literally put the state of Utah on the map and are now the fourth-largest religious denomination in the US. But having taken many blows for its associations with polygamy and polyester prairie dresses, a favourable PR campaign has long been overdue "“ a fact that is currently being recognised by an unlikely ally: showbiz. The "empress of soul", Gladys Knight, and controversial US television host Glenn Beck are both celebrity converts and starry adverts for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the real Mormon media love-in is being played out in the theatre. The creators of the TV show South Park have produced a satirical Broadway musical called The Book of Mormon (and they are currently looking for a London venue for it), the Mormon play Angels in America keeps returning to London's fringe stages, and this year's Edinburgh fringe festival will feature an autobiographic one-man comedy show that details the exploits of Steven Fales, a Mormon-turned-rentboy. Fales says he wants to see the Mormon stories told with "fairness and honesty". Whether any of this wins Romney more support or converts for the church remains to be seen.
Sertan Sanderson
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