Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Mormons in America

Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society

January 12, 2012

With a Mormon candidate among the front-runners for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, a musical about Mormons playing on Broadway and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints (LDS) running television ads about ordinary Mormons, America is in the midst of what some media accounts have dubbed a "Mormon moment." 

A major new survey explores how Mormons themselves feel about the media spotlight, the election campaign and their place in America. The survey finds a mixed picture: Many Mormons feel they are misunderstood, discriminated against and not accepted by other Americans as part of mainstream society. Yet, at the same time, a majority of Mormons think that acceptance of Mormonism is rising. Overwhelmingly, they are satisfied with their lives and content with their communities. And most say they think the country is ready to elect a Mormon president.

These are among the findings of a comprehensive survey by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life of more than 1,000 Mormons across the country - the first of its kind ever published by a non-LDS research organization. Previous studies, including the Pew Forum's 2007 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, have found that Mormons make up slightly less than 2% of the U.S. public.

See an infographic summarizing the results and read the full report for findings on these subjects:

• Reactions to the "Mormon Moment"
• Religious beliefs and practices
• Mormons and family life
• Politics, society and morality