Book looks at Mormon misconceptions

In a survey, Lawrence found that only 3 out of 10 people say Mormons are only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have nothing to do with polygamous groups. About 45 percent of people polled thought all believers in the Book of Mormon are called Mormons, while 25 percent had no opinion.

"So three-fourths of America still needs to be educated on that," Lawrence said. "The LDS Church needs to hammer away at this."

Lawrence hopes his book will help hammer at this as well.

"I've always maintained the easiest form of education is the correction of a distortion," Lawrence said. "That is my motivation, to correct the distortions that are out there and do it in a way the people don't feel like they are being propagandized or pressured or persuaded to join."

And Lawrence has his work cut out for him as curiosity about Mormons grows — for good and bad.

CNN's religion editor, Dan Gilgoff, said in a video titled "Explain it to me: Mormonism" that "there is this great curiosity about Mormonism." The LDS Church public affairs blog called Gilgoff's video "informative."

Newsweek had a cover article on "The Mormon Moment: How the Outsider Faith Creates Winners."

Memphis Fox News' Ben Ferguson mocked Mormons on a televised report in June.

The Tampa Tribune summed up the interest: "Without question, the LDS church is the religious denomination du jour."

An apt description, according to Lawrence's book.

"Sometimes," Lawrence writes, "it seems that the only way certain Christian groups will accept us Mormons at the table is if we're on the menu."

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