Mormon Media Observer: Mormons and the mainstream — not a quest for me

Newsweek’s cover story on Mormonism last week seemed little new — a conglomeration of the standard tropes about Mormonism in the modern media. It was as though it clicked off the standard list:

Did the article have the obligatory references to polygamy? Check. There were five.

Did the article describe Mormons or our rituals as secretive? Check. It mentioned our temple ceremonies, and described them as secretive.

Did the article describe the faith as unusual or weird? Check. It made reference to temple garments and said Mormons believe in “magic spectacles,” calling the faith weird.

I was deeply disappointed in Newsweek and its distortions of my sacred beliefs. Therefore, I might quote the ever-gracious Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal (the article may require a subscription to view) this week about some discussions of Mormonism in politics and apply it to Newsweek's choice to characterize my faith. I hope she won’t mind: “Really, grow up. Enough.”

Did the article describe Mormonism as a paradox? Did it have quotes from famous or iconic Mormons? Did it have a discussion of “remarkable” church growth? Check. Check. Check.

In some senses, the Newsweek article was more favorable in discussing as it did, the supposed examples of Mormon success and of how Mormonism might shape Mormon politicians, than others articles of its type.

That was a welcome change.

I also appreciated some of the specifics discussed about Mormonism’s history of persecution — the extermination order comes to mind.

Aside from these interesting ideas, however, there seemed little new beyond recycled news frames of the last few decades.

What interested me most was Newsweek’s use, as so many others have, of Mormonism’s relationship to the national mainstream as a way of telling our story and our history.

What of the “mainstreaming” of Mormonism? Pretend two things: that mainstreaming means becoming part of and accepting the broad set of contemporary American cultural values. Second, assume that becoming mainstream is what we Mormons wish.