The Mormon Image in the American Mind: Fifty Years of Public Perception

The Mormon Image in the American Mind examines how the American public's perception of Mormonism and the LDS Church has evolved from the 1960s through the early 2010s. Through analysis of media coverage, political events, and cultural milestones, Haws tracks the shifts in how Mormons have been viewed by their fellow Americans. The book focuses on key periods and watershed moments that impacted Mormon public relations, including George Romney's presidential campaign, the ERA movement, the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and Mitt Romney's two presidential bids. Haws draws from extensive research including interviews, media archives, and church records to document these changing perspectives. The narrative moves between national-level events and local grassroots developments to show how individual Mormons and Church leadership navigated challenges to their public image. Major themes include religious tolerance, political influence, and the tension between maintaining religious distinctiveness while seeking mainstream acceptance. The work provides insight into how religious minorities in America must constantly negotiate their place in society, balancing adaptation with authenticity. Through the Mormon case study, Haws illuminates broader patterns in American religious and cultural history.

Readers describe this as a balanced academic analysis of Mormon public perception from 1960-2012. Multiple reviewers note Haws' thorough research and his focus on key moments that shaped mainstream views of the LDS church. Liked: - Clear organization by historical period - Detailed look at media coverage and polling data - Fair treatment of both Mormon and non-Mormon perspectives - Inclusion of previously unpublished sources Disliked: - Some sections drag with excessive detail - Focus mainly on institutional church rather than individual members - Limited coverage of pre-1960s context - Academic writing style can be dry Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (28 ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (12 ratings) One reviewer on Goodreads called it "the most comprehensive treatment of modern Mormon image-making." An Amazon reviewer noted it "fills an important gap in understanding how Mormonism has been perceived by the broader American public."

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🔹 The book explores how public perception of Mormons shifted dramatically between George Romney's 1968 presidential campaign and his son Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign, highlighting generational changes in American attitudes. 🔹 Author J.B. Haws serves as an associate professor of Church History at Brigham Young University and received the Mormon History Association's Best First Book award for this work. 🔹 The book examines how the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics became a pivotal moment in reshaping Mormon public image, transforming perceptions from secretive and cultish to competent and mainstream. 🔹 During the period covered in the book (1960s-2010s), the percentage of Americans who said they would vote for a qualified Mormon presidential candidate rose from 75% to 91%. 🔹 The work draws heavily from the LDS Church's internal public relations documents and previously unreleased polling data, providing unique insights into how the church actively managed its public image over five decades.