“I am an assimilated American,” William Morris (“Wm”) recently wrote at the popular Mormon arts and culture blog, A Motley Vision. Citing his education, online social networking profile, eating habits, and a long list of eclectic interests, Wm unabashedly celebrated his assimilated status and expressed his own belief that all other Mormons in the United States are, too. “There’s no ‘And yet,’” he declared. In a general sense, Wm is correct. There are now Mormons living in nearly every corner of... Read more

Various pundits, including no less a figure than Leo Tolstoy and Harold Bloom, have dubbed Mormonism a distinct—or, even further, the quintessential—American religion. Yet the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long maintained a tenuous relationship with the United States, much of which has been and will continue to be featured during Mitt Romney’s presidential run. While some have emphasized the “American-ness” of Romney’s religion, others have mused on the perceived chasm between the two. Most recently, journalist... Read more

For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. – Deuteronomy 14:2 (KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. – 1 Peter 2:9 (KJV) There are still... Read more