~by Michelle

Between the time that I wrote the brief piece on the Newsweek cover story and now, a lot has happened to perhaps add to this idea that this is a “Mormon Moment.” There continue to be a plethora of opinions and discussions about the Newsweek article. A Business Week article appeared on the scene exploring the idea that “Many of the men who trained to be Mormon missionaries have gone on to become among the most distinguished persons in American business and civic life.” Earlier this week, Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s “The Book of Mormon” won the best musical award (and several other awards) at the Tonys.

If you were to ask different members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints what they think about any or all of the above, you would likely get a variety of opinions. Some are upset. Some are amused. Some are indifferent. Some are conflicted. Some are even grateful for the publicity, even if it’s not all perfect or perfectly positive. Some are concerned that misunderstandings about us will continue.

Is this really is a “Mormon Moment”? I’m not sure. I do think that it is becoming harder to say, “I’ve never heard of the Mormons.” But it may still not be easy to actually know what it is that Latter-day Saints really believe, at least not from what may be currently found in the media or on Broadway…or what may come down the road as the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign continues.

My simple thought today is for anyone who may have such question marks in their heads, and it comes in the form of an invitation. Be proactive. Ask. Learn. Do you know a Mormon? Ask a question! (And if you just want a five-minute answer, let your friend know! Please don’t feel like asking a question requires a serious desire to convert to our faith.)

If you don’t personally know a Mormon, take a virtual walk through Mormon.org. There are many resources there to help people learn more about Mormonism.  

Feel free to also send us an email at mormonwoman a’ gmail d’ com. (Browse questions we have addressed in our Ask a Mormon Woman section.) 

Please know that our intent in sharing our message with the world is not to force our faith on anyone, but to make it as easy as possible for people to take the initiative to learn facts about Mormonism. As is often the challenge with the media, most of what we read/hear/see comes second- or third-hand. When it comes to Mormonism, much of it is often incomplete and sometimes inaccurate.

By providing resources like Mormon.org, at the very least, the Church wants to help answer questions, satisfy curiosity, and clear up misunderstandings about Mormon life and beliefs. In addition, we do invite those who do want to know more to do more intensive study and to pray earnestly about our message.

Is this really a Mormon moment? I suppose only time will tell. We’ll continue to try to do our part here at Mormon Women: Who We Are to share information about our lives and beliefs.  We invite our Mormon readers to consider submitting photos or essays that communicate what being Mormon means to you. To our readers who are here learning more about Mormonism, thanks for visiting and giving us the chance to share!