LDS in the USA

Within the past ten years, Mormonism has become more prominent in mainstream American culture. In LDS in the USA, Lee Trepanier and Lynita Newswander explore the conflicting nature of Mormonism in America. The authors stated goal is to remedy a deficiency both in the academy and the general culture that does not fully recognize the contributions Mormons have made to social, cultural, political, and religious life in the United States. As they seek to introduce readers to Mormonism and its impact on America, the authors are also seeking to prove that Mormon culture and religion “embod[ies] certain tensions in American culture ... simultaneously rejecting and affirming what are considered to be core American values” (p. 6). Trepanier and Newswander attempt to prove this thesis by examining four areas: media, marriage, politics, and theology. The first chapter, “Mormons in the American Imagination,” discusses the many ways in which Mormons are depicted in American culture. There are far-ranging examples, from Donny and Marie Osmond to the HBO television show Big Love. These varying depictions assist the authors in making their main point about the discrepancy in the way Mormons are viewed. The Osmonds seem to be the typical, hard-working, lovable American family. The family on Big Love is not typical in any way. The chapter goes on to discuss the forms of influence that Mormons have had in media and the arts and, in that sense, is interesting and informative. However, the thesis is perfunctorily stated as fact while the authors struggle to show that there is a rejection of American values.

Aesthetics · Art · Culture of the United States · Mainstream · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Popular culture · Sociology · The arts · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · Gender Studies · History · Law · Mormonism, Religion, and History · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices