The Mormonizing of America

How the Mormon Religion Became a Dominant Force in Politics, Entertainment, and Pop Culture

By: Stephen Mansfield

Narrated by: John McLain

Stephen Mansfield, the acclaimed New York Times best-selling author, has highlighted the growing popularity of Mormonism—a belief system with cultic roots—and the implications of its critical rise. Mormons are moving into the spotlight in pop culture, politics, sports, and entertainment via presidential candidates like Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, media personality Glenn Beck, mega-bestselling Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, and The Book of Mormon, the hottest show on Broadway. Mormonism was once a renegade cult at war with the US Army in the 1800s, but it has now emerged as not only the fastest-growing religion, but as a high-impact mainstream cultural influence.

©2012 Stephen Mansfield (P)2012 Oasis

Mansfield at His Finest

Well written and researched, Stephen Mansfield not only gives a historical perspective, but sow excellent points on how the Church and those of LDS faith can portray themselves and the other with compassion.

interesting but not quite right...

I am LDS and am open to others views. find this an enjoyable critique on my own faith. however I do think the author speaks to authoritatively on a faith he obviously researched, but still does not completely know. he's more right than wrong and appreciate his attempt.

A book about Mormons, but not by a Mormon

I don't know much about American Politics, but I suspect that after you've listened to this book, you might be okay with voting for Romney as president. That said, Mansfield's book is not at all a favourable account of Mormonism. He is highly critical of Jonathan Smith, the founder of the religion, but he has a lot of empathy for the members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints.

Mansfield made the book feel very current by placing different scenes from contemporary America and its attitude towards Mormonism between the issues he addresses within the book. His last example indicates that Evangelicals and Mormons could co-exist and even be friends. Yet he makes a plea to Mormons to take history seriously and to be honest about their past. He wants Mormons to change, to become more transparent and open to others, to accept plurality a bit more etc. While Mansfield is probably right, I wondered why only Mormons should change?

The book is about what it its title says "The Mormonizing of America." Mansfield is able to give an overview of the religion while being critical yet positive towards Mormons.

I suspect your political background, your religious stance and your knowledge of who Stephen Mansfield is, will play a big role on how you experience this book. As a non-American, I found it interesting, sometimes a bit sharp and at other times I wondered about a hidden agenda. A worthwhile listen!

John McLain's doesn't bore with his reading and was able to keep my attention throughout.

Easy Listen

Respectful and informing from both points of view. Very easy to listen to and understand.

Its pretty objective.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. I probably shouldn't comment on this book, but on the other hand, it's a free country. My initial reason for buying this book was morbid curiosity I originally had thought this book was going to be about politics. However, for the most part it's actually an overlook of the church itself. It does delve into a little bit of here's why the church is good. Here's why church the church is bad, etc. but it takes a pretty objective view and it brings up points I had never thought of. Or even heard of before. I highly recommend this book for anybody who just wants to know about the church without being preached to about the church. Kind of like a text book overview of the entire church that you'd find for a religious college course. On the technical note the author is incredibly engaging and it's fairly easy to just listen to it from start to finish in one go it is pretty entertaining honestly, even when it's brutal.