Page 1 of 2
Book shows Latter-day Saints have an image problem
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:09 pm
by _Ray A
How Americans View MormonismA new book shows Mormons have a problem: an image problem. Dr. Gary Lawrence -- who is a Latter-day Saint, a political pollster and market researcher based in California -- says recent news events are not the problem. Rather, it's the way Latter-day Saints talk about their faith.
Lawrence says his findings point to a fear factor in most Americans about Latter-day Saints and what are perceived as weird beliefs and secretiveness.
One of the biggest gaps he found in his poll: 84 percent said they have seen Church ads, talked with missionaries or received literature; but only 14 percent know what Mormons believe.
He has some advice for fellow Church members. "Simply be yourself. Relax. Don't go into a conversation with an agenda [like] ‘I have to get a referral for the missionaries.' Just be yourself," he said.
>
>
>
>
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 7:49 pm
by _Dr. Shades
It took him a whole book just to say that?
Re:
Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 8:03 pm
by _Ray A
Dr. Shades wrote:It took him a whole book just to say that?
He's actually trying to improve the Church's image so they can get
better conversion results. Kind of ironical. But what he says is true.
Contra that, a group of Mormons is now publicising the Book of Mormon on
FacebookInitially the site was open for comments, and some members were critical precisely for the reasons outlined by Gary Lawrence, but the critical commentary seems to have been cleaned up (read-censored).
There's also a thread about this on
MAD.
And then there's the
rumour that the Church is offering to buy Facebook.
8 ways Facebook may change under Mormon ownership
Re: Book shows Latter-day Saints have an image problem
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 1:15 am
by _ktallamigo
How my non-member acquaintances view Mormons:
Goody-goody or holier than thou
judgmental
intolerant
clique-ish
keep to themselves
materialistic
have an agenda
resent the "we're the true church and you're not" attitude
too many kids (often more than they can care for)
obnoxious
Re: Book shows Latter-day Saints have an image problem
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:12 am
by _Mike Reed
Gay Lawrence says that people are turned off by the Church largely because of the the way they talk about their faith. And this is the same Gary Lawrence that wrote the recent Meridian Magazine article comparing opponents of Pop 8 to those who sided with Lucifer in the pre-existence???
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/ideas/080711war.html
Re: Book shows Latter-day Saints have an image problem
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:26 am
by _Ray A
Mike Reed wrote:Gay Lawrence says that people are turned off by the Church largely because of the the way they talk about their faith. And this is the same Gary Lawrence that wrote the recent Meridian Magazine article comparing opponents of Pop 8 to those who sided with Lucifer in the pre-existence???
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/ideas/080711war.html
Gary is just finding a way to win more converts, Mike, as I pointed out earlier. Solution? Relax. Take it easy. Be yourself.
So what does that mean? "Yourself" is different to "your Mormon self"?
Re: Book shows Latter-day Saints have an image problem
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:31 am
by _bcspace
There would be no purpose for the Church if we simply "fit in". However, I've found that only the hyper-senstive often political left wingers have any problem with the way I talk about the Church.
Re: Book shows Latter-day Saints have an image problem
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:36 am
by _Ray A
bcspace wrote:There would be no purpose for the Church if we simply "fit in". However, I've found that only the hyper-senstive often political left wingers have any problem with the way I talk about the Church.
Your problem, BC, is that your religious and political views are indistinguishable. You may not see it yet. So, do you think Hugh Nibley was an apostate for being a Democrat?
Re: Book shows Latter-day Saints have an image problem
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:39 am
by _Mike Reed
Ray A wrote:Mike Reed wrote:Gay Lawrence says that people are turned off by the Church largely because of the the way they talk about their faith. And this is the same Gary Lawrence that wrote the recent Meridian Magazine article comparing opponents of Pop 8 to those who sided with Lucifer in the pre-existence???
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/ideas/080711war.html
Gary is just finding a way to win more converts, Mike, as I pointed out earlier. Solution? Relax. Take it easy. Be yourself.
So what does that mean? "Yourself" is different to "your Mormon self"?
Right. :) I'm not sure the church will have much success winning converts (and improving public relations) by following his example, comparing dissenters/opponents to Satan’s minions.
Re: Book shows Latter-day Saints have an image problem
Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:48 am
by _Ray A
Mike Reed wrote:Right. :) I'm not sure the church will have much success winning converts (and improving public relations) by following his example, comparing dissenters/opponents to Satan’s minions.
You can be assured he won't write "Satan's minions" in any academic work. But, in reality, that's what he
really thinks.
Once people find out things like his
Meridian article, he will be singing with the larks in another PR disaster. Because it's simply not possible for a Mormon to "be yourself". If every member was "him/herself", they pews would be empty.