Out of Obscurity

In the years since 1945 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has grown rapidly in terms of both numbers and public prominence. Mormonism is no longer merely a home-grown American religion confined to the Intermountain West; instead it has captured the attention of political pundits Broadway audiences and prospective converts around the world. While most scholarship on Mormonism concerns its colorful but now well-known early history the essays in this collection assess recent developments such as the LDS Church''s international growth and acculturation; its intersection with conservative politics in recent decades; its stances on same-sex marriage and the role of women; and its ongoing struggle to interpret its own tumultuous history. The scholars draw on a wide variety of Mormon voices as well as those of outsiders from Latter-day Saints in Hyderabad India to Mormon Mommy blogs to evangelical countercult ministries.