I'm a Mormon

No, not me. I’m talking about all those people on the billboards. The ‘I’m a Mormon’ campaign. Created to show how Mormons are just like everyone else. How Mormons are perfectly diversified.  Here are some examples of what I’m talking about!

Mormons are disabled rock climbers, dudes with awesome white hair, pretty girls, fugly guys and so on, you can see the photos. Oh and that one made me think, “Am I a Mormon…. or am I a Muppet?” (ok that joke doesn’t really work if you don’t know the song from the new Muppet movie.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRTjksM3YAs&feature=fvst)

In case you are wondering what the actual statistics are (well 5 year old statistics) here’s a link to Wikipedia’s World Mormon stats. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_statistics

Here are the top 10 countries that the omnipotent wiki says has the most Mormons:

1. USA – 6,144,582

2. Mexico – 1,197,573

3. Brazil – 1,102,674

4. Philippines – 631,885

5. Chile – 561,920

6. Peru – 480,816

7. Argentina - 380,669

8. Guatemala – 202,296

9. Ecuador – 190,498

10. UK – 186,082

With in the US the racial break down of the Mormon population is something like this (according to http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Mormon/A-Portrait-of-Mormons-in-the-US.aspx#3):

White 86%

Black 3%

Hispanic 7%

Other 5%

-What the hell’s your point Brother Jack?

Well, my point is that those billboards are very racially diverse. When the truth is you’re more likely to develop colon cancer than you are to meet a black Mormon in the US.

My first thought was that the timing of the church’s billboard campaign and Romney’s politically campaign was a little peculiar. The LDS church has always taken a ‘we don’t endorse any candidate’ stance regarding politics and elections. However this seems like the church is at very least indirectly trying to persuade the US populous that it is ok to vote for Romney.

Of course the same reason’s the sign is good for Romney are the same reason’s it is good for the LDS church. If people don’t think Mormon’s are strange, if they identify themselves as something other than white they might be more likely to let those 2 conservatively dressed young men in their homes to hear their message.

Anyway, I’m rambling, so I’ll just say it appears the billboards are targeted towards young adults and minorities, and if you remember 4 years ago those 2 demographics are a big reason Obama won. Is the LDS church intentionally helping Romney gain a little bit of favor with those groups? I don’t know.