What’s with all the Mormons?
NOT that there’s anything wrong with this, but since I’ve been blogging I have met many many Mormons. Growing up in the rural Midwest, I kind of vaguely knew there was a religion called Mormonism but never actually met a real live one before. But the Blogosphere seems to be BLOOMING with them! And they seem to like me!
Is there something about my blog that attracts Mormons?
Is there something about blogging that attracts Mormons?
Have I just been swirling around in a Mormonful section of the Internet?
Do Mormons love me?
Just curious.
They’re all welcome here.
Published by angelawd on April 29th, 2008 tagged Just Sayin'
April 30th, 2008 at 2:23 am
WE ARE TAKING OVER THE UNIVERSE, BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA.
I’m glad we’re welcome ;>
There ARE a lot of mormon bloggers. I’ve speculated about why, and I think it has to do with the fact that mormons have always been taught to create a life history, to keep journals and family histories. Scrapbooking was/is always huge in mormon circles, and I sort of think blogging is the new scrapbooking.
A lot of mormon women stay home, and a LOT of the mormon women I know who have blogs primarily blog to keep in touch with extended family and friends.
And then you have freaks like me, who just do it for the attention. ;>
April 30th, 2008 at 2:27 am
P.S. They like you because you are smart and thoughtful and you keep it clean.
I know a lot of non-mormons don’t consider mormons to be true Christians, but MORMONS definitely think of themselves as Christians, so I would imagine that they appreciate the love you obviously have for the Savior.
April 30th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
That’s really interesting, the emphasis on a life history. My grandma just passed away and I sure wish she had done that.
You may do it for the attention, but you get a LOT of attention, girl!
And thanks for the compliments! I am always praying that my blog glorifies God, while showing that Christians are flawed beings who are just trying to follow Jesus. I don’t have any opinion about Mormons vs. Christians. What a blessing it has been to learn about people I have never been exposed to before!
May 1st, 2008 at 1:54 am
Hi, one more mormon coming by
I agree with Sue that part of it has to do with the emphasis on life history, family history, and scrapbooking. I think the source of those interests start with the Book of Mormon itself and the extremely high value that is given to written records that are passed on down along family lines. It also has to do with the strong emphasis of the scriptural phrase “turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers” and how it shapes the way Mormons view their ancestors.
If you have recognized a recent surge of Mormons in the blogosphere just in the last couple months it is largely influenced by a recent speech by one of the Apostles of the LDS Church (M. Russell Ballard) who specifically referenced the fact that many people these days turn to the internet to get information about the church and encouraged members to be active participants in the discussions that are going on, not specifically charging people to go out and preach and win converts but just to be a normal participants in the dialogue and conversations.
I like this question so I’m going to keep going…
I also think Mormons are ‘over-represented’ in the blogosphere because their demographic in the United States has a relative high level of education and that is more likely to be the crowd that is engaged in writing and political/religious conversations online. This is one of the reasons why Mormons are ‘over-represented’ in political circles as well.
Another reason is that Mormons may come across as more “visible” because every Mormon is like a little spokesperson for the Church. Mormons generally know their own doctrine and church history that they can field questions and speak intelligently about the church.
Another part is just timing in the development and history of the Mormon church. Members of the church have spread across society and are becoming more and more visible in the public sphere to the point that they can feel legitimate in wanting to be better understood by the outside world. When I was young the Church membership was still predominately in the Western United States and Mormons were so misunderstood that it was typical for Mormons to react with just a shake of the head in disappointment that they were so misunderstood and then they went about their ways. Both of those patterns have completely changed.
And I’ll stop there, but it is a very interesting question. One worthy of study. Next question…why are Mormons so abundant on TV Reality dancing/singing shows? (Newsweek had a little blurb about that phenomenon recently)
May 1st, 2008 at 11:33 am
I’m not Mormon and I visit, but I think your faith, and your williingness to show it attract others of the same mind. In addition, once someone finds a site they like, they do pass the word along about it so I think the word is out about you.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:28 pm
@David, glad you’re here. Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I’m so glad I’m getting to know people of different faiths. Like I said before, I didn’t know a thing about Mormonism. I’m glad Mormons are more voal these days.
@Motherwise, you are too kind. Guess my blog is being passed around the Mormon underground, huh?
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:14 am
I’m not a Mormon either, but I do like your blog because of the way you approach God, religion, and purpose of life-type stuff. It’s much more peaceful and calming than a lot of what I experienced in the Christian church. So even though I no longer practice Christianity, I still like reading what you have to say.