Mormons' Contributions

Mormons are fully Americans and have played many a role in the history of our country.

"In any case, Mormons have already been very much part of America for most of its history. Besides Salt Lake City and other towns in the Great Basin West, they founded such settlements as San Bernardino and Las Vegas. Members of the “Mormon Battalion” built the first courthouse in San Diego, raised the American flag over Los Angeles in 1847, and discovered the gold at Sutter's Mill that brought the 49ers to California. Mervyn Bennion, the commander of the U.S.S. West Virginia who died defending his ship at Pearl Harbor, is one of several Mormons to have received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Believing Mormons serve in the Senate and the House of Representatives — notable among them the new Majority Leader, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). (Curiously, Senator Reid's Mormon faith — he converted while in college — has drawn little public attention, and no discernible criticism. Could the media possibly be biased toward a Democrat? Perish the thought!) They have served, and continue to serve, in presidential cabinets. They have represented the United States as ambassadors, and served as generals, admirals (including overall command of the United States Coast Guard), and federal judges. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has performed at five presidential inaugurations, for presidents of both parties.

Faithful Mormons have led corporations such as JetBlue, Dell Computer, Black & Decker, Times Mirror, General Mills, and, of course, Marriott. (Mitt Romney's own father ran American Motors before serving three terms as governor of Michigan and then heading up the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the first Nixon administration.) Business guru Stephen Covey is a Mormon.

Mormons have won Oscars, Pulitzers, and Grammys. Mormons have quarterbacked and coached NFL football teams (former San Francisco 49er Steve Young, a lawyer and a descendent of Brigham Young, may yet enter politics himself), flourished on the PGA tour, worn the crown of Miss America, and been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

A Mormon invented television. Others have orbited the earth as astronauts, directed the space shuttle program, and presided over the American Medical Association, the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, NASA, Harvard Business School, and the University of California system. Church members have given enormous sums of time and money to charity.

One has to wonder what members of a religious minority must do before they merit acceptance, by some, as fully equal American citizens." - Dr. Daniel Peterson

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