I'm a Mormon—and I Play One on TV

On Dec. 19, Mitt Romney appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to read “The Top Ten Things Mitt Romney Would Like to Say to the American People.” He gazed into the camera and deadpanned, “Isn’t it time for a President who looks like a 1970s game show host?” He also poked fun at his helmet hair and took a jab at Newt Gingrich. One thing absent from the list: his religion. In speeches, Romney often talks about faith and prayer but rarely mentions that he is a devout Mormon. Perhaps that’s because national polls show many Americans—particularly evangelical Christians he needs to win—know little about the religion and are suspicious of it. A June Gallup poll found that 18 percent of Republicans wouldn’t vote for a Mormon for President.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is out to change that. In late December the church aired a slick television spot in cities across the country. It features a folksy American named Norman Tolk talking about balancing science with faith. “I’m a physics professor,” he says, smiling. “I’m a father. I’m a grandfather with 17 grandkids. I play with lasers. And I’m a Mormon.” On Dec. 27 the ad ran 31 times on stations from Seattle to Indianapolis during The Dr. Oz Show, The King of Queens, Wheel of Fortune, and other popular programs that attract conservative audiences.