N.H. Mormons hope GOP candidates raise awareness

As the presidential candidates crisscross the first-in-the nation primary state, New Hampshire voters will be faced with a religion of which many voters have little firsthand knowledge. According to the Mormon Church’s website, there are about 8,000 Mormons in New Hampshire - around 0.6 percent of the population. Nationally, the Mormon Church has around 6 million members, about 2 percent of the US population.

While Mormons consider themselves Christians, evangelical Christians cite doctrinal reasons for rejecting Mormonism as a strain of Christianity. Mormon church members interviewed in New Hampshire say they hope having Mormon candidates running will show, ultimately, that Mormons are just like anyone else.

“Two high profile people will show that Mormonism is more mainstream than people think it is,’’ said Kendall Hood, 28, a stay-at-home mother from Nashua. “People think we’re fringe, cultish. We’re normal people.’’

New Hampshire overall is one of the least religious states in the country, and religion tends to play less of a role in politics than it does in the South or Midwest. “People feel people’s religion is their own business,’’ said Michele Dillon, sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire.

None of the Mormon leaders and church members interviewed for this story said they had experienced bias in New Hampshire, and most said New Hampshire is a tolerant and welcoming state.

But church members said they often encounter curiosity and unfamiliarity. Michael Banks, a leader in the Nashua district, said the most common misconception is that Mormons still practice polygamy. “As soon as people find out you’re a Mormon, they say ‘how many wives do you have?’ ’’ Banks said.