A national public opinion poll of over 900 people around the country reveals a considerable percentage of people are confused about Mormons and polygamy. The survey, conducted by Lawrence Research, shows only 14 percent of the people surveyed accurately knew members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not practice polygamy.
According to the pollster, this confusion may influence votes in the presidential race for the two Mormon candidates, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman.
When asked if Mormons practice polygamy, people responded:
Definitely Yes – 15%
Probably Yes – 31%
Probably No – 18%
Definitely No – 14%
No Opinion – 22%
This means eighty-six percent of the people surveyed are either confused or mistaken about Mormons and polygamy.
According to the poll results, 83 percent of the poll participants who accurately knew Mormons do not practice polygamy said they would vote for a well-qualified nominee of their party who happens to be a Mormon, compared to only 68 percent of those who believe Mormons practice polygamy or are not sure, would vote for a Mormon nominee.
Thirty-nine percent of those who knew Mormons do not practice polygamy said they would definitely consider voting for one.
Another important factor on this is who the people surveyed think Mormons are. When asked about the Mormon nickname, thirty percent said it applies only to members of the LDS Church, while forty-five percent feel it applies to all groups that believe in the Book of Mormon. Twenty-five percent did not have an opinion about this.
The poll director, Gary Lawrence, has been a public opinion pollster for 40 years and is a Mormon author of the books Mormons Believe … What?! and How America View Mormonism: Seven Steps to Improve Our Image.
