Mormons are the followers of Joseph Smith who, in 1820, founded the Christian primitivism forum. Smith claimed that the visions he received had revealed to him the text of a new sacred book known as the Book of Mormon. He published it in 1830 as a supplement to the Bible. The followers were known as Mormons or Latter-day Saints. The movement was initiated in western New York, but after 1831, Smith shifted the church’s headquarters to Kirtland, Ohio. After Joseph Smith’s death in 1844, Mormons followed Brigham Young. Currently, most Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a few are either non-practicing or independent. Mormons are self-proclaimed Christians while some Christians do not endorse the denomination. Mormons are not only a religious group but also a cultural group. Utah is their main cultural center. Mormons live mostly in  North America. Mormons of world fame have emerged from almost all walks of life including science, arts, sports, and many other fields.

1.  Joseph Smith, Jr.

Joseph Smith, Jr. was born in Sharon, Vermont, U.S. on December 23, 1805 and died in Carthage, Illinois, U.S. on June 27, 1844 at the age of 38. He founded the Latter-day Saint Movement and wrote the Book of Mormon which gave rise to Mormonism and attracted thousands of Mormon followers. Joseph Smith, Jr. gathered an increasing number of followers and built churches and cities which survived after his death. Smith said that an angel guided him to a buried golden book which was comprised of golden plates. The book revealed the history of American Christians. Smith translated this book into English and published it in 1830 for his followers. The book is considered a supplement to the Bible. Whereas Mormons proclaim themselves as Christian, they are opposed by some on account of their believing in another book in addition to the Bible.

2. Jane Elizabeth Manning James

Jane Elizabeth Manning James was born in Connecticut, U.S. on September 22, 1822 and died in Salt Lake City on April 16, 1908 at the age of 85. She was an African-American woman and one of the earliest Mormons who lived with Joseph Smith, Jr. in Nauvoo, Illinois for some time. James dictated her life story to the biographer Elizabeth J. D. Roundy. It included information about her childhood, religious thoughts, and her interaction with Joseph Smith. She led her family to Nauvoo, Illinois in 1843 and recalled the sufferings saying, ‘Our feet cracked open and bled until you could see the whole prints of our feet with blood on the ground.’ Recalling her interaction with Joseph Smith, she said, ‘Brother Joseph sat down by me and said, ‘God bless you. You are among friends.”

3. Brigham Young

Brigham Young, also known as Mormon Moses and Lion of the Lord, was born to John and Abigail Young in Whitingham on June 1, 1801 and died in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, U.S. on August 29, 1877 at the age of 76. He was leader of the Latter-day Saint Movement and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 to 1877. He was also the founder of Salt Lake City, University of Utah, and Brigham Young University. Brigham Young was a polygamist and was involved in the controversy of the black people and the priesthood, the Utah War, and the Mountain Meadow Massacre.

4.  Philo Taylor Farnsworth

Philo Taylor Farnsworth was born to Lewis Edwin Farnsworth and Serena Amanda Bastian near Beaver, Utah, U.S. on August 19, 1906 and died in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. on March 11, 1971. He was an American inventor and the first person to demonstrate an all-electronic television system to the public. He produced the system commercially from 1938 to 1951 at Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation. Farnsworth owned 165 patents, and most of them related to television and radio. He also invented a nuclear fusion device which he named as the Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor. The device was of no practical value but inspired the Polywell Reactor Concept.

5. Olive Marie Osmond

Olive Marie Osmond, better known as Marie Osmond, was born to Olive and George Osmond in Ogden, Utah, U.S. on October 13, 1959. She was raised as a Mormon and is a well-known American actress and singer. She is a member of the show business group the Osmond Family. She is best known for her country pop ballad ‘Paper Roses.’ Her brother Donny, who is also a singer, hosted a television show Donnie and Marie.

6. Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Morgan, better known as Stephenie Meyer, was born in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. on December 24, 1973. She is an American author best known for her vampire romance series Twilight. This series has earned her world fame, and she has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Her series has been translated into more than 36 languages. She was the best-selling author in the years 2008 and 2009. Twilight was the best-selling book of the year in 2009. Time magazine ranked her #49 on its list of ‘100 Most Influential People in 2008.’ She was raked #26 in Forbes’ list of ‘World’s 100 Most Powerful Celebrities of 2009.’

7. Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney was born to George W. Romney and Lenore Romney at Harper Hospital, Detroit, Michigan on March 12, 1947. He spent his early childhood in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Having studied at Stanford University for one year, he left for France and spent three and one-half years as a Mormon missionary. He earned his B.A. degree in English from Brigham Young University in 1975 and an MBA from Harvard University.

8. Harry Mason Reid

Harry Mason Reid was born to Inez Orena and Harry Vincent Reid in Searchlight, Nevada, U.S. on December 2, 1939. He is a senior U.S. Senator from Nevada. He has been the Senate Majority Leader since 2007. He is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has achieved the most senior elected position in the Senate than any other Mormon in the history of the U.S. He was the 25th Lieutenant Governor and the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission.

9. Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf

Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf was born to Karl Albert Uchtdorf and Hildegard Else Opelt in Moravska Ostrava, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia on November 6, 1940. He started studying engineering but shifted later to Management Sciences and earned his MBA from the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland. He received training as a fighter pilot and earned wings both from the German and U.S. Air Force. He served as a fighter pilot for six years in West Germany. He served twice as the Latter-day Saints church’s Stake President.

10. Elie Wiesel

Eliezer Wiesel, better known as Elie Wiesel, was born to Sara Feig and Chlomo in Sighet, Maramures County, Romania on September 30, 1928. He is a Jewish American Nobel Laureate writer and a Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books including Night relating to his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald Nazi concentration camps. At the time of being awarded the Nobel Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said about Wiesel, ‘His own personal experience of total humiliation and of the utter contempt for humanity shown in Hitler’s death camps.’ Elie Wiesel had delivered a message ‘Of peace, atonement, and human dignity.’

Conclusion:

A Mormon celebrity is no different from any other celebrity in that, according to Fred Allen in Treadmill to Oblivion, ‘A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.’ A distinguishing feature of Mormons is that being comparatively smaller in number, they are closer to one another and form a well-knit and strong unit. It is, therefore, that that their presence is felt in almost all important spheres of life.