Mormon mystery

Why does America love hearing so much about the Mormons, anyway? | Harrison Scott Key

Everyone, it seems, wants to know more about the Mormons. TV magazines have been consumed with them for a decade. We have books, too, like Jon Krakauer's bestseller Under the Banner of Heaven and even the HBO series Big Love, which seems to suggest that Polygamists Are People, Too.

But if you'd like less tortured information about the Mormons, you might turn to The Mormons, an artlessly titled four-hour, two-part special on PBS (airing April 30 and May 1 at 9 p.m. ET). Part One covers the history of the religion to the mid-20th century. Part Two brings the wagon train up to the present in all its glory, from polygamy to presidential candidates.

But why does America love hearing so much about the Mormons, anyway?