1) Local Memphis TV news report mocks Mitt Romney’s Mormon beliefs (and ace reporter* Ben Ferguson reminds viewers why some folks prefer to avoid the Bible Belt). The cringe begins at 03:21:

2) Local musical director (and LDS church member) Steve Danielson offers his opinion of the Tony-winning Broadway musical.

3) 89-year old Church of Christ apostle, William Sheldon, explains the origins of the Mormon religion.

4) Meet a pair of Memphis area Mormon missionaries.

*CORRECTION: From comments at Politico:

Benjamin “Ben” Ferguson (born 1981) is an American radio host, conservative political commentator, and author. Ferguson was homeschooled by his mother through the tenth grade. He was a local talk-radio host throughout his teens. Ferguson was selected by the Bush White House to join President Bush and Ben Stein for a town hall meeting in an effort to educate the public on the issue of social security reform. Ferguson also spends several weeks a year on the road speaking at youth leadership conferences, high schools and college camp uses nationwide. Ferguson addressed the 2004 Republican National Convention. [emphasis mine]

While Ferguson’s anti-Mormon antics may be annoying, that last sentence is downright frightening.

FRIENDLY HEADS UP: In future, anyone looking to poke some fun at Mormons might consider popping round here first and asking MSP for tips on the latest fair target. For example, this qualifies (Sister Kristen M. Oaks touting “The Testimony Glove” for Deseret Book):

Use the glove, feel the Spirit

Blech! You’d think that the wife of Apostle Dallin H. Oaks would be anxiously engaged in something other than helping DB promote their goofy faith promoting inventions (h/t r/exmormon).

Or, if you’re specifically looking to find a reason to get nervous about electing Mormons to public office, this quote from leading Mormon apologist Dan Peterson’s latest op piece in the Deseret News ought to do the trick:

“You may not like what comes from the authority of the church,” said President Harold B. Lee, serving at the time as a counselor to President Joseph Fielding Smith. “It may conflict with your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow. Let’s keep our eye on the president of the church.”

HIT LIST:

Mediaite: Great Moments In Journalism: Local News Segment Mocks Romneys Mormon Faith

The Commercial Appeal: Fox 13, Ben Ferguson take heat for segment on Romney, Mormons

Commentary: Unbelievable: TV Reporter Mocks Romneys Mormonism

The American Prospect: The Mormonism Question, Going Nowhere

Deseret News: Fox affiliate ‘making fun of Mormons’

Mediaverse: On The Book of Mormon (Ben Ferguson)

Mother Jones: Mitt Romney’s Evangelical Problem

ABC4: Memphis reporter mocks Mormon beliefs

Politico: Making fun of Mormons in Memphis

BONUS REDDIT HEADLINE CONTEST:

r/politics: Memphis reporter sets out to prove how weird Mitt and Mormons are … Pot. Kettle. Black.

r/reddit: Wake-up, Mormons: Broadway & teh gays are much nicer to you than so-called Christians.

r/religion: Local Memphis TV news “report” plumbs depths of Bible Belt anti-Mormon bigotry

r/exmormon: Local Memphis TV news report mocks Mitt Romneys Mormon beliefs. *Cringe*

r/lds: Mitt Romney ought to step up and put these hillbillies in their place.

r/offbeat: What’s weirder: Memphis or Mormons? It’s a toss-up, apparently.

r/Christianity: Do Christians think it’s OK to mock Mormon beliefs?