Mormon missionaries in Barcelona. Greg Robbins via Flikr Mormons have become firmly embedded in the national consciousness this summer with the emergence of not one but two Mormon presidential candidates in the 2012 Republican field — a surprising fact given that most Americans still associate the religion with sister wives. Nearly a quarter of voters say they wouldn't vote for a Mormon president.

Outside of electoral politics, Mormons are suddenly ubiquitous. The Book of Mormon, a major Broadway musical from South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, cleaned up at the Tonys last week with nine awards. Mormon convert Glenn Beck is preparing to break out on his own at the end of the month and tweens are still devouring Mormon Stephanie Lee Meyers's Twilight saga.

So what accounts for Mormonisms transformation from America's pariah religion to the dead-center of the mainstream? Here's a look at surprising facts about Mormons, some of which might account for the church's meteoric rise over the past century.