Mormonism seems to be growing in popularity and prevalence. But what exactly is it?

Imagine this: You’re in the kitchen making dinner for your family when the doorbell rings. You weren’t expecting company. Who could it be?

Peering out the peephole, you see two teenage boys wearing white button-up shirts and ties. On their shirts are black nametags that read “Elder.” Behind them is a pair of bicycles.

Sound familiar?

The young men are Mormon missionaries. They provide a face for a religious group that has, in less than two hundred years, gone from a persecuted minority to a force in pop culture, politics, and world religion.

How did this transformation happen? How do Mormons relate to Christians and other religious groups?