Ex-Mormon Says It’s Easy to Spot a Member of the Church Based on Their Looks
A former member of the Mormon Church, now a YouTuber, shared why it’s common to notice a certain similarity among people from her former church. Alyssa Grenfell, who moved from Utah to New York City after leaving the Latter-day Saints Church, uses her platform to discuss the church lifestyle, including rules such as abstaining from coffee.
Grenfell’s Take on the Mormon People
In a recent short video, Grenfell tackled a frequent question she’s seen on social media: “Why do some people look Mormon?” She mentioned Ryan Gosling, a famous actor who grew up in the Mormon Church, in her video titled, “He has Mormon face.”
Grenfell’s perspective is not about attractiveness but about community and culture. She explained, “The only chance to diversify the gene pool is through conversion.” She elaborated that you can’t marry in a Mormon temple unless both partners are Mormons, leading to a limited gene pool. Grenfell also mentioned an overall “Mormon vibe,” characterized by a notably friendly demeanor.
“Mormons are encouraged to spread their faith,” she continued. “Mormon culture often promotes uniformity.” A 2017 study by Utah Valley University supports this idea, finding that homogenous societies like Utah create social pressures affecting behavior, including cosmetic surgeries. The study mentioned, “Many Utah mothers feel cultural pressure to undergo the ‘Mommy Makeover,’ marketed by local doctors as a remedy for the physical changes of motherhood.”
Studies Backing Up Grenfell
Grenfell’s observations are supported by scientific studies. One such study in 2010 by Rule, Ambady, and Hallett found that non-Mormons could identify Mormons with 60% accuracy from photos. The study suggested this ability was linked to perceptions of health and spirituality. Rule explained that people infer group membership based on perceived health and associate spirituality with those perceptions. Published in the Public Library of Science (PLOS) Journal, it showed that perceived health plays a significant role in identifying Mormons, giving them a distinct look.
These findings highlight the intricate mix of genetics, culture, and perception within the Mormon community. While some of Grenfell’s claims are anecdotal, they align with broader scientific observations about how we categorize people based on group traits.
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