The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as LDS Church or the Mormon Church is the largest and most renowned denomination of the Latter-Day Saint movement that was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1830. Over the years, the church has had famous celebrities who have been members.
Some of them were born and raised in the church while others converted. Also, some celebrity members of the denomination were involved in evangelism while others practice the church’s doctrines. Some renowned members are Katherine Heigl, Mitt Romney, Jon Heder, and Glenn Beck.
Famous Actors and Musicians of The LDS Church
1. Jon Heder
One of the most famous Mormons who became a member from birth, Jon Heder does not shy away from speaking about his belief.
Despite the fame he has gotten over the years as an actor, he opened up that he had to reject more roles than he accepted because of being a Mormon. According to him, he does not receive sexually explicit roles due to the standard that he has and was raised in.
To him, Mormonism is not just a faith but it has become who he is.
At present, he is married to a Mormon, Kirsten Bales and the couple has 4 children.
2. Brooke White
Brooke Elizabeth White, a native of Mesa, Arizona, is an Indie pop/ folk-pop singer and actress. She became renowned on American Idol Season 7 and was part of the top 5 finalists.
As a practicing Mormon, she released a musical video, Something Divine (2014) that reminds people that they are all children of God who has given them talents and responsibilities.
Additionally, the song states that everyone is different and unique in their own way and one should stand with their head in the sun and not give up.
3. David Archuleta
David Archuleta had an upbringing as a Mormon and has since been in the denomination. He has openly spoken about his love for God and how he had always wanted to do what was right.
His rooting into his love for God led to his becoming a missionary. However, it did not stop him from questioning himself when he realized that he was gay.
Despite the doubt that he had in himself, The American Idol season 6 contestant was accepted by his denomination mission leader as well as his family members.
4. Larry Bagby
American actor Lawrence Bagby III is a practicing Mormon.
While it is not certain if he was born into the church, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor put his Hollywood career at a standstill because of a 2-year mission to expose the teachings of the church from 1994 to 1996.
5. Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie Hightower, an American dancer famous for the So You Think You Can Dance TV series was born a Mormon. She preaches the word of God in ways that she can.
In an interview, she disclosed that she talked to Michael Bolton about God while they were on the 4th season of Dancing with the Stars. She added that although they did not make it far in the series, she felt that she met the singer on purpose.
More to her life as a Mormon, she revealed that there are times in her life when the only things that she had to hold on to were the gospel and God.
Despite this revelation, Wonder Wall claimed in an article that the dancer is a member of Reform Judaism- a religion also practiced by her father.
6. Alan Sparhawk
Alan Sparhawk is a devout member of the Latter Days Saint Church. He was born into the church and was raised as a member in Seattle, Washington, and lived in Utah before relocating to Minnesota.
As to his being a Mormon and having a famous career, the singer and his wife, Mimi Parker formed a Mormon indie pop rock in 1993 and have been able to use their faith and beliefs to help inspire them to stand out through their musical prowess.
The band increased with Steven Garrington in 2008 and has been able to record on labels like Rocket Girl, P-vine, Sub Pop, and Kranky.
7. Jared Murillo
Jared Murillo was born and raised a Mormon and started singing there when he was young. He is known for his role in the film High School Musical.
The Mormon is also a dancer who has performed has performed and competed on platforms like the BBC reality show Strictly Come Dancing and worked with a world-class coach, Buddy Schwimmer.
8. Ricky Schroder
At 9, Ricky Schroder became the youngest winner of a Golden Globe award. Yet, his faith was kept on the low. He later became an active Mormon in 2000 following his 1997 marriage to Andrea Bernard who also practices the faith.
At the time of this writing, it has been reported that he does not consider himself highly religious and in 2016, he was divorced from his wife.
9. Kaycee Stroh
American singer, actress, and dancer, Kaycee Stroh is a practicing Mormon.
The High School Musical actress became married to her husband, Ben Higginson in the church in 2009, and in 2014, the family went to the LSD Ogden Temple during its open house.
10. Gladys Knight
Unlike many in this list who were born into Mormon families, 7X Grammy winner Gladys Knight was born into a different denomination and founded the faith in her later life through her children in 1997.
Gladys Knight grew up always trying to be closer to God and she found Mormonism as a good place where she could walk with God. Her son, Jimmy, first converted to the denomination before her daughter Kenya joined and the 2 led their singer-mother to the church.
In 2001, her husband, William McDowell also joined the church.
11. Ellen Wheeler
Multi-award-winning American actress Ellen Wheeler was born and raised a Mormon in Cedar City, Utah.
She is dedicated to the practice. Despite her fame and the many roles she may have portrayed on screen, the Another World actress has stood her ground to not receive some roles such as those that would make her go nude, drink, or smoke on set.
12. Brandon Flowers
The frontman of The Killers band, Brandon Flowers is definitely one of the most famous and vocal Mormons. He was raised in the faith and has used his fame to speak about the belief while also featuring on the church’s website.
Although, he has many recordings about the church, one that remains of interest is when he discussed why he chose to believe.
According to him, he has felt the Holy Ghost many times, and also not because he has seen pillars of fire but because his path has been illuminated. He added that he believes this because every commandment he keeps improves his life.
13. Gregg Hale
Gregg Hale is an American musician, producer, and recorder. At the time of this writing, it has not been recorded when Hale started his life as a Mormon but he is reportedly a devout member of the denomination.
14. Christian Jacobs
Christian Richard Jacobs is popularly known as The Mc Bat Commander. The Aquabats rock band member was born and raised a Mormon.
His great-grandfather, Le Grand Richards was one of the church’s leaders.
On his own part, he worked as a missionary for the church. The singer went to Japan for an assignment for two years.
15. John Peter Lewis
John Peter Lewis is an American singer and songwriter. He was born and raised in Mormonism.
The American Idol Season 3 finalist served a full-time mission in Spain and is actively into the beliefs of the church.
16. Kaskade
Kaskade, born Ryan Raddon is a devout Mormon. The DJ and record artist reportedly finds peace and happiness in his religious belief and tries to reify his belief in his sound.
His wife and 3 children also follow the Mormon lifestyle ardently.
As part of his belief and honor for his family, the singer does not party, drink, or smoke.
Media Personalities, Entrepreneurs, and Politicians of The Mormons Church
17. Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck was born and raised in a Catholic home before he was later introduced to the teachings of the Mormons by media sensation, Pat Gray.
According to him, he started his journey into the faith with skepticism. Yet, the Church and his wife saved his life even when he was an alcoholic, a drug abuser, and had suicidal tendencies.
18. Mitt Romney
The republican is not the first to be a Mormon in his family. In fact, the religion has been passed from one generation to the other for more than 100 years in his family.
The religion traces its way into the Romney family in England in the late 1830s when they became baptized and became some of the first in its initial stage.
The US senator has been vocal about his denomination and has accorded some of his actions to the belief. One of the most famous things he had done was becoming the first U.S. senator to ever vote to remove former president, Donald Trump.
When told that Trump would not forgive him, he quoted a Mormon hymn, “Do what is right. Let the consequence follow.”
19. Harry Reid
Harry Maison Reid Jr. was an American lawyer and politician who served as a Senato from Nevada from 1987-2017.
Reid became a Mormon in his school days while he was at the university. He received a lot of teaching and examples from the church which helped during his career. He became the first Mormon to serve as a Majority Leader and the highest-ranking elected Latter-day Saint in American History.
During his long leadership, he was able to stand to defend his belief in the cause of his work. According to him, the church had been a steady, positive blueprint in his life and without the direction, he would have been without a compass.
Similarly, while in office he always kept his copy of the Book of Mormon in his Senate office.
He remained a strong member of the church till he died from cancer on December 28, 2021.
Prominent Mormon Athletes
20. Shawn Bradley
Shawn Bradley is a former professional NBA player. He was born and raised a Mormon. After his freshman year, he served as a missionary for the church in Australia before pursuing his career. He has played for clubs like Philadelphia, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks.
In 2021, Bradley was involved in an automobile accident that made him paralyzed. According to his statement, his strong faith was been tested.
21. Peter Vidmar
The US Olympic Hall of Famer and the highest-scoring American gymnast in Olympic history, Peter Vidmar was born and raised a Mormon.
His roots in the church can be traced to his great-grandfather, Solomon Chamberlain who was baptized by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church.
Vidmar is a mission President of Mormon. In 2016, he and his wife were sent to Melbourne Australia where they were welcomed by 205 young missionaries.
With his motivational prowess, he advised missionaries to serve and whatever they are doing, they should always know that it is the Lord’s work.
22. Torah Bright
Torah Bright is an Australian Snowboard champion and a gold medal winner in the Vancouver Canada Winter Olympics in 2010.
Bright is a devout Mormon from birth. She is an ardent believer who neither drinks alcohol, smokes, nor indulges in sex before marriage. Bright always carries the scriptures around and reads a lot.
This helps to keep her leveled and gives her purpose in what she is doing.
23. Bruce Hurst
The Utah-born was a professional baseball and former pitcher for Boston Red Sox. He was raised a Mormon and grew up in the Mormon community of Utah.
Bruce is part of the top Mormon athletes to have made it to the World Serie.
24. Bryce Harper
Bryce Aaron Max Harper is a professional baseball right fielder. He was brought up as a Mormon and despite the fame that his career has given him, Byrce tries to stick to the rules of being of the church.
More to his faith, he carries words of Luke 1:37 on his bat that says, “For With God nothing shall be impossible”. Also, his tweets are always having religious tones.
25. Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge is a former professional basketball. He had a playing career with the Boston Celtics.
His playing career is not the only thing he has shown the world. His Mormonism faith has also been glaring. He has been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints from birth and has never shied away from his beliefs and membership.
According to him, he doesn’t keep his religious beliefs away from his career because he is a child of God and a representative of Boston.
Ainge’s Sundays are mostly spent ministering from church to church and visiting the sick. Sometimes he counsels on Wednesday evenings.
26. Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey is popularly known as Kid Blackie. He was a professional boxer and was born a Mormon. At the age of 8, Demsey was baptized following the church doctrine that baptizes children at the “age of accountability” which is 8 years old.
Growing up as a Mormon, he abided by the principles of the church but later found it hard to keep the rules. He reportedly enjoyed worldly pleasures. Kid Blackie drank whiskey, smoked, and indulged in other vices. According to him, his faith was strong but his body was not as strong.
Throughout his life, he has never missed a prayer over a meal or slept without talking to God.
The boxer passed away at the age of 87 in 1983 after his retirement.
27. Todd Christensen
Todd Jay Christensen is a professional football player and television analyst. He was a Mormon until his demise during a liver transplant in 2013.
Former Renowned Celebrities Who Attended The Mormon Church
28. Katherine Heigl
American actress, Katherine Marie Heigl was born to a Lutheran mother and a Catholic father before the family converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when the actress was 8-years-old
The family made the decision to change their faith after the death of Katherine’s brother.
Although she attested that the teachings she received while growing up are sacred and may have helped in some decisions that she has taken, she reportedly does not practice the faith.
29. Arthur Kane
Arthur Kane was born Arthur Kane Jr. in the Bronx, Newyork into an Irish family. He was known as a musician and famous for his skills as a bassist with the New York Dolls -a punk rock band.
He became a Mormon in 1989 when he was about 40 years old. A decade after, he volunteered as a librarian assisting in a Family History Center at the Los Angeles Temple. Till his demise in 2004, he was an active member of the church.
30. Larry Scott
Larry Scott, a former bodybuilder was a devout Mormon and found solace in the gospel. He died at the age of 75 as a practicing Mormon.
Scott owned a fitness business known as the Larry Scott Research, a fitness, and body-building business.
31. Mireille Enos
Mireille Enos, a mother of 2 is an actress who was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but later left the faith.
Despite that, there is a revelation that she is grateful for the foundation she had in the church.
Read Also: 20 Jehovah’s Witness Celebrities And Where They Are Today
32. Christina Aguilera
It is widely recorded that musician Christiana Aguilera was born into a Mormon family. However, she has not accepted nor refuted the claim that she was raised a Mormon.
Her parents were also said to have been married in a Mormon temple as well as received home-visiting teachers from the church.
33. Paul Walker
The American actor famed for Fast and Furious revealed in an interview that he was born and raised a Mormon and the faith helped in shaping many of his decisions and had also taught him how to hold himself accountable for a variety of things.
Despite the foundation he may have gained over time in the church, Paul Walker later identified as a non-denominational Christian.
34. Merlin Olson
The Something Big actor, former American footballer, and the announcer was born and raised in a strict Mormon family.
He believed in many of the church’s teachings and some of the practices helped shape who he was. Yet, it was revealed that he was not an active member of the LDS church at the time of his death in 2010.
35. Eliza Dushku
Eliza Dushku is an American actress known for her role in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The actress was raised by her mother as a Mormon.
Growing up, she was actively engaged in the practices of the church. Eliza founded a Mormon feminist publication, Exponent II in the church.
However, the actress has left that practice and no longer practices the beliefs of the church due to some personal reasons.
