NY Times: Mormons take a step toward mainstream acceptance

As a Mormon boy, Daniel C. Peterson grew up hearing stories about the persecution of his ancestors, beginning with his great-great-great-great-grandfather, who was chased out of Missouri, then Illinois, before he died trekking across the Great Plains to reach this rugged land.As a graduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles, he was stunned to discover fellow students talking about his religion behind his back. He said he “felt like a curiosity” when they asked, “Are you really a Mormon?”