Mormon Celebrities; Mitt Romney Is Not The Only Famous Person Raised In The LDS Faith

Mitt Romney may be the most talked about Mormon of the moment, but he is far from the only high-profile Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) believer frequently spending time in front of camera crews. Some of the most well-known names in Hollywood were raised with the same religious beliefs as the Republican presidential candidate.

Rock of Ages and Footloose star Julianne Hough grew up in Sandy, Utah and was raised in the faith. Hough credits her upbringing with instilling “morals and standard” into her life and shrugs off the stereotypes often associated with the churches in her hometown, according to Gossip Rocks. The original Footloose movie was filmed in Sandy.

Ryan Gosling is arguably one of the hottest guys in Hollywood and was also raised in the church. During a 2007 interview with the Guardian, he detailed his fairly strict religious upbringing. Before Gosling captured the attention of millions of women world-wide in The Notebook, he entertained his congregations during a ward talent show singing, “When a Man Loves a Woman.”

Katherine Heigl was also raised in a Church of Latter Day Saints household, according to the New York Daily News. The actress admits that she has “strayed” from the roots of her faith and would need to stop drinking and smoking if she once again became an active chapel member.

Gladys Knight converted to Mormonism in 1997. Knight stated in an interview with The Inquirer that she became happier that she had ever been after baptism.

Silver Spoons star Ricky Schroder is an active member of the Pacific Palisades Ward in California. The NYPD Blue actor credits getting baptized which positively changing his life perspective and enhancing his personal relationships, Holy Fetch notes.

American Idol runner-up, David Archuletta, took a break from his singing career to embark a two-year faith-based mission trip.

Fast and Furious star Paul Walker does not blaze into the sanctuary parking lot each week in a sports car, but he and Mitt Romney do share the same religious background. Fame has apparently not caused the actor’s moral compass to go awry. During an interview Walker noted that while he may no longer be attending chapel services, he still holds himself accountable for his actions, Holy Fetch reports.