Here’s the deal: I was raised Mormon (LDS). I don’t really believe anymore, but have a great respect for them, and have a very large number of friends and family who still are LDS.
I notice that many, many people have a strong prejudice against them, and I decided to see if TSD made them out to be a bunch of wierdos too. I read a couple columns, and as usual TSD didn’t disappoint me. They were as fair, accurate and non-judgemental as they are with anything else.
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmormoninvade.html
Even Newsweek provided a very skewed view of the religion. It was obvious to me by their sources (almost entirely non-LDS, and break offs of the religion), and their alterations of the material, that they actually strived for an inaccurate view.
(Makes me wonder about their other stories.)
Thank You for being tolerant to all people. 
I can only speak for myself on this, but here goes: I find LDS members to be generally among the nicest people when interacting personally (almost annoyingly, preturnaturally nice to a curmudgeonly sort), but there are a number of tenets, practices, and scriptures that I find objectionable if not offensive. Everyone has the right to their own pursuit of happiness, though, and far be it from me to pass any sort of judgement.
The one thing I think a lot of people would be fair to indict the church as a whole on is the proselytizing. When on the first really nice days of spring I can’t walk across town alone without being accosted repeatedly by roving pairs of Mormons (I note that they almost always only approach smaller groups. Pairs don’t bother me when I’m with someone else.) then it’s really beginning to infringe on my own right to my pursuit of happiness. I hate junk mail and spam too, so this isn’t just about religion.
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, ArtistCeleste, we’re glad to have you with us.
One of your links led to the registration page, which I assume was incorrect. If you want to email me the correct column or link, I’ll be glad to patch your post for you… or, you can just post again.
On behalf of the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board (SDSAB) who (mostly) write the Staff Reports, thanks for your comments! We do try very hard, especially when dealing with religions and religious matters, to be as fair, well-rounded and objective as possible. We’re interested in fighting ignorance, and that means opposing unwarranted prejudices, as well. So, thanks again, ArtistCeleste, for the kind words!
BTW, for anyone else responding, I give Official Warning in advance: this is NOT the place for a debate of the merits or flaws of the LDS Church. Such a debate belongs in the forum called “Great Debates,” and a search will doubtless reveal many such threads.
For this thread, please stick to comments on the Staff Report.
Oops, don’t know how I did that.
Here’s the correct thread:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmormonwed.html