Behind the Mormon Curtain

I MAKE A LOT OF MONEY AS A CALL GIRL wasnt the answer author Steve Cuno expected when he asked a new acquaintance how she planned to capitalize her start-up business. Wait, hold on, he thought. In Salt Lake City? Home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormon Church, where all it takes to become the object of steamy gossip is for a neighbor to see you take a sip of coffee? In a religion where nonmarital sex is second in seriousness to murder? Youve no idea the people I could get in trouble, she told him. Shed entertained politicians, police officers, judges, defense lawyers, prosecutors, doctorsall of them married, almost all of them practicing Mormons. Many were highly visible, highly regarded leaders in the faith. So began Cunos behind-the-scenes investigation into Salt Lake Citys prostitution industry. Over the course of three years, he interviewed prostitutes, johns, police officers, social workers, and massage-parlor ownersand uncovered a surprising underside to the Mormon Churchs carefully cultivated image of wholesomeness and family values. He found that Salt Lakes prostitutessex workers or providers, as they prefer to be knowndont live in the illusory experience they create for their clients. Many are multilingual and hold college degrees. They fix meals, drive kids to school, help with homework, handle household chores, socialize with others in the community, have love lives of their ownand, yes, go to church, sometimes with the very people who sneak out to meet them. With wit and sensitivity, Behind the Mormon Curtain takes a deep dive into the quintessential American religion and the worlds oldest profession, as Cuno tells the story of what he discovered, how he discovered it, and what it reveals not just about Mormons, but about us all.