Ever had a stranger on a plane wonder about your “magic underwear”? Or maybe a kid at school asked you why you’re not allowed to eat a PB&J sandwich.

When it comes to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, urban legends seem to multiply faster than green Jell-O recipes at a ward potluck. Some are harmless misunderstandings, while others come from outdated practices. From polygamy to popcorn, here's a member's-eye view of what's fact and what's fiction.

1. Mormons All Live in Utah

Tell someone you're a Latter-day Saint, and there's a chance they'll immediately assume you're from Utah. "How's the skiing in Salt Lake?" they might ask, or "Do you know my cousin in [insert city of 100,000 people here]?"

It's true that, for many years, Latter-day Saints were encouraged to gather together in one place. For a long time, this meant that the majority, but not all, of the membership of the Church could be found within or near Utah. But the Church's message has evolved as the membership has continued to grow. Today, Church leaders encourage members to "bloom where you're planted" and build Zion in their own homeland. The result? While Utah still has the highest concentration of Latter-day Saints in the United States, the majority of the Saints live elsewhere.

2. Mormons Don't Drink Caffeine

The ever-present caffeine question—one sometimes even Latter-day Saints aren't sure of the answer.

The Word of Wisdom (given in 1833), counsels that hot drinks "are not for the body or belly." Even at the time, there was some debate about what that meant, but by 1842, Hyrum Smith clarified that "hot drinks" meant coffee and tea.

Fast forward to the early twentieth century, and some articles started speculating that the reason tea and coffee were banned was the caffeine—and that caffeinated sodas should be avoided as well. This connection gained enough traction that President Heber J. Grant even asked members in an April 1922 general conference "as a personal, individual favor to me, to let coca-cola alone." In 1972, the Church stated that they had no official position on cola beverages, but warned against any habit-forming substances.

But times change, and so do cultural interpretations. In a 2016 general conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf admitted to drinking "many liters of a diet soda that shall remain nameless." And in 2017, Brigham Young University began selling caffeinated sodas—an event that even made national news.

3. Mormons Don't Believe in Jesus

This misconception is particularly bewildering considering the name of the Church includes "Jesus Christ" right in the middle. Not only do Latter-day Saints believe in Jesus Christ, but He stands at the center of the faith.

The confusion likely stems from the Latter-day Saint understanding of the Godhead. Unlike traditional Trinitarian Christianity, which teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God in three persons, members of the Church believe the Father and the Son are separate individuals who are perfectly united in purpose and power—and form the Godhead. Jesus is divine as the Son of God, but he is not the same being as the Father. This theological distinction has sometimes led others to question whether Mormons are Christians, but the faith is built entirely upon Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer.

4. Mormons Have to Wear Sunday Clothes Every Day

This one is understandable. Some Latter-day Saints do! On their mission, anyway. This myth likely comes from seeing missionaries in their signature white shirts and ties or dresses. But for the average member? Most days, it's the same jeans, t-shirts, and athleisure like everyone else.

5. Mormons Have Horns

An oldy but a goody. The short answer: no, Latter-day Saints don't have horns—members are just as human as anyone else. It's difficult to trace the exact origins of this myth, but it likely stems from nineteenth-century political cartoons that depicted Brigham Young and other Church leaders with horns. These cartoons perpetuated broader anti-Mormon sentiment during the Church's early days.

6. Mormons are Amish

This case of mistaken identity is surprisingly common. Both groups have reputations for strong religious convictions, but that's about where the similarities end.

The Amish make up a number of close-knit religious communities found predominantly in the eastern and Midwestern United States. They came from groups of German Anabaptists who fled to the United States from religious persecution in Germany. The Amish live in separate communities from most Americans, maintain distinctive forms of dress and speech, and are well-known for rejecting modern technology.

Meanwhile, Latter-day Saints embrace technology (including the Church's social media presence and official website), drive cars, and generally blend into modern society. While you might not find us building a barn by hand, we might show up with power tools to help if asked.

7. Mormons Wear Magic Underwear

The temple garment is perhaps one of the most misunderstood aspects of the Latter-day Saint faith. Far from being "magic," these garments serve as a personal, private reminder of the sacred covenants made with God in the temple and a member's devotion to Jesus Christ. Think of them as similar to the sacred underclothing of Zoroastrians or Orthodox Jewish man's yarmulkes and tallit katan—a religious piece of clothing with deep spiritual significance rather than supernatural properties.

This myth may come from stories like Bill Marriott’s 60 Minutes interview, where he described feeling protected from a fire while wearing garments. While some see the garment as purely symbolic, others believe it can provide spiritual protection. Though Latter-day Saints do not view the garment as a charm or talisman, many believe that faithfulness to their covenants can invite divine blessings, including protection in various forms.

8. Mormons Practice in Polygamy

This is arguably the most persistent myth about our faith, despite being officially discontinued over 130 years ago.

Many members of the Church practiced plural marriage, or polygamy, from 1842 to 1890. In 1890, Wilford Woodruff, then president of the Church, announced that he had received a revelation that officially ended the practice. While some plural marriages continued for a time after the 1890 Manifesto (with varying degrees of approval from Church leaders), by 1904 and certainly by 1933, the Church had made it abundantly clear that plural marriage was no longer sanctioned.

While there are religious groups who practice polygamy in Utah, members of the Church do not.

9. Mormons Don't Read the Bible

Not only do Latter-day Saints read the Bible, but it's one of the standard works—the canonical scriptures accepted as the word of God. The standard works also include the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.

Maybe the confusion comes from the Eighth Article of Faith, which states, "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly." But the truth is, Latter-day Saints regularly dive into both the Old and New Testaments—in fact, the Come, Follow Me curriculum dedicates two years to the Bible. A Pew Research survey from 2010 even found that Latter-day Saints are the most knowledgeable about the Bible, answering the most questions right out of any religious group.

10. Mormons Believe Popcorn Comes from Apricot Trees

This one is actually true. Latter-day Saints gather it in armfuls and make it into a delicious treat.