Living in Utah

[Marduk]

You know, I wouldn't necessarily consider myself unorthodox Mormon (or feminist, for that matter, but that's a can of worms I'm going to leave closed for the moment.) But I'm beginning to realize orthodoxy means very different things for different people.

[Marduk]

(And maybe someday we'll even meet in real life . . .)

If you ever come back to Utah, I've got a pot of soup with your name on it.

[Katya]

You know, I wouldn't necessarily consider myself unorthodox Mormon (or feminist, for that matter, but that's a can of worms I'm going to leave closed for the moment.) But I'm beginning to realize orthodoxy means very different things for different people.

So, just liberal / democrat?

[Katya]

(And maybe someday we'll even meet in real life . . .)

If you ever come back to Utah, I've got a pot of soup with your name on it.

Mmm, soup.

[Sky Bones]

@42: Oh, come now, you know you are never alone in anything having to do with dealing with in-laws. We still need to chat sometime about that. I have some fantastic stories for you.

[wryness]

Just have to say that I love, love, LOVE hearing everyone's perspectives. I definitely agree with those who have been saying that living in Utah is not necessarily amazingly better OR worse than living somewhere else; it just has its own set of blessings and challenges.

It's kind of redundant now to do so, but I'd like to post what my response was to this question (and answers)--I'd wanted to post it as a comment because I didn't feel that the two writers' answers completely addressed the question, but my comment was rejected. And, well, I guess that's one reason why this part of the forum exists (I'm so glad this forum exists!).

D.A.R.E.'s right; we can find what we're looking for no matter where we are.

I emphatically assert that Utah IS actually part of the "real world" and that the climate for spiritual & personal growth is NOT inferior in Utah. It's just a different set of challenges and blessings; neither better nor worse. Yes, some "groupthink" (mutual oversight of errors) occurs in areas with more Church members. But groupthink occurs anywhere where prevailing opinions exist (i.e., EVERYWHERE). No matter where we live, we don't avoid Church members OR nonmembers because we are afraid that some incorrect view/act of theirs will contaminate our lives or faith. And Church members meet and worship and--if other members live nearby--live together as part of the "perfecting of the saints."

As for a Utah kid's member friends having serious problems: It happens. Sometimes people have problems, and when a larger percentage of the people are members, a larger percentage of the members will have serious problems. As a Utahn, I feel these situations challenge my faith to grow! It's a healthy dose of reality--a reminder that membership in the Church doesn't guarantee me a spot-free life--and it causes me to reexamine my personal commitment to the Lord and to strengthen my own faith and my testimony of the gospel.

Isn't it the Church's goal to roll forth and "fill the whole earth?" If it's unfavorable to live in a place with lots of members, we had better rethink our missionary efforts. There is more to being a member of the Church than exceptionalism (e.g. "I have to be good because I am surrounded by non-Mormons"), and members in and out of Utah have been taught that. Our membership and church activity center around our personal commitment to Jesus Christ, and if we don't understand that, we'll be lax in our standards and commitment no matter where we live.

It's a blessing to be a Church member in Utah and EVERYWHERE else! We should just try to grow wherever God wants us to grow.