Idaho Falls and Pocatello - religious affiliation? (Rexburg, Eagle: chapels, houses)

[max.b]

Idaho Falls and Pocatello - what percentage of the population is LDS-affiliated?

[banjomike]

Here is I.F.
Pocatello is very similar.

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

76% of the population are affiliated to a church in I.F.
Of these regular churchgoers, 56% are LDS.

So roughly, practicing Mormons make up more than a third of the general population.

[max.b]

Hmm...

The same (redacted) source says: "In comparison to U.S. cities with similar populations [50,000 – 52,000], Pocatello and Idaho Falls lead the pack." (In the percentage of congregation-affiliated people)

I'm a little confused here. Wikipedia says that Idaho ranks 10th in the US by irrelegion, above Massachusetts and California.

Is there a huge disparity between Idaho Falls/Pocatello and the rest of the state?

[ILI.EB]

Originally Posted by max.b

Is there a huge disparity between Idaho Falls/Pocatello and the rest of the state?

SE Idaho is very different from the rest of the state in terms of religion.

[banjomike]

It all depends on what's being measured, Max. It's important to know a few things first.

The Mormons have a unique social structure that is totally ingrained into their religion. There are many church groups that serve all ages, from childhood to old age. Some groups are for women only, others for only men, and members commonly belong to several at the same time. It does not have a professional clergy, so any member can become a Bishop, the equivalent of a Pastor, for a congregation. The congregations are called Wards, and their church buildings, called Meeting Houses or Chapels, are built to hold several Wards at the same time. Church services are commonly held with all the Wards congregating at the same time, with one of the Bishops officiating, while another Bishop may give the sermon. Choirs are often members of different wards. All members can participate in services, and it's common for members to testify at services.

The LDS church is an old, long-established faith here, very much like the Catholic church is in Boston or the Southern Baptist church is in Nashville, but they weren't the first to arrive here. The first church built in Eagle Rock, Idaho Falls' first name, was a Methodist church. The LDS began arriving in large numbers in the mid to late 1880's.

Like those other faiths, children are baptized and registered into church rolls, but the LDS have just as many non-practicing members as other faiths. These folks are called 'Jack Mormons' by both the church members and the public at large; the nickname is as old as the faith is. Many of the jacks never see the inside of any church until their funeral.

About the same percentage of the LDS are the really devout members. The True Blue Mormons are the ones whose lives are deeply involved with the church over any other civic or social groups. The majority attend church regularly, and obey the Mormon rules of sobriety, etc., but are also active in their communities at large.

Idaho Falls has always had congregations of different faiths. There are many Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Baptists here, and the Evangelical Baptists are growing here, just as they are all over the west. We also have Ba'hai, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Japanese Shinto and Buddists, and some Sikhs.

We are diverse racially as well, and we have some uncommon minorities living here. Basques, Chileans, Peruvians, Japanese, Mexicans, African-Americans, Samoans, Chinese, Tribal Natives, and others all live here, and always have, some for many generations.

Our diversity is due in part to the Idaho National Lab, and in part from our widely diverse industries and agriculture.
We have a lot of people who live here that have come from all over. Nuclear engineers rub elbows with Mormon spud farmers daily, and we all get along just fine, as our peculiar blend of religions grew very slowly and organically as the 20th century progressed.

Pocatello is very similar. The two cities are only 50 miles apart, and while Pocatello has differences, especially as the home of Idaho State University, they share many commonalities and are highly complimentary to each other.

[pw72]

This doesn't matter, IMO. Yes, IF is high, Rexburg is higher, and Pocatello is lower.

However, non-LDS rarely have problems in this region. This is based on 7 years of experience living in Pocatello and Idaho Falls, as a non-LDS person. I have absolutely had no problems. In fact, I work for an LDS owned company, but it has never been an issue. This is a good indication that anyone worried about this issue should relax and realize it doesn't matter here.

[runnerguy45]

Certainly seems to be alot of prejudices against the LDS on forums.
Some of the questions makes one wonder if some of these people have ever met anyone out of their comfort zone ? I think Banjo Mike said it very well that LDS have a unique social order but the very reason why many people want to move to a clean, safe area with good schools may also have to do with many LDSers living in the area. Many seem to want the by product of a large LDS population but heaven forbid they might have one living near them. Here is a crazy suggestion, be nice to people you meet and in most cases people will be nice back.

[Gaius Magnus]

SE Idaho is heavily Mormon. It's not a problem for me, but it is what it is. I can't give ya a percentage, but chances are good you are speaking to a Mormon when you speak to a person in SE Idaho.

[pw72]

The LDS Church does not give out statistics on the LDS population by city, just by state. And Idaho is #2 behind Utah. I have seen numbers among church-going participants that LDS is about 75% in Idaho Falls, and 72% in Pocatello. However, keep in mind, this is among "church-going" participants. It does not mean that 75% of Idaho Fall residents, and likewise Pocatello's numbers are LDS. The two statistics are not connected to the overall population. This is important to remember when forming a conclusion.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by pw72

The LDS Church does not give out statistics on the LDS population by city, just by state. And Idaho is #2 behind Utah. I have seen numbers among church-going participants that LDS is about 75% in Idaho Falls, and 72% in Pocatello. However, keep in mind, this is among "church-going" participants. It does not mean that 75% of Idaho Fall residents, and likewise Pocatello's numbers are LDS. The two statistics are not connected to the overall population. This is important to remember when forming a conclusion.

I disagree with those numbers. The regular church going LDS in I.F. are closer to 60% than 75%, I believe. It would all depend on how 'regular' is defined.