Mormons????? (Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert: home owners insurance, crime rate, house)

[Belladonna35]

Hi, we will be moving in June to either east Mesa, Chandler or Gilbert my friend told me there are a lot of mormons in these places, What kind of people are these mormons? I am strictly agnostic and I don't appreciate people trying to push religion on me or my family. Are they pushy?

[MotleyCrew]

My daughter works for a largely Mormon group of people and they all get along very well. They are not pushy at all in her opinion. I think these cities have quite a good mix of people. They are large cities, not small towns. Mormons would be the least of my concerns.

[Agoraphobic]

I'm a mormon and I can tell you that in most cases we're like anyone else you'd meet. The main difference being we don't drink alocohol, tea, or coffee and we don't smoke.

That being said, there are some members of our faith that aren't the greatest ambassadors for a religion. We're taught to invite others to learn about our church, but I can admit that some people go about it the wrong way and become pushy. Just remember that you can't judge a group of people based on the actions of an individual.

I'm happy to talk about any thing you want to know about the Mormons (Officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), I'm not here to convert or push a religion, just want to help provide some understanding for an often misunderstood religion.

Thanks,

Agoraphobic

[sablebaby]

Mesa has a large Mormon (LDS) Temple, so yes there are a lot. I also see a lot of LDS churches everywhere. They are some of the nicest looking churches around here, in my opinion.

There are quite a few missionaries here as well. You will see them riding on bikes every so often. They are extremely nice people. They should respect your beliefs. Just be nice to them and they will be to you too.

Like Jill said, they would be the last of my concerns (And I'm atheist!).

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Belladonna35

Hi, we will be moving in June to either east Mesa, Chandler or Gilbert my friend told me there are a lot of mormons in these places, What kind of people are these mormons? I am strictly agnostic and I don't appreciate people trying to push religion on me or my family. Are they pushy?

I would agree with the posts above stating that Mormon prosletyzing is probably the least of your concerns. It's rare, and if it occurs at all, it's usually quite gentle. I have Mormon coworkers and friends and have never felt uncomfortable visiting their homes or socializing with them.

I will say, however, that a Mormon influence is felt in the East Valley in terms of the very conservative politics of that part of the metro area. Many of the most stalwart Republicans in the state legislature represent districts in Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert. That is of course not entirely attributable to the LDS population in the area, and it is a stereotype to say that all Mormons are politically conservative. Nevertheless, it's hard to deny that the Mormon population in that part of town has at least some influence on its political representation.

Depending on your politics, this may or may not be an issue for you. While Maricopa County as a whole leans Republican, moderate Republicans and Democrats are more prevalent in other portions of the metro area. Of course, legislators from the East Valley sponsor legislation and vote on bills that affect everyone throughout the state, so their impact -- good, bad, or indifferent -- may be felt regardless of where you live.

[AZGOLFER]

Originally Posted by Belladonna35

Hi, we will be moving in June to either east Mesa, Chandler or Gilbert my friend told me there are a lot of mormons in these places, What kind of people are these mormons? I am strictly agnostic and I don't appreciate people trying to push religion on me or my family. Are they pushy?

Belladonna35

LOL...believe me Belladonna35, there are much, much bigger things you should worry about than "Mormons." You should really be worried about the over priced homes in the east valley and the very, very, very high crime rate in Maricopa County, low paying jobs, 100 degree heat, property taxes and oh yeah, pollution. Yes, I'm Mormon and I don't worry about agnostic people very much! My brother just moved to Memphis TN, right in the middle of the Bible belt, but guess what, he wasn't worried about running into a Baptist. Yes, there is a high number of “Mormons” in the east valley probably because the early Mormon pioneers helped settle this valley, but there are no more Mormons than there are Catholics or Baptists, etc. We’re not the majority around here and most of us are just everyday kind of people.

[vfrpilot]

What about those Mormon gangs? Spray painting scriptures on walls and freeway signs. You can recognize 'em by the white shirts and black ties.....scary stuff. They're all over the place on their hopped up mountain bikes. They've taken over the high schools and are working their way down!
I'm sorry, I had to do it. I had to expose the grim realities of the crazed Mormon gangs.
Just kidding . I have to agree with the previous posters. Mormons are the last thing you have to worry about.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by AZGOLFER

Belladonna35

You should really be worried about the over priced homes in the east valley and the very, very, very high crime rate in Maricopa County, low paying jobs, 100 degree heat, property taxes and oh yeah, pollution.

Property taxes? What are you talking? We have some of the lowest in the country.

[Nice Nice Baby!]

Especially in Mesa as they have no city tax.

[MotleyCrew]

We fled CA because of the increasing property taxes. We paid over $3,200 for a 1500 sq.ft house and only pay $2,100 for a 2069 sq.ft home here. We could use a Prop.13 to hold the line on property taxes however. Florida is insane between property taxes and home owners insurance. The only state that has really low property taxes is Alabama and I am not sure I would be this happy in Alabama.