My impression of Salt Lake City and LDS after 5 days

[stiffnecked]

Originally Posted by frogandtoad

And maybe Missouri is considered the holy land for LDS, I don't know. I think I read they believe that is where something will happen in the future?

Missouri is where Adam and Eve used to live. I thought everyone knew that already.

Adam-ondi-Ahman

Adam-ondi-Ahman - where Mormons plan to move to again someday

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Um, no, this is the first I've heard of it.

[stiffnecked]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Um, no, this is the first I've heard of it.

Study a little bit of Mormon history. The non-sanitized version. While Missouri doesn't have as large a Mormon population as Utah it's far more important to the Church then the State of Deseret.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I can't possibly say this w/o offending some, but I think it needs to be said: I don't read anything written by humans about topics they cannot know anything about. Which means I don't read any religious tomes.

[stiffnecked]

Sure thing. I didn't believe it either the first time I heard about it. Sounded like some crazy stuff. But when your able to read the words of the person that wrote it your opinions change. Ignorance is bliss.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by frogandtoad

That said, I don'nt understand what you were appreciating.

All I was appreciating was the fact that the poster seemed to be trying to say, "The influence of the LDS Church is not the only thing deserving of some discussion on these forums." I just know that I get tired of the endless stream of threads from people who want to move to Utah but who are afraid of being surrounded by Mormons. That's all. There was nothing more to my "appreciation" than that the poster I was quoting seemed to share my feelings that we might try focusing on something else for a change.

Not sure, but anyway if that's true, it is also true that SLC, UT is the LDS capital of the world. The high rise office buildings, Temple Square, the LDS Business College (or whatever it's called), the homes of past people of import to the LDS religion, This is the Place Heritage State Park, the document storage facility, etc etc. LDS has a clear and strong presence in people, historical places, modern day buildings, culture, politics, etc. I would venture to guess that even if Missouri is the holy land, the LDS presence is, in 2009, felt far more strongly in UT. Which again, IS NOT TO SAY IS BAD. If I were LDS, I would be very proud of this. As non-LDS, I find it interesting historically, and have no problem with it. It's an interesting history/religion which I respect, but which is not my own. I think a lot of LDS have pride in this, but for some reason it's a point of contention on this board.

I agree with everything you've said. I have just one clarification to make. "This is the Place Heritage State Park" is not Church run but state run (as its name implies). I was a docent there for a couple of years and it was made quite clear to us when we were in training that those of us who were LDS needed to remember that the park was not another Temple Square and that proselytizing was forbidden. That was exactly what I wanted to hear, by the way.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

I can't possibly say this w/o offending some, but I think it needs to be said: I don't read anything written by humans about topics they cannot know anything about. Which means I don't read any religious tomes.

LOL! Well, I once heard it said that people are generally "down on" those things they're not "up on." Some people would benefit by being offended now and then, since they seem to be able to dish it out quite readily.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Thanks, Katzpur.

[Jassini]

I was born and raised in the Ogden area in a strict Mormon home. We were taught that others of different religions and different races were not like us and there was no reason to befriend them or learn about their cultures. At age 19, I left home and moved to Dallas and later to Orlando. This was, and still is, the best part of my education regarding others who are not like me. I love diversity! I moved back to Utah with my three kids settling in a condo in Holladay. We moved in on a Saturday and the kids and I went out to spend Sunday in the condo complex pool. Three well dressed women came out to the pool to let me know that because of the dominant religion in the area, there was no swimming on Sunday (nothing was posted to that effect and the gate was open). This is typical of the kind of intolerance I have experienced living in Salt Lake over the past 20 years. Ogden was a much more open-minded city and nothing like Salt Lake. I am no longer active in the church because I am sure that Jesus never treated people the way Mormons do. If you are a single mom and divorced, the people in the church have very little to do with you other than asking nosey questions about 'why you're not married'.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Jassini

I was born and raised in the Ogden area in a strict Mormon home. We were taught that others of different religions and different races were not like us and there was no reason to befriend them or learn about their cultures.

Wow! Thank God the Mormon home I was raised in wasn't like the Mormon home you were raised in!