st. george new resident & discrimination (Salt Lake City: living, fence, law)

[hoody]

It looks like we are moving to SG next month and the posts on the forum are concerning about discrimination by a persons faith ( I being non-mormon am curious). I have never encountered this thankfully being a Cal/Nv resident in all my years. Is it really as bad as some of you portray? And if so give me an example of this type of behavior. I can't believe in todays society and St. George especially since it's becoming such a melting of snowbirds and the like that this really exists. I mean if you treat people like you would like to be treated how does this difference in one's belief really come into play in day to day situations. I am perplexed.

[LlasaLost]

Don't believe everything you read on this board! Sure, you may find a few, and I emphasis "few" who still live in the dark ages of bigotry (and that applies to individuals on each side of the religious and/or political spectrum), but most people are just people who will be kind and welcoming---that is, if you don't come in fault-finding about the faith of the majority, or wearing your feelings on the end of your fingertips, just waiting for someone to offend you.

[SergeantL]

Originally Posted by hoody

It looks like we are moving to SG next month and the posts on the forum are concerning about discrimination by a persons faith (I being non-[M]ormon am curious). I have never encountered this thankfully being a Cal/Nv resident in all my years. Is it really as bad as some of you portray?

I wasn’t going to respond to your post, because it will normally bring out the flamers, but I do believe you deserve an answer. Those who complain about how they are treated by the Mormons can be divided into two groups:

In my opinion, the first group is comprised of liars, who have an incredible axe to grind with the LDS faith. This group has more than its share of ex-members of the LDS faith, who fell away from the Church for any number of reasons and they just can’t walk away.

The next group is populated with the kind of people who just can’t get along. In kindergarten they constantly received poor marks for an inability to work and play well with others. When I was in law enforcement, we expended a huge amount of time dealing with this kind of individual. No, they were not criminals, but they still could not work and play well with others as adults. They would constantly call the department to complain about neighbor kids playing in the street, neighbor kids kicking their footballs into yards, or they would complain because the neighbor was having a party and one of the guests had parked his car in front of their house. They would also call the PD to complain about the neighbor’s tree growing over the fence into their yard. My personal favorite was the complaint about the noisy ice cream truck music that disturbed them once a day in the summer. Oh, and no, these were not the stereotypical grouchy old man or woman; these people were thirty-something’s with kids of their own.

Hopefully, you get my point.

[ButterflyLoVe]

Originally Posted by SergeantL

I wasn’t going to respond to your post, because it will normally bring out the flamers, but I do believe you deserve an answer. Those who complain about how they are treated by the Mormons can be divided into two groups:

In my opinion, the first group is comprised of liars, who have an incredible axe to grind with the LDS faith. This group has more than its share of ex-members of the LDS faith, who fell away from the Church for any number of reasons and they just can’t walk away.

The next group is populated with the kind of people who just can’t get along. In kindergarten they constantly received poor marks for an inability to work and play well with others. When I was in law enforcement, we expended a huge amount of time dealing with this kind of individual. No, they were not criminals, but they still could not work and play well with others as adults. They would constantly call the department to complain about neighbor kids playing in the street, neighbor kids kicking their footballs into yards, or they would complain because the neighbor was having a party and one of the guests had parked his car in front of their house. They would also call the PD to complain about the neighbor’s tree growing over the fence into their yard. My personal favorite was the complaint about the noisy ice cream truck music that disturbed them once a day in the summer. Oh, and no, these were not the stereotypical grouchy old man or woman; these people were thirty-something’s with kids of their own.

Hopefully, you get my point.

SergeantL, I consider myself to be a faithful member of the LDS Church and I have a strong conviction that it is the only true and living church. But the "Mormons" (not Latter-day Saints) here in St. George Utah are sadly the most phony people I have ever met. There are few true Saints here compared to California, but lots of hypocritical and cynical Mormons. Ironic isn't it? Where else but Christ's true church would Satan work the hardest to makes the members of the Church become this way. I have personally encountered horrible and hurtful behavior from some "members" that I have had to learn to overcome and forgive. But it happens over and over again, and I try to not let it get to me by dwelling on feelings of being unwanted or excluded. That is how Satan wants me to feel. However, I would strongly discourage anyone coming from a mainstream area like California to move to St. George. Here the love of man waxes cold, just like the scriptures testify it would in the last days.

[SergeantL]

Originally Posted by ButterflyLoVe

[b]There are few true Saints here compared to California, but lots of hypocritical and cynical Mormons...I would strongly discourage anyone coming from a mainstream area like California to move to St. George.

Apparently there is some belief that LDS membership in California is somehow different than Utah or Idaho. I now live in Utah after 54 years in California, and my son and his wife live in Idaho. There are problem children in any organization, and the California or Idaho branches of the Church are not immune. I encounter the same mix of personalities in each state; only the names are different. One will find the same mix in any religion.

[ButterflyLoVe]

Originally Posted by SergeantL

There are problem children in any organization, and the California or Idaho branches of the Church are not immune. I encounter the same mix of personalities in each state; only the names are different. One will find the same mix in any religion.

I agree with this comment. I am not saying there are no phony members of the church in California or anywhere else. What I am saying is that compared to California there are more hypocritical and cynical "Mormons" and less Latter-day Saints in St. George. I stand by this statement and I am not alone in sentiments. Keep in mind that I am in no way attacking the Church or its faithful members. But people, especially LDS, that come from mainstream places like California should be aware of this so they are not surprised when they experience it first hand.

[NYtoVT]

Not to sound ignorant, but what's the difference between Mormon and LDS ?

[SergeantL]

Originally Posted by NYtoVT

Not to sound ignorant, but what's the difference between Mormon and LDS ?

The difference is difficult to explain, because society and the Press continually confuse the issue. The official name of the LDS Church, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The term Mormon was originally a derogatory name used by detractors of the faith during the early years of the Church. These detractors coined the term Mormon from the Book of Mormon, which is a foundational work of scripture and canon used by the LDS Church.

Although the derogatory nature of the term Mormon is today extinct, there is some confusion. There are splinter groups from the LDS Church, and all claim to be Mormons, but are not members of the LDS Church. The Press and the public call just about everyone who believes in the Book of Mormon, Mormons, regardless of whether or not that person belongs to the Salt Lake City LDS Church.

With few exceptions, splinter groups that call themselves Mormon are polygamist groups and continue to practice plural marriage, which was a practice of the LDS Church until 1890 when such practices were stopped so that the Church would be in conformance with federal laws that were passed making the practice illegal in the United States. LDS marriage are strictly monogamous and in keeping with state and federal law.

[dogmom]

Thank you butterflylove...I was not going to respond because I don't want to be called a flamer, but what you say is true. We have family that is LDS, some here in northern Utah, others in CA, where we came from...there is a huge difference. And SeargeantL, I do take exception to what you said that there are two groups here. I know there are many in this area that have some kind of axe to grind with LDS, for whatever their dumb reasons are. And yes, there are some folks who 'just can't get along'. My husband and I, for one, don't fall into either of those groups. We have never had problems 'getting along'. We both worked full careers, raised two fine sons who are now productive adults, and have many friends and acquaintances back home. It's very hard to 'get along' with neighbors who begin by acting like your best friend...then when they finally figure out, after invite and invite, that we are not going to go to church, suddenly can find no time for you. We have one neighbor and her husband who refuse to even wave hello to us when we wave hello to them. This woman actually just glares at us, full of some kind of hatred. The one other lady neighbor was very nice, I actually had started going to the gym with her, and then all of a sudden, nothing. No hellos, waves, it's like I just dropped off the earth. Now I am not saying that everyone is like that, but that is the experience we have had. I guess I was their 'project'. Well, I am nobody's project...that makes me sound pathetic and I am not. I have been very lonely the last few months due to the fact that at this point I am really afraid to try to make friends for fear this will happen to me over and over. I deserve better than that. I am a nice person, and I think a good friend. I have a strong love of God, even though it's not through the LDS religion. I am not a heathen. But I feel bitter, we sure didn't deserve some of the treatment we have gotten. Why would anyone want to stay where they are not wanted...too bad, we could have made a contribution here. We sure did not go through the expense and stress of moving here just to feel the need to go back 'home'. But we can't live like this, we have a lot of life left in us!

So there is a 3rd group, not just 2. I am not going to keep going over this as it upsets me and I feel like it has just beaten me down. I am probably not using proper english so please dont flame me for that...no one is more sorry that this didn't work out for us more than hubby and myself.

[dogmom]

my posts makes it sound like we live in northern Utah, we don't...We live in the St. George area....