Moving from Raleigh to Salt Lake City - Mormon Stigma (Washington: fit in, transplants)

[blondee007]

I have a friend that moved here (SLC) from Raleigh and absolutely loved it. She lived here for about 11 years. She has since moved back to Raleigh because of her family but she wants to move back because she fills more at home out here. She loves the skiing, hiking and the very active lifestyle that we lead here. We have an amazing group of friends and we keep meeting great people all the time. We are very liberal people. I grew up here in SLC but most of my friends are originally from out of state. We enjoy the nightlife here. I am not LDS and I really don't notice the religion thing much. It is here of course but not bad. The people I work with are mostly non-LDS. The few LDS friends that I have are wonderful people who are not judgmental and don't care what religion I am. Most LDS people really are good people. There are always a few that drive you crazy on occasion but I bet you have those too in the Bible belt. I would recommend living in SLC though. There is a stronger emphasis on religion I think outside of the SLC area. Especially the Utah Valley (Provo, BYU) area. Stay away from there or you will really feel the religion.

I don’t know anywhere else that you can be this close to incredible skiing and other great activities in the mountains. We camp in the mountains all summer. We also drive to incredible Southern Utah a lot with the red rock desert that people come from all over the world to see. Zions National Park, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Lake Powell are just the beginning. You can ski in the morning and then play golf in the afternoon in Southern Utah. We are very centralized so it is easy to go to the other states around us as well.

Good luck to you in your decision.

[Aerorick]

I'm not really sure what your objectives are in your post. You are thinking of moving your software business to SLC but your questions seem to be oriented towards whether it's a good place to play. If your priority is whether you could find a good business climate for your firm and a fair playing field the answer is maybe. If your looking for nightlife, skiing and an atmosphere for open-minded thought and discussion the answer is probably. But I'd submit that there are plenty of better choices than Utah based on what your looking for.

[BruceAdama]

Originally Posted by arrowjess

I own a small software development company and I am considering moving it from Raleigh, NC to Salt Lake City, UT. I like the idea that skiing is close by and Salt Lake is a large city. So many ski resorts are far away from large cities and SLC seems to be a good fit.

I have 12 employees all under the age of 30 all single guys and all are very liberal. I will also need to hire as our company grows probably from outside SLC mainly from California and Seattle.

My main concerns is the Mormons. To me, there is a negative stigma with moving to a city that seems to be so heavily religious. In the south, there are primary baptists, but there are so many other large religious groups, that religion never comes up in my daily life.

I will also need to hire employees and I am worried that they will not want to move to SLC because of the religious undertone.

So some of my questions are:
1. None of my employees are religious, is this going to effect their ability to make friends and form relationships there?
2. Has anyone else moved from larger cities to SLC and been negatively effected by the LDS?
3. Am I completely putting too much emphasis on the religion of the City? Is SLC just like every other city, where there are a variety of people and it doesn't matter what religion you are?
4. Is there a nightlife in SLC?

Thank you so much for your help.

Well, here is a question for you... you say you need to hire new people as well... what would be wrong with hiring any qualified applicants that happen to be Mormon?

The only reason not to do so, would be if you intentionally are seeking a workforce that reflects a non-religious background. I don't know what the reason for such a thing would be, as a person's religion should not play a role in his or her job, but again, that makes me as you the question... why not hire qualified Mormons?

Also, I would point out that the CEO's of JetBlue, Marriot, Chick-fil-A, just to name a few, are all Mormons... nothing to be feared, about having your business associated with Mormons.

[Aerorick]

BruceAdama seems to forget that there are serious federal consequences for hiring based on religion. But we all know people are hired everyday in Utah based on whether they're Mormon or not regardless of their qualifications.

[7th generation]

I moved to SLC in 1980 after a stint in the army and attended the U of U.
After school I worked for numerous companies traveling to many large cities across the US. Sure was pleasant getting back to the land of Zion and enjoying the multitude of outdoor activities. Eventually started my own business and employed the most qualified, which in many cases happened to be LDS. As a whole they are intelligent, hardworking, loyal and honest. Why settle anywhere else?
Oh, did I mention the greatest snow on earth?
The only reason I moved, was to care for my aging parents or I'd still be there-you betcha!!!

[Aerorick]

I think the whole thread was baited anyway the more I think of it. Twelve guys all under 30 and all very liberal. What are you trying to say? And your thinking of spending the thousands it would take to move your company to, of all places,Utah, from North Carolina?! Give me a break.

[BruceAdama]

Originally Posted by Aerorick

BruceAdama seems to forget that there are serious federal consequences for hiring based on religion. But we all know people are hired everyday in Utah based on whether they're Mormon or not regardless of their qualifications.

I'm not forgetting that... but the way the original inquiry was worded, hinted that the business owner was adverse to any Mormon influence in his company, or around it. But since utah has many Mormons, i thought the question was a fair one... if a qualified person applied, who was Mormon, would he hire him or her?

[skiutah1]

I can assure you that Utah is not what people make of it. It is a fantastic place to live and the people are wonderful. It is also much more diverse that people make it out to be. The night life get's better and better each year. If you enjoy the outdoors and want some of the greatest skiing in the world you certainly need to make the move. I grew up on the east coast and have lived in So Cal, Arizona and out of the country. When it came time to settle down I moved back to SLC. You will love it here!

[blondee007]

So Arrowjess, what do you think about what you have heard and what have you decided??? Just curious.

[BuckeyezRule]

I'm def. NOT LDS, I'm Catholic, but not very religious, as in, I don't go to church or I guess talk about religion alot. My neighborhood is all LDS, except my family, & our direct neighbors, although, they are jack-mormons, I think is the term I've heard. They are LDS, but don't practice it. I've had no problems, & I get along great w/ my neighbors! I also have a great Mom's group, many of whom are also def. NOT LDS. Of course, I'm also married w/ kids, so, I think that helps to meet people, & make friends. As a single, childless person, I'm not sure what I'd do here. Of course, I could say that anywhere now, since I'm so used to having my rugrats around. =)