Non-mormon family looking to relocate to Lehi (West Jordan, Murray: new home, elementary school)

[deeptrance]

One thing to keep in mind about Utah and the LDS church is that both are changing rapidly. Many people are moving to Utah, changing the demographics, and the Mormon church has adapted to social changes over the years and will continue to do so.

The difference between a cult and a religion is long-term success. Every religion starts as a cult, but the older they get, the wiser and more moderate they get. Err..... maybe with the exception of a certain religion that is very old, has a billion followers, and still believes in oppressing women, foisting their views on others using violence, and bringing the entire world under their belief system by any means necessary. No offense to the moderates of that religion, but maybe a reformation would be a good idea and I hope it comes soon before we end up in a religion-inspired nuclear war.

[Marat]

Originally Posted by DP525

Do I care that there is an LDS Temple being built there? Other than the fact I think the architecture of the temples is awful, no, I don't care.

Amen to that! From the spaceship temples of Ogden and Provo, to the Disneyland look of San Diego, I think most temples are appalling.

[frogamigo]

Originally Posted by DP525

I am about to pass up a great offer to relocate to Lehi to work at the new IM Flash Semiconductor fab. Please tell me my fears are unfounded. Any non-LDS with kids living in Utah, please chime in with your thoughts. Thanks.

Oh, man. I think I would try working something out, I don't know. Sounds like a cool job.

- Chris

[Fitzy]

Another non-mormon family looking at a potential move to the Lehi area to work at the new IM Flash Semiconductor fab.

We plan to go to a non-denominational Christian church while there as much for the fellowship as anything but also so my children will be exposed to that side of things. We are also generally not religious but feel we will need to go to keep a balance to things.

We are not a religious family either. Can you expand on this a bit more. Also, what is the make up of the employees? Is it in tune with the local demographics or are you finding work to be more diverse than home?

[DP525]

Hey Fitzie,

I can't say much about the fab as it is not up and running fully yet. But the 2000 employees (many with high tech degrees) can't all come from Lehi. Many will be coming from out of state.

Going to a "standard" Christian church will allow us to meet other non-LDS folks without having to ask "the question". It will also give our children tools to use if they ever find themselves considering converting.

[Grblpwr]

Hi all,

I am fascinated by this thread. I am a recent transplant to the Utah area because of the IMFT facility. My husband works for one of the vendors and we have been out here a little over a month. We are non-Mormon and came from the Washington DC area and I thought I share my obeservations of Utah thusfar (please note we also do not have kids yet so I can't say how the whole kids to kids treatment is).

We moved to the Cedar Hills/Pleasant Grove area after two visits out here. We considered the LDS issue in general but did not really research it when picking out our home, we figured we would buy a home we love and let the LDS chips fall where they may. Well, our first day here one of our neighbors came over to introduce themselves and informed us the neighborhood is 90% LDS. While everyone has been super friendly (even after discovering we are not LDS) here is what we find ourselves asked within the first three minutes of meeting people (this includes the non-LDS family right next door).

1. Are you LDS?
2. Do you have kids?

Our LDS neighbors have been very nice and we have been invited on several outings since we moved in. I have to say, though, we have not attended a single outing because they have all been sponsored by the local ward and I am not interested in being recruited. Once we receive some non-ward function invites I plan to accept.

In general we love it here. The view is gorgeous and the people seem friendly so far. I expect that once the fab is fully up and running with all the IMFT people and their vendors/contractors in place the LDS population in the area will be a bit diluted.

One negative though...all the kids! I have never seen so many kids in my life...and they are generally allowed to do whatever they want. The parenting seems very lax so expect the hear wailing kids wherever you go: restaurants, movies, stores, you name and they are there screaming. Also, they run around EVERYWHERE unsupervised from an extremely early age, this includes the roads (including major, busy ones) and in parking lots so watch out when you drive.

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by Grblpwr

One negative though...all the kids! I have never seen so many kids in my life...and they are generally allowed to do whatever they want. The parenting seems very lax so expect the hear wailing kids wherever you go: restaurants, movies, stores, you name and they are there screaming. Also, they run around EVERYWHERE unsupervised from an extremely early age, this includes the roads (including major, busy ones) and in parking lots so watch out when you drive.

On the plus side, at least they're not being kept in compounds behind fences with armed guards like the freaks do in a few of those polygamist concentration camps --- errr --- communities.

I love having lots of kids around if the noises they're making are happy ones. The screaming, though, that would get to me. Sounds like the LDS church needs to re-acquaint their members with basic parenting skills!

[blessed mom]

Hello. I fell upon this board tonight and just joined so I could post my remarks on the "living in Utah" thread.

First of all I will start off by saying I am LDS - I converted when I was 21 yrs old. I was born and raised in Seattle and my husband and I recently ( last year) moved to Cache Valley, Utah.

I "know" what it is like to be LDS and *Not* to be LDS.

Can I be honest?

Our family is moving! Why? I can't stand Utah!!!!! )

Honestly speaking --- we are "active" LDS -- and we have really had a hard time living here in Utah......... it's just plain "weird" here..........
Believe me folks - Utah LDS are very, very different then LDS outside of Utah!!! Thank Goodness!

The "Mormon" culture here drives me crazy! EVeryone just assumes that you are LDS - and even if you are - there is this "drive" this intense drive to be "perfect" or to out do your neighbor in your callings, in how "tidy" or beauitful your house is or how "good" your kids are!

All I can say is it's insane!!!

I told my husband earlier this year that if we didn't move soon I would become inactive!!! )

It's hard to explain - but please folks - if you are not LDS please, please do not judge the LDS faith by Utah mormons!!! I have never expierenced this when we lived in the suburbs of Seattle.

There is "fanatisism" here within LDS........... it's very strange and almost frightening to me and my family. We do not want to raise our children here and will be moving this fall. I want to raise my children in a community where their fellow church members are not LDS because of "culture" or "tradition" but because they truly believe!

I was raised in a devout Roman Catholic home and I can see many similiaritities between LDS here and my CAtholic upbringing....... kids getting "baptized" because that is what you do when you turn 8, and doing things out of "tradition" instead of conviction.

Also, "meetings" take on a whole new meaning here in Utah!!! Oh, my!!
I have never seen so many insignificant meetings in my life!
Many LDS fill up their lives literally with "meetings" to make them feel "important".

Church callings take on a whole new meaning here! I have never seen any member of my church "wear their calling" on their sleeve like I have here in Utah! It's almost a bragging contest!

It's all really sad. I have met more women who are depressed here then ever in my life! I truly believe their is this "drive" to be "perfect" here and it leads many to depression. So very tragic.

I joined the LDS Church years ago based on it's teachings and principles.
My husband and I moved to Utah last year thinking it would be a good place to raise our children - only to find out it's truly an "unhealthy" place to raise a family.

We can't wait to get back to the "mission field"...... Utah is simply **not** the real world! I believe LDS would truly be blessed if they moved out of Utah and lived amongst non- members. We have much to learn from them as well as they from us.

I knew it was time to move from Utah when my 13 yr old some came home from church one day and said aghast : "mom the neighbors are mowing their lawn on sunday"!! Ughh!!!

I simply refuse to raise my children to become bigoted, narrow minded and critical of others beliefs.

My advice to any LDS or non LDS family is to choose another place to live.

With that said - we have enjoyed many things about Utah! We love the weather! Winters are awesome! The cost of living is very affordable and we feel very safe in our neighborhood! We have also some met a few very wonderful friends.

My Sister who is not LDS lives in the SLC area and her family has expierenced a lot of bigotry. Her son was brutally attacked on the playground and his cross was ripped off his neck. ( by LDS kids).

I would not recommend a non LDS family with children moving to Utah.
It's just not fair to the children to be treated poorly - and yes they will expierence bigotry by LDS kids.

It's very sad to say........ but I guess I Might expierence some bigotry if I moved my very LDS family to the deep south - or to Vatican City for that matter! Bigotry and prejudice exists everywhere .......... even in LDS communities like utah!

[I'ze Evil, Joe]

Finally....someone took the blinders off. Nice post for those who are living in oblivion.

[chazcrew]

Blessed Mom, my son told me one day that he didn't like a particular girl in his class. This is nothing new (kids find things not to like about each other all the time...G pushes me in lunch line, S talks too much, J tells lies), but when I asked him why he didn't like this girl, he said it was because she didn't believe in the Book of Mormon.

!!!!!!!!!

You can bet we had a talk right then and there. I had NO idea that kids would even discuss that at school. I certainly don't remember talking about it much when I was growing up (outside of Utah). Some kids were Mormon, some weren't, end of story. So yeah, I've had my first taste of bigotry against non-LDS people, and it came from my own son. I was appalled. Even worse, I think my son heard this from someone else in the class, so it's probably a rumor being spread around, and that poor little girl is being ostracized for her beliefs. Now, for all I know, she might have come out arrogant and patronizing, telling the other kids how stupid they were for believing in the BOM. In that case, fine, don't like her because she's obnoxious. But leave religion out of it. BTW, my son was seven years old at the time. Awfully young for religious bigotry, wouldn't you say?

I really love where I live, and I don't want to move. But I can see that there will be some challenges with living here, even being an active LDS family.