Possible Move to Logan, UT (Advice Please!)

[Lmejh]

Hmm...well, I've only been in Logan once and based on the fact it was close to the Wasatch Front I thought it would be like the Front in that respect - in any case, Salt Lake is still a good place for a non-Mormon person, myself included.

[JohnB1968]

Since Mormon's don't believe in hell, per se, your story rings a little biased and close-minded to me.

Originally Posted by r2move

I agree with the other posts that USU brings some diversity to Logan and if you are working there you may find some other liberal minded people. However, USU is expecting major cutbacks and layoffs this year so be mindful of that.

I disagree with the posts that claim that your daughter will not have problems with the LDS religion here. The reason I am on this website in the first place is because I am looking to get out of here because of the religious influence in this town. My children (both grade school age) have been treated terribly by the LDS kids in our neighborhood. I recently had a parent of one of these kids "show" my child how to get baptized while she was at his house playing with his daughter. Others have told my kids that they are going to hell because they aren't mormon. That, combined with the awful winters here (cold weather-today it's 6 degrees, and inversions that last most of January and February) have made me decide that it is time to go. The inversions by the way, are EXTREMELY bad and put our air quality at one of the worst in the nation. Our local lawmakers don't seem to think that there is a problem with the air and refuse to require emissions testing here because "too many cars woudn't pass". You are going to find very conservative politics here and religion DOES influence that as well.

If you have decided to move here anyway. Look into Edith Bowen school for your daughter. It is a private school that is connected with the University. She should not have a problem getting in because you will be working with the university and many faculty members put there kids in school there so I don't think the religious influence will be as bad.

Good luck.

[MrAnderson]

Originally Posted by r2move

I agree with the other posts that USU brings some diversity to Logan and if you are working there you may find some other liberal minded people. However, USU is expecting major cutbacks and layoffs this year so be mindful of that.

I disagree with the posts that claim that your daughter will not have problems with the LDS religion here. The reason I am on this website in the first place is because I am looking to get out of here because of the religious influence in this town. My children (both grade school age) have been treated terribly by the LDS kids in our neighborhood. I recently had a parent of one of these kids "show" my child how to get baptized while she was at his house playing with his daughter. Others have told my kids that they are going to hell because they aren't mormon. That, combined with the awful winters here (cold weather-today it's 6 degrees, and inversions that last most of January and February) have made me decide that it is time to go. The inversions by the way, are EXTREMELY bad and put our air quality at one of the worst in the nation. Our local lawmakers don't seem to think that there is a problem with the air and refuse to require emissions testing here because "too many cars woudn't pass". You are going to find very conservative politics here and religion DOES influence that as well.

If you have decided to move here anyway. Look into Edith Bowen school for your daughter. It is a private school that is connected with the University. She should not have a problem getting in because you will be working with the university and many faculty members put there kids in school there so I don't think the religious influence will be as bad.

Good luck.

Old post, but a few points: LDS people are very religious, and in every city in Utah - Just as you are worried about the LDS kids having an influence on your kids, so are the LDS parents regarding yours.

Cache County is pretty LDS, less though than Utah County, and much less with the 'holier than thou' style. There's sort of a live and let live feel here, and it feels like more of a self-sustaining community than many other places in Utah. - Perhaps due to it being the only metro not off of 1-15.

Also, it's about 5 degrees colder on average here in winter. Cold is cold, wheather it's 30 or 25, or 15 or 10. It's warmer here than say a Detroit or Milwaukee, or many other cities in America. You know you're getting cold winters with Utah because of the high elevations.

Though I think the politics are conservative anywhere in Utah except SLC proper, many have called the current Mayor and Council, which just swept the elections, as being liberals. Which in non-Utah terms equates to, I dont know, moderate republican?

Now saying the local lawmakers are doing nothing about the air quality is bogus. There's an extensive free fare bus system (not a conservative thing to have) here in Cache Valley and Logan supported by the local government - why is it free? Because the lawmakers want people to take the bus instead of driving - the winter also has 'color' days to inform people of the air quality and encourage carpooling and bus riding.

[Lacerta]

In response to the OP, I am an atheist who lived in Logan for 4 years getting my degree, and have lived in Boise, Idaho the rest of my life. Many of my friends are mormon, and that has been true since I was a small child. It all depends on how you approach the situation. You can still have your beliefs and not be harassed to convert. I was always invited along to events, some of which I went to and had a great time, and some I didn't go. I was never made to feel uncomfortable.

For 3 years, I had 5 mormon roommates (15 different people). I got along with most of them very well, and one was the matron of honor at my wedding. The ones I didn't get along with were regular college type conflicts (they were freshmen taking underwater basketweaving classes and I was a senior working on finishing a physics degree), rather than religious conflicts.

Honestly, I would say religion was less of a day to day issue for me in Logan than it is here in Boise, which is to say, practically none at all. If you don't make it an issue yourself, it isn't an issue. Be respectful, like you would like others to be to you, and most mormons will just be regular people to you.

If you teach your child(ren) how to handle situations where religion comes up, they will be fine. I was told more than once in high school that I was a heathen. I laughed and said "oh, probably" or "very true, thank you" or some such, and usually the other person laughed too, and we got along fine. Children being children, they will likely have something said to them at some point, and they need to know how to handle it, or it could become an issue.