Mormons and Wyoming? (Cody, Basin, Alpine: sale, apartments, rentals)

[PsykoKustomz]

I have a slight feeling that what has been said in this topic is being received with mixed reactions. There are alot of things that are thought to be known about certain beliefs that are not always the case. Now Im not sticking up for anyone or any certain religion but the misconceptions about everything out there especially religion is something that everyone deal with daily. People will see things in a different way depending on a astronomical amount of things they may believe in. This is why we live in the USA and especially in Wyoming.

I know other religions have missionaries that walk around door to door but it is the LDS missionaries that we hear the most about. Even Jehova Witnesses have missionaries I know my grandma chased them away from her front step with a cleaver cuz they kept bugging her and she was 80

In my eyes it is simple I wont judge you and you don't judge me. This not only goes with religion, but also with the huge inlfuence of Californians that our fair state is beginning to see. Don't try and change all the great things that have brought so many to our fair state and have also made so many leave for that matter.

[imbobbbb]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

Your forgetting one major diference between LDS and the other religions....other religions don't require their young people to knock on every door on the planet trying to convert you to LDS. With their 10% income requirement by all members, another diference, so the church is well funded to put forth their attempt at influence.

well ive only met a few morman missionarys in my life,ive had quite a few more jehovahs witnesses,and a number of baptists try to save me....but 'well intentioned' people dont bother me....its the 'vocal atheists' who turn no religion into a 'quasi-religion' that tend to annoy me...but to each his own.tithing is not a concept practised only by mormans either....many fundamentalist churchs also expect a 10% tithe.the catholic church in the ne united states and the various fundamentalist baptist,etc. churches in the south also seek to influence life in america.....i really dont see such a huge difference between the lds and other churches...perhaps because im looking at all of them from the outside

[wyoman]

Originally Posted by lisan23

Holy crap - can we say judgemental?!?! I'm not picking up ANY hospitality at all from your message. I have never ONCE looked down on other races - in fact my dad is from Africa. And like I said before, I didn't grow up in Utah and I have not lived here my whole life. Just because I'm LDS means I look down on other races? WTH!?! So should I base my judgement of people in Wyoming based on your rude, unhospitable, assumptive, and closed minded response?!

As for the rest of the posts - just because the community is majority LDS doesn't mean it's "heavily" influenced. Like one of the previous posters said, a lot of LDS people in Utah (and who are from Utah) have a different view than those outside of Utah, even the ones who live close to the Wyoming border. The laws in Evanston clearly show that it is not, in fact, run by Mormons. They may have an influence on the community, but like any other area that has a large group of people of a certain belief (or race) there will be some level of influence. But I don't think by any means this influence would be considered "heavy", or even moderate.

SEEMS TO ME YOUR RUNNIN? MAYBE WYO WILL BE YOUR SANCTURY? Using foul words to describe your feelings about anything negitive won"t empress anyone? Good luck and god bless on your journey to find your self-I guess we will all have another journey in our lives? Try to make the best of whats left of yours! Sorry if I offended you!

[emeraldsky]

Oh, some of you make me laugh... in a good way... just wanted to add a few more thoughts...

I appreciate the fair perspective many of you give. The I won't judge you, you won't judge me, this is Wyoming and America and we can all live together and all... I really do appreciate that. Sometimes I'm just so used to being stepped on because of my religion, mostly because of people's misunderstandings, but sometimes from prejudism.

When I was in high school (9th grade) we moved to a small TX town. Very small. We pulled on up and were unloading our boxes. The neighbor boy comes on over (couple years older than me), sitting on his bike talking to me, chatting away, flirting, Mr. Thinks He's Pretty Funny. That was fine, though I would have thought more of him if he’d gotten off his bike and given me a hand. Anyway... later on, a few days, asks me what my religion is and then needs to go, never stops by again or talks to me at school. No big deal though. Didn’t lose any sleep over it. I’ve always made friends easily and it just filtered out someone I wouldn’t have hit if off with once I’d gotten to know him better anyway.

So later on in the school year I'm nominated for the national honor society. Didn't know much about it, but sure, made me feel good. It came back that out of the 5 nominated I was the only one not accepted. (They put it to a vote apparently and this boy’s mamma was on the very small committee.) Sure, it made me sad, but I didn’t dwell on it. I do remember asking my English teacher (who was on the committee) why I wasn’t accepted, in case I needed to work on something, and she never could give me a straight answer. I didn't have a criminal record or anything (I don't even have a speeding ticket up to this point) and I was in a tie for valedictorian with one other kid (he was glad when I moved after 10th grade) so my grades were fine. (The English teacher I asked was the mom of the boy I was tied with for valedictorian.)

Anyway…so we moved and I was in a much bigger school. Almost 500 kids in my class compared to about 35. And they put me in the national honor society without my having to lift a finger. I think I was just told about it, don’t even remember doing any paperwork. So I couldn’t help but think about all that later on, from the other school. (All I ever did in the national honor society was pick up trash along the roadside... so never did figure out why they would exclude anybody.)

That was one of those defining moments in my life, where you understand more how some people can be. Some people just live in a very small world.

My parents raised us to treat others fairly and kindly, be good neighbors and citizens. So I didn’t understand that reaction. Grew up with a mom (even though we didn’t have much money ourselves) who liked to fill boxes up with a turkey and other fixings for people down on their luck and have us run up to the doorstep when it was dark, ring the doorbell, and take off anonymously. Or cookies or pumpkin bread. She didn’t want anyone to feel embarrassed, but wanted to teach us to help out when we saw a need. Had us help out with other things too. No matter what their religion was or anything.

I know I'm an idealist, really, because I like most everyone I meet (except murderers, child molesters and the like, though who really knows when you meet one...) and I wish for people to get along and just be good to each other no matter how different they are. I love diversity. Who wants everyone to be the same as them?? It's hard for me to take in when some people choose to label or hate an entire group. And I don't just mean about religon.

When I was 17 I worked at a grocery store, cashiering. And I still get riled when I remember this one woman who went through my line. This was in TX too. She was from out of state. Went on and on about how her house got broken into and how she just knew it was a black person who did it. It gets my blood boiling just thinking about it and I don't get angry much. I was raised to treat elderly people with respect, but I just had to say something, mustering up all the courage I could, and in so many words told her how there are good and bad people in every group and you can't go around making across-the-board assumptions like that. Because she was implying some really bad things about black people. I'm sure I was all flustered and emotional, but she stopped talking. I just don't get that blind perspective.

And so it is with LDS people. You can't slap a label on our foreheads and squish us all into the same box. We're more diverse then you may think we are. There are more LDS members living out of the US than in. On my BYU dorm floor alone I met students from Estonia, Japan, Samoa, Ukraine, France, England, Italy, and Tonga. Worked with a good friend from West Cameron Africa. It was the coolest thing going to her home for a celebration with music, dancing, food and meeting other people from her country. One of the neatest ladies I've ever had the privilege of associating with.

I've dated guys and have close friends who are black, Asian, Hispanic, etc., from different countries, different religions, no religions, smoke, drink (my grandfather in UT drinks every day and I've never heard him complain about not getting alcohol in UT)... My brother married a gal from Guatemala. You get the point. I just get tired of being labeled. We are a pretty diverse group and most of us have friends from a variety of backgrounds. And most of us are not trying to convert everyone we meet. Most of us genuinely believe we're all God's children and we accept and like you the way you are. And we hope to be treated the same. We're all pretty imperfect I think, but generally decent too.

It's true that a few bad apples can give the rest of us a bad rap. And it's true that some people only focus on the negative in life and in others and overlook the good they may otherwise see in people who are different from them.

Regarding the Mormon influence thing, sure, we're just as imperfect as the next guy, but I know we do a lot of good in the communities we live in, and those we don't live in, helping many people not of our religion or nationality. We're one of the first on the scene worldwide to help out after natural disasters or crises, and I've always been proud of that.

Sorry I went on so much, I swear I won't write this much again for a long while...

[Thriftylady]

explain to me what the Mormon influence consists of please

[HighlandLady]

Originally Posted by emeraldsky

I know I'm an idealist, really, because I like most everyone I meet (except murderers, child molesters and the like, though who really knows when you meet one...) and I wish for people to get along and just be good to each other no matter how different they are. I love diversity. Who wants everyone to be the same as them?? It's hard for me to take in when some people choose to label or hate an entire group. And I don't just mean about religon.

This wee paragraph states so much. If more would feel the same as you, as I do, it wouldn't be an 'idealism'...it would be a better world.

[GregW]

For what its worth - New Hampshire has state owned liquor stores and you cant buy hard booze on Sunday. Don’t bother me, but it cuts into booze sales to the tourist heading back south. We really need to open the liquor stores we have built on the north south expressway I-93 and just off I-95 in Portsmouth.

[Clay Lady]

Originally Posted by HighlandLady

This wee paragraph states so much. If more would feel the same as you, as I do, it wouldn't be an 'idealism'...it would be a better world.

I feel the same way.

[Clay Lady]

Emeraldsky, there are some really wonderful things about small schools and some really horrible things about them as well. I am sorry you had such a horrible experience - that must have been hard to understand when your grades clearly spoke volumes. I am proud of you going into the teaching profession. Teachers are a very important part of a child's life - very often leaving a lasting impression. I feel confident that YOU will be a positive influence to the children that cross your path. Big hug!

[WyoMama]

Lisan23, gotta ask a couple of questions...how old are you? Do you remember 1972 (pretty positive that was the year)? That is when BYU was forced by federal law to allow blacks to attend; they had been blocked from private LDS univ/colleges up to that point as the "dark skinned" ppl were cursed as they were followers of Nephi (read your Book of Mormon). I was ALMOST baptised into LDS faith in 1988 until RIGHT before the service - the font was full, everything set up, pianist playing pre-baptism music, when the bishop came and said I needed to come sign a few last minute papers. I don't remember what the first couple were but then the kicker came up - the release to allow the LDS higher-ups have access to financial information and PROMISING to tithe 10% of all gains. I told them it was none of their biz & was not going to make a promise I could not be SURE I could uphold. There was very passive-aggressive encouragement on the bishop's part. I walked out. I have a lot of friends who are LDS - I live in Cody - all of Big Horn Basin is HIGHLY LDS influenced from many angles - fighting allowing the lottery to be allowed in Wyo, which was approved by vote back in the late 80's or early 90's, the large families which is fine with me - in Wyo most kids move away because there isn't that much for them to do here anyway & then return when they have an education which I haven't a prob with at all, but then they have a large influence on the education in schools regarding health issues which should be up to individuals, not a religious zealot bringing wards together in school districts. There are also polygamist colonies in the eastern Big Horn basin of the fundumentalist mormons. Yes - there is strong influence here as in AZ, NV & other places. It isn't all bad. A lot of is is totally fine & great fam & Christian values. But I kind of think you feeling personally attacked. I don't think for the most part anybody is being personally attacked & very little really BAD has been mentioned. They are talking about an "influence" - not a take-over or coup d'tete. There is also a strong Mexican influence in Wyo - some of the best Mex food in the USA can be found in this state! And since when did LDS become a race??? Even Jews aren't a race, they are a religion that originated in Israel. And yes, some things are required in the LDS church if you want to receive a "temple recommend" or be "sealed" in marriage or as a fam. And I think a lot of speculation & distrust or misunderstanding comes from the secret rituals in the temples. Is like you have to show purity or something to get a recommend yet the only perfect human who ever lived was of course Jesus Christ. So...all I can say is settle down a little & read what is written & blow off things that are offensive & appear ignorant. Pick your fights carefully; most aren't worth the energy it takes.