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I live in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah; I moved here with my family less than a year ago and we all hate it.
We moved from the Sacramento area in California and are looking for a place more similar to that in values and mix of people and politeness.
We hear a lot of good with Boise.
The LDS thing concerns me because, in trying to be short and to the point, I dislike feeling like I'm surrounded my LDS ideals and beliefs. I'm liberal in my belief of the religion, and I like mixing of ideas, being a little more balanced, etc. I want the same for my kids too.
We had that in California in our small town, but we were ready for an adventure. Unfortunately, we are now ready for the next chapter immediately instead of years down the road.
I have lived all over the world and moved back to Boise about 26 years ago. I am not LDS, nor am I am I any specific religion. Boise has a pretty healthy mix of many religions and is not dominated by just one. We have everything from LDS temples, Catholic churches, 7th Day Adventist, Nazarene, Jewish, and even an Islamic center or two.
As far as the LDS influence, you can either choose to buy into it or learn to work with it. Some of my best friends here are LDS. I think it is important to learn some of their beliefs so you can appreciate them even if you don't subscribe to them. For example, it took me years to learn that they don't choose to do business on Sundays. Knowing that, I learned to take my kids to kid friendly movies or the water park on Sunday and they weren't as crowded (grin). Many people that are LDS do not drink alcohol, so I try to respect that and don't ask them to meet me at a bar even to discuss business.
My LDS friends know that I drink my share of coffee and alcohol, that I go out on Sundays, etc., and yet they still welcome me as a friend. I have learned that if I want to have them join me for Sunday brunch, it is easier done at my home or theirs.
Moral of the story: just respect people for who they are, not what they are.
I have lived all over the world and moved back to Boise about 26 years ago. I am not LDS, nor am I am I any specific religion. Boise has a pretty healthy mix of many religions and is not dominated by just one. We have everything from LDS temples, Catholic churches, 7th Day Adventist, Nazarene, Jewish, and even an Islamic center or two.
As far as the LDS influence, you can either choose to buy into it or learn to work with it. Some of my best friends here are LDS. I think it is important to learn some of their beliefs so you can appreciate them even if you don't subscribe to them. For example, it took me years to learn that they don't choose to do business on Sundays. Knowing that, I learned to take my kids to kid friendly movies or the water park on Sunday and they weren't as crowded (grin). Many people that are LDS do not drink alcohol, so I try to respect that and don't ask them to meet me at a bar even to discuss business.
My LDS friends know that I drink my share of coffee and alcohol, that I go out on Sundays, etc., and yet they still welcome me as a friend. I have learned that if I want to have them join me for Sunday brunch, it is easier done at my home or theirs.
Moral of the story: just respect people for who they are, not what they are.
Thank you for the in depth explanation. I am LDS, but am transitioning out of the religion. I don't want to move to an area controlled by the LDS Church. A good mix is exactly what I want. Thank you for sharing.
I have lived all over the world and moved back to Boise about 26 years ago. I am not LDS, nor am I am I any specific religion. Boise has a pretty healthy mix of many religions and is not dominated by just one. We have everything from LDS temples, Catholic churches, 7th Day Adventist, Nazarene, Jewish, and even an Islamic center or two.
As far as the LDS influence, you can either choose to buy into it or learn to work with it. Some of my best friends here are LDS. I think it is important to learn some of their beliefs so you can appreciate them even if you don't subscribe to them. For example, it took me years to learn that they don't choose to do business on Sundays. Knowing that, I learned to take my kids to kid friendly movies or the water park on Sunday and they weren't as crowded (grin). Many people that are LDS do not drink alcohol, so I try to respect that and don't ask them to meet me at a bar even to discuss business.
My LDS friends know that I drink my share of coffee and alcohol, that I go out on Sundays, etc., and yet they still welcome me as a friend. I have learned that if I want to have them join me for Sunday brunch, it is easier done at my home or theirs.
Moral of the story: just respect people for who they are, not what they are.
I live in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah; I moved here with my family less than a year ago and we all hate it.
We moved from the Sacramento area in California and are looking for a place more similar to that in values and mix of people and politeness.
We hear a lot of good with Boise.
The LDS thing concerns me because, in trying to be short and to the point, I dislike feeling like I'm surrounded my LDS ideals and beliefs. I'm liberal in my belief of the religion, and I like mixing of ideas, being a little more balanced, etc. I want the same for my kids too.
We had that in California in our small town, but we were ready for an adventure. Unfortunately, we are now ready for the next chapter immediately instead of years down the road.
I respect different people need & want different things. In general terms, where in Salt Lake County do you live? Did you ask any UT forum members prior to moving?
There are many more Jewish, Greek Orthodox, Catholic...including the Cathedral, and other religious buildings, including Muslim, in SLC. The larger population demands it. And there are Atheists just like ID and people who are nothing.
SL County, as you know, isn't even 50% LDS. And not all LDS are active. There are a few communities in Salt Lake County that have a higher % of Mormons than others. I find it very difficult to believe anyone who posts in the UT forum wouldn't have advised you where NOT to live.
Looking forward to your answer. I had the Jewish Community Center (the big one), Lutheran, Korean Baptist or maybe Korean ??? as I wasn't familiar with that church, Presbyterian, Greek Orthodox, Cathilic, LDS , Episcopalian and more churches in my neighborhood in SL County
Regardless of how more religiously diverse SLC itself has become, it doesn't negate the fact the LDS church is headquartered there and influences so much of that cities and states lifestyle and laws and even infiltrates such wordly places as the downtown mall(s). Once you get out into the sprawling metros of the Wasatch Front, away from downtown SLC, the LDS influence becomes extremely more "in your face". I lived there for many years and still visit a few times a year to see family/friends and feel a "cloud" of peculiarity when I go down there, even when I am in downtown SLC where I lived for so many years. Boise and much of Idaho is such a breath of fresh air compared to our neighbor to the south regarding the LDS influence.
Boise has all of the same religious institutions as any other city, including diverse ethnic houses of worship, but much less of an LDS influence, so the balance here is much more tolerable than in the Salt Lake area imho.
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