Official Discussion on the Mormon/LDS influence in Idaho (Boise: motel, movies)

[Katarina Witt]

My family moved here from the East Coast {yes, the grandchildren thing} and in the East, we dont ask people what is their religion, nor do we really care.

This is a bit off-topic, but back in Pittsburgh, your religion is a major topic of conversation. I guess I could get back on-topic by saying it's not just Idaho.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by JAJA

My family moved here from the East Coast {yes, the grandchildren thing} and in the East, we dont ask people what is their religion, nor do we really care. It is not until one is treated disparingly that one is more likely to wonder what in the persons social/economic background causes the disparaging behavior.

My point? I have heard complaints that women are not addressed with credibility or respect by LDS men when the women have something to say.

This statement might very well not be true, but it could be that Westerners and Easterns are from two different habitats and we need to be patient as we learn our new environment.

If we give power to those who treat us with little respect, regardless of their religiosity, then they feel power-full and will continue to treat one disrespectfully. Treat others the way you want to be treated. If the line is cross, turn away and find another sand box to play in. After awhile, they get the message.

But wait, Easterns have a problem with Catholics and Protestants...dont we, lol....my point.

JAJA,

I believe your point is on topic and important. I have heard more comments about the differences in the expectations of daily living from those who relocated from the Eastern States to Idaho, than those who moved from other Western States, compared to religious comments overall.

Some of our parts of daily living, from the clothes we wear to our gorgeous ID mountain ranges and open spaces we enjoy are so very different than what Easterns experience paying tolls on turnpikes, always having to wear 3 piece suits daily etc. Religion is part of the culture, as mentioned earlier, but only a part.

Also, I do agree people who don't know much about ID should research the facts, not just assume the myths or experiences/facts from 20 years ago are the same now. Some counties in ID have a higher percentage of LDS than others. And some have a rapidly growing Catholic or other religious populations. I can't recall a scientific study that proves more people in Idaho are LDS than not. If someone could help me out with new information, that would be great.

What I honestly don't understand is if those wishing to relocate to ID are so concerned about the LDS influence for themselves or their children, why are they looking at ID as a state where they would accept a job, retirement living or living for any reason? Shouldn't people who feel that strongly cross Idaho off of their list of States that are acceptable for relocation for any reason? If some have the perception there are too many LDS people in Idaho, or the LDS influence is too strong, why even consider moving to ID?

If LDS neighbors, co-workers or others, alter your ability to be happy, then I'd suggest looking in states that don't have many LDS members for relocation. Just like Idaho mountains or snowfall, other states offer different opportunities and challenges of their own, but fewer LDS people.

I always find it odd this thread remains and keeps growing. Yet, threads about Aryan Nations, too many Native Americans or living with a rapidly-growing Catholic population etc. never emerge for Idaho.

I believe the concentration of Quakers is much higher in PA than ID. I've talked with people who didn't want to deal with Quakers. As you would anticipate, those people didn't look or apply for jobs/retire etc. in the higher Quaker areas.

As much as it appears some don't want to have the potential for LDS neighbors, moving to Idaho, why even consider Idaho as an option? After all, LDS Temples are in Boise, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls and Rexburg. So there are enough LDS residents who warrant the need for the local/regional temples in all of those areas.

Life in Rexburg as a non-Mormon would be difficult, as least IMO. Maybe more understand now, why Ucon and other rural, northern Bonneville County is growing rapidly. Many who work in Rexburg don't necessarily want to live there. Many would rather commute and meet with friends for the Legally Drinking Club in Idaho Falls weekly, as an example (idahofalls (at) drinkingliberally.org. "This email address has been modified slightly in order to confuse "harvesters", automated programs that collect email addresses to send spam."). It's much easier to get cocktails, wine and other alcoholic beverages in Bonneville Co compared to Rexburg.

After all, where did Anheuser-Busch and Grupo Modelo (Corona Beer) locate their facilities in Idaho? And where is what many are calling the "premier" Brew Fest held each year? This Idaho Statesman article in May, 2007 may surprise some people: Orr: Mountain Brewers' Beer Fest a worthy jaunt for Valley beer lovers | Beer Columns by Patrick Orr | Idaho Statesman (broken link)

Likewise, there is far more diversity in different faiths, athesists and other in the regional hub of Idaho Falls, than Rexburg.

This thread has probably helped swayed some people into staying away from Idaho, or embracing it more. However, I think there are other issues equally as important that haven't been addressed.

I don't feel at liberty to share comments sent personally to me. In general, what I do feel comfortable saying, is for many, having LDS neighbors is no big deal compared to other issues in their lives where they currently (or use to) reside.

Probably, at the end of the day, from my POV, it all boils down to what is most important to those looking to relocate/retire or otherwise live in Idaho for any reason.

MSR

[forgotten]

i have lived in boise for 2 years i have no issues with the Mormons that live here at all. I do business with people all over town and don't get shunned by any Mormon.

Now if your from California or Las Vegas like i am they will hate you here in Boise.

People in Boise aren't generally friendly like you would think. If you've lived in Idaho your entire life they are great. But if your a outsider good luck I'm a very outgoing guy and so is my wife and after 2 years we are just beginning to crack the Boise code.

Jobs are very plentiful and if you know someone here you will fit in better.

But good luck i've just about had enough and probably will be packing up my family and leaving..

[Katera]

How cow, this was a LONG thread to read! As I am very seriously thinking about moving my family to Meridian or Eagle area, I needed to read up on this topic. I will have a few other questions about other topics on other threads, but as it relates to Mormons or LDS's, whatever, here are my 2 cents.


1.) Growing up in So Cal with all of its gangs, lack of respect for people's property and now seeing the SAME thing in Houston......LDS's don't bother me at all. It seems to me these people try and teach their kids to be respectful, productive and stay out of trouble. My kind of neighbors!

Besides, everyone from So. Cal should already be use to not knowing and being shunned by their neighbors! It's a way of life there! Haha.

2.) Shorter lines at Starbucks = sign me up! Heheheh.

3.) Dated a Mormon girl in HS. She was wild, her mom was one of the nicest people I ever met, and her dad was a 100% A-hole. Pretty much like every other girls family I ever dated, lol.



p.s. I am a Born again Christian currently serving time in a Southern Baptist Church. I drink for fun, have been known to drop the occasional WTF? and certainly drink more coffee then Juan Valdez can bring into this country. I also love the Lord with all my heart as do my wife and two kids.

[Katarina Witt]

Also, I do agree people who don't know much about ID should research the facts, not just assume the myths or experiences/facts from 20 years ago are the same now. Some counties in ID have a higher percentage of LDS than others. And some have a rapidly growing Catholic or other religious populations. I can't recall a scientific study that proves more people in Idaho are LDS than not. If someone could help me out with new information, that would be great.

Here it is. I find this map very helpful.

Map Gallery of Religion in the United States

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Also, I do agree people who don't know much about ID should research the facts, not just assume the myths or experiences/facts from 20 years ago are the same now. Some counties in ID have a higher percentage of LDS than others. And some have a rapidly growing Catholic or other religious populations. I can't recall a scientific study that proves more people in Idaho are LDS than not. If someone could help me out with new information, that would be great.

Here it is. I find this map very helpful.

Map Gallery of Religion in the United States

Thank you, pittnurse70! Sorry, I gave you reputation but did the quick type instead of adding a comment. And I can't give you another point, given how this system works.

Nonetheless, this graph is a good reference for people wanting to know more about the density of many religions throughout the U.S. It is a great reference tool to have. I wish it weren't almost 8 years old, given Idaho's rapid growth since 2000 and diversity. But, again it is a start for people to analyze where certain religious populations are the most dense and whether or not that is comfortable for the one looking to relocate. Thank you for the resource.

It will be a far better tool, and I predict "shifted" in Idaho as far as the LDS residents in what is probably the next measurement, in 2010.

I also wish for all religions the measurements were equal. What I mean is looking at the graph, since this is an thread about the LDS, I selected the Mormon Church as my first category to look at throughout the U.S. It's odd how is the first measurement is at10%, the next measurement is 25% and the third jumps from 26-50% for the LDS (instead of it being 10%, 20%, 30% etc. - - equal units of measurement). Then it is more than 50%. It just seems odd to me that the measurements wouldn't continue with a uniform percentage of each change in the color code.

Looking at, for example the Methodist religion. The measurements are VERY DIFFERENT than they are for the LDS residents in the U.S.! ( .1- 5.0%, 5.1 - 10%, 10.1- 18% and 18.1-46.0% as the highest category). Or the Unitarian faith never being larger than .7- 1.5% anywhere in the U.S. It is kind of cool to remember Idaho has Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa and see what counties in ID and OR have a higher percentage of Nazarene Adherents as residents etc.

Regardless of how various religions were counted, I sincerely appreciate this link and will look forward to what 2010 shows. I'd watch for some "darker" and many more "shades" of color in Idaho, in 2010.

Thanks again pittnurse70. I sincerely believe you are trying to help people here and this is a start. Neither you or I (or probably most people who have posted on this thread), have control over the data being 8 years old. Nonetheless, it provides a different way of thinking of where to live, work and/or retire than some of us may have thought of previously.

Life is too short to be miserable, IMO, and while we couldn't necessarily have any say in where we lived when we were children, tools such as computers and graphics like these can help us identify areas of the country we all may be much happier living in as adults. I totally anticipate ID will look different in 2010, given the double digit population growth in many Idaho MSAs. Consequently, people have moved to ID from every state in the U.S. and some other countries, and have brought their different faiths with them. The 2010 graphics should be interesting.

[Katarina Witt]

You're welcome. I agree about the measurements being quite unequal. It apparently was done by some college students (valpo is a Lutheran college and my guess is this was a project that got published), so that may explain it. 8 yrs old data is old but not ancient. Thanks for the rep, BTW.

[SergeantL]

Originally Posted by Mtn. States Resident

Thanks again pittnurse70. I sincerely believe you are trying to help people here and this is a start.

I'm afraid the Council on American-Islamic Relations and other civil libertarian organizations would not agree. Seems religious mapping is now considered profiling. I would tend to agree. I am not sure how the data for the Religious Map Gallery is obtained, but I believe it is from the U.S. Census. Based on the outcry in this most recent issue involving LAPD, I would suspect religion will not be a question on the next census, and you won’t see this map updated, well, not publicly. I am sure the CIA has all the data it needs.

LAPD defends Muslim mapping effort - Los Angeles Times

LAPD Plan To Pinpoint Muslims Draws Fire, Police Want To Know Potential For Harboring Terrorist Cells; ACLU, Muslims Protest - CBS News

USA, LA:LAPD Intends to Map Muslim Presence « Progressive Muslima News

And many more

[Katarina Witt]

The U.S. Census Bureau, due to issues related to the separation of church and state, does not ask questions related to faith or religion on the decennial census. Accordingly, there are few sources of comprehensive data on church membership and religious affiliation for the United States. Perhaps the leading organization to address this gap is the Glenmary Research Center, which publishes Religious Congregations and Membership in the United States, 2000. The following series of county-level choropleth maps, which reveals the distribution of the larger and more regionally concentrated church bodies, draws on this resource. The maps are in GIF format.

From the introduction to that map. I just thought it was interesting.

[lifeonmars]

[/quote]p.s. I am a Born again Christian currently serving time in a Southern Baptist Church. I drink for fun, have been known to drop the occasional WTF? and certainly drink more coffee then Juan Valdez can bring into this country. I also love the Lord with all my heart as do my wife and two kids.[/quote]

You sound like me and my family.

Here's my theory on living amongst LDS. As long as you live in a bigger city where you can get a drink at a restaurant, there's a good Starbucks and more of a variety of people, its fine living amongst LDS. Its the small towns like Rexburg that I wouldn't advise moving to because its so boring and there is nothing to do there for those that aren't members of their religion.