It is interesting to read the article and then the "takes" of the succeeding commentary. Culture is a powerful source of both strength, to the insider and challenge, to the outsider. It is much easier to place others in the "Utah Mormon" box, as a way of dealing the ignorance of many as they venture into the mission field and business world outside of "their Zion". Their longing for home, while natural - we all seek the comfort of usual and customary, is an irritant when "home" is put on spiritual, social and moral high ground, and compared to the surrounding culture and situations.
The trick is to go into new situations with eyes wide open to the possibilities; to immerse yourself in the culture, and find out how strong members found and strengthened their testimonies. When you do, the length and depth of your own testimony will grow as you find another pillar.
Too often, the Utah Mormon (and an increasing number of Arizona and Idaho Mormons) look to try and create community, rather than join community. Therein lies the separation and division that we all fight.
Having had the ridiculous discussion about "Zion" with a Utah relative, one of my major hopes is that those beloved members, whose lives center around "downtown" (read SLC Church Headquarters) realize that their Zion will eventually be heading more than a few miles East to Jackson County some day. And the surrounding culture there will be different.... Zion is not a location. The Mormon belt was never intended to be the end all. My hope is that they will not be the Jerusalem of Old, which Lehi left for the New World! Lehi IS leaving Salt Lake Valley, eventually!
AlexApril 13, 2014
I have lived, visited, and attended church in various places around the world, including England, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Tonga, Arizona, and Utah.
The one thing that strengthened my testimony was that though I was initially a stranger, I always felt welcomed and at home just because I was a fellow member of the Church and disciple of Christ. I was comfortable even in places where I couldn
RosieApril 13, 2014
Thank you for bringing up a topic that has bugged our family for almost three years. Having moved recently and several times in the past and also in talking with our married children about their experiences, I have come to the conclusion after struggling to belong to our new ward that It doesn't matter how much I know that I am loved by Heavenly Father and the Savior, if I don't feel some kind of love and acceptance from those around me, I feel disassociated and alone and more likely to drift. It's more than superficial smiles and hug-shakes; it's opening the circle and letting us in on the same level as everyone else. It's having respect for everyone no matter where they came from, what house they live in, their age and professional abilities and so on. If our wards (our old bishop called them hospital wards for the spiritually sick) are places where I believe it's no accident who shows up - we should know that we all have something to teach and something to learn from each other in order for us to possibly become a little Zion-like. We often resist as comfortable members when new ones move in because I believe that our worldly behaviors too often come to church with us preventing true gospel living and fellowship.
Robert StarlingApril 13, 2014
I was raised in a small branch/ward in Georgia but we were blessed with the "seasoning" of many "Utah Mormons" who spent time there while serving in the military. Many enduring friendships came from those associations.
Later I lived in both California and Utah but I've always enjoyed the love and fellowship of "fellow citizens with the Saints". As a Spanish-speaking missionary in California and Arizona I also experienced the fellowship of Saints from a totally different culture. If we will keep open minds and hearts, the Gospel will make us all truly brothers and sisters.
bill mccollamApril 11, 2014
Joni - so agree. And even when the opportunity for travel is limited - it's a blessing that we have some many online resources available to also discover the world around us. My wife and I have always encouraged our children to use resources like google earth and lizardpoint.com/geography
Jim BarrusApril 11, 2014
I am in Massachusetts and we often get people from other states. students etc. I haven't heard this but a few years ago a family moved in and gave talks. The father said he was looking forward to learning from us. After service I told him I was looking forward to learning from him.
RuthApril 11, 2014
I haven't "felt" the division that is mentioned in the article. Maybe that's because we have a large number of military personnel in our Wards. We have a "base" of permanent residents but members in the military are here for a year or 2 and then on to the next duty assignment. The sisters in my Ward are genuinely loving to each other. There are sisters I am closer to but that is from having more things in common than from where we came from physically. I feel truly blessed in my Ward family and am thankful to Heavenly Father for it.
AlanApril 11, 2014
Your comment about "Utah Mormons" is often right on. Many times, people from Utah move outside of their state and comfort zone for the first time and try to hold the rest of the church to a perceived standard. They invariably get up in Sacrament meeting and talk about this being their first time living outside of "ZIon" and being in "the mission field." Two points: Zion is where the pure in heart dwell, and a lot of them live outside of the jello belt. There are missionaries and missions in Utah, so they are also a part of the mission field. It often takes these Utah Mormons several months to settle down and realize that members are the same everywhere, and it doesn't really matter whether or not your great grandparents crossed the plains by pulling a handcart of if the missionaries knocked on your door five years ago.
JanApril 11, 2014
Joni, you are so right. My children and I have been shunned in a few wards we have lived in, because we came from a "less desirable" area of the valley, lived in an apt. instead of the new homes in the ward, didn't have the money others did because I became very ill and couldn't work. Though we were active in church and always attended our meetings, were clean, well-behaved, and well-dressed, they were never quite good enough, and finally some of my children left the church because they were open-heartedly accepted by their kind & good non-member friends, and finally lost their testimonies. I am saddened but feel they will come back when the time is right. They have been taught the gospel and know right from wrong, but love and acceptance in church is needed.
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John Q. AdamsApril 14, 2014
It is interesting to read the article and then the "takes" of the succeeding commentary. Culture is a powerful source of both strength, to the insider and challenge, to the outsider. It is much easier to place others in the "Utah Mormon" box, as a way of dealing the ignorance of many as they venture into the mission field and business world outside of "their Zion". Their longing for home, while natural - we all seek the comfort of usual and customary, is an irritant when "home" is put on spiritual, social and moral high ground, and compared to the surrounding culture and situations. The trick is to go into new situations with eyes wide open to the possibilities; to immerse yourself in the culture, and find out how strong members found and strengthened their testimonies. When you do, the length and depth of your own testimony will grow as you find another pillar. Too often, the Utah Mormon (and an increasing number of Arizona and Idaho Mormons) look to try and create community, rather than join community. Therein lies the separation and division that we all fight. Having had the ridiculous discussion about "Zion" with a Utah relative, one of my major hopes is that those beloved members, whose lives center around "downtown" (read SLC Church Headquarters) realize that their Zion will eventually be heading more than a few miles East to Jackson County some day. And the surrounding culture there will be different.... Zion is not a location. The Mormon belt was never intended to be the end all. My hope is that they will not be the Jerusalem of Old, which Lehi left for the New World! Lehi IS leaving Salt Lake Valley, eventually!
AlexApril 13, 2014
I have lived, visited, and attended church in various places around the world, including England, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Tonga, Arizona, and Utah. The one thing that strengthened my testimony was that though I was initially a stranger, I always felt welcomed and at home just because I was a fellow member of the Church and disciple of Christ. I was comfortable even in places where I couldn
RosieApril 13, 2014
Thank you for bringing up a topic that has bugged our family for almost three years. Having moved recently and several times in the past and also in talking with our married children about their experiences, I have come to the conclusion after struggling to belong to our new ward that It doesn't matter how much I know that I am loved by Heavenly Father and the Savior, if I don't feel some kind of love and acceptance from those around me, I feel disassociated and alone and more likely to drift. It's more than superficial smiles and hug-shakes; it's opening the circle and letting us in on the same level as everyone else. It's having respect for everyone no matter where they came from, what house they live in, their age and professional abilities and so on. If our wards (our old bishop called them hospital wards for the spiritually sick) are places where I believe it's no accident who shows up - we should know that we all have something to teach and something to learn from each other in order for us to possibly become a little Zion-like. We often resist as comfortable members when new ones move in because I believe that our worldly behaviors too often come to church with us preventing true gospel living and fellowship.
Robert StarlingApril 13, 2014
I was raised in a small branch/ward in Georgia but we were blessed with the "seasoning" of many "Utah Mormons" who spent time there while serving in the military. Many enduring friendships came from those associations. Later I lived in both California and Utah but I've always enjoyed the love and fellowship of "fellow citizens with the Saints". As a Spanish-speaking missionary in California and Arizona I also experienced the fellowship of Saints from a totally different culture. If we will keep open minds and hearts, the Gospel will make us all truly brothers and sisters.
bill mccollamApril 11, 2014
Joni - so agree. And even when the opportunity for travel is limited - it's a blessing that we have some many online resources available to also discover the world around us. My wife and I have always encouraged our children to use resources like google earth and lizardpoint.com/geography
Jim BarrusApril 11, 2014
I am in Massachusetts and we often get people from other states. students etc. I haven't heard this but a few years ago a family moved in and gave talks. The father said he was looking forward to learning from us. After service I told him I was looking forward to learning from him.
RuthApril 11, 2014
I haven't "felt" the division that is mentioned in the article. Maybe that's because we have a large number of military personnel in our Wards. We have a "base" of permanent residents but members in the military are here for a year or 2 and then on to the next duty assignment. The sisters in my Ward are genuinely loving to each other. There are sisters I am closer to but that is from having more things in common than from where we came from physically. I feel truly blessed in my Ward family and am thankful to Heavenly Father for it.
AlanApril 11, 2014
Your comment about "Utah Mormons" is often right on. Many times, people from Utah move outside of their state and comfort zone for the first time and try to hold the rest of the church to a perceived standard. They invariably get up in Sacrament meeting and talk about this being their first time living outside of "ZIon" and being in "the mission field." Two points: Zion is where the pure in heart dwell, and a lot of them live outside of the jello belt. There are missionaries and missions in Utah, so they are also a part of the mission field. It often takes these Utah Mormons several months to settle down and realize that members are the same everywhere, and it doesn't really matter whether or not your great grandparents crossed the plains by pulling a handcart of if the missionaries knocked on your door five years ago.
JanApril 11, 2014
Joni, you are so right. My children and I have been shunned in a few wards we have lived in, because we came from a "less desirable" area of the valley, lived in an apt. instead of the new homes in the ward, didn't have the money others did because I became very ill and couldn't work. Though we were active in church and always attended our meetings, were clean, well-behaved, and well-dressed, they were never quite good enough, and finally some of my children left the church because they were open-heartedly accepted by their kind & good non-member friends, and finally lost their testimonies. I am saddened but feel they will come back when the time is right. They have been taught the gospel and know right from wrong, but love and acceptance in church is needed.
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