Is there such thing as a "Utah Mormon"?

Question

apart from the fact that they live in Utah (i mentioned this for people who, i wish, came with a plug), do they have any discernible characteristics different to saints living elswhere, attitude- or culture-wise?

i was inclined to ask this after reading one of the responses to this question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjX9LTIh24_qQhtSZkhytODsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071130110951AARtOMp&show=7#profile-info-jhb2awN3aa

i can also recall a missionary from boise that i met who is serving in a different area telling me something about one of the missionaries
"he's a smart missionary and all, but he has that Utahn attitude."

i have met dozens of Utahn missionaries, and i do not see any obvious difference with how they act, or maybe it's an american thing.

as i said:

discernible characteristics which are different, attitude- or culture-wise.

the geographical side of it is common sense, indeed.

Answer 1

Saying they live in a "bubble" is a very good representation. People who have lived in Utah their entire lives become so accustomed to being surrounded by church members that they don't know how to act around non-members. This is when rude comments are said, because they don't understand. Until I was 14 I lived outside of Utah, but now I live in "happy valley" Utah. My school is 98% LDS (no joke, it really is!) and I have noticed the way people treat non-members. Some of my best friends in school aren't LDS, and it makes me feel awful to see other's treat them differently because of their differing religious beliefs.

Answer 2

Utah Mormons are often naive as to how the real world works. They are sheltered in an area that is mostly Mormon, and most of those that aren't Mormon at least know more about the church than the average American. Most Utah Mormons follow a very strict interpretation of the church, probably because they figure everyone around them is Mormon, and knows how they should be acting. Utah Mormons have a much too bright and positive attitude about everything because they have never been faced with the kind of persecution that non-Utah-Mormons face on a daily basis. Most Mormons I know think Utah Mormons are extremely annoying! I agree!

Answer 3

I have to admit that I used to be sort of like this. I just thought that everyone in the little town I grew up in was LDS. Then I went to high school, and I met people that weren't. Then my whole outlook started to change.

Sometimes it's hard living in Utah. Especially if you aren't LDS. I have been on the outside looking in and on the inside looking out. All I can say is that you get a whole different outlook when you step out of what you know and see the difference. It taught me a lot.

I also think of the "Utah Mormon" thing as someone who says they follow what the church teaches, but then when they are out with friends pretend that they aren't LDS so they can do what they want. I've seen this a lot too. I'm not saying that ALL mormons in Utah are like this, but some are. They act like they are all churchy and religious on sunday, but the rest of the week they do what they want. I guess this fits more in the category of "Jack" or "Jill" mormons. But still, it happens a lot here.

Answer 4

I served my mission in the Midwest.... and left from northern Utah.

I can tell you for a fact, that the reverse is true as well. Granted those who have the "Utah Mormon" mentality (see Karen's answer- the whole bubble thing) are pretty anoying and give the rest of us a bad name, but at the same time, those who live outside of Utah often treat those of us from Utah as uninteresting or bothersome.

As a missionary, people were always asking me where I was from.... yeah, Utah. On more than one occasion, I got a response, "Oh, you're a 'Utah Mormon'- they're all judgmental."... I thought, "Judgmental? Try looking in a mirror some time." They'd barely met me- how could they possibly know that I had that "I'm from Zion and you're not" attitude?

Sure, I knew how 3 wards can share one building, and all the rest of the Mormon cultural stuff (yes, it's a whole language and culture!), but in a whopping 30 seconds, they were sure I was one of "them"....

Answer 5

One other thing I've found more prevelant in Utah than elsewhere in the world is a the occurance of a 'social' testimony. It has been the culture and custom in their family for many generations to be a part of the Mormon church and so they've never had their testimony challenged -- consequently some have no understanding of basic doctrine -- they go through the motions but without desire and intent -- just habit. They go to church because that's where their friends and family are --

In addition to that, when one is in the majority, there is an assumption that everyone knows and understands the jargon and culture -- outside Utah, that's not necessarily the case.

Answer 6

I've heard such mentality among the "Utah Mormons," but frankly cannot comment much about them. I've never lived in Utah, but visited once during a General Conference in 1966.

But I'm a Mormon from North Carolina, Dominican Republic, West Germany, Vietnam, Korea, Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, and finally, Louisiana, and I can understand in part how it feels to have more non-members around than the opposite and not taking for granted the religion I chose.

Answer 7

As an LDS woman who spent the first 20 years of my life all over the world and the last 7 in Utah, I can safely say that, yes, there is such a thing as a Utah Mormon. However, not all (in fact not most) Mormons in Utah are "Utah Mormons". There is an inherent attitude though with some people. Some of them get a little cliquish.
One woman told me my neighbor was "not a member BUT she is really really nice". That would kind of typify the Utah Mormon attitude.
Plus, there's a lot of Mormon folklore out there and it seems that much more of it goes around in Utah. You'll also hear more people in Utah say things like, "well, my grandpa is a stake president".

Answer 8

There does seem to be a noticable difference at times for those LDS folks who were born and raised in Utah, as compared to those of us LDS who were born and raised outside of Utah (I was born and raised in California, and have spent the past 9 1/2 years living in Utah). Those born and raised in Utah tend to, among other things, talk a lot more about the Church in everyday conversation, and they just seem to conduct themselves slightly different than most other people (mostly in subtle ways - it's not always obvious or something you can put into words easily).

Answer 9

There is, but it's a hard thing to put a finger on. You just gotta be there, I guess.

The thing I saw, I guess, was that they seem to take the church for granted. Just as I went thru culture shock going to Utah to live (and I'm MORMON!!) they go thru it coming out into the real world.

Answer 10

This is just what I have heard from friends who have experienced "Utah Mormons" when they visited Utah (and they were Mormons themselves). They said that they were stuck-up and thought they were better than most other people, thought they new the religion more than other people, thought they were right about everything more than other people, and they were racist towards other ethnicities or to those who weren't of the same faith. That's just what I heard.... But I don't want to give the impression that all Mormons are like that, just the ones in Utah.