Does Salt Lake City have its share of worldliness?

[Nikkie85]

I like what Prodigal_Son says about living in the "mission field". I grew up in the Chicago land area and found the same thing. You stick up for your values, because everyone around you is doing things differently. You become your own person and are strong because it is your religion and you are being true to it.

When I first went to college, I attended Ricks College, which being located in Rexburg Idaho is in the highest population of LDS people per capita in the world. When I got there I experienced culture shock. I was not ready for roommates who watched R rated movies, classmates who swore, and known housing areas where there was prostitution going on. And the big shocker for me was that all of them were LDS, went to church on Sunday, paid their tithing (that is how the prostitution was discovered, they paid tithing on what they earned), and thought themselves to be doing just fine. It was a bigger struggle to stand my ground on my morals out there then it ever had been to keep my morals out in Chicago-land.

It was why my mother never wanted to live in Utah, she didn't want to raise her children in a place where, though surrounded by good strong LDS members there was also a large population of very weak LDS members who by their example encouraged others to become weak as well.

It is much easier to say no to someone who holds different beliefs than you do, than to say no to someone who believes the same things that you do, but just wants to give in just a little bit...

My most formulative years came during my high school period. I lived in the suburbs of Atlanta. It was, unequivocally, the best thing that could happen to me.

I was a "Mormon". I was different. I was watched, I was questioned, I was drilled, I was called out. I grew so much from having to stand firm and really "know my stuff" that I would simply not be half the disciple I am now (not that I'm any sort of superstar... but I could be even worse ) had I not spent 4 years in the Bible Belt. Truths were affirmed, convictions were deepened, and the foundation I based my life and efforts on was strengthened.

Utah is a beautiful place, and one can grow anywhere at any time with proper personal motivation... but there IS a trial out here that one of the brethren referred to in conference a few years back called "spiritual drift". Because there is nothing unique about a Latter-Day Saint here, it's easy to become casual in our religious strivings. Much easier (at least in my experience) than in a culture where those who surround you are watching, waiting, and keeping you constantly on your toes.

Perhaps it's not the same for everyone, but the strength that came from my time in the South is an indispensable part of who I am now - and who I will always be.

Truth be told, I don't live in SLC... and wouldn't want to. It's a beautiful city and a safe place... but it's just not my style. It's a bit worldly for my tastes... Instead, I'm in a rural farming community (think Napoleon Dynamite) up on the UT/ID border where people are simple, plain, honest, hard working folk. I have room to breathe (even if our air is allegedly terrible), I leave my keys and wallet in my car, my front door unlocked, have to drive behind and around hay trucks, tractors, and combines day in and day out, and everything I could need can be found on Main Street. Small town America. Perfection (or as close as it gets).

I am a convert to the church and before I joined I had no idea we even had a Mormon church in my city. I knew my hubby was a member before we started dating and on our first date I asked asked him some questions only to find out that I had mormons confused with a mix of Amish and Church of God! My hubby was inactive at the time we started dating but as we got closer to getting engaged and married he expressed his desire to return to church. My family is not happy about my decision to become a member of the church and neither were my friends. I changed my whole lifestyle which made me a better person but my friends (who were all about 21 same age as I was when I got baptized) refused to see it. I know that if I lived in Utah or Idaho I would have more friends and probably would not feel so lonely and exiled. But I also know that I have the awesome opportunity to share my beliefs with someone who has no idea what the church is or what it stands for pretty much every day!

[Blackmarch]

I know that Utah has a huge Mormon population, so it seems that most cities there would not have the same number of abortion clinics and adult businesses and such. It seems that it would be a good place to raise a family as a result.

Is it different from other parts of the country because high numbers of people adhere to good morals?

rememebr one thing: there is opposition in all things - where you find the best you will also likely find the worst. Luckily theres legislation in utah anyways that reduces the impact and amount that such can have.

I think SLC does a pretty good job, but i'm not a resident, just a pass thruer person so all i really know is temple square and the surrounding streets.

And on a very general level I prefer to be in utah because there are less of said unwanted businesses (and that people are generally more modestly dressed in summertime).