Can You Spot a Mormon?

[theoriginalavatar]

I've often heard it said that there is something special about members of the LDS church that is readily noticable by folks...especially those who are members themselves.

A glow?

A smile?

A certain demeanor?

This was brought into sharp focus for me about a month ago when my mother mentioned it to me. She has not gone to church for many, many years, but she was raised in the church and attended for the whole of her youth.

The company for whom she works is a larg(ish) company. They employ around 600 individuals. They also have a new CEO.

This new CEO is a man by the name of Jim Gibson. She saw him and heard him speak for the first time about a month ago at an employee recognition function. Later that evening, she was telling me about the event. She told me that she thought he was a Mormon. I asked her how she could possibly know. Was it his clothing? Was it something that he had said? She said that he dressed very much like the other exucutives in the company who were present - nice suit, clean-cut - but that there was just something about him that set him apart from the others and screamed "MORMON!"

I told her she was crazy.

And then I did some research about him on the computer. It turns out that, not only IS he a member of the church, but he is also an Area Seventy. She was right. He is also a native of the Las Vegas area and a former mayor of Henderson, NV.

So what do you think?

If you travel away from Utah (if you live there), or if you live in a location without many members of the church, can you pick members out?

If you are in the grocery store and see a woman standing by in the produce section, can you pick her out as a member without talking to her? Sometimes it's easy to tell by the type of clothing worn, but what about a simple "feeling?"

I'd love to hear your stories. It's good to be back among you! I am not here as much as I'd like to be, but I've been a member here on LDS.NET for some time.

God bless.

Edited May 14, 2011 by theoriginalavatar

[jayanna]

There is defninitely a certain something that tells on us. I work in a public library and have many times been discovered as a member by those other members visiting the area or new to the ward. I don't know what it is, but it is there. I don't exactly wear a tag or anything. This is a very heavily Baptist area and most of the members in the ward are adult converts. We are largely in the religious minority, and the church is often spoken of negatively in the congregations surrounding us. There are even classes about 'how to deal with mormons'.

Also about half a dozen times in the last few months I'll be helping someone at the library and they'll say, "I want to go to church where you go to church, where do you go?" Just out of the blue, while discussing something completely unrelated.

Three times after helping a patron with something, they announced it to those surrounding them, "I want to go to church where SHE goes to church!" The whole library could hear it. Once someone came up to me and asked if my church does ____, ________, _______ and wanted to know more about it, without even knowing my name, they just heard about that librarian and her church.

I usually give them info about the Elders, and now the Elders are volunteering at the library, hopefully people will be as inquisitive with them as they have been with me.

[theoriginalavatar]

That's great! Thank you for sharing that. I am fascinated by this "certain something" idea. I didn't think I had that something for a long time, but it seems that I do.

Let me explain.

I am (for the most part) a convert. I also have tattoos on my arms. I am clean cut, and I wear conservative clothing, but it is obvious that I do not fit in with others in my ward when I am wearing short sleeves.

Despite all this...people in the place I work (and have worked) are drawn to me. They always say that there is something soothing and calm and wholesome about me that they can't quite place. When they discover that I am LDS, they are amazed and very curious. They are also very supportive. It gives them pause, I think.

[Guest tbaird22]

I live in las vegas and it is very easy for me to spot other members. For some strange reason i always spot members in the grocery store. I dont know what it is either haha i remember one time i had noticed this lady i thought was lds and when i was checking out she spoke to t he cashier about how inappropriate the magazines were and it shortly came out that she was LDS. I also spot them at work but thats mostly because not very many other 16yr old young men buy suits (i work at the mens warehouse) haha

[theoriginalavatar]

I live in las vegas and it is very easy for me to spot other members. For some strange reason i always spot members in the grocery store. I dont know what it is either haha i remember one time i had noticed this lady i thought was lds and when i was checking out she spoke to t he cashier about how inappropriate the magazines were and it shortly came out that she was LDS. I also spot them at work but thats mostly because not very many other 16yr old young men buy suits (i work at the mens warehouse) haha

I, too, live in Las Vegas.

Hello there!

[Vort]

The nickels screaming in agony are a dead giveaway.

[theoriginalavatar]

The nickels screaming in agony are a dead giveaway.

Alas, very few of the slot machines take coins any longer. (Or so I've heard... )

[Vort]

Alas, very few of the slot machines take coins any longer. (Or so I've heard... )

Actually, I was answering your original question. Don't know much about Vegas slots.

[theoriginalavatar]

Actually, I was answering your original question. Don't know much about Vegas slots.

Oh! My apologies! I am afraid that I missed your reference.

[Vort]

Oh! My apologies! I am afraid that I missed your reference.

Mormons are historically, uh, frugal. Thus the screaming nickels.

[beefche]

I think what gives it away is the Mr. Potato Head tattoo we all have.

[theoriginalavatar]

I think what gives it away is the Mr. Potato Head tattoo we all have.

And we mustn't forget the "I break for Green Jell-O!" bumper stickers we all have.

[Vort]

And we mustn't forget the "I break for Green Jell-O!" bumper stickers we all have.

Mormons break for Jello? I didn't know Mormons could break. I thought they couldn't dance at all.

[theoriginalavatar]

Mormons break for Jello? I didn't know Mormons could break. I thought they couldn't dance at all.

The horror!! I am usually rather unfriendly toward folks who abuse the language. There, for all to see, is my own abuse. I must be slipping in my dotage. My luciferous logolepsy seems to be a bit thin of late.

Very nice Cheers clip, btw.

[skippy740]

Oh! My apologies! I am afraid that I missed your reference.

Yeah, Vort has a knack for that.

[classylady]

While I was on my mission in Germany, and working the Street Board in Duesseldorf, I had a woman come up to me and ask "Why are you all so beautiful? When I'm on the bus, or the train, I can pick you out." Just then two Elders, that I wouldn't have called particularly good looking, walked up to the Street Board, one Elder was short and stocky, the other a tall, lanky, red-head. The woman turned to me and said "Look at them! They are beautiful!"

[Vort]

Yeah, Vort has a knack for that.

See that? I knew I had a knack for something.

[theoriginalavatar]

See that? I knew I had a knack for something.

I had a knack once, but I left it at a gas station somewhere near Austin.

[PrinceofLight2000]

It should be pretty obvious that it's the companionship of the Holy Spirit.

[theoriginalavatar]

It should be pretty obvious that it's the companionship of the Holy Spirit.

Hmmmm...Obvious and I have never been close. I've left numerous voice messages, but it's never called me back.

On a serious note, however, I agree. I think that must be the special something that people sense.

[Just_A_Guy]

Despite all this...people in the place I work (and have worked) are drawn to me. They always say that there is something soothing and calm and wholesome about me that they can't quite place. When they discover that I am LDS, they are amazed and very curious. They are also very supportive. It gives them pause, I think.

Well, yeah; you've kind of got that Father Murphy-thing going on.

[Dravin]

The horns are a help.

[Nanawolfe]

It should be pretty obvious that it's the companionship of the Holy Spirit.

While I believe this to be true I will tell you that even when I was inactive people would still identify me as a member.

Once while I was at a professional conference I was sitting in the lobby of the hotel drinking a cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette when a man attending the conference came up and started talking to me about the church. When I asked him why he was talking about the Mormon church to me he said, "No matter how hard you try to hide it I can tell you are a member.

Now that threw me for a loop!

[the_mounts]

It's ok. I didn't get the nickle joke either...

[skippy740]

It's ok. I didn't get the nickle joke either...

Based on your other post... I wouldn't expect you to.