Do Mormons in Utah accept Catholics?

Question

My husband and two kids who are both under the age of three are planning on moving to Utah. It's not definite yet where but most likely in either Clearfield or Logan. We are both Catholics and would never consider converting. We've heard stories of how Mormons have been rude and also don't let their children play with Catholic kids and just how they do not like Catholics. But we've also heard stories of how they are very kind considerate people and accepting of Catholics and have no problems with them. In these areas which are more true??

Btw the reason I put "in Utah" is because in hope someone from Utah would see this and know the area :) thanks!

Answer 1

Living in Utah as a non-Mormon is similar to living in the South as a non-Baptist/non-denominational Christian. There is a unique culture heavily influenced by the dominant religion. Some people will live up to the most negative of stereotypes and other people will live up to the most positive of stereotypes. Most people will be just average people, not perfect but for the most part decent people.



If you view the people as individuals instead of as Mormons, then you should be able to make friends and become a part of the community. If you go in with the mindset that you are entering hostile territory, with an us vs. them attitude, then you will probably have problems.



When we as Mormons lived in an area heavily dominated by born again Christians, we had some bad experiences with some of them. Our kids would come home on a regular basis announcing that they lost another friend because the parents found out we were Mormon. But they also made very good friends with other born-again Christians, in fact one of my daughter's best friends was the daughter of a pastor.



We learned that we had to take people as individuals and to not view our time in that community with a prejudiced attitude. We tried to view them as brothers and sisters in Christ even though we were not always accepted as such. I imagine that you will have a similar choice to make.



Also, I don't know about other Mormons, but I have a lot of respect for Catholics. All of my friends growing up were Catholic. I would be very sad if you were treated badly by a Mormon.

Answer 2

I am a Mormon convert who lived in Utah for 3 years. Mormons are among the most tolerant and friendly of religious folks. Mormons live the gospel in a pragmatic, less letter of the law way and all people tend to be treated well and accepted. It is the right thing to do and comes perfectly naturally to those who live descent lives.



However, Mormonism heavily influences life and it is natural for people to associate with those who have like standards. I once met a women on the plane who said that it was difficult to make friends in Salt Lake City because the Mormons stuck more together. You can see that a life style that does not include alcohol, R rated movies and dirty jokes and that draws people into a strong church relationship with each other may influence who people hang out with.



I suppose there are some people who would rather have their kids influenced by members of the church but over the years, living in California, I have found that it is better to have kids surrounded by non members with high moral standards than members with low moral standards. So we did not care about church membership in this regard. Fortunately, my kids have tended to gravitate towards nice kids with high moral standards (no drinking, drugs, premarital sex, bad language, etc.), though they were usually non members. Family and church life is sufficiently strong enough to keep them from moving to another religion.



I have 11 kids, the youngest of which is 16 and have been a member of the LDS church for 40 years.

Answer 3

Historically, no. There has been quite a bit of persecution against Catholics within Utah in the past. I think it is better now, at least officially. Although anytime you move into a place where the dominant religion entirely consumes its people, and the vast majority of the people are members of that religion, there's going to be problems for someone of another faith who moves in and expects to get treated like everybody else.



Here's what will happen: Your neighbors will bring you fresh-baked bread and do acts of kindness and service for you. At first. If you show interest in Mormonism, and attend church-sponsored social events, then you will continue to receive friendship. If however, you choose to not participate in the church-sponsored aspect of the social scene, and/or express your intention to remain Catholic and not learn about Mormonism, you will notice that suddenly, inexplicably, all the friendly overtures, acts of service, invitations, etc will stop. Completely. You will be invisible in your neighborhood. Your children will wonder why none of the other kids at school want to be their friend. You will feel the increasingly heavy weight of silent judgment pressing down on your family, smothering you with its smug arrogance.



Here's why: In Mormonism, "the Church" comes first. It is the center of life. Not just on Sunday. There is early morning seminary study for the high schoolers, week night activities for all the kids, temple trips on the weekends, home teaching and visiting teaching throughout the month, "firesides", "stake" meetings and conferences, social activities, "callings" which take up sometimes dozens of hours each week, etc. That's all in addition to the weekly 3 hour block of regular church meetings. And each member is taught to be a missionary. So their interactions with "non members" are all geared toward converting you to Mormonism. The baked bread, the service projects, the invitations. All geared toward converting you. Once it becomes clear that you aren't going to be converted, all of that feigned friendliness dries up. Instantly.

Answer 4

Yeah, some mormons are jerks and we sit around at churxh sometimes and gripe about how stupid it is that some mormons are not good examples of their religion.



One of my best friends in jr High was Catholic. We like Catholics around here. I've lived in Clearfield. There's an air force base and we are used to imteracting from non mormons from all over. I've lived in Logan, it's a university town. I wish I had a job that could take me back there.

Answer 5

I have lived in Utah many years while attending BYU. I have many relatives there and visit regularly. I love Utah and have always felt at home there. That said, your circumstances are certainly different than mine but I think you will find the people to be very friendly. We do not withhold our friendship from anyone. We love our neighbors as Jesus taught us to do. We invite all to come unto Christ which is what every Christian should be doing. Give it a chance. I think you will be pleased and certainly welcomed. Yes, there will be exceptions but overall, if you are friendly, they will be friendly in return. They may reach out to you before you reach out to them.

Answer 6

It won't be the same as New Jersey or even San Franciso. In California, Mormons are good neighbors. Your bishop there has good relation with the Mormon establishment.

Answer 7

my catholic grandmother lived in utah most of her life and loved it.

logan is very mormon. clearfield, not so much

Answer 8

They are very anti Catholic and best avoided.

Answer 9

I'm mormon i accept everyone.

Answer 10

It's the subtleties of mormon living that get to the non-mormon after a while, when it begins to slowly creep in that.... mormons think they are superior to non-mormons of any group. Not just in the religious arena, but cultural, social, intellectual, etc.



They put their morality on a pedestal above all else, including their faith in God, as you can tell by Honesty's answer. Not that he's wrong about encouraging his children to associate with decent kids, but there's something... wrong... about his tone that you can't quite put your finger on, isn't there? Where's the compassion, tolerance, and general feeling of fellow humanity for others that have what they deem as "lesser" or "differing" morals than he believes should be the standard? It's subtlety absent, and it will slowly dawn on you while living among them, that mormons cannot fake that for long, simply because they don't really want to. Especially in Utah. Surprise.



Do they help each other? Yes. Do they help non-mormons? Yes. IF there is a possibility of there being something in it for them that you have. YOUR beliefs. They expect them to change--to theirs. Never by open attack, but through that friendly back door. They are deliberately taught--draw outsiders into the LDS by being nice, empty the elderly's pet litter boxes, bring a harried mom to the store, befriend them. All, while talking about everything BUT mormonism. That comes later, when they think they have you in the palm of their hands. They are advised to not become close, personal friends because the world (which is everybody else) can never be true friends with highly moral people ("like us"). Unfortunately their main objective is not helping to just help, from the goodness of their hearts. They expect something for their troubles, and its for YOU to change. Never them. Their beliefs are 'perfect' just the way they are. They do not make friends just because they 'like the cut of someone's jib'. Most often, adult mormons cultivate friends with outsiders--and you will definitely be that--to increase their church's numbers. A feather in their cap is more important to them than enjoying a good, decent, caring friendship between two like-minded people. Because they don't consider ANYONE "like-minded" unless its another mormon of their caliber. Be nice and friendly is a mormon mandate, but... do not make friends without the intent of eventually guiding them into the LDS "fold". If the person resists? Subtlety drop them and go find others who are more willing. Honestly vaguely implies most non-mormons drink, smoke, take drugs, watch porn (ha!, but that's another story) --- have lesser morals. That is the least common denominator of mormonism's reality. Us mormons vs. depraved society.



I once lived in Utah, in a 99% mormon saturated area, never knowing a non-mormon until I was in grade school. Everyone I knew was mormon. It's not quite as homogenized now as back then, but its still the same culture. People who were non-mormon were not treated with genuine kindness, but from a cool, shallow standpoint of "We are the moral majority. Conform or die." I saw this happen again and again even when I was a very young child. It bothered me why there was this invisible wall put between the two groups just because of a religion? Because that's exactly what will always be. Us vs. them.



If you accept such a mindset, you can still remain Catholic, but only after offering them lip service to how wonderful their religion is. If you own such a shallow framework for friendship, you will do just fine in heavily mormon Utah. They will love you for it. Also, expect your kids to come home with mormonism-based schoolwork. Never Catholic. Expect your kids to pick up the alternate language of mormonism's social realm. Expect your kids to learn how to similarly lie with ease, to you and to themselves, in order to achieve their goals. It's the culture. If you can live with such things, go for it. I left at 25, never to return. In fact, I FLED the entire state's smothering atmosphere, with a borrowed trailer with everything we owned piled on it. Were we immoral people? Not at all. We had left the LDS and became Christians, yet our all-mormon families did not want to accept that, so started secretly hammering into our small, frightened children that mormonism is more important than love for their parents. Their arrogant doggedness became THE best thing that ever happened to us as a family to this very day. We all blossomed in the freedom of the open, giving world outside Utah. Each of our children are now happily married with families and wonderful careers of their own. My husband and I have long passed our 50th wedding anniversary, still happily married. We do not smoke, drink, take drugs, or curse then watch porn. But we also don't conclude those things as making up the whole so-called "immoral" person like mormons tend to. For a mormon to focus on a person's heart instead of their behavior? Can't be done without a rare and exceptional effort. You will find more forgiveness from mormon converts than lifelong mormons, too. They tend to retain more accepting shreds of their former life.



Sorry for rambling on, but this very thing is the basis for my utter disgust in how Utah is allowed to be managed. Utah's insidious and palpable culture of mormonism, the Us mormons vs. Them rut. Keep that in mind, and never allow yourself to forget it. There will be ugly consequences if you do. Good luck, and God bless.