So the S.O. and I drove up to Salta-layka-sitteee last weekend to visit my TBM mom (provo, actually) but you know what I mean. Here's the highlights:

1. My mom lives pretty close to BYU and our hotel was right off University Pkwy. I've never seen so many homely girls running in my life.

2. Had an awesome conversation at the pool with a nevermo who was in town for the story-telling festival about mormonism, the culture, and the doctrine for a couple hours. He gave me wristbands to get into the festival for free, but alas we couldn't make it.

3. It was my mom's b-day so we took her to the rooftop restaurant in the JS Memorial building and had a window view of the temple. My nevermo gf couldn't help but notice all the different brides in wedding dresses so I mentioned they pump them out every 20 minutes or so. We made a game of counting how many different brides we saw.

4. City Creek mall was amazing. It's probably one of the nicest malls I've ever been to. It was an amazing mix of scowling TBMs, openly gay folks, and scantily clad women whose only fashion sense seemed to be making sure everyone knew they didn't wear garments. Very cool. I didn't see a starbucks, but the Nordstrom's has a coffee place so I made sure to display my coffee as much as possible.

5. Missionary sisters tried to preach at me in the JS memorial lobby. I think they'll remember me ;)

6. Utah is not as mormon as it used to be, and that makes me very happy :)

Nice report. I'm curious on what you said to the sweet sisters. =)

I asked them what's the end game for women, besides making babies for the rest of eternity?

They said they would be like hev-un-lee father and I said, no, hev-un-lee father is a man so only their husbands get to be like him. So what are the WOMEN going to do besides make babies?

So then they said they'd be partners with their husbands and I said no, a partnership is 50-50 and each of them will be just one of many wives assigned to one husband and that's not a partnership. Then I referenced Brigham Young's quotes about polygamy.

They said they didn't believe that and I said if they don't believe what their prophets teach why should anyone else?

So then they said we should pay attention to Thomas Monson since he's the lord's mouthpiece today. I challenged them to name one single prophecy from Thomas Monson, or even one single unique teaching that hasn't already been taught before.

They couldn't do it and I thanked them for their time. My TBM mom was less than pleased and my nevermo gf was trying not to laugh..

Good job! I like how they do not believe in their own prophets. They used a very common excuse, "well, I don't believe thaaaat". I remember people challenging me on how women were not equal in the church and I kept trying to explain we were but secretly feeling doutbs about it. Now I have no doubts. Women are NOT equal, period. =)

I swear to the Mormon Gawd, the next time I visit Mormon Mecca, I will not contact any of my TBM relatives.

I plan to attend the Ex-Mo Conference in October.

How fun to sneak into town unnoticed this time...

I grew up in Salt Lake City, and it's changed. (Also lived in St. George. BOY HAS THAT CHANGED TOO!) It's becoming more and more a melting pot as more people move to it. There are more bars, several Gay bars and clubs, and it's beautiful. Maybe we here can raise the gene pool!!

Thanks for the report. I have lived in happy valley for almost 40 years and although I feel like Utah isn't as Mormony as it used to be its good to get an outside perspective on how things are here. Of course there are still pockets of uber mormons here and there but overall I think the state is progressing nicely away from being majority morgbot population.