The demand for new LDS meetinghouses is in Utah. More and more Mormons are moving back to Utah and places like Utah Valley seem to be where they want to be. Outside of Utah it seems to be dwindling. So we aren't seeing any real growth in the church, just a reshuffling of the furniture.

I can't blame them. If you choose to stay in the church it's easier to exist in areas where there are big wards and lot's of wards. More people available for leadership positions, more people to clean the building, more jack Mormons, and basically, you can simply get lost in the crowd. In areas with less Mormon density, you have three callings and work like a slave because there are so few people to help out. In a crowded Utah Valley ward you can get by doing the minimum and even hook up with swingers in the ward for some spouse swapping fun.

are sick to death of the place and want out, but it isn't because Utah looks great.

I can remember when California Mormons thought they were the smart ones because they had better weather, beaches, and the California lifestyle. I guess the bad economy and crazy politicians and all the stupid laws and regulations soured that. I will admit, I loved the place in it's heyday.

Bonneville Speedway
Moab off roading
skiing
Sundance Film Festival
Dinner at La Caile
Desert four wheeling
rock hounding
bass fishing
machine gun shooting
Hill Air Force Base Airshow
The occasional concert
hang gliding

I have fun when I visit and then can leave. I hated living there. I would have to be offered a lot of money to even consider moving back.

I think this has more to do with Utah rescinding it's unitary tax laws to the extent that operations of California-based companies are moving into Utah and other neighboring states.

Just sayin'...

Ron

Good, I want to sell my house to them.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2010 05:15PM by Stray Mutt.

even though Mos are VERY insignificant in my multicultural area.

"Reshuffling the furniture"

That is exactly how LDS Inc sees its followers- as mere furniture.

I've seen this going on for at least five years.

It started before the housing bubble burst, when TBMs could sell their property in California and Arizona for a good profit and move to Utah where their money bought McMansions. They wanted to be surrounded by birds of a feather.

Couples with teens want to live in Utah so their children will meet and marry other mos.

Whenever my company as a job opening that is higher than entry level, we get lots of TBM applicants who are willing to accept less pay and prestige just to move to Zion.

Ironically, for many of them Utah culture comes as a big shock.

I have seen Mormons moving back to Utah from California in significant numbers for more than 30 years -- it is a long established phenomenon.

Mostly looking for "the one" and because my career was going nowhere in CA and I got a better offer in SLC. Everyone I knew, probably about 100 people, Mormon and Non-LDS alike told me not to move to Utah, that I would hate it, that the Mormons there don't have the same high standards and I'd end up losing my testimony. But oh no, I couldn't believe such terrible things about my co-religionists and I went skipping back to Utah to be with "my people".

Huge mistake. My friends were right on every count. I know there are lots of wonderful things about Utah but it's going to take a while for me to be able to appreciate them again, so burned out I became on the culture there. On the other hand, Mormons moving out of California does not break my heart, not even a little.

When I was a Mormon kid in Texas, I wanted nothing more than to move back to Utah. My parents were from there so we would visit in the summers. I thought it was such fun, and it was so much easier to be Mormon than in Texas where we were >1% of the population. There were 7 Mormon kids in my HS class of 800.

After a couple of years of BYU, I realized that living among Mormons is pretty stifling. Sure, it was easier to be Mormon, but then you had all sorts of people to tell you how to be Mormon. Everyone thought it was their business to keep you in line. As some US-bound missionaries said, "Every member a Mission President."

That's not even mentioning how small Provo is and how difficult the winters are. Utah summers are great, but the winters are awful!

Good luck moving back to Utah. I'd never want to live there again.

I thought they were all supposed to go to MIssouri?

Hopefully, the influx of Mormons into Utah will include some charming Priesthood Holder who will sweep my sweet, kindhearted, adorable ex-wife off her feet and get her to say, "I do" (or, simply, "Yes", as circumstances may have it).

I mean just think about the website someone posted here the other day: top 500 places to raise a Mormon family other than Utah.

I really get the feeling from gauging my Mormon family conversations that they feel the end days are near. As a result, they want to be surrounded by other Mormons since clearly, anyone that isn't Mormon is a bad influence and a bad person.

Go for it. I'd rather be surrounded by more open minded people.

Most of my mother's side of the family has moved back in the last 5 years or so. They have all lived outside the state for at least 40 years (the kids less, but they grew up out of state).

I am a 60 year old Mormon who has lived in California most of my life. My family moved to Utah for 3 years about 4 years ago because my wife wanted to attend BYU. The housing was so cheap that we bought a house in a nice neighborhood which we rent out now. Rent prices are not much different from mortgage payments so kids can buy a decent house there.

I love the beach and the weather in California but I am getting so that I coud leave very easily. The California cuture and politics is getting worse all of the time. Fortunately, I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains which is quite rural but even so, the city environment is not far.

I have allot of kids, some of which have children. They want to live in California but in order to have their kids go to a safe and decent school, they have to live in a rich area, which they cannot afford. My kids went to and are going to Los Gatos high school which is in a rich area and is a school with very high standards. Los Gatos can afford great teachers and lots of law enforcement.

When we were in Utah, the school environment was great. The teachers and the community in general care about the kids more than they care about teachers unions. Christmas presentations and such were truely inspiring. Schools do not feel they have to leave religious history out. You see little kids wandering down streats alone or in groups because people feel it is safe for them.

My son got a speeding ticket for going 90 miles per hour and had to go to traffic court. He and I met with a very pleasant, sharp looking, well dressed man who was honest with my son but treated my him with lots of respect. He told me afterwords that he does not see most of the kids back there again and this was true for my son. Utah laws and government seem to be very well thought out and are there to actually serve the people.

In California, all I see is the government trying to strip those who have and squander it on social programs. The liberal government has a hatred for business and appears to be striving to make them leave, apparently not realizing that they are the ones who provide jobs and pay tax's. At some point, California will be forced to go under because everyone with money will leave and everyone without will come in order to get the free ride.

I've seen this trend for the past 10 years, as my TBM ex-husband's former roommate was staying with him because the rest of his Mormon family moved to Utah. He was working and going to college here in California at the time, but I found out that he eventually moved to Utah to be closer to the rest of his family.

It was always fun while living in Virginia and Texas. You could tell when BYU graduated as withing two weeks several new families always moved into the ward. Either the first job, or chiropractor or dental school. It was very rare for the working family (BYU new graduates seem to always have kids) seldom stay for longer than two years before they "need" to go home. The students usually stay until they graduate and then move on.

When I was Mormon and went to BYU I LOVED the scenery and all the "happy people." Hence the name "Happy Valley." And the cities (not including SLC) are very very clean! It's weird. And if I were Mormon, I would want to live there too! Nothing better than congregating to people just like you! (I just hope my parents never do it since the dad is retiring soon and are wanting to move!)

When my ex SIL's husband died she immediately moved back to Utah, not to Logan, but SLC to be near some of her 6 kids...back to home dirt.

stormy

I think this is great news! Keep the crazy contained as much as possible! I could NEVER live in Utah, even as a TBM I hated the culture there. Even that accent makes me cringe. *shudders*

No, goldenrule, please for the love of GOD keep these people away!

True, I live on the East Coast and a lot of the mormons in my area have moved to Utah over the years. And the ones that are still here have high school-aged children that can't wait to go to college in Utah.

Seems stupid. Shouldn't they be moving to Jackson County, Missouri?

Ssshhh, Ron. Jeez, don't remind them that they're supposed to do that. We already have enough religious crazies in Jackson County without adding any more.

I am one of those who moved to Utah from California and I LOVE UTAH! Wouldn't want to live in So Cal ever again, it became a third world- type country. Utah is like Mayberry or a 50s sitcom, Its pleasant to interact with kind and quirky people who live here. So they go to church, are honest, and want close families, big deal. It makes for a nice community. I'm not defending their faith, but their values make for a great community to live in.

Yup, as long as you're white, male, love sports, and aren't a "liberal communist" it's great because you're on top.
Anyone else though is shunned or just flat out made to feel inferior. I know because I lived there for 25 years. Don't have the same take on "their values" that you do.

When my TBM niece came back from 4 years at BYU, I asked her about the people out there, and she called them "Utards" lol.

Jimmy, I'll bet you don't have teenagers. Wait until you realize that they don't really have a "normal" cohort. There are the usual jocks, stoners, nerds, Mormons, Fundy Christians and where there should be normal kids, there are tat-wearing smokers. (not that there aren't normal kids, but they don't seem to coalesce into an identifiable, open group for teens)

I moved to Northern California where they can meet (and marry) normal teens who don't smoke, care about the environment, the less fortunate and plan a future that includes real choices, like birth control, and isn't about them/us and the hopelessness of the Last Days.

Moving out of Utah is one of the few things ALL my (9) children thanked me for when they grew up.

As Ron says, "just sayin'"