My LDS Utah born & raised nephew applied to several law schools, the U and BYU turned him down, but he was accepted to UC @ San Diego CA. Instead of looking at it as an opportunity to meet new people outside his culture of Utah and live in a new different place with a beach for 3 years, all he could think of doing is getting back to Utah. After 1 year in CA he found a spot in a utah law school. Hallelujah!
Wow...I would have thought a law degree from the UC system would be more impressive, too, than one from BYU. Plus, San Diego is such a fantastic city (at least in my opinion). How sad that he didn't get to enjoy it.
Having served my mission in San Diego, and having seen that campus through TBM eyes, he probably couldn't stand being around all the beautiful half naked girls.
San Diego's principal university-affiliated law school is USD: University of San Diego, a Catholic university. USD is often confused with UCSD by non-San Diegans. Its Catholic affiliation may explain why your friend opted for a Utah law school. It has a decent reputation, but probably not any better than say University of Utah, where I would guess the tuition would be lower, way lower. Nowhere near say UCLA's reputation. I don't know anything about BYU Law School's reputation and whether it's superior or inferior to the U of Utah, but either school would have cost less than USD.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2012 11:28AM by PtLoma.
The legal job market is terrible. A law degree is expensive, and one from a low ranked school is essentially worthless. BYU Law is currently ranked 39th by US News, and tuition is about $21K per year. Quinney is currently ranked 47th, and in-state tuition is just under $20K per year. UCSD is ranked 65th, and tuition is c. $42K per year.
Factor in that the Utah schools are the primary schools feeding the Utah market (which is still showing some growth) while UCSD is well back in the schools feeding the SoCal market (which is awful) and this was probably a reasonable decision.
I don't think they see themselves as afraid so much as uncomfortable. Most Utah Mormons can't function well outside their small, closed church community. They don't play nicely with other children, as my MP used to say. Customs, manners, acceptance of other's beliefs are all foreign to Mormons. Growing up, making your own decisions, thinking for yourself - also foreign. This makes them feel uncomfortable in normal human situations and as we all know, bad feelings/discomfort are a sign you've lost the spirit and are in Satan's power. So they want to scurry back to where their weird-@ss beliefs are respected, their customs and lack of manners are common and everyone is in a conspiracy to keep believing in Santa Clause. Somewhere everyone admires the Emperor's New Clothes, rather than calls it like it is.
Many people feel this way about "home". They like the comfortable and familiar. But they can adapt. Mormons aren't about adapting, unless the prophet commands. So they aren't comfortable having to live anywhere they can't be constantly validated and reassured.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2012 07:21PM by CA girl.
I think it just depends. I don't think that most Utah mormons are scared of leaving Utah, but if they move somewhere outside of the Morridor there's a good chance they'll long to come back to zion. My sister and her family are a good example. They're pertty TBM and talk all the time about how they wish they could come back, but the realities of my BIL's work situation will probably never allow them to move to Utah.
TBMs might say they like living in a more diverse place where they have to be more proactive about their beliefs, but realistically they would more enjoy living with their tribe back in the homeland.
I'm from Canada, not Alberta either so the church here is really quite small (big city). Most people have heard of Mormons but it doesn't go far beyond that. I was BIC but all my school friends were not members. Growing up I only hung out with non members except for church activities. Nothing odd about it. We never talked about church and church opponents here are relatively quiet so very little ridicule here for being Mormon. My non member friends were in no way a part of reason to leave TSCC, actually it was some Mormon friends in another part of the world that left TSCC that influenced me. When I told my Co workers that I quit the church they were like "oh that's nice I guess". Nobody here cares. And that's the way uh huh uh huh I like it.
Although I grew up in Maryland and never set foot in Utah until age 19, I intend to spend the rest of my life here in Utah. The day before I left for my short time in the Utah Provo mission, I was at this lady's house in Orem practically sobbing because I was going to miss her so much. It's to the point where I consider Utah home way more than Maryland. I've noticed that quite a few people here in Utah like to travel and take faraway vacations.
To be honest Utah is a beautiful place and the red rocks, mountains and desert are more beautiful to me than anything. This is and always will be home. We are going to move for grad school and to separate ourselves from Mormonism for awhile, but we plan on coming back. I think this is why people have a hard time leaving Utah.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2012 08:33PM by fidget.
Interesting point. If the church was headquartered in almost any other place in the country, they probably wouldn't still have garmies. While they were still uncomfortable, even in the MTC, though the church clothes all the time were worse, they are unbearable once you get to a more humid environment.
Try it? I've done it. I used to work outside at a Florida resort, where I would wear a polo shirt and long shorts over Mormon Garmies. My job involved riding on a golf cart all day at that resort. I probably drank three gallons of water a day just to replenish what I was sweating, and no one could stand to be around my scent.
I would also get these really nasty rashes, especially in my crotch region. Strangely enough, that was about the time I said "screw it," and apostated. I still felt the church was true, it wasn't really until about the time that I searched out this site that I figured out completely that it wasn't, but I had had enough of wearing garments and being a virgin. I took off the garmies then hooked up with one of the Russian housekeepers, and never looked back.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2012 11:20PM by forbiddencokedrinker.
Utah is a beautiful state. I live in Southern Utah and I know the weather and scenery make it hard for people to leave. The low wages and hard to find work and the mormon people in thier little bubbles make it ever so hard to stay. Can't wait till my 17 year old graduates next year and I can travel with my husband who works out of town.I've had enough.
When I was growing up Mormon I was a huge shut in. I never wanted to leave Utah or try different things.
Now, as an adult, I have lived all over the world. I still love Utah, probably more than I ever did as a child, but the wanderlust is strong with me and I will probably not end up living here forever.
People in my Provo ward even lamented going to Sale Lake City, that horribly wicked city that surrounded the sacred grounds of the Salt Lake temple.
When I visited the campus of the University of Utah, and saw people with coffee walking around without shame, I knew I wanted to go there. We left Provo and never looked back.
Having lived at sea level (SoCal and Tokyo) for decades, I can't take the elevation in Utah. I feel like there's an elephant on my chest the whole time I'm there.