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Too Mormony? Utah Mormons and everywhere else.

This is probably going to raise a few eye brows... I have often found (in general) that most Utah Mormons are very 'blind' to the realities of life nor do they take into account that there is more to life than the temple is only a block away from their home or they are related to a GA.

An example to elaborate this is when they venture into foregin lands. Most of the time you speak with a Utahn you find that the converstaion is always drawn to... "Well in Utah we do this...", "In Utah we have this..." and it seems as though they cannot talk about anything without comparing it to Utah. This shows a lack of adapting to new cultures and people.

Another example is had in the realities of hunger and thirst. When someone is hungry they can rarely think of anything else but food. In a typical case a Utahn will be quick to get food for that person, in this they are good, but in the long term they take it too far... buying stuff for the person all the time, 'making life easy', telling them about the US, etc rather than teaching the hungered how to get food for themselves in their own locality.

The one that is most irritating is what I call the 'talk down' where everything is 'strange' and seemingly inferior to them because it is not made by JCPenny or Safeway.

I guess my point is... can we delve so much in how life is home and forget that our mission is to learn to love the people and in doing so we have to talk their talk and walk their walk. Being so Mormony that we talk a lot about Church related stuff but our actions do not really draw souls to the path they must follow.

else everywhere Mormons Utah Mormony Too

Well I think that is not their fault. Some they have been raised as members all their lives and most of them never experience real hunger or pass any neccesities. So they cannot really relate to someone who really had those struggles. When I lived in the US this guy in the Church said that 'he doesn't have to go to Africa to know what hunger is'
I felt that such a comment was totally immature, not to mention light-minded...come on....
To be able to know what hunger really is YOU have to experience hunger in some moment of your life.
Utah Mormons are really nice people, I like them a lot...of course, some of them are really far from the reality of the real world outside Utah...but I don't blame them, that's just the way they have been raised.

Too Mormony? Utah Mormons and everywhere else. Studies Doctrine Mormon

True, especially when they have not experienced it themselves.

else everywhere Mormons Utah Mormony Too

8) Well isn't this interesting... maybe they are not so mormony?

From Deseret News:

73% OF UTAHNS BACK PLANS TO GO TO WAR
Utahns are gung-ho about going to war with Iraq -- even more so than the rest of
America. Seventy-three percent favor a U.S.-led effort to forcibly disarm Iraq.
That's at least 10 percentage points higher than the nation as a whole.
https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1%2C1249%2C...31848%2C00.html

else everywhere Mormons Utah Mormony Too

You know...     UTAHNS are not any different than any other STATE or country.
Lot of Folks have NO idea what Utah is like.  Sure Many Utahns do not know about  other cultures... We haven't been able experience them..
and goodness sake! we have more than just JC Penneys... And  we don't have Safeway anymore.        We have Walmart, ShopKo, Sam's Club, Costco, Kmart
Meryvns,  Smith's Food King, Albertson's, Target,,,,,     Need I go on?

Anyway.. The Church is GLOBAL... NOT just Utah. Just cause the HeadQuarters are here.. Come on!  The Church donates clothing and food to those in need.. And we have missionaries in areas that do TEACH how to work for what they need.
I haven't ventured to places like Trinidad before... I do not know your culture.  I don't think it  fair that you Target UTAHNS.    Thanks.

Sheila

Too Mormony? Utah Mormons and everywhere else.

Shiela, you are only reinforcing my point. First of all, I have lived in a few States, and I can tell you that Utah LDS are different. I do believe I prefer them to East Coast LDS. I have actually had this discussion many times wih people in person while in the US (who were from the West Coast) and they were saying how different the East Coast LDS are.

Sorry, but I think you are missing the 'part' I am talking about, it is not about if you have the current stores or if you give to those in need.

Oh brothers, further emphasis on my point again. I deal with 'Utahs' a lot, that is how I know, like I said they are here. This is not a stereotyping thread it is about:

JB said:

Too Mormony Utah Mormons everywhere else.

[quote]You know.....     UTAHNS are not any different than any other STATE or country.
Lot of Folks have NO idea what Utah is like.  Sure Many Utahns do not know about  other cultures... We haven't been able experience them.. [/quote]

Sorry but you're contradicting yourself Sheila. You said first Utah is not different from any other state and then you said that its true that many utahns do not know about cultures because they haven't been able to experience them. The United States is a huge country you cannot compare Utah with California for instance or with Maryland. I have been in all those places. My sister also lives in Utah, so to say that Utah is not different from any other state it's just a matter of opinion but if you haven't traveled enough in the past, you may think it's not different...but oh heck! yeah! it is!!!!.

[quote]We have Walmart, ShopKo, Sam's Club, Costco, Kmart
Meryvns,  Smith's Food King, Albertson's, Target,,,,,     Need I go on? LOL [/quote]

You totally missed the real point in this one was not about those stores but about the 'talk down' you may want to read the paragraph again

[quote]Anyway.. The Church is GLOBAL... NOT just Utah. Just cause the HeadQuarters are here.. come on[/quote]

Of course the Church is GLOBAL Sheila but I don't think you understood this thread. You are just seeing it in your perspective of being a Utahn yourself but please just be more open minded in this...I live in Trinidad, this is a third world country we get in touch with Utahns all the time through our missionaries and couples who come to help the Church here...so we know what we are talking about. You cannot possible know from living there and us living here. Utahns are very different from other people that lives in the USA. Actually I get along with them great! they're super friendly people, very helpful and all that but yes...I believe they live sometimes in a bubble gum, they don't see to know the reality and the problems the people face here in this corner of the world. They pretend to bring the ideas of the things they do in UTah in here when it doesn't work because the people are in different circumsntances, the culture is different, the attitude is different, etc. I praise their willingness but I do think they should be more open minded.

[quote]I dont think it  fair that you Target UTAHNS[/quote]

Sorry that you felt we targed 'Utahns'. It is not the purpose of the thread. Just try to understand it NOT only in your perspective of being a Utahn but in the perspective of how Utahns are perceived around the world. Thanks.

Too Mormony Utah Mormons everywhere else. Mormon Doctrine Studies

With all due respect - this post does seem a little stereo-typing.  There are various regions in the US and my experience has been that members of the church tend to reflect the local culture.  I never had "dinner on the grounds" when I lived in Utah or Virginia but oh the lucky soul that finds himself in a small Southern town when the church is having "dinner on the grounds."  

So here's my stereotyping observations:  Westerners tend to be more independent self-reliant types - I assumed it was remnants of the pioneer ethic; Easterners tend to be very goal oriented and task driven - not the friendliest people in the world.  Now in the South you can have a fifteen minute conversation with a total stranger in the grocery store.

So you think it's rude to talk about where you're from.  Have you thought of it from that persons point of view?  You go to a church event and everybody starts talking about things you know nothing about - so you really have no way to join the conversation.  And no one is really interested in drawing you in.  So either you talk about what you know or you go home.  I know I've been "guilty" of talking of the places I've lived just to have something to say.

As for hunger in America - I have been fortunate but my understanding is there are people who are truly hungry.  That's why we have shelters/missions and wonderful organizations like Second Harvest.

I did tend to think some Utahn's lived in a bubble when I lived there but I am really curious what's wrong with East Coast LDS, I loved living in Virginia.

I would also like to express my personal opinion that there is a difference between being closed-minded and being unaware or uneducated.  I know the superiority attitude you're talking about but maybe a few of these people are unaware they are being insensitive; and if it's brought to their attention some of them may appreciate the opportunity to grow.