Does Salt Lake City have its share of worldliness?

[chitchat]

I know that Utah has a huge Mormon population, so it seems that most cities there would not have the same number of abortion clinics and adult businesses and such. It seems that it would be a good place to raise a family as a result.

Is it different from other parts of the country because high numbers of people adhere to good morals?

[Dravin]

SLC is ~50% non-LDS. Not that all Non-LDS don't have good morals, but that leaves a sizable portion of people (some of them LDS honestly) to be up and about in worldliness. As far as businesses (and abortion clinics), Google should be able to answer just how many of them there are in the city.

[joel99]

Many LDS in the SLC area LDS by tradition not by belief. This is similar to other areas where one church has dominated for many years. (e.g., where I am from that would be Catholic and Anglican faiths)

That said, there are many resources for practicing LDS members - not the least of which are the many temples, BYU and the novelty of a fully staffed ward.

j.

[pam]

Some tidbits about SLC:

POPULATION
Utah: 2.7 million
Salt Lake City Metro: 181,743
Salt Lake Area: 1.2 million
Wasatch Front: 1.7 million
The Wasatch Front is roughly 80 miles long with Ogden approximately 40 miles north of the Salt Lake Valley and Provo approximately 40 miles south of the Salt Lake Valley.


Facts
Utah's population tends to be younger (27.1), lives longer (77.7), has higher fertility rates (2.68) and more persons per household (3.13 persons).

Utah's population growth of 29.6% more than doubled that of the nation (13.2%).

Of All The Fifty States, Utah Has...
The highest rate of job growth - (4.5%)

Highest literacy rate

4th highest percent of high school graduates

11th highest percent of college graduates

7th lowest violent crime rates

3rd longest life expectancy

One of the lowest heart disease and cancer rates

Utah's growth is attributed to natural increase (88%) rather than net in-migration (12%).

Net in-migration occured for the 15th straight year.


Sounds great huh? But with any large population, SLC has it's share of problems as well. Once rated the meth capital of the US. Has the highest percentage of anti-depressant usage of any state. Is probably one of the lowest of the states in what is spent per student per capita in education. So yes, we have our struggles like any other big city.

[Wingnut]

There are a lot more things that indicate worldliness besides abortion clinics and adult businesses.

[hordak]

I'm with wingnut. There are many things that demonstrate "worldly".

in 2006 Salt lake city had twice the rape rate and theft rate as Miami (a city most would call worldy) even Provo trumped Miami rape rate.

Crime Rate Comparison: Provo Vs. Miami

I've lived all around the county and actually felt most safe, and had the least "worldly" experiences in a metro of 4 million people with plenty of Strip clubs, bars etc. My most crazy run ins have occurred in tiny little cities.

If you move to Utah go for the skiing. Not to get away from the world.

[AmyKate88]

I live in Sandy, which is about 20 minutes outside of SLC proper. I go to school up at the University of Utah, but I used to go to BYU so I've had a taste of both "worlds", as it were, in Utah.

SLC itself is pretty much like any other city in the U.S. There are bars, unsavory parts of downtown, crime, and traffic. It's still a great place, especially with the proximity of Temple Square, but the high concentration of Mormons doesn't take away from the fact that it is a major city, and thus has a lot of the same traits.

I personally prefer the other cities around SLC, like South & West Jordan, Riverton, Draper, Sandy (duh), etc. Provo was a little too quaint for my tastes, but the other cities like the ones I mentioned tend to be more LDS-influenced without being overboard, and provide a nice refuge from the SLC big city atmosphere.

[mightynancy]

Short answer: Yes.

Look at all the vain displays (read: McMansions, or actual mansions) on the hills of the Wasatch front. My mother is a designer (retired) and while we were at a park we were looking at the huge houses on the hill above us. I'm not a local, just so you know. Anyway, I pointed out one that was particularly monstruous and particularly, um, beauty-challenged (it must have a special spirit, kwim?). "Yeah. That's the Coveys'."

*snort*

[chitchat]

Interesting. Thanks Pam for your honesty in showing both sides.

I was under the impression that the vast majority of people living in Utah, and even in SLC, are Mormons, so I hoped that perhaps the vices of the world would be less ostentatious.

Does the Mormon church teach against abortion and are many Mormons involved in helping at caring pregnancy centers to encourage unwed moms to give their unborn babies life?

Or is this a hush-hush topic?

[Dravin]

Originally Posted by chitchat

Does the Mormon church teach against abortion and are many Mormons involved in helping at caring pregnancy centers to encourage unwed moms to give their unborn babies life?

Abortion

https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/ct/eng/site/pregnant/