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Utah Is a Social Experiment at This Point...
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- Published on Mar 16, 2026
- A special thanks to Ground News for sponsoring today's video. Ground News is a great way to stay informed and get outside your media bubble. New subscribers using my link get 40% off the Vantage plan! Visit ground.news/al... to get your discount.
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Utah goes viral because there is so much conformity, it looks scripted. It’s a bizarre mix of the Truman Show and Stepford Wives. From teenage-looking weddings, soda bars, leg poses, jorts, and spray tans, a high-control religion shaped the timelines, aesthetics, and social rewards of the entire state of Utah. Even people who leave Mormonism still live inside the system it built, where conformity = righteousness and perfection is currency. This video zooms out from Utah hair to explain why Utah feels like a social experiment hiding in plain sight.
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A few resources I mention in the video:
*My Patreon video reacting to my very Mormon wedding photos: www.patreon.co...
*My video on Utah hair: • TikTok Is Losing It Ov...
*Fortnight wedding: www.tiktok.com...
*Dancing at gas stations: www.tiktok.com...
*Utah leg pose: www.tiktok.com...
*Soda drunk: www.tiktok.com...
*Study on % of Utah that is Mormon: drive.google.c...
*Mormon church reports number of Mormons in Utah: newsroom.churc...
*Mormon wedding dress: www.tiktok.com...
*Reporting on age of marriage in Utah: www.axios.com/...
*Getting soda after getting married in the temple: www.tiktok.com...
*My video on the colonization of Utah: • Why Mormons Hate This ...
*My video on what led to Joseph Smith’s death: • Joseph Smith's Polygam...
*Video explaining Disney Mormons: • Mormon Disney Adult Mania
*The racist history of the Mormon church: • The Mormon Church’s Ra...
*Big dumb cup SNL skit: • Big Dumb Cups - SNL
*My video explaining MLMs in Utah: • Why MLM Really Means *...
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Where to find me:
*Patreon (ad free & bonus content): patreon.com/al...
*Read my book, How to Leave the Mormon Church: amzn.to/4na4rpo
*TikTok: www.tiktok.com...
*Instagram: www.instagram....
*Email me: alyssadgrenfell@gmail.com
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Omg I was just thinking of you. I live in Ontario Canada and we are getting a CRMBL... I told my frie is they are cult cookies and they need me to explain 😅
@ArtingFromScratch Iam so sorry, that you live in Canada
@Owly-b6nwhat a stupid comment to leave
Whether it's the puritans, Catholics, evangelicals, Islam - Theocracy/religious control is the problem. & they're all terrible for women
@AM711I am not even evangelical, but of all the religions srsly? All 80.000 denominations are terrible to women??? What about those with gay flags and female pastors? What about feel good mega churches?
By the way, I am Orthodox and very much free. But as Jesus said about 2000y ago "everything is allowed but not everything is for your benefit" veeery loosley translated since english is not my first language.
Edit: I don't get notifications from yt and I dont know how to turn them on, so it may be pointless to ask me further questions when I finish this video. Best wishes 🎉😊
"Utah has such a weird Cult... ture" true that
That killed me 😭 at 2:23
Oh yes, such a scary cult of people who consent to worshipping christ who try to live clean lives, don't break the law overall and are safe to live around. OmG!!!! Don't like their doctrine? Cool. You could say any religion or group of like-minded people living similar lifestyles are in a cult. So dumb.
As an ex-Mo... *a c c u r a t e*
In Southern California on the coast and I see full Mormon church parking lots all over the place. They banned 40 oz beers here too. Coffee drive throughs are packed here, so I don't think Mormons taking over.
I thought that was funny, too 😂 but also... like super accurate haha
honestly all the men look like boys and the young women look middle aged, its so weird
they suck the energy out of us
or the plastic surgery :shrug:
@user-fb2xy4od3p It's not "suck" but it does rhyme with that. Think poophole loophole.
it's all the makeup style and fake tan... all the cosmetics.
it's all the stress those poor girls grow up with
heavy makeup and botox has that effect
Getting married so young, not old enough to drink, and not enough money to have a reception outside of a gym just gives Middle School dance vibes.
My middle school dance had the lights off and even some lighting lol
Its because college kids getting married are so broke they need a free venue and churches gym is free. Thats why they look tacky. Only rich mormons can afford a venue for the wedding reception.
they don't drink ever...
That the people getting married aren’t even old enough to legally consume alcohol…
So many of my friends older siblings are already getting married. It’s crazy. And they’re all collage age. The expectation is to get married young, and have kids young.
I wouldn’t be surprised if by the next year all my Mormon friends are already getting married as soon as we graduate
Most lds women get married between ages 22 and 25. She's just trying so hard to make things look worse than what it is so she can get rage bait clicks.
Edit: the median age is 25 to 27. Approximately 1 to 2 years younger than the national average woman. Those are also the best years, biologically to have the healthiest children. Also: divorce rate among active Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) members, particularly those married in the temple, is generally lower than the U.S. national average, with estimates often cited between 6% and 15%. This is significantly lower than the ~50% national average, though it rises for less active members.
Maybe just maybe the LDS people aren't so bad, maybe there are a lot of very fulfilled and happy members. But it's so much easier to be negative about a group of people. Even if the church isn't true hypothetically, who cares, the people live on purpose and do their best to live clean lives and so what if they tend to be strivers of perfection. Its something HUMANS all have to work on. Extreme Pettiness. Not a mentally well or loving person of humans particularly Mormons at all. She's anti hate unless it's towards Mormons, particularly lds women.
@shesayswhatshemeans Maybe, just maybe you're ignoring all the abuse the Church causes. The argument that it's o.k., if people seem happy, could be used to justify lobotomies. Freedom of thought is an absolute good.
@shesayswhatshemeans It’s much harder for women to get divorced when they do not have enough financial independence, education and career history to be able to support themselves, let alone the children they are encouraged to have at a young age.
Also just realized that the name thing is also probably why the name Renesme happened in Twilight lol
Yup.
I just remembered this from years ago.. a young Mormon woman told me she'd received "personal revelation" (an assumed answer to her prayers) that Heavenly Mother's name is Renesme.
Mormon women have some understandable but weird hangups about the woman (or women) who they believe is god's wife and their heavenly mother. She's never spoken of, it's considered nearly sinful to even be curious about who she is and why she doesn't comfort her children when they pray. So there's almost a kind of sub-culture about her, only spoken of in private between women, in hushed tones and with very carefully chosen wording.
This young woman's eyes were filled with tears when she told me she'd learned her name, and she said Twilight was now more sacred to her than ever.
i was thinking the sameee think omgg!!!
@Larissa-eo3ptIt's not even a religious based name it's a pormantau of her grandparents names. Personally though her religion can call whatever she wants whatever she wants. I'm not the heresy police I'm pagan.
That name belongs in
/r/tragedeigh
So plastic surgery and botox is okay, but coffee is a no-no? Also boob jobs are encouraged, but you have to wear modest clothing, but at the same time you can wear fake tan and makeup and hair extensions? That's...interesting
TOKI WARTOOTH PFP
Cults often aren't rational or logical lol
Welcome to the concept of "religion"
The reason why cosmetics surgery is allowed is bc they expect you to beautify yourself for your husband. Everything that they do to their body is essentially for the husband’s pleasure. That’s why boob jobs are encouraged but modest clothing is required when you’re in the presence of anyone who isn’t your husband.
Everyone is hating on LDS people and let me get this straight. WE DONT DRINK COFFEE, but YOU can, We don’t. ALSO people who get plastic surgery aren’t LDS usua , we believe our bodies are temples and not to change them. But modesty is powerful and important because we believe that our bodies shouldn’t be shown to everyone, clothes were made for a reason.
fellas is it gay to have fun at your own wedding to a woman
Yes.
Oh yes any happiness shown is weakness and we all know God hates weakness! (sarcasm)
"to a woman" not ur wife?
I suspect that guy's attitude was because he thinks he should get to have you know what immediately after getting sealed. It's extremely common that the moment the newly sealed couple is alone, the guy whips his thing out and 100% expects, sometimes demands, to be serviced immediately. So this groom was angry that they were alone in their car and she wanted to film them going to get a beverage for social media, when in his mind, she should have immediately started doing her wifely duty.
@Aromanticisgood Well, one of your wives anyway ...
Don't tell vendors that you're doing a redo wedding! Tell them it's a vow renewal or anniversary party to avoid the wedding tax!!!!
this comment deserves more likes!!!
@kayk6330 it's been 29 minutes! It probably will!😂
Anniversary party is the best bet, any hint of wedding and it goes through the roof!
Wedding tax? Is it something American? Omg
@verazollinger6862it's not an actual tax, places just mark up their prices once you mention it's for a wedding compared to other events like an anniversary party despite it being the same items
The infantilizing of these very young adults (no alcohol, no swear words, etc)whilst also teasing them about sex that you have kept them from learning anything about is just so gross and cruel🤢😡
Also really creepy!
One of the best things about being a Millennial was being of a generation where the weddings that I attended didn't include awkward jokes and teasing about sex, because pretty much every couple had already been living together.
Heck, I'd say half my friends whom I'm close enough to have this conversation with told me that they didn't have sex on their wedding night because they were either exhausted or drunk or both, and I totally got that!
It's a helluva long day if you start from getting up to get hair and makeup done, plus it's a party that you've been planning for so long and are spending a decent amount of money on, of course you want to enjoy it and eat the food you've paid for and enjoy the open bar you've paid for, and by the end of the night you're going to just be ready to pass out.
The lack of pressure seems so much nicer than the "traditional" weirdness.
Cussing and alcohol are not mature activities in themselves. Those are not required to be an adult
@Kayprofessor You can't alcohol before you adult, but you can adult before you alcohol. However, people see that you can't alcohol before you adult, and assume you must alcohol to adult.
There's a better way I could've phrased that.
@Kayprofessor they're not required to be an adult, but treating them as scandalous is infantile
@CR1MSONACE you phrased that brilliantly!
"secret handshake" will never not be hilarious to me as someone who has never been any kind of religious in any way
Imagine arriving in Heaven, and mormon God is like: "eh sorry Johnny, you were a good human but...you don't know the handshake" BOOM straight to hell 😂😂😂😂😂
Dapping up the Lord in a God honoring way I guess 🤷🏿♀️
Imagine being lied to from birth that the temple endowment ceremony is this super special, super "sacred" thing where god will "endow" you with special blessings and special knowledge, and then you find out that the blessings are really just promises you're coerced into making (under quite graphic threats of physical violence, spiritual damnation, and social ostracization) to "avoid loud laughter", to never criticize church leaders, and to give all your time, money, and talents to the church. And the special knowledge is a few secret handshakes and whispering gibberish back and forth through a curtain to a complete stranger (usually an old white man) on the other side who keeps his hand on your shoulder the whole time.
It's less cute when you think about social clubs among elite future politicians and business leaders doing similarly weird stuff. Do you remember the British Prime Minister who got ousted a few years back when he upset the wrong attendee of his college secret society's humiliation ritual? (Google "David Cameron pig head" if you missed that one. Don't let it confuse you that there's a Black Mirror episode with similar content.) And the current US president isn't the only one with known connections to an international child s*x trafficking operation with heavy internal surveillance apparently designed to generate compromising material for controlling its "club members".
The goofy parts--the handshakes, the uniforms--have a dark side, helping to weed out the people who aren't willing to play along and treat these symbols as sacred. As Alyssa has mentioned, it's noteworthy that these symbols are taught to individual followers at a time in their life when they can most thoroughly be controlled, to limit the people willing to express their honest reaction, which is for many is the same as yours.
@xxBelieber97xxhe wouldn't do that but the Christian God does even weir things.
"soul mates aren't real, but your souls WILL be married for eternity"
Lmao I suppose if you want people to get married ASAP you can't have them waiting for their soul mate.
They say there's no such thing as soul mates because they don't want anyone delaying marriage for ANY reason. They teach that any two people of the opposite sex can have a successful marriage (notice they don't say happy or fulfilling though) as long as they both completely obey and serve the church.
Like catholic religion. No divorce.
I’m asexual, I don’t really care for the deed, but pressuring young horny teenagers to get married before they do it seems very stupid. Not to mention that the whole “I know what you’ll be doing tonight” thing is just horrendously uncomfortable, even as an outsider. And there’s probably pressure to “consummate” the marriage as well so people feel they have to do it, and do it fast, to be married properly and that’s just icky.
Agreed
Not to mention you're also expected to start popping out babies soon after the wedding
Just speaking as a 26yr old member of the church, there is a lot of talk about marriage that makes some women feel like they need to get married young. I’ve known some people who’ve gotten married just to have sex and then gotten divorced, but that’s not what marriage is for and they’re demeaning it by doing that. Marriage is a sacred act between two people that too many young people jump into, which is part of the utah culture. Being from California, I can say I’m happily waiting to find the right guy and don’t feel any pressure to do anything I’m not ready for.
I'm a gold star lesbian, so far from an expert on the topic, but wouldn't putting that much pressure on a young man cause performance issues?
Well nobody should be pressured into getting married and having sex however when hormones are raging and people are young it is the prime time to get married and have kids because you're at your healthiest most vigorous, you bounce back from pregnancy faster so if you find someone you love and you and your family are actively looking for that person I don't think there's anything wrong with marrying young but it certainly shouldn't define you or define your value or be a pressure thing
Its kinda wild to me how mormon culture is so focused on perfoming health consciousness while simultaneously being so big on soda and sweet treats. Green tea is unhealthy but swig and crumbl arent?
Make it make sense. 😂 Coffee and green tea have been shown to have health benefits. But they’re not allowed. You can drink as much Swig, Red Bull and Monster as you want, however.
I understood the “health code” to be more about spiritual health than physical health but idk
I may be wrong but I think they have a high diabetes rate.
I think a large part of it is (also not Mormon, so that’s my understanding and not scripture), but then it still doesn’t make sense to correlate coffee and tea with spiritual health, does it? I can see the logic of prohibiting alcohol, as it can change people‘s mental faculties in a dangerous way - also the reason why drunk driving is illegal - but one would need to drink really a huge amount of coffee or green tea to get the same effect. Coffee might make one a bit hyperactive if consumed in large quantities, but so does sugar.
@s.a.4358 idk something about caffeine just feels “racier” than sugar, but I’m also not Mormon so 🤷🏽♀️
I'm drinking the Devil's leaf juice... tea!
Mmmm I've been getting into matcha lately!! Maybe next week I'll do devil's leaf juice for my video haha
Mmmm, Satanic leaf water. This place near me has rose green tea and it is so good.
That's one of the things I truly never got about the Word of Wisdom. Coffee made sense because it's basically an over-the-counter stimulant with minimal regulations (then again, Mormons got their start back when doctors would regularly prescribe concoctions with *opium* for the common cold). But tea? Why tea??? Is it just more of Joe Smith's barely-veiled racism? If so, there ain't no *way* the Mormons could ever fully shake off the racism origin allegations.
Im drinking the devils leaf juice... thc soda!
No coffee for me ...Love the smell of the beans. Pepsi Max pour moi.
So the Mormons are withholding normal sexual activity from young adults, encouraging them to marry young, making them financially and socially dependent on the church to have a ceremony, and threatening spiritual punishment if they don't? Truly a wonder why people call it a cult.
You know what I also was thinking? They only present some weirder parts of it, like some ceremonies and the garments etc. to the girl RIGHT BEFORE THE MARRIAGE. Kinda feels like it's on purpose, so they won't be weirded out and quit, since there's marriage/divorce to consider.
Maybe lay off the drywall.
@makingalifeoutof0MORMON DETECTED sorry you can't get down nasty style unless you do a ritual that condemns you to hell for breaking up
@makingalifeoutof0 get out of that cult whiel you still can lil bro
That's fair
the girls dancing at the gas station with NO SHOES ON. EXCUSE ME.
Girls at a service Station (*Servo) in Australia with Thongs (flipflops) dancing would not raise any eyebrows in OZ.
no shoes is very normal even outside Utah. Look at Australia
@qweraws6829its NOT normal. Australia is not normal 😂
probably AI vids.
@qweraws6829 even less normal in australia, where any insect, plant, rock, dust, can kill you ^^
They allowed a boy to propose to his girlfriend during my sons high school graduation! Living in Utah is really weird.
Wtf. They didn't even live a single day as an adult before agreeing to spend eternity together. All the adults in their lives should not have encouraged/agreed to that.
Could this have not waited to Uni(University/Tertiary education) there 20s ?????
@jamesperrett1887 the longer they're allowed to wait, the more opportunities they have to realize they're in a cult. better to push them into it immediately and have it be much more difficult to escape
❤😂❤
That’s so depressing. The event is to celebrate finishing mandatory formal education. It’s taking away from every other kid’s moment and the school should never have allowed it.
I still don’t understand why they had to make the temple wedding clothes look so goofy. They look so silly I can’t even believe it’s not a joke.
Because they took a lot of the practices of masons and the funny clothes are intentional becuase it’s a secret club thing.
@adorabell4253 Yeah, but these are cheap looking funny clothes - I'm pretty sure no free mason would let himself be caught in flimsy polyester ;)
@QuentinPlantbut remember, when they started there was no polyester. The polyester now is because the church is cheap.
For real. For some reason, my family buried my mom in her temple clothes. That was the first time I'd ever seen that outfit and remember being like, okay so this is cruelly goofy
@Sem1llaoh wow! I’m so sorry
Regarding the end of the wedding receptions - being in a room full of friends and family who are projecting horniness onto you because they know you’ll experience coitus for the first time in a couple hours is one of the cringiest most skin crawly feelings I can possibly fathom. No one should ever have to experience that.
im pretty sure its not special to mormons ahaha in every wedding that happens
@missispity well, it probably happens in any culture where abstinence before marriage in the norm. In most of the western societies a lot of couple have sex pretty dang frequently before they get married.
@missispity No, it certainly does not.
@renatheer its the wedding night im sure everybody knows what the ppl gonna do
@missispity There's a big difference in knowing and behaviour like that. It's creepy and invasive and I've never seen it, as it wouldn't be socially acceptable at all.
What’s crazy about some of these “modest” dresses is they are super tight and figure hugging, which is…. Not exactly in the “spirit” of modestly. Like that girl wouldn’t be able to wear the Mormon underwear without tons of wrinkles underneath the fabric
That’s EXACTLY what I was thinking. There ain’t no room for garments in that dress, be fr 🙄🤦♀️🤔
It reminds me of some eras of Victorian fashion where the shape of the body is accentuated and even altered even if zero skin is showing.
I had a similar reaction. I have nothing against the wedding dress that woman was wearing but it is figure hugging.
So petty..yes, it's perfectly ok to show one's figure. What a funny gripe. Lol.
@shesayswhatshemeansit's not petty nor is it saying there's anything wrong with showing the figure. If we're discussing what "modesty" is and why modesty is a requirement in the church it is actually something crucial to talk about. They say modesty should be practiced to prevent men from having sinful thoughts about a woman's body. But is it about skin or about the form of the body? What's the line? Is it arbitrary?
Crazy how cosmetic surgery isn’t considered immodest considering it’s purely vanity. And they’re so young their faces and body haven’t even finished growing. They’re still in the phase of life where they believe they are invincible.
They just repackage the idea of “plastic surgery for the sake of vanity” into ➡️ “looking my absolute best for the lord!” It’s not vain if it’s for Jesus!
They rebranded it. South korea did the same thing. Beauty means your "good" . Pretty privilege.
The invicibility thing helps with the lack of inhibitions to marry based on hormones.
💯
My dad is an avid coffee drinker and a long haul truck driver who regularly drives through utah. I was telling him about all the mormons who live in utah and how they're not allowed to drink coffee and his response was: "so THATS why I can NEVER find a cup of coffee in utah!" He had never fathomed that anyone would voluntarily choose an existence in which a cup of coffee is never more than a few seconds away😂
My uncle is a trucker, used to be a national driver but since my auntie got sick he just does state, and I feel like that should be illegal to not sell coffee to truckers I don’t know 🤣 Utah is cruel to truckers 🤣
😂😂😂
I approve of your dad's priorities entirely. What's the point of life without a nice hot cup of coffee???? Might as well put me in the ground!
Funny thing is that joseph smith disobeyed god because he was drinking on the jail before he was killed. They weren't supposed to be strict rules just recommendations but somewhere along the way someone made them rules
Not true.
It’s so weird to me as someone who grew up Catholic that skinny jeans were popular with Mormons because skinny jeans were so scandalous to us! You could see the entire shape of the girl’s butt! Gasp! The differences between what’s “modest” in different cultures is so interesting to me
Yeah, these „modest” wedding dresses look shrink-wrapped to the girls, I can’t imagine my old catholic schoolteacher pointing to it as the gold standard. I am thankfully out of that church 😂
I can’t understand the boob and nose jobs
I thought the same! Like, yes, I understand keeping shoulders covered, but showing off the behind and wearing heavy makeup is OK??? Cosmetic procedures for super-young women? Displaying wealth? That’s definitely not part of the idea of modesty I’ve always had.
@therussianprincess7036 Yeah, like how could she possibly wearing anything resembling a those loose "garments" and anything skin-tight without it showing? Fabric doesn't work like that.
I always thought it's interesting how much more strict american catholics are in comparison to european ones. My country is mostly catholic, but we are so far away from any purity culture. I mean most people barely go to church, young people believe less and less, so the only power the church holds is the holidays, which nobody wants them gone to get extra days off lol. It's the protestants or "baptist" that are considered the crazy strict ones here.
Like the church kinda teaches that anything can be forgiven as long as you go to confession, so I think that played a big part in why people don't gaf about anything that could be deemed sinful.
not allowed to drink a glass of wine but getting veneers and a face lift is soooooo hilarious to me
You gotta give middle school dances more credit! Mine had the lights off!!
😂😂 omg I wasn’t allowed to go to middle school dances so maybe I just don’t know what’s up!
mine too!
back at mine 2 girls were wildin out while dancing and ended up kissing on the lips and that was considered scandalous in the early 2010s (thankfully idt they got in trouble or anything).
Our high school dances were held at clubs 💀
We had lights on the lower level and darkness on the upper level. So girls knew if they got invited UPSTAIRS .. Fun would be Open to all.
One of my favorite parts of Utah culture, as a queer never Mormon who grew up here, is how most coffee shops are inherently political spaces. Coffee shops end up being counter cultural so many of the locally owned coffee shops are very politically active and serve as community gathering places is ways I haven’t really seen outside of SLC. Wanted to share a positive about non Mormon Utah culture
This is a super cool perspective! I love coffee shop culture in general, as someone who works at one on the East coast it's a space where most of the customers are a bit more progressive and you can be openly queer without feeling gawked at. But I'm sure it feels even different in a state where a lot of people think coffee itself is a sin, let alone the people that want to drink coffee 😂
from the outside utah is scary lol
@nightcoreeclub Why? It consistently ranks higher than most states in quality of life and economic strength. It has a strong tourism industry with people from other states and all over the world constantly coming in and out. Being scared of Utah just sounds dumb.
@automnejoy5308 wdym by why there's a cult religion in charge of the rules lmao how is it not scary?
@automnejoy5308 because it was USAF culture on-base but somehow worse, if I had to guess
23:26 Not one of the sodas being called “Love Bomb” 💀
having all the big lights on is the funniest thing. like, why can't we have mood lighting? why can't we turn on a lamp? i also think part of the reason the dancing at weddings is so bizarre is that instead of just accepting that they're sober and having fun dancing, they seem to be trying to substitute a sugar high from soda for getting drunk and letting loose. that's the incredibly childish part. like, i've been to a lot of sober weddings (i'm indian and a lot of people don't serve alcohol on the wedding day for religious reasons) and no one tries to act like they're losing it due to substances. like it's completely fine to dance at a party even if you're sober. it's the pretending that the soda is giving you a high that's fucking weird.
Right! I'm not even religious but if I got married I wouldn't want people to be drunk at my wedding either, cus I am noooot gonna be one of the few sober people there! I've never been drunk in my 36 years alive and I can't relate to people who can only have fun if they're drunk. That just tells me they're either very dull people, very inhibited, or close minded. There are so many things people do for fun sober, and we don't question it until it's about a party.
@Oddivia I don't drink much, and it's been years since I was actually drunk, but if I was *forced* to attend a wedding of any sort, I'd need a few belts to help me get through all the BS. Not that I have anything against marriage per se. My previous marriage lasted more than twenty years, and it ended only when she died. I've been with my current wife for nearly as long, and the relationship is doing fine. Both those weddings were very low-key, with just a tiny group of close friends, and self-catered receptions at home.
Yeah that is very bizzare. Especially since dance is actually a fairly big thing in Mormon culture.
It's like...you can just dance. You don't have to pretend you're "soda drunk"
Yepper's 😂
@Oddivia Or have debilitating social anxiety
Yeah, the obsession with gas stations is just a rural American thing in general
They dont have night clubs
Theres not much else there tbh. Its either that or a cornfield.
Where I live in Northern Germany the cool kids meet at the bus station in rural areas and suburbs ;)
I used to work at a gas station for 7 years- its because most major gas stations are open 24/7 and the pump lights are always on throughout the night so its a safe, open place to hang out and rarely did a manager kick anyone off property as long as they weren't causing problems because people hanging put meant they were coming inside to spend money. I worked overnights for a year and a half and my busiest time of night was 2a when all the cops were on break and the weed smokers had the munchies
You even see it in the more urbanized areas. I live in Northern Virginia, and Sheetz and Wawa have huge followings here.
“I’m 25 and not married, my life is over” will always be odd to me
Brainwashing by men. Hence hollywood telling women theyre washed up at 30. Ridiculous.
Sounds like what you're expected to think in my home country
28:36 “no twerking” as the diva in the blue is throwing his cake all the way back😭
Good point!! 😂 I do love that the peeps in these vids are feeling themselves so much on the dance floor; definitely would never have that confidence in public! 🫣
The dance rules are just for women
I am a high schooler that currently lives in Utah and I can confirm that everyone looks the same. I have given up trying to learn a lot of my classmates’ names because I literally can’t tell them apart
Literalleigh
Wow that's crazy.
@SchwallySells😂
@wlgeiger There have been times where I thought that two people were the same person because they look the same😭
I'm autistic and mildly face blind and also really terrible with names. I think I'd just give up if I lived in Utah.
It feels like watching 2 kids go to prom rather than a wedding between adults
14:26 "it's so nice that god changed their mind" I CACKLED 😭
If you’re looking for a video idea, I’d be super interested to learn more about the Garden of Eden in Missouri belief. My spouse is from a town somewhat close to that, and I was shocked when they told me that LDS folks believe it’s the Garden of Eden.
I've actually had this on my list for a long time! It's one of the most random mormon beliefs... and also crazy how many people move there just to be ready for the second coming!!
@alyssadgrenfellyes! Garden of eden lore please!
+
What? LOL Missouri?? WTF? Who decided that? 🤣
@alyssadgrenfellYes!! I am so fascinated by Mormon beliefs, although I don’t believe in the religion. This has always been the one thing I’ve been so fascinated by and have no idea where the belief came from! A video of this would be awesome. 👏🏻
Tree pose could also be moms trying to regain their core muscles after giving birth to so many babies
I think it is truly awesome that you and your husband seem to be so completely on the same page. Being so indoctrinated in a high demand religion and yet finding someone who has the ability to recognize glaring issues in truth and growing and changing together at nearly the same time seems like it would be nearly impossible. My experience was unfortunately not the same, but it is so encouraging to see that you both were able to come to this conclusion together.
I was thinking that too..glad they both got out and it didn't destroy their marriage.
As a European my high school prom resembled a wedding much more than some of these videos
Hahaha same!
Utah/Mormons would get heart attacks if they see Mexican weddings ☠️
6:26 as someone who lived in Utah for 18 months when I was a child, you singing the Utah song was like saying the activation code for the sleeper agent in me. The chills I just experienced. I’m sending you an invoice for my therapy bills as I type 🥀🥀🥀🥀
Your channel has really helped me a lot. I’m from utah. I’m a Mexican girl who was adopted by two white Mormons. Your videos are very enlightening on what i escaped when I moved to the east coast.
Being here has shown me truly how messed up and weird that entire state is. How they specifically terrorized me in a way that was just so confusing it didn’t even occur to me that they were being racist.
The way utah functions and their bigotry and hatred is bundled in a nice neat happy smile. It’s horrifying.
You were terrorized by Mormons because you're Mexican? How? I've never met a mormon with racist beliefs. How do you know they're racist? What behaviors? Details?
First of all I’m sorry for what you went through. I’m glad you got away and have a new perspective with some space between you.
I’m not a Mormon but my parents made me move there when I was 17 and I was stuck there for five years. I went on a few dates in Utah with a guy who was black and he was adopted by white Mormons at 10. They changed his name! I don’t think I should say what his name is but it wasn’t a very Caucasian name, and gave him a very white Bible name. Because they said they wanted him to have a name like theirs. And I was like omg that’s so messed up to take a TEN year old’s name from them. I do not believe most white people are racist, but when only less than 100 years ago a group of mostly white people called Mormons believed anyone with darker skin was “Cursed” yea, racist.
Glad you made it out sane. I hope you'll find your own way.
I'm sorry and hope u'll stay safe in that crazy country
I'm sorry your childhood has ass holes. You shouldn't have been treated like that.
To be fair, Fortnite’s peak popularity with 9-12 year olds was about 9 or so years ago. If you’re marrying as soon as it’s legal to do so, it tracks that you might still be a fan.
isn't' that the point of the commentary?
Yes let’s not shame the kid for having interests and hobbies
I still.like Harry Potter, sometimes you might still like the things from childhood
That's what her comment meant
@llamamama2910did anyone shame him? He does look young
I’m a never mo. I recently went to a wedding between an LDS bride and a never mo. Her family has a big name in the area. I’m friends with the grooms mom. The brides family was so cheap and didn’t want food at the reception. Groom insisted. We were shocked to see that the guests didn’t eat the food except for the dirty soda and dessert bar! Mother of the bride was passed out from prescription drugs and had to be carried out before the bride and groom danced. Our culture is sit down dinner with an open bar and full band. So we found this VERY middle school dance.
Thays terrible they didn't serve dinner! They must have been cheapskates!
@HosCreates It was all about the pictures. Yes, they were cheap. Everything here is a facade and designed just to look good, but there is no substance. Creepy too.
I was actually wondering how all those very young Mormons can afford to get married at this age. But I guess it gets a lot cheaper if you don‘t serve food to your guests 😂
I’ve traveled all over. No stranger has ever been as rude and judgmental towards me as they were in Utah. Crazy. You can feel the eyes following you everywhere
Wichita, Kansas is similar. An insanely judgmental place
@keekermojo For me it was Harrison, Arkansas. From what I could tell, my Boston accent alone was enough to be Othered and stared at.
@TheCozyHobbityou should have visited Fayetteville. Friend of mine has her license plate to read BosGirl. NWA is a Utopia compared to the rest of the state. And Harrison is slowly moving into the last century. I watch these videos because I’m fascinated at how rapidly the Mormon population in NWA is growing. Walmart even put a Swig store in the Home Office and Bentonville built a temple. I watch these videos because the rate of changes is wild. Especially when the brown population is growing too.
@keekermojois Wichita also very religious? I wonder if that’s a factor
Utah is so weird, because if they think you are similar to them, they are very "nice" (I put that in air quotes because it's very superficial and conditional). And if you look like you don't belong or they find out something about you that they don't like, you are the scum of the earth and not deserving of common courtesy or even basic human rights.
I feel so bad for that girl in the bride video, girlie is orange and can’t even see it. Spray tan blindness is crazy
Right! I had years of blond blindness, it sounds crazy but I thought my hair was yellow or orange looking when it was not. For a long time. But those fake tans are CRAZY.
It's so weird when you see the whitest people ever trying to actively make their skin less white.
Many years ago, a Mormon friend was telling me how her grandmother was all upset that she couldn't attend the friend's wedding. I guess I was supposed to sympathize with my friend, but I said, "I don't blame her! I would be devastated to miss my granddaughter's wedding!" Apparently, Grandma wasn't good enough for a temple pass. 😔
was your friend?? not sympathizing with her grandmother???
@catalinaargyriou8603 exactly! She was like, "She got to come to the reception, so I don't know why she was so upset." 🥺
the anti-environmentalism really pissed me off. just a bunch of evil people who outsource their conscience to fairy tale characters, and call everyone who doesn't agree with their bigoted, illogical, selfish views sinners. that's what true evil looks like.
Pope Benedict XVI placed the Vatican on the side of environmental protection and fighting climate change.
I sometimes look at Texas as a Texan and I’m like “this happens here?” Then I see Utah and it makes Texas look normal
And yet Utah ranks higher than Texas in pretty much every quality of life metric. Must be rough for you.
@automnejoy5308Give me proof of this
@automnejoy5308that means nothing when talking about religion
@sprinklekisses ...?? So you're arguing that Mormonism has absolutely nothing to do with Utah's culture and quality of life stats? How does that compute in your brain?
No, Texas is not normal! You are sooo freaking weird! Just as bad as Utah!
Treating selling wine and a corkscrew as selling a gun and bullets akfjdk
Man one of my besties just moved to Utah and I worry about her everyday
Text her this video so she knows the lip filler is a TRAP! In all seriousness though, living in utah did have a real impact on my mental health and my own self perception :/
@alyssadgrenfell She told me earlier today she’s looking to join a local queer activist group she found, so not all hope is lost ^^
I’ll warn her about the lip filler though lol
@hairless_wizard😂😂😂
As someone from Utah, Salt Lake City actually has a very active lgbt community. I’ve met a few different queer people who have come to visit because of the queer community
Honestly I moved to Utah almost 2 years ago and I’m in the salt lake area and as long as you find your group of people that is all that matters! Salt Lake is very different than other parts of Utah.
Growing up in Utah and not being in the church was always such a bizarre experience esp as a kid. like wdym you can’t be friends with me bc my parents are divorced and I live in an apartment?? like what???
Gawd, I can't imagine what they would've done with me, my parents were never married, but they had two kids!
it happens everywhere
@Aromanticisgood i'm sure it does! kids are weird.
Wait. What does an apartment have to do with anything?
@The_music_momma Big house with white picket fence is the ultimate American dream, no?
As someone who just graduated high school and left the Mormon church at 18, I can say the process is incredibly difficult. From a young age, I knew I didn’t belong, but it never felt like a real choice. Family members and neighbors remain passively kind, yet there’s always an unspoken pressure, like everyone is quietly hoping you’ll return. Even among peers, there’s a disconnect between what’s preached and how people actually live….Leaving forces you to confront how much of your identity was shaped for you and rebuilding yourself outside of it is both disorienting and freeing.
Absolutely. It's especially hard when you still live in Utah and so many of your friends and family are still mormon. That pressure is real. I'm 24 now and I'm still trying to unlearn some things.
Utah is the definition of pretty and seemingly awesome from the outside, but the more you zoom in on it, the creepier it gets
It’s a microcosm of America as a whole 🙄🤦♀️
Midsommar vibe 👀
@xxBelieber97xx"what happens at 72?" (!)
@cindys9491HELP
45:25 As a disabled person, hearing this makes me wonder how difficult disabled folks within the church must have it. Like, imagine being born sick and hearing your whole life that you will never be worthy of god because of the unfortunate circumstances of your birth.
Perception and approaches to disability in Mormons would be a really interesting video.
That is very important. I wonder if its normal to terminate pregnancies where the kid may come out disabled in some way. Or they are shunned away. Curious what there approach is.
@TheSmokingHatManSeesYou It's kinda sad, but it could be the case. There is a non-insignificant number religious people who would otherwise be 100% against abortion, they make an exception for when a child would be born disabled.
Just for the record, I am pro-choice, I just think the hypocrisy here is very sad. It kinda feels they don't value the lives of disabled folks.
@delphinedelphinedelphine I wonder if autistic Mormons ever exist cause I feel like they’ll be the first ones to jump the ship
@ashura4627 i completely agree! I also wonder how they feel about those who are born perfectly healthy but become disabled later in life due to and ailment or injury, wonder if it's the same? Worse? Got a lot of questions regarding that. Especially since I'm disabled myself. 😢and a Christian. I find it wild that those who call themselves "Godly" or "Pious" turn around and treat the most vulnerable so horribly.
4:24 THE JELL-O BELT I’M CRYING WHAT
2:23 mormons are bringing back jnco jeans for mormon bible storage
You can also fit a playstation in other pocket.
we used them for weed, game gear, and hack sacks
Bwhahaha 😂 I could totally see a mormon teen stuffing a small bible in a giant side pocket 😅
Utah aesthetics really mess with my face blindness. Like, I can see three different tiktok users doing three different things in three different places and I couldn't tell you who was who.
I am so confused about dirty soda consumption in Utah. In such a health optimized/obsessed culture, how can so many people drink so much sugar & calories regularly. And how is the number of people with type 2 diabetes not through the roof? Genuine question & would really appreciate an answer!
I agree! Coffee is bad but lots of sugar is good??
It's based on what was believed to be healthy in the 19th century by temperance campaigners. Just like how kosher laws are an ancient health and safety and animal welfare code (I don't think individuals are stupid for following rules they think give meaning to their life, even if the context they were created in no longer exists. The problem is societies that make people feel like they have to follow the rules even though their personal experience is of the rules trapping them).
Type 2 diabetes has a very large genetic component, with basically everyone having a different threshold for how much lifestyle can effect their chance of getting it. So I guess luck and hiding it from the public. There is a sampling basis of this just covering people who publicly preform their devoutness and post about it on social media. The reason why there's such a big difference between the LDS reported number of Mormons and the self reported number is because of a high number of on paper non-practicing Mormons.
@AbsolXGuardian yeah in a culture where getting sick basically at all is considered a personal failing I can imagine there aren't a lot of people owning up to having a disease that's largely considered to be a result of "poor lifestyle choices"
Every time my husband has to visit Utah for work he has to mentally prepare himself before he goes to be creeped out. He says Salt Lake has the weirdest vibe of any city he has to visit.
When I visited recently I was sitting in a hotel lobby/bar typing on my computer and there were people sitting around me having multiple separate conversations about visiting utah and how seeing mormon culture was so strange haha
@alyssadgrenfell The more I watch your videos the more I too want to visit Utah just to see it with my own eyes. It all seems unreal😅
Its also really intresting bc utah has a huge lgbt population. And underground film scene hosted sundance untill last year) as well as a music screen and alt cutlture as well. I feel like mormons are raised more tword commainal living/being community oriented in a 2ay that a lot of ex-mornmons want to find similary invested communty? Its itresting to think abt
It has the strangest energy
You're so lucky he's not sent to any rural areas. They can be pure Twilight Zone/horror movie vibes.
I’m on the part about garments, and maybe it’s just me, but doesn’t it feel more immodest when everyone in your chirch and in your state knows what your underwear looks like? And has an opinion on it? This sounds so embarrassing
exactly! a lot of chastity culture as well is very invasive and perverted
I mean... purity culture as a whole is really fckn creepy and invasive because it encourages strangers to be EXTREMELY invested in each other's intimate lives, so interest in each other's underwear must feel tame in comparison
I am not Mormon, also no other religion, so I don’t really care about modesty, but to me it was always a case of if I can see your underwear in a public context, I’ll have some thoughts to myself. I don’t mean like a bra strap sticking out a bit in summer or the top is purposefully a bit see-through (ie it’s weather-specific or the outfits is meant to be worn this way) but more a case of what is clearly underwear being visible because a skirt is so short (or the person is sitting in a certain way) or pants are hanging super low. So the whole garment checking Mormon thing feels weird, because why be so focused on checking for someone’s underwear? As long as their private parts are not on display in public, why care so much about a bit of shoulder or knee!?
@kcryrine5056yep. I remembered how weirded out I was as an adult when I realized that family members who told you they waited til marriage, and you already knew their wedding day/celebrated their anniversaries...were actually telling you the day they lost their virginity. Weird
@kcryrine5056 the soaking and having someone jump on the bed to avoid actual sex is extremely weird too.
The ceremony is so isolating to none mormon family! I went to my friend's fully knowing I couldn't go in and I'm glad I did so at least the groom's parents had another adult to wait. Otherwise it would of just been them, the little kids, and the creepy kid propaganda movie that was playing in the waiting room. His mother cried so much about how she was missing what would likely be the only wedding of her children.
I'm sorry, but those videos of temple activities that get leaked only reaffirms my suspicion that the Mormon religion is a cult. That wedding ceremony made me genuinely uncomfortable
even fucking Jehovah's Witnesses aren't secretive about their weird ass weddings
The “patriarchy grip” yikes.
The only people who don’t think Mormonism is a cult are mormons. It’s absolutely a cult.
@Ozsheila57 Patriarchal grip. I know it's a small correction, but if you ever want to deeply fluster a Mormon, drop the term casually in conversation. Or better yet, when they try to shake your hand.
I had my first panic attack when I was about to get sealed (at 19 years old) and I realized that the hideous and creepy robes I was obligated to wear during the Endowment ceremony a week earlier would also have to be worn during my sealing. I searched for a long time to find a temple gown that I liked, that didn't look like a completely frumpy polyester nightgown. My mother never told me, no one told me that that gown would covered completely by those robes. I found this out just a few minutes before the ceremony itself.
OK, might be totally off base, but the 'Mormon Wedding Dress' thing isnt just about modesty, all of the dresses look the exact same. Minimal (if any) beadwork and lace, all the same satiny/chiffon material, and all the same close fit/straight down shape. It's borderline bodycon with a train. I'm an ex-Muslim, and that community's standards for modesty were much more strict, but still Muslim wedding dresses have a lot more variety in shape, material, embroidery, etc. ime.
My hot take here is that since Utah culture is obsessed with the skinny, wellness aesthetic, it's probably specifically done to show off their shape (esp. since you only have the body of a late teen/early 20 something once). With everyone being very coy about the evening during your wedding, there's probably a pretty thin line between being modest enough for the religion AND not being so modest that people are going to start calling you a 'sweet spirit'.
Sweet spirit 😂 oh no is that like the Mormon version of “bless her heart” ??
Even Mennonite or even explictly Amish wedding dresses are more ornate...
@closedxcafe Alyssa mentioned it in last week's video. A sweet spirit is basically an ugly girl, meaning it's the only nice thing the guys can say about her honestly. 😉
Ex-Mo here. There's a reason behind the very minimal decorations on wedding dresses. It's because Mormons are expected to get married in Mormon temples. Why does that matter? Because in Mormon temples, you can't be too showy. Mormonism places a ridiculous amount of emphasis on being "meek" and "mild" and "humble" and other such 'basically just lay down in the dirt because you are a filthy sinner and must prostrate yourself before "Heavenly Father" at every opportunity, but we'll say it in a socially acceptable way' sorts of rhetoric. For an example, if your *jewelry* is too fancy or noisy, you get asked to take it off before you're let into the temple.
Now I can hear some people sayin' "but *lace* isn't all that flashy!" And I agree. Frankly, I can't quite explain that one myself. I got free before I could get roped into a temple marriage. I could probably still ask my sister (who DID get temple-married), but at this point, I'm convinced that it's just part of purity culture.
So it's less about modesty and more about intentionally being super plain/"pure" in every way possible. Because we're all supposed to grovel before their deity like pitiful worms. Glad I'm out.
You’re onto something with the shape. The lack of embroidery and beading is just odd to me, though but I guess even that might feel bulky if your goal is to have a tiny waist.
I'm Brazilian and the Utah naming craze is very similar to Brazilian's naming craze, although the context is very different
Usually middle class/poor people in Brazil give absolute batshit crazy names to their kids, putting y's instead of i's, h's everywhere and an unnecessary amount of double letters to try and make their children's names more "rich" sounding (with the mindset that a difficult name to write is elegant and could only be used for a wealthy person)
Agradeço todo dia por meu nome não ser YNGRYDYH.
Fun fact: esses dias, um alemão me perguntou pq eu tenho nome de vovozinhas alemãs e suecas.
as a kid who lives in Utah... get me out.
I feel so bad for you..
soon as you get a chance, get out
I’m in Cali 😅
You're not going to be able to afford to live here when you reach adulthood anyway, so you will naturally leave for a cheaper, less attractive place. Probably where they get tornadoes, ice storms, significant crime and urban blight. So don't worry. You'll be leaving soon enough.
@automnejoy5308ok calm down brother
@abeille983 I don't even have PMS yet. That was nothing.
Before I moved to Utah from NYC I never heard of or met a mormon. I lived in Spanish Fork, Pleasant Grove, and Provo near BYU. The mormons bothered me so much that I asked around to find out where the Black community was. I was told Ogden and I moved to Ogden. I live in neighborhood where there are no mormons, no mormon church and diversity. I think Ogden has the least number of mormons and an actual Black community.
It is probably one of the most diverse cities in the entire state, which is not much compared to places like NYC. I will say there is still some Mormon influences within the city but not as severe as other cities. It does have some interesting history as well.
other than them being strange, what bothered you about them? genuine question. I'm not American.
Hi from a fellow NYC-er. I can’t think of a move more jarring within America. My condolences…? Lol🤯🤪🤔
@justpassingthrough7990 not the commenter but I'm somewhere outside of Utah where they did already have a decent population but it has SPIKED recently and the weird behavior that spikes with it is: Constant Proselytizing (attempting to convert you), Obsession with "Clean" beauty but also full of botox, How adult the young girls act and how they all give the same answer about their future (married at 18, 5+ kids, home maker, etc, there is no variation from girl to girl at most ages), and then usual stuff like the casual racism and sexism at levels you're just not used to seeing because you're not in a state run by a glorified cult
@chelscaraI understand most of that; some of my friends are Mormons and I hate going to their parties because it's like I'm a bleeding seal swarmed by sharks; "*sniff sniff* new prey to convert!" racism is a little hard to say, I'm from southeast Asia, so I don't see that at least. not to say they can't be racist but probably not in the way you meant lol as for obsession with "clean" beauty, god, yeah okay that makes sense! my Mormon friend is also so obsessed with that, obsessed with getting her hair and nails done all the time and she has permanent makeup. not saying that any of those are bad (I do all that minus permanent makeup) but that's for me, not for some church or whatever. as for the girls being living soundboards, I get it. I've listened in on Mormon church girl camp plans, and wow, just call it brainwashing camp, why not 😂
As a young european person, i didn't know ANYTHING about this state and the fact that i clicked on this video was for absolutely no reason and im very very VERY shocked because this whole thing is litteraly a cult
Same here
37:52 They might think the second coming is imminent, but the real reason the politicians won’t do anything to protect public lands, improve air quality, or act on the great salt lake crisis is because exploiting the hell out of the land makes a few people super rich and those people are contributing a lot to political campaigns…there might be a slight religious bend to it, but it really comes down to greed. These holy men have earthly priorities.
Oh of course, yes. But what Alyssa said is accurate to how the average Mormon rationalizes it.
@Larissa-eo3ptTrue-the rapture and the providence doctrine to rationalize your earthly wealth
One of the reasons I deconstructed was because nowhere in the bible it teaches any respect for nature
My question is how many of those super rich are influenced by this Mormon interpretation of natural resources and public land….. an interesting contrast is Arkansas which is walmart hq and super conservative but also big tradition of public land , as opposed to Texas where there is very little public land
I am a never-Mormon living in Utah. The government’s blatant disregard for the environment is terrifying and appalling. Utah is slated to hold the Winter Olympics in 2034. It has literally snowed 3 times this winter (lowest snowpack I’ve ever seen in my life) and the air quality has literally been at “unhealthy” PM 2.5 levels almost every single day this season.
It is frustrating. And with the Great Salt Lake evaporating and receding, that whole area will be uninhabitable within the next couple decades.
I live next door to y'all (I'm in Colorado) but I was born there and my parents are from there (lots of family there too).
So, I think you're failing to understand that SLC is actually the most environmentally friendly, least wasteful place to hold the Winter Olympics in the world. First of all, most cities simply can't do it because they don't have true winter as well as being next to mountains. But also there is the issue of the facilities, venues and accommodation. Utah already has all of this infrastructure that was put in place for the last time it hosted, and has been well maintained since then. Other cities would have to do more building. Also, SLC is very close to the mountains and ski resorts. This is another unusual characteristic. That means less travel time for athletes and spectators. Also, Utah did such a great job the last time and it's so recent that we will be able to do it very efficiently again. Yes, this was the driest year on record. It may be completely different for 2034, though. It greatly depends on La Nina/El Nino patterns. But yes, we may have to bring in extra snow like we did last time. I think Sochi had to do that, too. But like I said... there just aren't many cities that can or are willing to host. Denver put their hat in the ring initially, but then got all wishy-washy and wanted to split hosting duties between Denver and SLC. Like, really? How would that even work? That's just silly. Two different states and two cities that are like 10 hours drive away from each other hosting the same Olympics??? Crazy. Denver is about 2 hours from its mountains, so it's not as convenient, and I think they realized how difficult it would be.
Man only in america can you register your organization as a tax free church, indoctrinate people into giving you 10% of their income & build megastructures that benefit you... The country doesn't do jack to protect you
37:29 You’re completely correct in your theory. I’m a former fundamentalist Pentecostal. My partner is a former Jehovah’s Witness. These three groups have vast differences, but their similar lack of stewardship and care for the future is based on their fundamentalist belief in end times prophecies. It’s interesting though, because there are numerous scriptures from the Bible that command stewardship of resources and creating a secure future. Just another example of those mental gymnastics.
exactly what I was thinking. Independent Baptists also act this way. When you think the world is going to end in your lifetime, you don't really care what happens after.
Ive noticed this too as a person who grew up lds. Religious people always forget the replenish the earth part of the bible and focus on the multiply parts instead
@HosCreatesexactly! The command to “be fruitful” does not simply mean to take and make more. It means creating and preserving the planet supposedly given to us by a creator deity. The mental gymnastics are insane with fundamentalists 🤦🏽♂️
Former catholic. Its about FEAR AND CONTROL.
What catches my eye the most about Mormon women's wedding dresses is that most of the times (not all, mind you, I did like a few dresses Alyssa showed), they're just so... Plain. Not because they're "modest", no, they're just so bland, so devoid of personality... They don't feel like wedding dresses, if you dyed it a different color, it would turn into a regular dress, and I think that's a bit sad. The fact that they probably won't get to wear them in the actual wedding cerimony makes it even sadder imo
maybe that's why they tend to look so bland. When you know you're not gonna be allowed to wear it for the actual ceremony, you probably get a lot less excited about picking a nice wedding dress.
@jojo-7306 That makes a lot of sense!
Also, same as with gym receptions...19 year old women marrying 21 year old men who recently spent two years paying to serve a mission are not going to be able to afford a fancy dress.
Mennonite and Amish wedding dresses are honestly more ornate. And Personal.
@kbird6208your read my mind lmao do people forget how expensive wedding dresses are ? Their notoriously in the thousands for more decorative items like lace these folks are like 18 19 20 give 10% of ther income to the church until they die and just spent probably thousands on their mission I highly doubt they were gonna get a klien style dress 😂
Like with my parents they wer poor when they married my mom married in an Ankara dress my dad got shiped from his country it wasn't the most extravagant because they were poor and they git married in heir mid 20s 😅 . But if you look at more expensive nigerian weddings and then my parents you can tell the difference.
I'm grateful I walked away from the church before my wedding. My family knew we weren't going to the temple and I wore a sleeveless wedding dress on my wedding day. That being said, a large percentage of our guests were devout Mormons who still joked about the wedding night being the maiden voyage. My husband and I were like, "sooo we've been living together for a few months and dating for 2 years....crazy to assume it's our first" Even outside of Mormon weddings is gross to come in with that energy.
19:32 in Ashkenazi Jewish tradition the bride and groom spend about 15-20 minutes alone in a room together IMMEDIATELY following the wedding ceremony. The winks and the suggestive elbowing has a whole different tone afterward.
Though, most people who do practice this tradition are not consummating the marriage during that time. It used to be that way, but now the time is used more for breaking the fast that the bride and groom are doing before the wedding and having a quiet moment with each other after the traditional period of separation before the wedding. But the jokes still happen.
15-20 mins? I would assume they really only need 2 mins tops.
I knew about that custom of the bride and groom spending time alone just after the ceremony, but I didn’t know it used to be meant to consume the marriage. Talk about pressure to immediately get busy! Even if it’s not someone’s first time, it’s still high pressure to get in the mood and ‘perform’ right then and there. Then adding the fact that in a tradition religious context neither person would have had sex before (or at least to supposed to) and the couple may not have even spent time alone before, that would make it so nerve racking. Get married and immediately get on with it.
@annadrift4well only 15 minutes guarantees it for him, although probably not her.
@annadrift4 Well, maybe *he* does 😅
Wedding traditions about ensuring the marriage is consumated are pretty common around the world. Historically, marriages were contracts that were just as much between two families as between two individuals, so ensuring the marriage couldn't be anulled through accusations of non-consumation in the future was important.
Can we talk about this poor Utah child named Raygun Steele???
Wtf 💀
Okay but that's kickass. Kickass in a really dumb way that I wouldn't want to inflict on a real live human being, but still, on an abstract level, kickass.
@annawing770 his only career option is WWE
@annawing770Like kickass in the mullet hairstyle back in the '80s kind of kickass?
I'd take that over Jaxyn
I grew up in an extreme mormon family and I’m 26 now still dealing with the repercussions from the shame around sex and my body. When you push those feelings down for so long or never explore them, the body and mind adapt. It’s been a few years since I came out of mormonism and still I’ve come to realize it’ll be a long time before I have a normal relationship with sex or even be able to enjoy it. it’s work to me now and nothing comes naturally. Mormonism is a hypocritical psyop that teaches extreme delusion and groupthink. It’s hard to even sum up my thoughts about my experience.
As a non American, I'm starting to think the US as a whole is a social experiment
edit: this was supposed to be a comment about US trends and how they reflect globally, and while I do understand why you can read it politically, yall need to stop crying about 'generalization is bad' when is literally what humans do (and that you are doing, assuming from my 17ish words comment that I hate the US and that my country is worse) mainly with the easy access to tons of informations (including fake ones) through internet, also yall are assuming things like "your country is probably also bad" yea??? The whole world is?? One thing doesn't cancel the other. I commented about the US because the video was about a majoritarly US culture, the joke I adapted from was focused on a US state.
To be honest we kind of are if you think about how young the country is compared to the rest of the world
it is, america is just like a world in a video game that exists but when you enter it is glitchy and unplayable
Well yeah, it's called "The American Experiment". After 250 years, it is failing miserably (not sure when we weren't failing, tbh. Maybe the 90s?)
Americans feel that way too lol
As an American… well.
Not only are young Mormons getting married short on cash because they have been paying tithing and are likely still in school, the men and sometimes the women just spent two years (or 1.5) paying to work for the church. Which both delays getting a real job and isn't cheap!
Plus if your parents had six kids in 10-12 years, they are probably paying for college and missions for some kids while others are getting married and won't have a lot of cash around either.
Also getting married before 26 kicks you off your parents' insurance and changes FAFSA eligibility so can fuck up ability to pay for school.
I think tge weirdest thing about the "saving yourself for marige" that a lot of people don't think about is exactly that. Imagine your entire two family's spending the wedding day thinkingabout the fact that your doing it tonight 🤢
That's insane. Also, with how much pressure work and energy weddings take, I feel like tye couple should be able to just fuck off home and rest 😂
The fact they consider themselves 'nature lovers' but don't care (or probably even believe it) about climate change or environmental protection is so hypocritical. Especially since their holy book charges them with being 'Good stewards' of the earth. But I expect nothing but selfishness and hypocrisy from religious conservatives at this point.
They believe that stewardship means ownership. I was told this on several occasions growing up in the church. They think if something belongs to them there are almost no limits on what they can do to it. This thinking extends to the way husbands think of their wives, and parents think of their children.
That’s because it’s a right wing corporation basically, loaded with hypocrisy and incoherence
Not believing in climate change and being a Mormon makes sense to me.. most can only handle one cult at a time.
I'm honestly confused. They think Jesus is coming back in five minutes... but he won't be upset that they've trashed the place? Watching this video, I'm 100% confident that Mormon teens are expected to keep the house pristine when their parents aren't home, but apparently Jesus won't care if the world is a mess...
@lucylyall6983 Mormons believe and teach that they own the earth and can do whatever they want with it. There are absolutely NO teachings in the church's entire history about caring for the earth or anything on it. The mess they think Jesus will be upset about is people not paying enough tithing, and LGBT (especially T) people being permitted to exist with any degree of happiness. Source: I'm an ex-mormon.
27:44 oh honey, you PAID for that space
I was about to say the same thing! It wasn’t a free space, it was 10% of their income lol
Churches charge for the space usually to cover the costs of the use of the space tables, and that may or may not include step up or clean up. My grandmother use to be very involved with her church ( Methodist not Mormon ) and she often volunteered to help. If I remember correctly, she was paid separately for helping with the wedding & receptions. Even though you pay a church to use the space 🤷♀️ normally, it is much cheaper than a venue. Venues are always expensive, and you are restricted with packages & vendors. I wanted my last wedding to be at the science museum, and it was understandable that a museum would want to use only vendors that they have vetted. Unfortunately those vendors were expensive and had ridgid fixed menu packages 😒 not doable when you have to account for food allergies and vegetarians & vegans.
47:25 So you're telling me Renesmee wasn't just Stephanie Meyer being weird herself it was ANOTHER Mormon thing? How deep does this go I am losing my mind.
renesmee is a pretty name though at least the hate is so forced, ej was crazy though
The Botox and filler and veneers are a way to demonstrate wealth. It reminds me of aristocratic dresses that were huge because fabric was so expensive.
Pretty hypocritical if you believe what the Bible says that vanity is a sin.
I felt very claustrophobic watching this
Its about control.
As a Pole this is all so fucking stupid to me lol
I recommend the original Stepford Wives, from 1975, over the 2004 remake. It captures the real horror.
I love both of them. So different. The 2004 is more campy.
I read the book last year. The 1975 movie follows along with the book more closely, but the book is so much more horrific. I highly recommend it.
@brookekivii didnt know there was a book! 😮
@seppyq3672yup! Ira Levin is the author. It’s a pretty short book, but oh so chilling. He wrote Rosemary’s Baby as well.
When I was living in Utah I turned 23 and I remember somebody younger than me saying if you turned 23 and are still single you might as well get a walker 🤦♀️
The idea of rolling up to a gas station and seeing two girls in hot pink tracksuits strangely dancing in the middle of the night feels like something you'd see in a B horror movie lol
I was in a cheich that was a high demand religious organization, and we had a large concentration of virgin women. I hated when they would come back from their honeymoon and seeing the women blush at the fact that now everyone was talking about their sex so openly as if it was the personal business of the whole church. I saw usually strong, confident women walking with their heads down full of shame, even though what they did was "allowed".
And the men getting pats on the back.
It was so gross.
It’s a control tactic
Brainwashing them to believe its a bad thing for woman . Most religions blame women for everything and excuse the men for all their "sins". Women get chastised not the men.
I live in Utah and I love it. I'll never leave. I'm exmo and I'm not going to let the Mormons chase me out. We need MORE exmos here! The more exmos we have, the more culture we can change.
I like the way you think here. I left Utah in my late 20s because I never found anyone that felt like my tribe, but maybe if I found more ex-Mormons or never-Mormons, I might have stayed. I do love the land of Utah, but the people in my small home town repulse me, and I'm sure they can't stand me either.
As an ex-Mormon Utahn who attended church as a kid and was amused by how stupid it was, then very easily left it and never had a problem since, I think these people who whine about not being Mormon in Utah are a bunch of cry baby liars. Maybe they're just weak-minded or have a victim complex, I dunno. Not sure what their issue is, but they absolutely over-exaggerate or lie. It's pretty easy to not be Mormon in Utah. If you insist on living in a small rural area, then yeah, that probably is hard. But go try to live in a small rural area in any state or country on this planet and you will discover that most have their own clique-ish/cultish vibe and are difficult for an outsider.
not everyone has the same experience as you, man. people not experiencing the world in exactly the same way that you do doesn't make you better than them, ir just makes them different. you sound very immature and selfish.
We would fly back to the U.K. in the summer from San Diego. Every time we fly over Salt Lake they would have to shut the bar and stop serving alcohol for an hr.
A good friend of mine in high school (not in or near Utah) was Mormon, and I was invited to his wedding reception. It was nice enough. Hosted in the church hall, their families made all the food, low key, but perfectly pleasant. Invitation said it was over at 9. My boyfriend and I got up to dance at 8:15, and came back to find our table being broken down. They were packing up the reception around us in one of the most polite displays of "Please get out," I have ever experienced. We were a little baffled at the time. So thanks for the retroactive context lol, that helps.
"Whooh, dance time! Let's get this party started! 🎉🥳"
"Actually, it's over."
"Oh."
The habit of putting away tables and chairs after every event I attended...the sound of plastic tables being rolled across wooden floors and metal chairs clacking together. People trying to carry upwards of 6 chairs at a time and stacking them against the wall...the scary storage space under the stage where all the tables and chairs were hidden. These will always be engraved into my memories.
Im sorry but those wedding dresses looks like what Obi Wan Kenobi wears😭😭😭😭
now that you've mentioned it, i literally cannot unsee it LMAO 😭
Tennessee is like that with liquor - you can get beer or wine at the grocery store, but anything in the liquor store has to meet specific liquor requirements, so no accessories their either. No corkscrew, fancy glasses, gift bags, none of that at the liquor store.
as a european, some US states fascinate me - Utah is high on that list for... several reasons.
I absolutely agree...every US video I watch fascinates me, and reinforces my desire to never, ever go to...or live in america 😂😂
Florida is also very high on my list for... several reasons as well! 😅
Theres so many mormon churches where I live and I live in the eu
@WordsInPassingI'd feel the exact same way if I wasn't a U.S. citizen living in America 😭
@amaravazquez8591😮😢I'm so sorry !
You mentioned the divorce statistics and I think that's one of the most important factors here. The GOP (and conservative - religious groups) have been fighting to penalize and restrict divorce for decades and decades. They will tell you that if you follow their God's plan and get married and have a family, you will be set and happy for life. That adhering to their religion is the key to happiness and so you won't even need to divorce! And yet, time and time again, in the states that are the most heavily religious, you see that divorces/interest in divorce is at its highest. The cognitive dissonance of these folks must be so incredible I can't even imagine.
Right? It reminds me of the whole "abortion bad but also contraception is bad" fallacy resulting in more unwanted teen pregnancies.
The GOP gets divorced all the time. Trump is divorced twce. was it Newt Gringrich who has been married 4-6 times? That doofus Petw who keeps giving away the USA war plans is divorces 2-3 times. HYPOCRISY
@ariannawiniarski5889 After the second weddings the weddings vows should be altered ;)
I know this sounds trite to say this about these people, but they just really fucking hate women, man. Even when they somehow manage to dupe someone into becoming a trad wife or whatever, they ultimately still can't stand them because they know how to read and write and form opinions
Conservativism is de-evolution for humanity and human rights, doesn't matter what label or religion they slap on the package.
Oh that's why that comic calls her kids chickenliegh and frikenliegh
Mormon weddings versus Mexican Catholic weddings is so fascinating. Yes obviously cult behavior in both religious traditions, but a Mexican catholic wedding you’d might see the priest that officiated the wedding drinking a beer with the bride and groom. You’ll see short dresses and high heels at the mass and reception. Kids will be passed out on the chairs covered by a coat while the music is blasting. And it’ll last til like 2am with an after party (torneboda) at someone’s house with cafecito y más chelas.
Maybe it's just a Catholic thing? Eastern European weddings are quite similar to this, except for the priest, because most of the time they have multiple weddings scheduled in a day at the church
And it’s very high in mlms - Utah that is