I'm curious if you are actually a religious minority. What I mean by that is I am guessing there are less Muslims, Buddhists, etc... in Utah then Christians. And really if you are a believer in Jesus Christ in a state where the biggest religion is other believers in Jesus Christ are you really a minority? Don't misunderstand me, I get what you mean by saying you are a minority but curious that stats of Protestants vs Muslims vs eastern religions in Utah.
@@Metroid-rg9pn I have a STRONG no-poaching policy. We preach the word, remain kind, hospitable and focus on Jesus. We definitely do social media, mailers and advertising. BUT... the best way to grow a church is via baptisms - those who turn from death to life and put their faith in Christ!
My husband & I, have thoroughly enjoyed watching your videos, so I thought it was time to leave a comment. We live in Idaho & are also members of the church. Your videos have left such a good impression. You & your wife are always kind, respectful and very thoughtful, even if you don’t always agree. It’s a perfect example for all of us. There is no doubt that those you teach & serve, love your family. The people of Utah are blessed to have you there!
It’s definitely not bigger than Christmas, but it’s probably second. And I would say it’s big because of the family aspect and how much young kids love trick or treating.
@@dannylarsen4290nah, I think the two biggest factors should be the families with kids and then the sense of community that being part of a ward provides. Older, empty nesters still interested in seeing the kids from the ward and their parents decorating at least a little Oddly enough, Halloween does not bring "death" to my mind quite as quickly as it makes me think of carving pumpkins, dressing as something fun, corn mazes, and decorating the house cool
Thanks for all the good things you have to say and for your honesty! We are from here, moved away for 13 years where we were the minority, moved back here 17 years ago and finished raising our kids around family. There have been good people everywhere we have lived, with all different backgrounds. My point is this, you are such great people, so warm and friendly and genuine. You see the good here, you reach for good, and I’m sure you know that that makes all the difference for anyone living in any place! Thanks for being good examples of living as the Savior does, by seeing the good! We are blessed to have you here!
You guys seem so sweet, very well spoken and respectful. Joy, you are gorgeous! Thank you for calling us Latter Day Saints & saying the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Very insiteful! Thank you for sharing! I'm a convert in NE. We travel 1hr to meet with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Sandhills Branch (church). That travel is normal around here. Some places have "cottage" meeting where we meet wherever we can, similar to some of the Evangelical meetings in UT. Currently, our closest Temple is 4 hours and 40 minutes away, worth the drive! 😊 Hope you enjoy your time in UT and may God bless you on your journey.
I grew up in the late seventies, eighties, and nineties in Provo. Our neighborhood had two churches: one was LDS and the other was Assemblies of God. The AOG church had a bell tower, and it played hymns every evening around 5 pm (though I'm pretty sure they were just cassette tapes on a loud speaker position near the bells). I remember well when the pastor, whose daughter, Jenna, was in my 1st grade class, invited all of us to tour his church as part of our "getting to know you" program at school. Later, when I was involved in the ubiquitous church basketball tournaments, we invited members of the AOG church to participate in our tournaments. While that church was a purpose-built structure, it no longer functions as a church; rather, it is a retirement facility for Alzheimer's care. I've always wondered what happened. I have lived in Texas since 2002, deep in the heart of evangelical territory. It feels as if I am experiencing the other side of this video. My son, who is a senior in high school, is dating an evangelical girl. It makes for interesting conversations at the dinner table. We have experienced both warm acceptance, as well as blatant bigotry. On the whole, people are pretty good regardless of the religion.
Utah is a cultural shock for other LDS outside of the state. Sometimes people can confuse Utah culture with LDS religion. Although the religion May influence some of those things, many of those “unique” things like pop shops and cookie places, etc are very much not tied to the Church, but more the weakness of some people to sugar. LOL
I have known two different men who literally died when falling from ladders while putting up Christmas lights. Personally, I called an end to such folly years ago for that very reason.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (in Oklahoma), I certainly love and appreciate you two, and what you are accomplishing with Hello Saints! I would love to meet you and would easily consider you dear friends! ❤😇
Great video, Jeff. I moved my family to Utah almost 19 years ago when I retired from the military. I got several job offers around the country but have absolutely no regrets about choosing Utah. The only negative is that the growth has brought horrible traffic and congestion. We used to go hiking on Sundays and the trails would be virtually empty. Now it's hard to get parking even on General Conference Sundays. We want to stay in Utah, but we're considering moving to Logan or Cedar City in a few years. Anyway, here are some random thoughts on things you mentioned in the video: 1) People put their Christmas lights up early because it's easier to put them up when it's 50 degrees than when it's 20 degrees. 2) The soda and cookie shops are a strange phenomena. They've really blown up over the last 10 years or so, and it's weird because they go against the healthy lifestyle that is popular in Utah among both Latter-Day Saints and non-Latter-Day Saints. 3) Having lived all over the country, I have found that it's easy to fit in anywhere if you're kind to people and respect their culture. I live in a predominantly LDS neighborhood in northern Utah County, and my neighbors are terrific. We've only had one family that treated us poorly because we aren't members of the LDS church but I did all I could to make peace with them. That can happen anywhere. I also taught at a high school right across the street from BYU, and my coworkers were almost all BYU grads and they were wonderful to work with. 4) I highly recommend going to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights. My wife and I make a day of it. We do some shopping and eat dinner before dark, then walk around Temple Square after dark. It's beautiful. The Luminaria lights at Thanksgiving Point are also great. Luminaria is geared more towards kids and you can easily spend a couple hours there.
@kevins4254 - Hello. I was in Utah a few years ago in December and was looking forward to strolling around Temple Square and seeing the Christmas lights at night. Turns out it was too frigid cold for me even bundled in a winter coat and mittens. I was so miserable I only lasted about 10 minutes before I had to dash inside. :(
One thing you didn’t say about utah is the wonderful red rocks in the southern part of the state. They say, once you get the red sand between your toes, it’s hard to ever leave this place. Some of the most beautiful scenery in the state. Different than northern utah, but just as beautiful. If you haven’t been to Zion National Park, its a must. There is a reverence there that is just awe inspiring. It was definitely built by the hands of God. Its breathtaking.
I can't believe it's been a year since you moved to Utah. I enjoy your Hello Saints videos and learning the differences between your church and the LDS church. This video made me shed a few tears as i moved to Provo back in the 1970s and worked in the LDS Church Offices. I moved back to Illinois as my mother was very ill, and we were not sure if she would pull through (yes, she did). I miss Utah and the gorgeous mountains! I hope you continue to embrace the Latter-day Saint faith, and the people of Utah do the same for yours. Keep up the wonderful inspiring videos! May you and you family have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
I think the dynamic you experience in Utah is what a lot of latter-day saints experience outside of Utah, and vice versa. Everywhere you go, you need to learn to overcome your weaknesses and find God, the challenges are just different
I would definitely say things have changed since the Olympics in terms of Utahns becoming less insular, but we’ve also had an influx of non-Latter-day Saints moving into the state, so I think that has mixed things up a bit and helped people get to know other lifestyles that are different from their own. I think it’s human nature to think that anyone who is different is “less than”... case in point, I am a Latter-day Saint but my family lived in Los Angeles before moving to the suburbs of SLC when I was eight years old and I definitely experienced culture shock when I started at my new school. I have a disability and was bullied and ostracized for being different, even by the very kids that I went to church with. I had never experienced that kind of difficulty in Los Angeles and I wanted so badly to go back there. So I think we need to be aware of ANY kind of “othering” we do to the people around us, not just to religious minorities here in Utah, and remember to treat everyone in a Christ-like way no matter how different they are from us.
@@kellysong2256Thank you so much. Funnily enough, I ended up in the same ward at one point with someone I went to elementary school with and he took the opportunity to apologize for the way he treated me back then. I appreciated his apology and I know it was just a case of him “being a brat” as you said. 😅 People don’t always live up to the ideals they’ve been taught and I’ve found that forgiveness is the best way to keep my own peace of mind in those situations.
@kellysong2256 Are they? The majority push discrimination against women, the lgbtq+ community, muslims, black people& indigenous people. The Mormon scriptures are full of hatred and abuse, as are talks from the general authorities for nearly 200 years.
Another beautiful video! I worked at the Oquirrh Mountain temple for four years. It's wonderful there! And I think y'all have hit it on the head about Halloween. Its to celebrate with the kids, and a dash of keeping up with the Jones's. Really glad that your kids and family have felt welcome. Been praying for that. You guys are amazing.
I think Evangelical/protestant is on the rise in Utah. I know you have gone to “The Well” I was actually blown away by the youth, and young adult attendance. It’s good to see that if people are loosing faith in the LDS church, they aren’t turning atheist, but finding relationship and community in another Christian church❤ so I hope you and your children are making friends and being included.
Most exmormons do leave religion. The reality is that while not the same as Mormon church, evangelical, catholic & orthodox churches all push a lot of hatred and abuse.
I’m 4th generation Utahn. I have no desire to leave. My mom’s family migrated here in the 1900’s. We were an extended Catholic family. We never really engaged much with any LDS as Catholic’s had their own hospitals, schools, sports programs, scouting programs, businesses, all the way to funeral home’s and cemeteries. It just seems like people tend to want to be among people the most like themselves with similar community interests.
Growing up, we moved a lot because of my father's work. I grew up in UT and CO in the 70s and remember life in UT was family-friendly, healthy, active, and religious. The LDS religion is actually Christian. Only about 55% in UT are LDS, but the majority are Christian. I then moved to the South and Bible Belt in the 80s where the larger Christian religions are Baptist, Church of Christ, and Catholic. LDS churches were less common and met in schools and other buildings until the membership grew to have a church built. We moved to different places; some small towns, some large cities. In the South it was common for Baptist and CoC to meet during the week and for kids hanging out at each other's house that day to go with them to church. I did know many kids who were not allowed to socialize with me and my family because we were LDS. In smaller towns, it was difficult to get on school boards, we'd get hate mail, etc. Guess my point is that it's not an LDS thing, it's more of a cultural thing in a specific location. 😊
We're from outside of Utah and have definitely had a little culture shock just [ visiting ] in state for a few days. What a place !🤩 Keep up the good work. Godspeed!
Wonderful! So glad you have had such a wonderful experience here. Welcome and thank you for all you are doing to share your outside perspective and positive experience.
Having grown up in Texas and Oklahoma as LDS I know the challenges that you are expressing .The difference is that while you are having a positive experience , growing up in the Baptist capital of the world we were always viewed as the strange outsider. In short where ever you go it is up to you to find those who are welcoming and you will eventually feel at home.
I have moved MANY times both in and outside of Utah... I've found that it can be difficult even for members of the church to feel a part of the new ward and community ... as the new person you often have to get out of your comfort zone and be the one to get to know other people. Unfortunate, but true in my experience.
As a kid in the 80s and 90s I had several non member friends. I invited them to church at least once each, but never pushed them. We had plenty of common interests outside of religion.
Loved hearing your perspective of a non lds family moving to Utah. I can relate a little. I am LDS born in Utah but when i was 9 my family moved to US territory of Guam which is very Catholic. In my father's academic circles there were also Buddhists, protestants, and agnostics as well. We lived there for seven years before moving back to Utah. I am grateful for the different perspective i gained and that i learned to have friendships with people who had different spiritual and religious beliefs than myself.
13:03 as a lifelong Utahn and a mom, I ABSOLUTELY agree! We don’t get big into Halloween, but as a kid, trick-or-treating are some of my favorite memories. As a mom, the houses all done up add to the fun for my kids, and I feel pressure to at least decorate a little to be more festive for the kids. 😊 But also, a lot of us here are big kids at heart, and we do get SUPER into decorating and festivities. There are also quite a few houses in any community who go all out with Christmas light displays, set to music or who do live nativities with their farm animals. I love the over-the-top Halloween and Christmas decorators and visit their homes just to admire their displays. Joy, I also LOVE our mountains. I could never leave them. 🏔️❤
You are such a fun couple! As far as Halloween is concerned, as an LDS person, I DON’T GET IT! I hate how over the top Halloween is in Utah. I grew up in SLC and it did not used to be that way. I think you are right, that it’s a family thing. Other than that- I wish people would tone it down. There definitely is no religious connection to it at all. I also find that non-LDS people are the ones who separate themselves because they are worried they will be pressured to join the church. Most LDS people just want to be friends with their neighbors regardless of their religious persuasions. I have no hesitation to go to anyone’s church but I find that nonLDS people are wary of stepping inside an LDS church.
From my experience, many protestant religions really pound the idea that if you kindly associate with LDS people at all, you'll be hypnotized into a trance and start down a slippery slope of cultism and we should be avoided like the plague. It's actually unhinged how deceptive anti-LDS groups are to make people believe we are of the devil, just visit temple square during general conference weekend and you'll see all you need to. I served an LDS mission in Oklahoma and it was really quite entertaining to see ads on bus stop benches, you tube classics like "the godmakers" etc. Spinning our church into something it isn't. I get it tho, people are afraid of what they are unfamiliar with. Turns out, most LDS people are just trying to live their religion as they understand it and grow closer to God and have good hearts just like other religious people are.
I am very active LDS and grew up in Seattle. I have lived in Utah a couple of times as an adult and despite my religious connection I also struggled to assimilate socially. Fortunately I had a lot of family there, so I always had a welcoming place to go. Every holiday in Utah is next level. They are nuts with holidays. It's great. Utah rivals Germany at Christmas. There's nothing like it anywhere else.
Thanks for helping those of us that are Latter-day saints see where we can and need to make changes to be more welcoming to those not of our faith. Please know all are welcome to join any LDS activity
Technically your church, and books, segregate against LGBQT+, black people, women& indigenous people. So your church dropping the cruelty& segregation Would be good changes. It would be great if your leaders stopped committing, enabling& hiding cSA.
I wish we had kept Utah a secret! It’s getting so crowded! I’ve lived many years in the North (SLC, Orem, Provo, Lehi, Murray) and now 11 years in St George and it’s exploding everywhere in the state. I moved here because it was a small city. I love it here but there are things happening that makes me want to search for another small city. St George is becoming a huge city and they are changing the hills and scenery of the city. The traffic is getting really bad (like SLC)!!! I love this video and your positive observations of Utah.
I ALWAYS LOVE hearing your perspective on Latter Day Saint beliefs, Utah culture, and beyond. I am an active member of the church whose parents converted in California when I was a kid, so I didn't really grow up in the Utah/Latter-Day Saint culture, either. I was usually the religious minority as well in most of the settings I was in, so for someone like me, moving from California to a predominantly LDS area for college was a breath of fresh air, but also a culture shock in a different sort of way. So, I can relate to your feelings of entering a different world being in Utah. At 14:45, I was glad to hear you talk about how members in your area are doing their best to reach out and include you into the culture. I still don't live in Utah, but all of my in-laws do, so I still experience it quite often. Despite being active members with pioneer heritage, my in-laws also moved to Utah from out of state, so they have commented over the years of how different the culture is and how it took them some time to assimilate. It's true, there has been a problem in generations past with members excluding or even almost "shunning" those who are of other faiths in the past. I'd like to think these cases are few and far between, but the fact that it's a narrative that has lived on all these years, means it definitely happened, which again, is sad to hear. In fact, Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency of the Church recently reminded members publically how much it saddens church leadership to hear when members do this. Luckily, like you said, in most parts of Utah, that has changed over the past few decades, and all of the reasons you mentioned have definitely played a role. The late-President Gordon B. Hinckley was famous for his outreach efforts to Catholics and Prodestants in Salt Lake, and was even seen attending special Masses or other important events at these churches, so I'd like to think that also influenced my generation (who grew up with him as President of the church), to do the same. Hopefully the trend of openness and inclusion continues for your family and everyone who calls Utah their home, Latter-Day Saint, or not.
I really enjoy watching you guys. I hope you feel welcome in our great State. I've been here all my life. In fact, my kids are 5th generation in the same house. Thanks again for your view, your respect, and what you are doing.
Pioneer Day celebrates everyone who came to develop Utah. That includes rail road people, tradespeople who were not all LDS. I think that’s cool that it’s more inclusive.
10:55 Halloween is often bigger with non-Church members. Some emphasize Halloween as a sort of protest to show they aren’t “churchy”. There are members that are big into it, but they usually go with “cute halloweeen” instead of scary halloween. 🎃
Bingo. It’s not about demons. It’s about a great night dressed up (I was always a princess/never a witch) and getting a pillowcase full of candy. Coming home and emptying it onto the rug and sorting it all out.
I had the opposite experience of living always in Utah and Idaho and then moving to Missouri and being a huge minority. And being the religion that the evangelicals look at sideways as being on the highway to hell, etc. I do think that LDS people don't think of other Christians negatively like the other Christians often look at LDS people. But I've met a whole lot of wonderful people who have different beliefs and who great disciples of Christ. It's been good to get out of the bubble. I miss the mountains though!!
Every time I see something about Utah, I’m reminded of Isaiah 35:1: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.” Salt Lake City was literally a desert. When the Latter-day Saints arrived and Brigham Young declared, “This is the place,” many doubted it could be a land of peace due to its desolation, mountains, and wilderness. However, as Isaiah 2:2 describes, “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.” I believe this is just the beginning of the Lord’s work. The Church will continue to grow, and marvelous things will unfold. This is what I believe.
@@BGCflyer Yes, you're correct, but as I said, those scriptures remind me of the Salt Lake Valley, a desert that blossomed and where the Church was established in the mountains...even though those scriptures are about Jerusalem.
@@BGCflyer Oh yeah, I'm aware of our Church history and the family of Joseph Smith - I'm friends with one of his 3rd-great grandsons who now lives in Utah 🙃 Smiths just sounds better than Youngs for the joke 🤣
Pastor Jeff is really courageous for doing all that hes doing. And I love how respectful he is. I sincerely wonder how he can have a congregation in the middle of UT!
Great video! Been through there a few time driving form Washington to Moab to Jeep, and recently flew our plane back from Arizona through Utah. As we came over the pass and out over Spanish Fork, my wife and I played a game of "who can spot the most temples," until we landed in Brigham City for fuel. She was surprised at the frequency of those white steeples and even the fancier temples.
Hi, I am so glad your video popped up. I hope you feel welcome here in Utah. I live on the west side of the valley. I live in Magna. I am a Latter Day Saint as well as born and raised in Utah. Our mountains are spectacular. There is always something to do somewhere. We do love to celebrate. 🎉 That's for sure.
I don't live in Utah, now, though I did for a few years, but here in Vegas we call our church buildings "chapels". We might say, "Where's the meeting?" Reply,"In the chapel." But that's also a term used for the main sanctuary room for Sunday Sacrament service. Enjoying your channel. 😊
Great video! You are so respectful, I'm sure your being so respectful helps your neighbors reciprocate that respect and friendliness. Thanks for being so kind! Please keep it up!
Great video!! I’ve been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints my whole life so I appreciate your kindness towards members of the church. And I’m happy people are open to going to your church and support your family. By the way, I’m not a big fan of Halloween. There’s fun scary and then theres’s dark scary & I don’t like any of that. There are some Halloween stores that I can’t even walk in. Anyhow, Thanks for all you do!!
A lot of people in Utah do get very into decorating the exterior of their houses for Halloween (maybe more than Christmas even). I actually think that people decorate the INSIDE of their homes far more for Christmas. But, I would argue that decorations aside, Christmas is a far bigger holiday for most of us here. At least in my family, we have far more traditions related to Christmas than Halloween. Halloween is usually just a fun opportunity to make costumes and dress up, but Christmas is a chance to celebrate Christ and spend lots of time with family.
Loved this episode-so grateful for both of your perspectives!! It’s so fun to get to hear an update on how this past year has gone for your beautiful family❤
I grew up here, came back in 2007 after 15 years in CA, CO and TX. The Halloween obsession is fairly recent, enabled by cheap LEDs, electronics and more prosperity. I'd say it started around 2015. Honestly it all makes me ill. I think you're spot-on with the Keeping up with the Jones assessment. Come to my place where we celebrate fall and the harvest instead!
I grew up in Utah, and moved across the country more than 25 years ago. Without hesitation, the thing I miss the most are the mountains. I recently visited my family and didn’t recognize much due to all the growth and construction over the 10 or so years since I last visited. I really enjoy your channel and applaud he goal of learning more about the Latter Day Saints religion, but also sharing your evangelical Protestant teachings. There is a lot of common ground between Christian religions, and I personally feel like far too much time is spent hung up on differences rather than coming together on our common grounds.
Great video. Reminds me of how beautiful the Utah landscapes, neighborhoods, churches, and Temples are. Utah has an interesting culture that is distinct from its interesting religion, but drawn from it, since Brigham Young and other church leaders founded most of the communities in a well-organized fashion. I'm glad you have so many Latter-day Saint friends, who have been good examples of trying to follow Christ's admonition to Love their neighbors. We all fall short now and then, but I think you will find that most Utahans are simply nice folks, striving to live the Gospel, as they understand it, and as taught from the scriptures by modern apostles and prophets.
@hellosaints, I live in Idaho Falls and it is very similar living here. My husband is active in the church, as is most of his family. The Evangelical/ Mainstream Christian & Catholic Church is pretty active here as well but definitely the minority. I appreciate it when the churches play nice with each other because I have seen the opposite unfortunately as well. I would love to see you and Joy come visit the area and see what you think of the culture here. I love how you both are embrace the good in everything and are an encouragement to anyone regardless of their faith background. That is truly what the love of Jesus is!
It's always fun to see your own culture through someone else's eyes! I grew up in CA, but had so many relatives in UT and still do. I also served my mission there. I'm glad you are feeling welcomed! I am in the religious minority amongst my friends right now and it DOES feel lonely sometimes, even when the people are kind and accepting. I really enjoyed this video, thanks for posting! I think you nailed it with the Halloween thing. Really just a time to have fun and see through the eyes of a child with all that imagination.
Traveling to New England, I couldn’t believe how many Protestant churches were in each town - and they were adorable. It reminded me of my home in Utah with so many temple steeples.
14:00 we set up Christmas light early so we don’t have to do it in the freezing cold weather. But also, this is new tradition since 2020. After Covid, everybody just wanted to have Christmas be the most important holiday and celebrate as part of the Thanksgiving holiday. so this is relatively new.
I've watched several of your videos. Very informative. And, I get why this channel is now really popular. I also get that it founded on a genuine desire to learn about and live in harmony with a population that is largely made up of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I guess, what I'm struggling with is, given how long you've been living in Utah and all of the in-depth interactions you've had with members of the Church, why it is that you still refer to us by a name we stopped using long before you moved here. I have served as a Communications Specialist for the Church for many years, so this is a particularly poignant matter for me. Of course, professionally, as a UX designer and one who is very familiar with Internet functionality, as well, I do understand that if you don't use that term (or even that image of the Book of Mormon in your profile pic), then the search-engine algorithms won't pull up your channel as often and you won't get as many clicks; which equal subscriptions and product sales, and in the end, cash. That, too, is important because as we know, it's definitely not cheap living in Utah. Every dime helps. But, if I may, I would sincerely and kindly ask that you please stop using the term "Mormons" in the marketing or anywhere else associated with your product. If you really care about the members of the Church as you genuinely seem to, this should be an easy thing to change. I thank you in advance for at least considering it. ♥ I am sure I speak for many when I say that we do appreciate the respectful nature you've approached Church-related topics and experiences and all other aspects of this series. Sadly, much of the world would not be so kind. So, thank you for your efforts. I'm happy you and your family have found a great place to feel comfortable calling home. May heartfelt and prayerful desire is that God will bless you and your loved ones this Christmas season and throughout the New Year. ♥ 🙏🎄
As I’ve explained in many other videos, there are many people outside of Utah who don’t realize the name has changed. Many people back in St. Louis and beyond don’t know that Latter-day Saints and Mormonism is the same thing. Thanks for watching!
@@HelloSaints Actually, maybe no one has told you this, but, while the now-retired term "Mormon" was commonly used in and outside of the Church, the term "Mormonism" is a term that was coined by haters of the Church back in Joseph Smith's time. Sadly, it's still used today; most often-and even respectfully-by people of other Christian faiths to differentiate us as non-Christians because we study the Book of Mormon along with the Bible. I hope you've been able to teach your followers that this couldn't be further from the truth. 🙏 Of course, as I'm typing this, I can see out of the corner of my eye included in the queue of videos, one by your channel with the title "Pastor & Wife: MOST SHOCKING LDS BELIEFS" emblazoned across the thumbnail image. I'm pretty sure we both know enough about marketing to understand the purpose of such semantics and graphic usage. As for those outside of Utah, there are people inside of Utah who don't know that we no longer use the term "Mormon". You'll find that true regardless of geography or demographic. But there are ways you can refer to the Church using the term "Mormon" in an effort to educate people (and still trigger the desired SEO results and algorithms). It's like Twitter did when it became X. It added "formerly known as Twitter" after any reference to X. Eventually, people caught on and that clarifying addition was no longer needed. You could say, 'members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly referred to as "Mormons")' or something to that effect. 👍Hope that helps. God bless! ♥
My wife and I are LDS. But, we want you to know that we love you videos! We used to live in the southern part of the valley. If we ever move back we would love to look you folks up and get to know you saints! Have a Merry Christmas!! We look forward to seeing more of your presentation's!! Take care!9
I can so relate to the culture shock of the first year moving to a completely different part of the country with a totally different culture. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (say that ten times fast...), I moved to the Deep South a few years ago, after living in Utah for thirty years. It was a culture shock for sure for me too! I miss my mountains and having my ward members with in a square mile of me rather than miles and miles apart. There is a tighter sense of community in Utah than I have found here, but my neighbors here are good and not one of us goes to the same church. lol. I hadn't experienced that in decades and it took a while to readjust to. Here there are churches on every corner too, but they're all different Christian churches! That's a culture shock too and just as funny to a "Utah Mormon" as it would be to a Southern Baptist moving to Utah and seeing the same church on every corner...lol. I love that You drove by where I last lived...Oquirhh Mountain Temple area...ahh home. Here in the Deep South, I volunteer at a Christian based ministry that feeds the homeless and low income. It has been the most awesome experience to share my love of Jesus in the very heart of the Bible Belt. My love for Jesus has multiplied here and I have learned soooo much from the wonderful pastors on the many great Christian radio stations. I feel my depth of conversion to Christ has increased a ton here as well. I feel the Holy Spirit often here, listening to great pastors preach on the radio. I feel like I've gotten a deeper baptism of the Holy Spirit here in some ways, but I miss having my temple so much closer to home and the connection to God it gives me just being on the peaceful temple grounds. I definitely took for granted being able to see the temple, from my home, while I was in Utah. I think the Lord is teaching us all something important about just how big His kingdom really is and the focus He puts in different parts of His Kingdom, before His soon return. As for Halloween decor in Utah at Halloween...it has exploded only in the last two decades, in part because live theater is huge in Utah and nothing speaks theater better than turning your house into a giant stage...but yes...The Jones' are to blame too. Personally, I never got into Halloween decorations much as I don't like to put too much emphasis on gory and evil crap, but I tried to have a Happy Halloween with fun decorations...though I enjoy Christmas, and Christmas decorations much more as I tune into Jesus more this time of year. Just FYI, There are a lot of amazing Christmas houses in Utah too, so make sure to drive by those this month. Thank you for your fun adventures in Utah. God bless.
Hey there was a lot of things I didn't know about my own culture and a few things I nodded my head at and chuckled. thanks for the great insight! Thank you for being so patient with a culture here and being so open. The early saints went through a great deal of persecution. They were kicked out of their homes and experienced a lot of trauma along the way. Some Saints have been protective of their communities for generations. Some may still view outsiders has being unsafe. My family are converts to the church from California so when I moved to Utah we found this really strange, but after studying church history and psychology I understand a little bit more about why.
I have followed you since the beginning. I love hearing your perspective on our church and digging into the culture! Keep it up. Glad you are able to enjoy the things we love about living in Utah. I assume you live in the Southwest end of the Valley based on your videos. I ive in Herriman. The best area to live!
You absolutely hit the nail on the head about Utah Halloween being so extra Jeff, it starts because it's a fun thing to get your family in on, and then it inevitably gets blown into ridiculous proportions because Utah is the worldwide capital of keeping up with the Joneses. Keeping up with the Joneses is actually really chronic in Utah, and although (like many things) it has roots in the LDS population, it has very much become part of general Utah culture as a whole.
I love this video so much!!! Utah is certainly a beautiful state with so much natural beauty. I grew up in Idaho, very similar to Utah and we just take every opportunity to celebrate, especially in the fall and winter when it is cold. It gives us something to look forward to!!
As a non LDS members (actually catholic) I am very interested because i don't know exactly how LDS live is,. I love your attitude toward other Christ inspired religious believes. And this video really stilled my curiosity about how life is there as a non LDS member. I was wondering,, altough its not fastfood that you see so much, but doesnt all the sweet stuff like sodas and cookies and sweets cause more diabetis there? For the rest, thank you for sharing so much about all-LDS. This helps me to understand them and apreciate them more, and also exploring and loving and living more my own religious convictions!
I was a little disappointed that you didn't talk about your encounters with just regular folk in Utah. ...Like when you go to the store or at restaurants, or when you encounter neighbors, and how they are compared to where you came from. I have heard that Utahans are very friendly and considerate, and are generous in the time and attention they pay to others.
He did a little bit. Jeff said that people who recognize him don't try and argue with him for the most part, but are curious and kind. He mentioned that people have gone out of their way to check on his family and invite them to things. I think that even in Utah, it depends on the area, whether it's rural or urban, how chatty or welcoming people tend to be. 😊 Maybe Jeff and/or Joy will do a day in the life type video sometime where we can see their daily interactions with the regular people of Utah. 😊
Born and bred in Utah, moved away 56 years ago. My family never decorated for Halloween, nor did I do so with my own kids, nor do I do it now. As for as this Latter-Day Saint is concerned, Halloween is abominable. Autumnal decorating, pumpkins, corn, leaf garlands, yes, Halloween, no way.
❤ I love the mountains too! But I live in Kansas. 😢 But even more I love is what Isaiah said about the last days and the temple. 1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Yes, all eyes are on Israel and her neighbors in the Middle East to see when Jesus will return and the mountain of the Lord in Jerusalem will once again be exalted with a 3rd Temple built upon it for sacrifices, and God's chosen people, the Jewish race, will one day see their Messiah coming down to place a foot on either side of the Kidron Valley, vanquishing all God's foes. God loves His promised land and is doing a great job of protecting it until Jesus returns.
Yes, The churches of different faiths are definitely more inconspicuous in the Salt Lake Utah counties. Where I live in Davis county, possibly because of the Air Force base they are much more noticable. In the Ogden area well. I grew up in Utah county and I never met anyone from a different faith until I got to 7th grade and my new friend moved in. She invited me to Queens church with her family and I was surprised when we had to drive all the way to Sandy to attend church services at their Baptist Church. On returning home I commented to my dad that I had never experienced church with another religion and he told me sorry. He said that he had done me a disservice by not taking our family to different church services. I vowed to myself then that I would not shut myself off from Lord's children no matter what faith or religion they practice. And I'm so glad that I have kept that open mind as an adult. I have had the opportunity to meet and become friends with many wonderful people that I may not have met otherwise. I want my son to experience other church services as well and where we live in Davis county there are so many opportunities to do so. With a buddist temple in Layton, an Evangelical congregation that meets in a school in Farmington, a non-denominational Christian group in Centerville, and the most beautiful Catholic church in South Ogden that I actually had the opportunity to watch be built and then was invited for a tour of by one of the priests who happened to be on the board at the scouts America office I was working at at the time. So many wonderful people here in the area Davis and Ogden/Weber counties is where it's at!
As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I welcome you. It's definitely a different culture. My family and I lived in Louisiana for a few years, and coming from somewhere else, it's kind of a shock to live in Utah. I will say, I feel safer here than in Louisiana, but we loved the culture and the food there.
Great video! I appreciate your "cracking the code" and showing how to disarm potential threats and discomforts with curiosity and openness. It is interesting how the majority population in Utah communities can appear closed, isolated, and naive when viewed from a distance. There is this misconception that LDS people are naive and misunderstanding of the "outside" world. Reality is often in stark contrast to that misconception. A huge percentage of the adult heads of households have lived outside of Utah for 18+ months during their very impressionable early adulthood. After missionary service, many people developed a love of difference and diversity that the LDS people are not commonly credited for. We welcome the uniqueness that your family adds. You may need to help us better understand you. Covertly trying to figure each other out is awkward for all parties. We are happy to have you here! You are not just among us. Our theology holds that you are our neighbors and were God's invitation and command to love you as ourselves. May the mountain and Mormon hugs continue!
Looks like this was filmed earlier in the fall. When I saw this was just posted, I thought it was going to be a video about the inversions. An unfortunate winter staple in the valley.
As a kid we decorated for Halloween and went all out. We spent time planning and working hard together to put things together in the front yard. We didn't like anything too creepy but it was just really fun for the neighborhood and connecting with one another. It helped start conversations with neighborhoods. I think the weather makes it a easier time to decorate. Christmas is also pretty big but harder with the cold weather and snow. So I think its very much about family connection.
Hey pastor Jeff, I'll be performing at a church Christmas party this upcoming Wednesday, December 11, 2024 and you'd be totally welcome to come!! Dinner will be provided and you can bring the whole family. The event starts at 18:00 (that's 6pm) and if you're in salt lake or Utah county aka Provo / Orem it's an hour drive up the canyon. Oakley is 14 miles East of Park City 1224 W UT-32 OAKLEY, 84055. I would love it if you could come!! This is not one where you can show up fashionably late, come early to get a good seat. Dinner is at 6.
As an active LDS member and an Utah Native you have pointed out so many of the things I dislike about Utah. -soda and cookie shops; I like them as much as the next person (and I hate that I do), they are detrimental to our health here. The amount is sugar in those cookies is frightening. Any health benefits of the word of wisdom wiped out by these two things. -Stanley’s; I LOTHE (like the Grinch) these freaking cups! My wife has one and it’s always in the way in the car and every woman aged 8-80 apparently needs one to survive. 😂 -Halloween more popular than Christmas. That is just a sad state of affairs for the “Mormon capital of the world”. This one I don’t get as I have never been big into Halloween, but to each their own, I guess. -Keeping up with the Jones. This one drives me crazy!! Fortunately, this is much more prevalent in the affluent areas of the state, which I currently don’t live in. The love of money (and things money can buy 🧐) is truly the root of all evil. Some people have too much money for their own good and it shows. Things I love about Utah: mountains, Temples, patriotism and Conservative values (more rural Utah), and guns (at least in my county).
I'm a member, but I wish the cities were more homey, and individualistic instead of just one giant one, with them all meshed together down the Wasatch Front. The culture just seems like pressure to conform. I love the church, but hate Utah. It's just big, houses, Freeways, and plazas. Very prosperous, but no culture, apart from the church, and spending money.
Thank you, I enjoyed this video. It's not as cold at Halloween as it is at Christmas. I now live in AZ and decorate a lot more at Christmas here than I did there, weather doesn't bury or destroy all the decor. I was born in South Jordan, not far from the Oquirrh Mountain Temple you visited. I moved to CA for 10 years when I was 7 then have been in AZ most of my adult life. It is always interesting to go back and see just how fast it is growing. It was very interesting for me now to see this from a new perspective.
I haven't read other comments so maybe someone already said this, but just to be clear, Utah culture/Utah LDS culture does not represent LDS culture everywhere--it's definitely its own brand. On the topic of Halloween for example, we're in Richmond VA, and there are people here who go all out for Halloween decorations, and it's not tied to someone's religious affiliation. Most LDS people I know here don't go to those lengths on that.
I have enjoyed your videos! I’m from Seattle and my husband is from Southern California, our family moved to St. George Ut. 11 years ago. I am a Latter Day Saint and have been all of my life. For me it was a huge culture shock when we moved here. I wasn’t used to seeing church buildings on almost every corner and we only had one Temple in Seattle and one in L.A. I do love it here, but I am definitely aware of how different it is in Utah compared to other States. I’m big in to decorating for Halloween and Christmas, but it’s something that I love doing and my kids love it. I did grow up in Funeral Homes and my parents knew how to throw some epic Halloween parties, I’m sure my love for Halloween stems from that! You two are awesome, I hope you keep making amazing videos and closing that religious/cultural gap❤❤❤
As a member of the Church (in another country), when you related how you felt about been the minority in a religious area. A lot of it I can relate to. Including using things like halls and so on for church. I can remember many a time when by my gran in another town over we would have church in her Lounge (sittingroom). And yes even like us who have lived all our lives where we are, but are still the minority. For me there is so many things you have to think about before doing something. It can be some times tricky navigating some of it. Especially in my case it is things I should not be doing. I've watched others especially where it is part of the culture of their extended families and how it is demanded of them and they have to stand up and say no. It takes a lot of courage to do so. In some cultures here, a big one here is Labola (bride price). I can remember one member having to explain to his future father-in-law that it was something he couldn't do.
You can't understand your own culture until you hear about it through the eyes of another person who isn't a part. Thanks. In my older years (69), I have come to understand that other Christian faiths are very important; when Jesus Christ returns, there will be many who will bend the knee to him, not just the "Mormons." Other Evangelicals will be right there with us, all together, bending their knees with us. We can and will be "one" at that joyous time.
I think there's a different experience of a place depending on how curious you are about the local culture. I'm Mormon, but I've lived in a lot that have strong cultural orthodoxies, such as Utah, Japan, California, and quite literally Romania. If you're openly visiting churches and asking questions, even if you choose in general not to go to an activity, you still feel kind of connected to what's going on. You feel like you have options. Also, people will still invite you to events because you might say yes. On the other hand, if you avoid everything Mormon, it feels like everyone's involved in something you don't understand and people often stop inviting you because you keep saying no. But the same thing is generally true of other places. Californian are SUPER defensive and insular about their political correctness, more so than any other place I lived (and I grew up there). However, generally, once people understand that you are asking genuine questions about what they believe and why they believe it, you do research, you represent their views in good faith, they open up a lot.
I live in a community with lots of members of the church and sometimes I worry about inviting people to church activities because I don't want them to feel pressured. I hadn't thought that maybe they have been hoping for an invitation.
@@kerrymoser1110 I think there is a balance. I think people like to know what's going on around them. They also want to feel like, whether or not there in all the same groups as you, you'd still chat with them and your kids can play together. But no one wants to feel left out or pressured.
I agree! Especially the part of non LDS moving into an area and if they are willing to participate and accept invites- they will keep coming! If members are constantly being turned down or made to feel like they are intruding, then invites will stop. We truly don’t want people to feel like we are forcing them to do anything. AND this is hard, though, because most…nearly all…community activities revolve around the church. We have some lovely neighbors who are not LDS, nor do I think they ever will become LDS, but they come to all the activities and we love it and love them!
Depending on who meets there and what the function is, the church meetinghouses are sometimes referred to as Ward buildings or Stake Centers. Thanks for giving your take on Utah and the Utah "culture." I grew up in Southern California and moved to North Idaho after 54 years. Last week, I went to Utah to visit my mom and family for Thanksgiving. It was almost like being back in Los Angeles County, just cleaner in most aspects. I have learned I am no longer a "city boy" and couldn't wait to get back to my North Idahome where we don't have to "keep up with the Joneses (Smiths).
One factor about living in Utah that many people who live here know of, but don’t often think about is the root cause of the tribalism. Utahns came here originally as a life preservation measure. Church members fled first the north east, and then the mid west to escape persecution and death. A place was sought after where members could not just thrive, but survive. People who were neighbors were literally trying to kill us. Once here, anyone who arrived from the outside world was looked at with suspicion, and as a mortal threat. That became engrained in the culture, and has taken a very long time to dispel. Now our standoffishness is more centered around over crowding, and a desire to not see the place we grew up in over run. Thanks for taking the time to learn about Utah, and church members, now get out! 😜🤟🏻
22:26 That’s because of our doctrine, where we don’t believe people are “going to hell” for having less of the truth. We believe God reveals truth as each child is ready for more. So that’s why we are open and not worried as much about converting people to us. We worry more about serving others so they can feel the love of the Lord and the Holy Spirit so that HE can convert them to His church, for it is His work. Amazing what different doctrine brings as far as fruits go.
I really enjoy your videos. So glad there is rational dialogue between the Evangelicals and the LDS community. I was in Seattle among a larger Evangelical community back in the late '90s. One of my fellow Boeing engineers who was a good family man and an evangelical actually believed that all of us LDS were going to hell and that we literally had horns under our hair. I thought he was kidding at first - and then realized he was dead serious and proceeded to let him feel for my "horn buds". I expected more rational thought from an engineer and fellow Christian. I considered him somewhat of a friend, so to discover this deep-seated belief actually was pretty hurtful. The biases were just wild. So, yes it is refreshing to see a couple that has the light of Christ in their eyes and are able to see things rationally and as they are. There is alot more done with honey than with something bitter. Glad that the LDS community is a little more open to people not of their faith, as well. It used to pain me to hear about the insularity of the folks in Utah - but remember that, if it exists, it is likely due to past history. Historically speaking, the Saints have gotten the hell beaten out of them by other people who masqueraded as Christians - but those whom Jesus would reject for hypocrisy, etc. It is our (LDS) clear belief that people of all walks and faiths will exist during the Millennium (at least at the beginning of it) because those who are able to "thread the needle" will be pure of heart and will only live to serve the God of this land, who is Jesus Christ. He is coming soon - so we have little time left to repent and prepare.
The same feeling go for Latterday saints that move out of Utah to the Midwest, or East. I know people that there was only 1 or two Latterday Saints in their school, or community and they felt excluded because their beliefs were different from everyone else.
17:07 Jeff, why do evangelicals not care to close businesses on Sundays? Or rather, encourage businesses being closed on Sundays by not shopping? They used to care but then stopped caring in the 60’s and 70’s.
It might be due to the change which day people choose Sabbath. Traditionally it’s been Sunday but with church available on other days Christians can make their sabbath other days
What questions do you have about our first year living in Utah?
As a pastor, how do you gain a congregation in Utah? Do you put up flyers? Do you have to poach from other pastors?
Do you like fry sauce?
I'm curious if you are actually a religious minority. What I mean by that is I am guessing there are less Muslims, Buddhists, etc... in Utah then Christians. And really if you are a believer in Jesus Christ in a state where the biggest religion is other believers in Jesus Christ are you really a minority?
Don't misunderstand me, I get what you mean by saying you are a minority but curious that stats of Protestants vs Muslims vs eastern religions in Utah.
Have you seen the light of the world statues at luminaria in thanksgiving point? If not I think you guys would love it!
@@Metroid-rg9pn I have a STRONG no-poaching policy. We preach the word, remain kind, hospitable and focus on Jesus. We definitely do social media, mailers and advertising. BUT... the best way to grow a church is via baptisms - those who turn from death to life and put their faith in Christ!
My husband & I, have thoroughly enjoyed watching your videos, so I thought it was time to leave a comment. We live in Idaho & are also members of the church. Your videos have left such a good impression. You & your wife are always kind, respectful and very thoughtful, even if you don’t always agree. It’s a perfect example for all of us. There is no doubt that those you teach & serve, love your family. The people of Utah are blessed to have you there!
12/!2/24
I can't answer why Utah is so big on Halloween. It's not anything to do with religious belief. I would say it's the family aspect of the holiday.
It’s definitely not bigger than Christmas, but it’s probably second. And I would say it’s big because of the family aspect and how much young kids love trick or treating.
Perhaps it's the emphasis the LDS Church puts on doing work for the dead.
@@dannylarsen4290 No, it isn't. I think @CryptoCPA is right, family aspect.
@@dannylarsen4290nah, I think the two biggest factors should be the families with kids and then the sense of community that being part of a ward provides.
Older, empty nesters still interested in seeing the kids from the ward and their parents decorating at least a little
Oddly enough, Halloween does not bring "death" to my mind quite as quickly as it makes me think of carving pumpkins, dressing as something fun, corn mazes, and decorating the house cool
I don’t decorate or really care about Halloween, in fact I find it kinda dark, however I do love that time of year.
Thanks for all the good things you have to say and for your honesty! We are from here, moved away for 13 years where we were the minority, moved back here 17 years ago and finished raising our kids around family. There have been good people everywhere we have lived, with all different backgrounds. My point is this, you are such great people, so warm and friendly and genuine. You see the good here, you reach for good, and I’m sure you know that that makes all the difference for anyone living in any place! Thanks for being good examples of living as the Savior does, by seeing the good! We are blessed to have you here!
You guys seem so sweet, very well spoken and respectful. Joy, you are gorgeous!
Thank you for calling us Latter Day Saints & saying the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
M8m
Very insiteful! Thank you for sharing! I'm a convert in NE. We travel 1hr to meet with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Sandhills Branch (church). That travel is normal around here. Some places have "cottage" meeting where we meet wherever we can, similar to some of the Evangelical meetings in UT. Currently, our closest Temple is 4 hours and 40 minutes away, worth the drive! 😊 Hope you enjoy your time in UT and may God bless you on your journey.
I grew up in the late seventies, eighties, and nineties in Provo. Our neighborhood had two churches: one was LDS and the other was Assemblies of God. The AOG church had a bell tower, and it played hymns every evening around 5 pm (though I'm pretty sure they were just cassette tapes on a loud speaker position near the bells). I remember well when the pastor, whose daughter, Jenna, was in my 1st grade class, invited all of us to tour his church as part of our "getting to know you" program at school. Later, when I was involved in the ubiquitous church basketball tournaments, we invited members of the AOG church to participate in our tournaments. While that church was a purpose-built structure, it no longer functions as a church; rather, it is a retirement facility for Alzheimer's care. I've always wondered what happened. I have lived in Texas since 2002, deep in the heart of evangelical territory. It feels as if I am experiencing the other side of this video. My son, who is a senior in high school, is dating an evangelical girl. It makes for interesting conversations at the dinner table. We have experienced both warm acceptance, as well as blatant bigotry. On the whole, people are pretty good regardless of the religion.
Utah is a cultural shock for other LDS outside of the state. Sometimes people can confuse Utah culture with LDS religion. Although the religion May influence some of those things, many of those “unique” things like pop shops and cookie places, etc are very much not tied to the Church, but more the weakness of some people to sugar. LOL
Pop shops isn’t tied to the fact that Mormons are banned by the church from purchasing from coffee shops? It really seems like a replacement.
@@timmiestabrnakbuying a hot chocolate from Starbucks is fine 😉
@@timmiestabrnakbuying a hot chocolate from Starbucks is fine 😉
@@timmiestabrnak buying a hot chocolate from Starbucks is fine 😉
@@timmiestabrnakyes! Replacement for coffee shop/cafe culture
You need to put Christmas lights up early if you don't want to be climbing ladders in snow, ice, or just stinking cold. 😅
I was thinking the same thing! We put up decorations early because if you wait too long the weather gets yucky and you’ve missed your chance. 😆
I have known two different men who literally died when falling from ladders while putting up Christmas lights. Personally, I called an end to such folly years ago for that very reason.
Jeff and Joy, you are pioneers here in Utah in your own way. Glad you’re here.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (in Oklahoma), I certainly love and appreciate you two, and what you are accomplishing with Hello Saints! I would love to meet you and would easily consider you dear friends! ❤😇
Great video, Jeff. I moved my family to Utah almost 19 years ago when I retired from the military. I got several job offers around the country but have absolutely no regrets about choosing Utah. The only negative is that the growth has brought horrible traffic and congestion. We used to go hiking on Sundays and the trails would be virtually empty. Now it's hard to get parking even on General Conference Sundays. We want to stay in Utah, but we're considering moving to Logan or Cedar City in a few years. Anyway, here are some random thoughts on things you mentioned in the video:
1) People put their Christmas lights up early because it's easier to put them up when it's 50 degrees than when it's 20 degrees.
2) The soda and cookie shops are a strange phenomena. They've really blown up over the last 10 years or so, and it's weird because they go against the healthy lifestyle that is popular in Utah among both Latter-Day Saints and non-Latter-Day Saints.
3) Having lived all over the country, I have found that it's easy to fit in anywhere if you're kind to people and respect their culture. I live in a predominantly LDS neighborhood in northern Utah County, and my neighbors are terrific. We've only had one family that treated us poorly because we aren't members of the LDS church but I did all I could to make peace with them. That can happen anywhere. I also taught at a high school right across the street from BYU, and my coworkers were almost all BYU grads and they were wonderful to work with.
4) I highly recommend going to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights. My wife and I make a day of it. We do some shopping and eat dinner before dark, then walk around Temple Square after dark. It's beautiful. The Luminaria lights at Thanksgiving Point are also great. Luminaria is geared more towards kids and you can easily spend a couple hours there.
Thank you for your beautiful perspective!
I vote for Logan. I love Logan ❤️!
@kevins4254 - Hello. I was in Utah a few years ago in December and was looking forward to strolling around Temple Square and seeing the Christmas lights at night. Turns out it was too frigid cold for me even bundled in a winter coat and mittens. I was so miserable I only lasted about 10 minutes before I had to dash inside. :(
Sorry you had a bad experience. Utah does tend to get cold and it can be brutal.
One thing you didn’t say about utah is the wonderful red rocks in the southern part of the state. They say, once you get the red sand between your toes, it’s hard to ever leave this place. Some of the most beautiful scenery in the state. Different than northern utah, but just as beautiful. If you haven’t been to Zion National Park, its a must. There is a reverence there that is just awe inspiring. It was definitely built by the hands of God. Its breathtaking.
I can't believe it's been a year since you moved to Utah. I enjoy your Hello Saints videos and learning the differences between your church and the LDS church. This video made me shed a few tears as i moved to Provo back in the 1970s and worked in the LDS Church Offices. I moved back to Illinois as my mother was very ill, and we were not sure if she would pull through (yes, she did). I miss Utah and the gorgeous mountains! I hope you continue to embrace the Latter-day Saint faith, and the people of Utah do the same for yours. Keep up the wonderful inspiring videos! May you and you family have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Pastor Jeff and Beautiful Joy we are so happy you're here. You are the best!
I think the dynamic you experience in Utah is what a lot of latter-day saints experience outside of Utah, and vice versa. Everywhere you go, you need to learn to overcome your weaknesses and find God, the challenges are just different
Moved away from Utah at 20. 40 now. This video made me miss it a lot.
I would definitely say things have changed since the Olympics in terms of Utahns becoming less insular, but we’ve also had an influx of non-Latter-day Saints moving into the state, so I think that has mixed things up a bit and helped people get to know other lifestyles that are different from their own. I think it’s human nature to think that anyone who is different is “less than”... case in point, I am a Latter-day Saint but my family lived in Los Angeles before moving to the suburbs of SLC when I was eight years old and I definitely experienced culture shock when I started at my new school. I have a disability and was bullied and ostracized for being different, even by the very kids that I went to church with. I had never experienced that kind of difficulty in Los Angeles and I wanted so badly to go back there. So I think we need to be aware of ANY kind of “othering” we do to the people around us, not just to religious minorities here in Utah, and remember to treat everyone in a Christ-like way no matter how different they are from us.
To be fair, the majority of LDS kids are kind to others
@@kellysong2256 They might be now, but in my experience they weren’t so nice back in the late 80s/early 90s. I’m glad things have changed.
@@Nicole-en1km I'm sorry that you encountered some little brats that were surely taught better 🙏
@@kellysong2256Thank you so much. Funnily enough, I ended up in the same ward at one point with someone I went to elementary school with and he took the opportunity to apologize for the way he treated me back then. I appreciated his apology and I know it was just a case of him “being a brat” as you said. 😅 People don’t always live up to the ideals they’ve been taught and I’ve found that forgiveness is the best way to keep my own peace of mind in those situations.
@kellysong2256 Are they? The majority push discrimination against women, the lgbtq+ community, muslims, black people& indigenous people. The Mormon scriptures are full of hatred and abuse, as are talks from the general authorities for nearly 200 years.
Im a member from Venezuela living in Utah and I love you and your wife's videos pastor Jeff!!
Another beautiful video! I worked at the Oquirrh Mountain temple for four years. It's wonderful there! And I think y'all have hit it on the head about Halloween. Its to celebrate with the kids, and a dash of keeping up with the Jones's. Really glad that your kids and family have felt welcome. Been praying for that. You guys are amazing.
You two are absolutely delightful. Though I don’t live in Utah, I appreciate your warmth and wonderful portrayal of the LDS people.
I think Evangelical/protestant is on the rise in Utah. I know you have gone to “The Well” I was actually blown away by the youth, and young adult attendance. It’s good to see that if people are loosing faith in the LDS church, they aren’t turning atheist, but finding relationship and community in another Christian church❤ so I hope you and your children are making friends and being included.
Most exmormons do leave religion. The reality is that while not the same as Mormon church, evangelical, catholic & orthodox churches all push a lot of hatred and abuse.
I’m 4th generation Utahn. I have no desire to leave. My mom’s family migrated here in the 1900’s. We were an extended Catholic family. We never really engaged much with any LDS as Catholic’s had their own hospitals, schools, sports programs, scouting programs, businesses, all the way to funeral home’s and cemeteries. It just seems like people tend to want to be among people the most like themselves with similar community interests.
Growing up, we moved a lot because of my father's work. I grew up in UT and CO in the 70s and remember life in UT was family-friendly, healthy, active, and religious. The LDS religion is actually Christian. Only about 55% in UT are LDS, but the majority are Christian.
I then moved to the South and Bible Belt in the 80s where the larger Christian religions are Baptist, Church of Christ, and Catholic. LDS churches were less common and met in schools and other buildings until the membership grew to have a church built.
We moved to different places; some small towns, some large cities. In the South it was common for Baptist and CoC to meet during the week and for kids hanging out at each other's house that day to go with them to church.
I did know many kids who were not allowed to socialize with me and my family because we were LDS. In smaller towns, it was difficult to get on school boards, we'd get hate mail, etc.
Guess my point is that it's not an LDS thing, it's more of a cultural thing in a specific location. 😊
We're from outside of Utah and have definitely had a little culture shock just [ visiting ] in state for a few days.
What a place !🤩 Keep up the good work. Godspeed!
Wonderful! So glad you have had such a wonderful experience here. Welcome and thank you for all you are doing to share your outside perspective and positive experience.
Having grown up in Texas and Oklahoma as LDS I know the challenges that you are expressing .The difference is that while you are having a positive experience , growing up in the Baptist capital of the world we were always viewed as the strange outsider. In short where ever you go it is up to you to find those who are welcoming and you will eventually feel at home.
Thank you for being so respectful. It’s been fun seeing/hearing about your experiences! ❤
Also the bit about the Stanley mug was hilarious
I have moved MANY times both in and outside of Utah... I've found that it can be difficult even for members of the church to feel a part of the new ward and community ... as the new person you often have to get out of your comfort zone and be the one to get to know other people. Unfortunate, but true in my experience.
I think that is a feeling anywhere one moves too.
As a kid in the 80s and 90s I had several non member friends. I invited them to church at least once each, but never pushed them. We had plenty of common interests outside of religion.
Loved hearing your perspective of a non lds family moving to Utah. I can relate a little. I am LDS born in Utah but when i was 9 my family moved to US territory of Guam which is very Catholic. In my father's academic circles there were also Buddhists, protestants, and agnostics as well. We lived there for seven years before moving back to Utah. I am grateful for the different perspective i gained and that i learned to have friendships with people who had different spiritual and religious beliefs than myself.
13:03 as a lifelong Utahn and a mom, I ABSOLUTELY agree! We don’t get big into Halloween, but as a kid, trick-or-treating are some of my favorite memories. As a mom, the houses all done up add to the fun for my kids, and I feel pressure to at least decorate a little to be more festive for the kids. 😊
But also, a lot of us here are big kids at heart, and we do get SUPER into decorating and festivities. There are also quite a few houses in any community who go all out with Christmas light displays, set to music or who do live nativities with their farm animals. I love the over-the-top Halloween and Christmas decorators and visit their homes just to admire their displays.
Joy, I also LOVE our mountains. I could never leave them. 🏔️❤
You are such a fun couple! As far as Halloween is concerned, as an LDS person, I DON’T GET IT! I hate how over the top Halloween is in Utah. I grew up in SLC and it did not used to be that way. I think you are right, that it’s a family thing. Other than that- I wish people would tone it down. There definitely is no religious connection to it at all.
I also find that non-LDS people are the ones who separate themselves because they are worried they will be pressured to join the church. Most LDS people just want to be friends with their neighbors regardless of their religious persuasions. I have no hesitation to go to anyone’s church but I find that nonLDS people are wary of stepping inside an LDS church.
From my experience, many protestant religions really pound the idea that if you kindly associate with LDS people at all, you'll be hypnotized into a trance and start down a slippery slope of cultism and we should be avoided like the plague. It's actually unhinged how deceptive anti-LDS groups are to make people believe we are of the devil, just visit temple square during general conference weekend and you'll see all you need to. I served an LDS mission in Oklahoma and it was really quite entertaining to see ads on bus stop benches, you tube classics like "the godmakers" etc. Spinning our church into something it isn't. I get it tho, people are afraid of what they are unfamiliar with. Turns out, most LDS people are just trying to live their religion as they understand it and grow closer to God and have good hearts just like other religious people are.
I am very active LDS and grew up in Seattle. I have lived in Utah a couple of times as an adult and despite my religious connection I also struggled to assimilate socially. Fortunately I had a lot of family there, so I always had a welcoming place to go.
Every holiday in Utah is next level. They are nuts with holidays. It's great. Utah rivals Germany at Christmas. There's nothing like it anywhere else.
Thanks for helping those of us that are Latter-day saints see where we can and need to make changes to be more welcoming to those not of our faith. Please know all are welcome to join any LDS activity
Technically your church, and books, segregate against LGBQT+, black people, women& indigenous people. So your church dropping the cruelty& segregation Would be good changes. It would be great if your leaders stopped committing, enabling& hiding cSA.
I wish we had kept Utah a secret! It’s getting so crowded! I’ve lived many years in the North (SLC, Orem, Provo, Lehi, Murray) and now 11 years in St George and it’s exploding everywhere in the state. I moved here because it was a small city. I love it here but there are things happening that makes me want to search for another small city. St George is becoming a huge city and they are changing the hills and scenery of the city. The traffic is getting really bad (like SLC)!!!
I love this video and your positive observations of Utah.
I think St. G will continue to expand. It’s a cool place and becoming known.
I ALWAYS LOVE hearing your perspective on Latter Day Saint beliefs, Utah culture, and beyond. I am an active member of the church whose parents converted in California when I was a kid, so I didn't really grow up in the Utah/Latter-Day Saint culture, either. I was usually the religious minority as well in most of the settings I was in, so for someone like me, moving from California to a predominantly LDS area for college was a breath of fresh air, but also a culture shock in a different sort of way. So, I can relate to your feelings of entering a different world being in Utah.
At 14:45, I was glad to hear you talk about how members in your area are doing their best to reach out and include you into the culture. I still don't live in Utah, but all of my in-laws do, so I still experience it quite often. Despite being active members with pioneer heritage, my in-laws also moved to Utah from out of state, so they have commented over the years of how different the culture is and how it took them some time to assimilate.
It's true, there has been a problem in generations past with members excluding or even almost "shunning" those who are of other faiths in the past. I'd like to think these cases are few and far between, but the fact that it's a narrative that has lived on all these years, means it definitely happened, which again, is sad to hear.
In fact, Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency of the Church recently reminded members publically how much it saddens church leadership to hear when members do this. Luckily, like you said, in most parts of Utah, that has changed over the past few decades, and all of the reasons you mentioned have definitely played a role. The late-President Gordon B. Hinckley was famous for his outreach efforts to Catholics and Prodestants in Salt Lake, and was even seen attending special Masses or other important events at these churches, so I'd like to think that also influenced my generation (who grew up with him as President of the church), to do the same. Hopefully the trend of openness and inclusion continues for your family and everyone who calls Utah their home, Latter-Day Saint, or not.
I really enjoy watching you guys. I hope you feel welcome in our great State. I've been here all my life. In fact, my kids are 5th generation in the same house. Thanks again for your view, your respect, and what you are doing.
Pioneer Day celebrates everyone who came to develop Utah. That includes rail road people, tradespeople who were not all LDS. I think that’s cool that it’s more inclusive.
I hope that Pastor Jeff goes to the days of 47 parade next year!! It would be fun if he was in it, too! 😊
10:55 Halloween is often bigger with non-Church members. Some emphasize Halloween as a sort of protest to show they aren’t “churchy”. There are members that are big into it, but they usually go with “cute halloweeen” instead of scary halloween. 🎃
Bingo. It’s not about demons. It’s about a great night dressed up (I was always a princess/never a witch) and getting a pillowcase full of candy. Coming home and emptying it onto the rug and sorting it all out.
I had the opposite experience of living always in Utah and Idaho and then moving to Missouri and being a huge minority. And being the religion that the evangelicals look at sideways as being on the highway to hell, etc. I do think that LDS people don't think of other Christians negatively like the other Christians often look at LDS people.
But I've met a whole lot of wonderful people who have different beliefs and who great disciples of Christ. It's been good to get out of the bubble.
I miss the mountains though!!
Every time I see something about Utah, I’m reminded of Isaiah 35:1: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.”
Salt Lake City was literally a desert. When the Latter-day Saints arrived and Brigham Young declared, “This is the place,” many doubted it could be a land of peace due to its desolation, mountains, and wilderness. However, as Isaiah 2:2 describes, “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.”
I believe this is just the beginning of the Lord’s work. The Church will continue to grow, and marvelous things will unfold. This is what I believe.
…the scriptures you’ve quoted from Isaiah are about the Judah and Jerusalem. The restoring of the Temple in Jerusalem and the mountains of Israel.
@@BGCflyer Yes, you're correct, but as I said, those scriptures remind me of the Salt Lake Valley, a desert that blossomed and where the Church was established in the mountains...even though those scriptures are about Jerusalem.
@ …oh I see, ok that makes sense
It's not "keeping up with the Joneses" in Utah, it's "keeping up with the Smiths" 🤣
lol
That's what I was thinking, too....lol 😂
@@tylerwastl2624 …ha ha ha. Sadly the Smiths never came west with Brigham Young. But I totally get the joke!
@@BGCflyer Oh yeah, I'm aware of our Church history and the family of Joseph Smith - I'm friends with one of his 3rd-great grandsons who now lives in Utah 🙃 Smiths just sounds better than Youngs for the joke 🤣
You both are so wonderful, kind and caring. Thank you
Seattle/lifelong LDS🙏🏻
Pastor Jeff is really courageous for doing all that hes doing. And I love how respectful he is. I sincerely wonder how he can have a congregation in the middle of UT!
We used to live in Utah, and that is what we liked. We live in Texas now and don't have mountains here. So glad you are enjoying Utah.
Great video! Been through there a few time driving form Washington to Moab to Jeep, and recently flew our plane back from Arizona through Utah. As we came over the pass and out over Spanish Fork, my wife and I played a game of "who can spot the most temples," until we landed in Brigham City for fuel. She was surprised at the frequency of those white steeples and even the fancier temples.
Hi, I am so glad your video popped up. I hope you feel welcome here in Utah.
I live on the west side of the valley. I live in Magna.
I am a Latter Day Saint as well as born and raised in Utah.
Our mountains are spectacular. There is always something to do somewhere. We do love to celebrate. 🎉 That's for sure.
I don't live in Utah, now, though I did for a few years, but here in Vegas we call our church buildings "chapels". We might say, "Where's the meeting?" Reply,"In the chapel." But that's also a term used for the main sanctuary room for Sunday Sacrament service. Enjoying your channel. 😊
Great video! You are so respectful, I'm sure your being so respectful helps your neighbors reciprocate that respect and friendliness. Thanks for being so kind! Please keep it up!
Great video!!
I’ve been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints my whole life so I appreciate your kindness towards members of the church.
And I’m happy people are open to going to your church and support your family.
By the way, I’m not a big fan of Halloween. There’s fun scary and then theres’s dark scary & I don’t like any of that.
There are some Halloween stores that I can’t even walk in.
Anyhow, Thanks for all you do!!
A lot of people in Utah do get very into decorating the exterior of their houses for Halloween (maybe more than Christmas even). I actually think that people decorate the INSIDE of their homes far more for Christmas.
But, I would argue that decorations aside, Christmas is a far bigger holiday for most of us here. At least in my family, we have far more traditions related to Christmas than Halloween. Halloween is usually just a fun opportunity to make costumes and dress up, but Christmas is a chance to celebrate Christ and spend lots of time with family.
Loved this episode-so grateful for both of your perspectives!! It’s so fun to get to hear an update on how this past year has gone for your beautiful family❤
I grew up here, came back in 2007 after 15 years in CA, CO and TX. The Halloween obsession is fairly recent, enabled by cheap LEDs, electronics and more prosperity. I'd say it started around 2015. Honestly it all makes me ill. I think you're spot-on with the Keeping up with the Jones assessment. Come to my place where we celebrate fall and the harvest instead!
I grew up in Utah, and moved across the country more than 25 years ago. Without hesitation, the thing I miss the most are the mountains. I recently visited my family and didn’t recognize much due to all the growth and construction over the 10 or so years since I last visited.
I really enjoy your channel and applaud he goal of learning more about the Latter Day Saints religion, but also sharing your evangelical Protestant teachings. There is a lot of common ground between Christian religions, and I personally feel like far too much time is spent hung up on differences rather than coming together on our common grounds.
Great video. Reminds me of how beautiful the Utah landscapes, neighborhoods, churches, and Temples are. Utah has an interesting culture that is distinct from its interesting religion, but drawn from it, since Brigham Young and other church leaders founded most of the communities in a well-organized fashion. I'm glad you have so many Latter-day Saint friends, who have been good examples of trying to follow Christ's admonition to Love their neighbors. We all fall short now and then, but I think you will find that most Utahans are simply nice folks, striving to live the Gospel, as they understand it, and as taught from the scriptures by modern apostles and prophets.
@hellosaints, I live in Idaho Falls and it is very similar living here. My husband is active in the church, as is most of his family. The Evangelical/ Mainstream Christian & Catholic Church is pretty active here as well but definitely the minority. I appreciate it when the churches play nice with each other because I have seen the opposite unfortunately as well. I would love to see you and Joy come visit the area and see what you think of the culture here. I love how you both are embrace the good in everything and are an encouragement to anyone regardless of their faith background. That is truly what the love of Jesus is!
We latter-day saints tend to replace all other more traditional "vices" with sugar...
or non-coffee/tea caffeine...
It's always fun to see your own culture through someone else's eyes! I grew up in CA, but had so many relatives in UT and still do. I also served my mission there. I'm glad you are feeling welcomed! I am in the religious minority amongst my friends right now and it DOES feel lonely sometimes, even when the people are kind and accepting. I really enjoyed this video, thanks for posting! I think you nailed it with the Halloween thing. Really just a time to have fun and see through the eyes of a child with all that imagination.
Traveling to New England, I couldn’t believe how many Protestant churches were in each town - and they were adorable. It reminded me of my home in Utah with so many temple steeples.
14:00 we set up Christmas light early so we don’t have to do it in the freezing cold weather. But also, this is new tradition since 2020. After Covid, everybody just wanted to have Christmas be the most important holiday and celebrate as part of the Thanksgiving holiday. so this is relatively new.
I've watched several of your videos. Very informative. And, I get why this channel is now really popular. I also get that it founded on a genuine desire to learn about and live in harmony with a population that is largely made up of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I guess, what I'm struggling with is, given how long you've been living in Utah and all of the in-depth interactions you've had with members of the Church, why it is that you still refer to us by a name we stopped using long before you moved here. I have served as a Communications Specialist for the Church for many years, so this is a particularly poignant matter for me. Of course, professionally, as a UX designer and one who is very familiar with Internet functionality, as well, I do understand that if you don't use that term (or even that image of the Book of Mormon in your profile pic), then the search-engine algorithms won't pull up your channel as often and you won't get as many clicks; which equal subscriptions and product sales, and in the end, cash. That, too, is important because as we know, it's definitely not cheap living in Utah. Every dime helps. But, if I may, I would sincerely and kindly ask that you please stop using the term "Mormons" in the marketing or anywhere else associated with your product. If you really care about the members of the Church as you genuinely seem to, this should be an easy thing to change. I thank you in advance for at least considering it. ♥
I am sure I speak for many when I say that we do appreciate the respectful nature you've approached Church-related topics and experiences and all other aspects of this series. Sadly, much of the world would not be so kind. So, thank you for your efforts. I'm happy you and your family have found a great place to feel comfortable calling home. May heartfelt and prayerful desire is that God will bless you and your loved ones this Christmas season and throughout the New Year. ♥ 🙏🎄
As I’ve explained in many other videos, there are many people outside of Utah who don’t realize the name has changed. Many people back in St. Louis and beyond don’t know that Latter-day Saints and Mormonism is the same thing. Thanks for watching!
@@HelloSaints Actually, maybe no one has told you this, but, while the now-retired term "Mormon" was commonly used in and outside of the Church, the term "Mormonism" is a term that was coined by haters of the Church back in Joseph Smith's time. Sadly, it's still used today; most often-and even respectfully-by people of other Christian faiths to differentiate us as non-Christians because we study the Book of Mormon along with the Bible. I hope you've been able to teach your followers that this couldn't be further from the truth. 🙏 Of course, as I'm typing this, I can see out of the corner of my eye included in the queue of videos, one by your channel with the title "Pastor & Wife: MOST SHOCKING LDS BELIEFS" emblazoned across the thumbnail image. I'm pretty sure we both know enough about marketing to understand the purpose of such semantics and graphic usage. As for those outside of Utah, there are people inside of Utah who don't know that we no longer use the term "Mormon". You'll find that true regardless of geography or demographic. But there are ways you can refer to the Church using the term "Mormon" in an effort to educate people (and still trigger the desired SEO results and algorithms). It's like Twitter did when it became X. It added "formerly known as Twitter" after any reference to X. Eventually, people caught on and that clarifying addition was no longer needed. You could say, 'members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly referred to as "Mormons")' or something to that effect. 👍Hope that helps. God bless! ♥
I think you are right about the Halloween thing. Competition amongst neighbors. Fun stuff
My wife and I are LDS. But, we want you to know that we love you videos! We used to live in the southern part of the valley. If we ever move back we would love to look you folks up and get to know you saints! Have a Merry Christmas!! We look forward to seeing more of your presentation's!! Take care!9
I can so relate to the culture shock of the first year moving to a completely different part of the country with a totally different culture. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (say that ten times fast...), I moved to the Deep South a few years ago, after living in Utah for thirty years. It was a culture shock for sure for me too! I miss my mountains and having my ward members with in a square mile of me rather than miles and miles apart. There is a tighter sense of community in Utah than I have found here, but my neighbors here are good and not one of us goes to the same church. lol. I hadn't experienced that in decades and it took a while to readjust to. Here there are churches on every corner too, but they're all different Christian churches! That's a culture shock too and just as funny to a "Utah Mormon" as it would be to a Southern Baptist moving to Utah and seeing the same church on every corner...lol.
I love that You drove by where I last lived...Oquirhh Mountain Temple area...ahh home.
Here in the Deep South, I volunteer at a Christian based ministry that feeds the homeless and low income. It has been the most awesome experience to share my love of Jesus in the very heart of the Bible Belt. My love for Jesus has multiplied here and I have learned soooo much from the wonderful pastors on the many great Christian radio stations. I feel my depth of conversion to Christ has increased a ton here as well. I feel the Holy Spirit often here, listening to great pastors preach on the radio. I feel like I've gotten a deeper baptism of the Holy Spirit here in some ways, but I miss having my temple so much closer to home and the connection to God it gives me just being on the peaceful temple grounds. I definitely took for granted being able to see the temple, from my home, while I was in Utah. I think the Lord is teaching us all something important about just how big His kingdom really is and the focus He puts in different parts of His Kingdom, before His soon return.
As for Halloween decor in Utah at Halloween...it has exploded only in the last two decades, in part because live theater is huge in Utah and nothing speaks theater better than turning your house into a giant stage...but yes...The Jones' are to blame too. Personally, I never got into Halloween decorations much as I don't like to put too much emphasis on gory and evil crap, but I tried to have a Happy Halloween with fun decorations...though I enjoy Christmas, and Christmas decorations much more as I tune into Jesus more this time of year. Just FYI, There are a lot of amazing Christmas houses in Utah too, so make sure to drive by those this month. Thank you for your fun adventures in Utah. God bless.
Welcome to Utah!! Glad you are here!!!!❤
Hey there was a lot of things I didn't know about my own culture and a few things I nodded my head at and chuckled. thanks for the great insight!
Thank you for being so patient with a culture here and being so open.
The early saints went through a great deal of persecution. They were kicked out of their homes and experienced a lot of trauma along the way. Some Saints have been protective of their communities for generations. Some may still view outsiders has being unsafe. My family are converts to the church from California so when I moved to Utah we found this really strange, but after studying church history and psychology I understand a little bit more about why.
I have followed you since the beginning. I love hearing your perspective on our church and digging into the culture! Keep it up. Glad you are able to enjoy the things we love about living in Utah. I assume you live in the Southwest end of the Valley based on your videos. I ive in Herriman. The best area to live!
It's always good to be learning. Knowledge is one of the few things that is ours forever.
You are in my neighborhood! Love Daybreak and Love Swig!
You absolutely hit the nail on the head about Utah Halloween being so extra Jeff, it starts because it's a fun thing to get your family in on, and then it inevitably gets blown into ridiculous proportions because Utah is the worldwide capital of keeping up with the Joneses. Keeping up with the Joneses is actually really chronic in Utah, and although (like many things) it has roots in the LDS population, it has very much become part of general Utah culture as a whole.
I love this video so much!!! Utah is certainly a beautiful state with so much natural beauty. I grew up in Idaho, very similar to Utah and we just take every opportunity to celebrate, especially in the fall and winter when it is cold. It gives us something to look forward to!!
As a non LDS members (actually catholic) I am very interested because i don't know exactly how LDS live is,. I love your attitude toward other Christ inspired religious believes. And this video really stilled my curiosity about how life is there as a non LDS member. I was wondering,, altough its not fastfood that you see so much, but doesnt all the sweet stuff like sodas and cookies and sweets cause more diabetis there? For the rest, thank you for sharing so much about all-LDS. This helps me to understand them and apreciate them more, and also exploring and loving and living more my own religious convictions!
I really enjoy you and your wifes presentations I live in probably the longest established mormon community in Canada which is Cardston Alberta
I was a little disappointed that you didn't talk about your encounters with just regular folk in Utah. ...Like when you go to the store or at restaurants, or when you encounter neighbors, and how they are compared to where you came from. I have heard that Utahans are very friendly and considerate, and are generous in the time and attention they pay to others.
He did a little bit. Jeff said that people who recognize him don't try and argue with him for the most part, but are curious and kind. He mentioned that people have gone out of their way to check on his family and invite them to things.
I think that even in Utah, it depends on the area, whether it's rural or urban, how chatty or welcoming people tend to be. 😊
Maybe Jeff and/or Joy will do a day in the life type video sometime where we can see their daily interactions with the regular people of Utah. 😊
Born and bred in Utah, moved away 56 years ago. My family never decorated for Halloween, nor did I do so with my own kids, nor do I do it now. As for as this Latter-Day Saint is concerned, Halloween is abominable. Autumnal decorating, pumpkins, corn, leaf garlands, yes, Halloween, no way.
I agree COMPLETELY!!
Hi Pastor Jeff! We are coming to Utah during Christmas to visit my family and we would love to see one of your sermons. Where can we come see you?
❤ I love the mountains too!
But I live in Kansas. 😢
But even more I love is what Isaiah said about the last days and the temple.
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Yes, all eyes are on Israel and her neighbors in the Middle East to see when Jesus will return and the mountain of the Lord in Jerusalem will once again be exalted with a 3rd Temple built upon it for sacrifices, and God's chosen people, the Jewish race, will one day see their Messiah coming down to place a foot on either side of the Kidron Valley, vanquishing all God's foes. God loves His promised land and is doing a great job of protecting it until Jesus returns.
Yes, The churches of different faiths are definitely more inconspicuous in the Salt Lake Utah counties. Where I live in Davis county, possibly because of the Air Force base they are much more noticable. In the Ogden area well. I grew up in Utah county and I never met anyone from a different faith until I got to 7th grade and my new friend moved in. She invited me to Queens church with her family and I was surprised when we had to drive all the way to Sandy to attend church services at their Baptist Church. On returning home I commented to my dad that I had never experienced church with another religion and he told me sorry. He said that he had done me a disservice by not taking our family to different church services. I vowed to myself then that I would not shut myself off from Lord's children no matter what faith or religion they practice. And I'm so glad that I have kept that open mind as an adult. I have had the opportunity to meet and become friends with many wonderful people that I may not have met otherwise. I want my son to experience other church services as well and where we live in Davis county there are so many opportunities to do so. With a buddist temple in Layton, an Evangelical congregation that meets in a school in Farmington, a non-denominational Christian group in Centerville, and the most beautiful Catholic church in South Ogden that I actually had the opportunity to watch be built and then was invited for a tour of by one of the priests who happened to be on the board at the scouts America office I was working at at the time. So many wonderful people here in the area Davis and Ogden/Weber counties is where it's at!
As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I welcome you. It's definitely a different culture. My family and I lived in Louisiana for a few years, and coming from somewhere else, it's kind of a shock to live in Utah. I will say, I feel safer here than in Louisiana, but we loved the culture and the food there.
Great video! I appreciate your "cracking the code" and showing how to disarm potential threats and discomforts with curiosity and openness. It is interesting how the majority population in Utah communities can appear closed, isolated, and naive when viewed from a distance. There is this misconception that LDS people are naive and misunderstanding of the "outside" world. Reality is often in stark contrast to that misconception. A huge percentage of the adult heads of households have lived outside of Utah for 18+ months during their very impressionable early adulthood. After missionary service, many people developed a love of difference and diversity that the LDS people are not commonly credited for. We welcome the uniqueness that your family adds. You may need to help us better understand you. Covertly trying to figure each other out is awkward for all parties. We are happy to have you here! You are not just among us. Our theology holds that you are our neighbors and were God's invitation and command to love you as ourselves. May the mountain and Mormon hugs continue!
Looks like this was filmed earlier in the fall. When I saw this was just posted, I thought it was going to be a video about the inversions. An unfortunate winter staple in the valley.
The inversion is ROUGH right now.
As a kid we decorated for Halloween and went all out. We spent time planning and working hard together to put things together in the front yard. We didn't like anything too creepy but it was just really fun for the neighborhood and connecting with one another. It helped start conversations with neighborhoods. I think the weather makes it a easier time to decorate. Christmas is also pretty big but harder with the cold weather and snow. So I think its very much about family connection.
One the best video that you have done: speaking on the positives
Hey pastor Jeff, I'll be performing at a church Christmas party this upcoming Wednesday, December 11, 2024 and you'd be totally welcome to come!! Dinner will be provided and you can bring the whole family. The event starts at 18:00 (that's 6pm) and if you're in salt lake or Utah county aka Provo / Orem it's an hour drive up the canyon. Oakley is 14 miles East of Park City 1224 W UT-32 OAKLEY, 84055. I would love it if you could come!! This is not one where you can show up fashionably late, come early to get a good seat. Dinner is at 6.
As an active LDS member and an Utah Native you have pointed out so many of the things I dislike about Utah.
-soda and cookie shops; I like them as much as the next person (and I hate that I do), they are detrimental to our health here. The amount is sugar in those cookies is frightening. Any health benefits of the word of wisdom wiped out by these two things.
-Stanley’s; I LOTHE (like the Grinch) these freaking cups! My wife has one and it’s always in the way in the car and every woman aged 8-80 apparently needs one to survive. 😂
-Halloween more popular than Christmas. That is just a sad state of affairs for the “Mormon capital of the world”. This one I don’t get as I have never been big into Halloween, but to each their own, I guess.
-Keeping up with the Jones. This one drives me crazy!! Fortunately, this is much more prevalent in the affluent areas of the state, which I currently don’t live in. The love of money (and things money can buy 🧐) is truly the root of all evil. Some people have too much money for their own good and it shows.
Things I love about Utah: mountains, Temples, patriotism and Conservative values (more rural Utah), and guns (at least in my county).
I'm a member, but I wish the cities were more homey, and individualistic instead of just one giant one, with them all meshed together down the Wasatch Front. The culture just seems like pressure to conform. I love the church, but hate Utah. It's just big, houses, Freeways, and plazas. Very prosperous, but no culture, apart from the church, and spending money.
Thank you, I enjoyed this video. It's not as cold at Halloween as it is at Christmas. I now live in AZ and decorate a lot more at Christmas here than I did there, weather doesn't bury or destroy all the decor.
I was born in South Jordan, not far from the Oquirrh Mountain Temple you visited. I moved to CA for 10 years when I was 7 then have been in AZ most of my adult life. It is always interesting to go back and see just how fast it is growing. It was very interesting for me now to see this from a new perspective.
I haven't read other comments so maybe someone already said this, but just to be clear, Utah culture/Utah LDS culture does not represent LDS culture everywhere--it's definitely its own brand. On the topic of Halloween for example, we're in Richmond VA, and there are people here who go all out for Halloween decorations, and it's not tied to someone's religious affiliation. Most LDS people I know here don't go to those lengths on that.
I have enjoyed your videos! I’m from Seattle and my husband is from Southern California, our family moved to St. George Ut. 11 years ago. I am a Latter Day Saint and have been all of my life. For me it was a huge culture shock when we moved here. I wasn’t used to seeing church buildings on almost every corner and we only had one Temple in Seattle and one in L.A. I do love it here, but I am definitely aware of how different it is in Utah compared to other States. I’m big in to decorating for Halloween and Christmas, but it’s something that I love doing and my kids love it. I did grow up in Funeral Homes and my parents knew how to throw some epic Halloween parties, I’m sure my love for Halloween stems from that! You two are awesome, I hope you keep making amazing videos and closing that religious/cultural gap❤❤❤
As a member of the Church (in another country), when you related how you felt about been the minority in a religious area. A lot of it I can relate to. Including using things like halls and so on for church. I can remember many a time when by my gran in another town over we would have church in her Lounge (sittingroom). And yes even like us who have lived all our lives where we are, but are still the minority. For me there is so many things you have to think about before doing something. It can be some times tricky navigating some of it. Especially in my case it is things I should not be doing.
I've watched others especially where it is part of the culture of their extended families and how it is demanded of them and they have to stand up and say no. It takes a lot of courage to do so.
In some cultures here, a big one here is Labola (bride price). I can remember one member having to explain to his future father-in-law that it was something he couldn't do.
You can't understand your own culture until you hear about it through the eyes of another person who isn't a part. Thanks.
In my older years (69), I have come to understand that other Christian faiths are very important; when Jesus Christ returns, there will be many who will bend the knee to him, not just the "Mormons." Other Evangelicals will be right there with us, all together, bending their knees with us. We can and will be "one" at that joyous time.
…I appreciate those kinds words. So much has changed over the last 200 years.
I think there's a different experience of a place depending on how curious you are about the local culture. I'm Mormon, but I've lived in a lot that have strong cultural orthodoxies, such as Utah, Japan, California, and quite literally Romania.
If you're openly visiting churches and asking questions, even if you choose in general not to go to an activity, you still feel kind of connected to what's going on. You feel like you have options. Also, people will still invite you to events because you might say yes. On the other hand, if you avoid everything Mormon, it feels like everyone's involved in something you don't understand and people often stop inviting you because you keep saying no.
But the same thing is generally true of other places. Californian are SUPER defensive and insular about their political correctness, more so than any other place I lived (and I grew up there). However, generally, once people understand that you are asking genuine questions about what they believe and why they believe it, you do research, you represent their views in good faith, they open up a lot.
I live in a community with lots of members of the church and sometimes I worry about inviting people to church activities because I don't want them to feel pressured. I hadn't thought that maybe they have been hoping for an invitation.
@@kerrymoser1110 I think there is a balance. I think people like to know what's going on around them. They also want to feel like, whether or not there in all the same groups as you, you'd still chat with them and your kids can play together.
But no one wants to feel left out or pressured.
I agree! Especially the part of non LDS moving into an area and if they are willing to participate and accept invites- they will keep coming! If members are constantly being turned down or made to feel like they are intruding, then invites will stop. We truly don’t want people to feel like we are forcing them to do anything. AND this is hard, though, because most…nearly all…community activities revolve around the church. We have some lovely neighbors who are not LDS, nor do I think they ever will become LDS, but they come to all the activities and we love it and love them!
Depending on who meets there and what the function is, the church meetinghouses are sometimes referred to as Ward buildings or Stake Centers. Thanks for giving your take on Utah and the Utah "culture." I grew up in Southern California and moved to North Idaho after 54 years. Last week, I went to Utah to visit my mom and family for Thanksgiving. It was almost like being back in Los Angeles County, just cleaner in most aspects. I have learned I am no longer a "city boy" and couldn't wait to get back to my North Idahome where we don't have to "keep up with the Joneses (Smiths).
One factor about living in Utah that many people who live here know of, but don’t often think about is the root cause of the tribalism. Utahns came here originally as a life preservation measure. Church members fled first the north east, and then the mid west to escape persecution and death. A place was sought after where members could not just thrive, but survive. People who were neighbors were literally trying to kill us. Once here, anyone who arrived from the outside world was looked at with suspicion, and as a mortal threat. That became engrained in the culture, and has taken a very long time to dispel. Now our standoffishness is more centered around over crowding, and a desire to not see the place we grew up in over run. Thanks for taking the time to learn about Utah, and church members, now get out! 😜🤟🏻
22:26 That’s because of our doctrine, where we don’t believe people are “going to hell” for having less of the truth. We believe God reveals truth as each child is ready for more. So that’s why we are open and not worried as much about converting people to us. We worry more about serving others so they can feel the love of the Lord and the Holy Spirit so that HE can convert them to His church, for it is His work. Amazing what different doctrine brings as far as fruits go.
I really enjoy your videos. So glad there is rational dialogue between the Evangelicals and the LDS community. I was in Seattle among a larger Evangelical community back in the late '90s. One of my fellow Boeing engineers who was a good family man and an evangelical actually believed that all of us LDS were going to hell and that we literally had horns under our hair. I thought he was kidding at first - and then realized he was dead serious and proceeded to let him feel for my "horn buds". I expected more rational thought from an engineer and fellow Christian. I considered him somewhat of a friend, so to discover this deep-seated belief actually was pretty hurtful. The biases were just wild. So, yes it is refreshing to see a couple that has the light of Christ in their eyes and are able to see things rationally and as they are. There is alot more done with honey than with something bitter. Glad that the LDS community is a little more open to people not of their faith, as well. It used to pain me to hear about the insularity of the folks in Utah - but remember that, if it exists, it is likely due to past history. Historically speaking, the Saints have gotten the hell beaten out of them by other people who masqueraded as Christians - but those whom Jesus would reject for hypocrisy, etc. It is our (LDS) clear belief that people of all walks and faiths will exist during the Millennium (at least at the beginning of it) because those who are able to "thread the needle" will be pure of heart and will only live to serve the God of this land, who is Jesus Christ. He is coming soon - so we have little time left to repent and prepare.
The same feeling go for Latterday saints that move out of Utah to the Midwest, or East. I know people that there was only 1 or two Latterday Saints in their school, or community and they felt excluded because their beliefs were different from everyone else.
I love how you characterize Utah. You are usually spot on.
17:07 Jeff, why do evangelicals not care to close businesses on Sundays? Or rather, encourage businesses being closed on Sundays by not shopping? They used to care but then stopped caring in the 60’s and 70’s.
It might be due to the change which day people choose Sabbath. Traditionally it’s been Sunday but with church available on other days Christians can make their sabbath other days