Information Effect

LDS Tension

Carter Mann

LDS tension is a complicated topic with lots of subtleties and it affects everyone

different. LDS tension amongst members and non-members occurs everywhere to some degree

but is more prominent in Utah and bordering states like Idaho and Arizona. As of 2017 Utah is

“62.8 percent Mormon” (Canham, 2017) This statistic can be interpreted in different ways

because only about half of those are full out current members. So roughly 40 percent of Utah

goes to an LDS church service once or twice a month. There are also many people who consider

themselves LDS but do not regularly attend. So Utah is very split in terms of people considered

“Mormons.” What is also unique about Utah is that many of the people who aren’t LDS have a

negative view about the church. Many people raised in the church grow up to leave the church

and despise it.

Hatred for the LDS church is stronger in Utah vs other states because the church is more

involved in a non-LDS person’s life than outside Utah. For example, much of the State

government is controlled by the church. “88 percent of Utah legislators — eight of every nine —

are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (Davidson, 2016) This

disproportionate representation in the State government can fuel this hatred for the church. There

is an old saying in Utah that there are two main political parties, the republican party and the

LDS church. A solution for this problem would be for more non-LDS people to run for office,

but this can be very difficult because an LDS candidate is going to be more endorsed more easily

get the public vote.

marry another member from the church in the temple in order to receive a temple recommend.

This is a very big turn off too many people outside of the church because people don’t want to

date or marry people outside of the church. This also causes many people in the church to favor

people in the church over non-members. LDS church members are usually very close knit and

spend lots of time with local members in church activities. This leads to many non-members

feeling left out in their communities, many feel as if they are an outcast. A common question

brought up in a discussion about a person is if they are a member or not, this can feel to many as

a segregation or judgment based on their religious beliefs.

(Flynn, 2016)

It is no secret that a large goal of the church is to convert people to the church, this is a

large reason of why the church emphasizes missionary work. Here is a scriptural quote directly
from the LDS church “Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds,

tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen

state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;

“And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the

kingdom of God” (Mosiah 27:25–26) (LDS.org). The emphasis on conversion is a big key to this

tension. It is very hard to genuinely be friends with someone when you feel like the main reason

they are being kind to you is to convert you. Most non-members in Utah are aware of this

emphasis of conversion and are always thinking their LDS friends are just trying to convert

them.

On the other side of the problem, many Mormons feel that they are the minority and

aren’t treated fairly. “Nearly half of LDS/Mormons (46 percent) consider American society to be

rife with discrimination against members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐Day Saints”

(Rockenbach, 2017). This is now very complicated because we have people on both sides that

feel like they are being discriminated and treated unfairly.

So what is the solution? The solution is to try to be fair to everyone regardless of what

side you are on. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt and try to see it from their view. Try to

understand that the other person isn’t going to change their beliefs with pressure. Try to look at

everyone the same despite what their views are. Loving everyone is the root of this solution and

it is one that the church agrees with. In my flash memoir I used this quote from the church and I

believe it is a quote that everyone can get behind regardless of beliefs. “Live and respectfully

share your beliefs. Have meaningful, kind conversations with those of differing beliefs. Focus on
seeking to understand one another’s perspective and finding common ground that unites you.”

(LDS.org, 2018)

Sources

Canham, Matt, and Salt Lake Tribune. “Salt Lake County Is Becoming Less Mormon — Utah

County Is Headed in the Other Direction.” The Salt Lake Tribune,

archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=5403049&itype=CMSID.

"62.8 percent Mormon"

Davidson, Lee, and Salt Lake Tribune. “With Utah Legislature's Mormon Supermajority, Is It

Representative of the People?” The Salt Lake Tribune,

archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=4663941&itype=CMSID.

“88 percent of Utah legislators — eight of every nine — are members of The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Christ, Jesus. “Conversion.” Doctrine and Covenants 8,

www.lds.org/topics/conversion?lang=eng.
Rockenbach, Alyssa N., et al. “Respecting the LDS/Mormon Minority on Campus: College

Students’ Attitudes toward Latter‐Day Saints.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol.

56, no. 4, Dec. 2017, pp. 798–819. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/jssr.12481. “Nearly half of

LDS/Mormons (46 percent) consider American society to be rife with discrimination against

members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐Day Saints”

“Religious Freedom.” Doctrine and Covenants 8, www.lds.org/religious-

freedom?lang=eng. “Live and respectfully share your beliefs. Have meaningful, kind

conversations with those of differing beliefs. Focus on seeking to understand one another’s

perspective and finding common ground that unites you.”

Suindependent.com, suindependent.com/do-non-mormons-face-discrimination-in-southern-utah/.

(Mormon, non-Mormon picture)

Gordon, Philip Sherman. “Not a Mormon.” Cultural Studies, vol. 19, no. 4, July 2005, pp. 423–

429. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/09502380500219373.