Why Utah is So Weird

Wendover Productions
5 Apr 202424:44

Summary

TLDRThe video script explores the unique cultural and political landscape of Utah, shaped predominantly by the influence of the Mormon community. It delves into how the state's history, from its founding by Mormon pioneers to modern day, has led to distinctive social norms and policies. These include the prevalence of 'dirty-soda' shops due to religious prohibitions on hot drinks, strict alcohol laws influenced by the Word of Wisdom, and the intertwining of church and state in education. The script also highlights Utah's anomalous political stances, such as its support for LGBTQ rights and undocumented immigrants, which contrast with its conservative Republican majority. The narrative suggests that Utah's policies are pragmatic and serve to strengthen the Mormon church's global relevance and influence.

Takeaways

  • đŸ—ïž Utah's unique cultural and political landscape is largely influenced by the Mormon majority and its history.
  • đŸ„€ The state's prohibition of 'hot drinks' according to the Word of Wisdom led to the creation of drive-thru soda shops and the popularity of 'dirty-soda'.
  • đŸș Utah has strict alcohol laws, including a 0.05% blood-alcohol content limit for drunk-driving and state-run stores for alcohol sales with limited hours.
  • 🎉 Pioneer Day, celebrated on July 24th, marks the arrival of the first Mormon settlers and is almost as significant as Independence Day in Utah.
  • đŸ›ïž The relationship between the church and state in Utah can be blurred, with public high schools allowing for off-campus religious education during 'released time'.
  • đŸŸïž Despite being a Republican stronghold, Utah has shown support for certain progressive policies, such as LGBTQ rights and protections for undocumented immigrants.
  • 🌆 Utah's urbanization rate and support for LGBTQ rights defy national trends, making it an anomaly among conservative states.
  • đŸ€ The 'Utah Compromise' in 2015 expanded nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals, showing a rare instance of bipartisan support for progressive legislation.
  • đŸš« Utah's policies often deviate from national norms in nuanced ways that align with the pragmatic interests of the LDS church and its mission.
  • 📜 The LDS church's influence on Utah's politics is rooted in pragmatism and the need to balance its conservative values with the demands of a globally relevant religion.

Q & A

  • How has the Mormon voting majority influenced Utah's development compared to the rest of the United States?

    -The Mormon voting majority has made Utah anomalous compared to the rest of the country due to its unique cultural, political, and religious practices. This has led to distinctive features such as the prevalence of 'dirty-soda' shops instead of coffee shops, strict alcohol laws, and a blend of conservative and progressive stances on various social issues.

  • What is the significance of the 'Word of Wisdom' in Utah's culture and how does it affect food and drink establishments?

    -The 'Word of Wisdom' is a health code followed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which prohibits alcohol, tobacco, and 'hot drinks' (interpreted as coffee and tea). This has led to the creation of drive-thru soda shops offering 'dirty-soda', a unique, cocktail-like beverage, and influenced the establishment of strict alcohol laws in the state.

  • How did Utah's unique approach to alcohol laws originate and what are some of its key features?

    -Utah's approach to alcohol laws originated from the state's majority Mormon population and their adherence to the 'Word of Wisdom'. Key features include strict regulations on bars and restaurants, such as the requirement for private membership clubs and 'Zion curtains' to prevent visible alcohol preparation, as well as a low blood-alcohol content limit for drunk driving at 0.05%.

  • What is Pioneer Day in Utah and how is it celebrated?

    -Pioneer Day in Utah is a holiday celebrating the arrival of the first group of Mormon settlers to the Salt Lake Valley. It is celebrated almost as a second Independence Day with parades, backyard parties, and fireworks, reflecting the state's unique history and cultural significance.

  • How does the relationship between the church and state in Utah manifest in the public education system?

    -In Utah, public high schools are allowed to provide 'released time' for religious education off-campus upon parents' request. This practice blurs the line between church and state, as these religious classes, known as seminaries, are integrated into the daily school schedule and are often located conveniently close to the schools.

  • What is unique about Utah's political landscape compared to other Republican-leaning states?

    -Utah is unique in its political landscape as it has the second-highest portion of its population identifying as Republican while also having the seventh-highest urbanization rate in the country. This breaks the usual correlation between urbanization and party affiliation, making Utah an exception to the trend.

  • What is the 'Utah Compromise' and why was it significant?

    -The 'Utah Compromise' was a bill, SB296, passed in 2015 that expanded nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people in matters of employment and housing. It was significant because it received support from both the Republican party, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and LGBTQ advocacy organizations, marking a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation on LGBTQ rights in a Republican-controlled state.

  • How has Utah's stance on LGBTQ rights compared to other states in the U.S.?

    -Utah has shown anomalous support for certain LGBTQ rights compared to other states. It has passed laws providing nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals in employment and housing and banned conversion therapy for minors. However, it also maintains some conservative stances, such as allowing religious organizations to discriminate based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

  • What is the historical context behind Utah's policies towards undocumented immigrants?

    -Utah's policies towards undocumented immigrants have been influenced by the Mormon church's global mission efforts, particularly in South and Central America. These missions have led to a more pro-immigrant political view among Mormons, and the church's interest in converting new arrivals to the faith has shaped its stance on immigration policies that support inclusivity without directly affecting the church's own practices.

  • How does the LDS church's need for pragmatism and global relevance influence Utah's political and social policies?

    -The LDS church's need for pragmatism and global relevance leads to a nuanced approach in Utah's political and social policies. The church supports certain progressive measures when it does not directly conflict with its own interests, such as limited LGBTQ rights and expanded rights for undocumented immigrants, to maintain a positive image and strengthen its position globally.

  • What was the vision for the city of Zion as outlined by Joseph Smith in 1833 and how has it influenced Utah's urban planning?

    -Joseph Smith's vision for the city of Zion in 1833 included a detailed plat map with large city blocks centered around a temple, wide streets oriented by cardinal directions, and a layout that prioritized community and self-sufficiency. This vision has influenced Utah's urban planning, with many cities, including Salt Lake City, Provo, and St. George, adopting similar layouts that emphasize the temple's centrality and maintain a focus on communal living spaces.

  • How did the concept of Deseret and the Mormon settlers' goal of self-sufficiency shape the early development of Utah?

    -The concept of Deseret and the goal of self-sufficiency led the Mormon settlers to establish colonies focused on specific resources and crops, such as flax, minerals, and cotton. This state-building effort aimed to create a self-sustaining Mormon society independent of the rest of the nation, reflecting a distrust of federal involvement and a desire to preserve and promote their religious and cultural values.

Outlines

00:00

đŸœïž Utah's Unique Cultural and Political Landscape

This paragraph discusses how Utah's political and cultural identity has been shaped by the Mormon majority over the past century and a half. It highlights the state's distinctiveness compared to its neighbors, with a blend of regional characteristics such as the red-rock deserts of Nevada and Arizona, the deep-red politics of Idaho and Wyoming, and the independent, outdoorsy culture of the mountain west. The paragraph also delves into unique aspects of Utah's culture, such as the prevalence of drive-thru soda shops, a result of the Mormon prohibition on hot drinks like coffee and tea, and the state's historical restrictions on public bars and alcohol consumption. It further explores the influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Utah's laws and societal norms, including the integration of religious education in public high schools and the blurred lines between church and state.

05:03

đŸ›ïž Utah's Political leanings and Social Policies

This paragraph examines Utah's status as a Republican stronghold and its unique political landscape. Despite being the second most Republican state in the U.S., Utah defies common trends by being more urbanized than other conservative states and showing higher support for LGBTQ rights and protections against discrimination. The paragraph also discusses the passage of the 'Utah Compromise,' a bill that expanded nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals, and the state's progressive measures regarding rights for undocumented immigrants. However, it also acknowledges that Utah has not fully embraced liberal policies, citing examples of conservative laws passed in the state.

10:03

đŸ—ïž The Founding Vision of Utah and the Mormon Ideal

This paragraph explores the historical context and founding vision of Utah, detailing how the Mormon pioneers, led by Brigham Young, sought to establish a society based on their religious beliefs. It describes how the Mormons transformed the Salt Lake Valley into a city that reflected their values, with a layout designed to prioritize community and self-sufficiency. The paragraph also touches on the concept of the Mormon 'Zion,' the ideal city as envisioned by Joseph Smith, and how Salt Lake City and other Utah towns were planned to reflect this vision. Additionally, it discusses the Mormons' efforts to create a separate Mormon state called Deseret and their strategies for self-sufficiency, including the establishment of colonies focused on specific resources.

15:09

đŸ€ Utah's Pragmatic Approach to Social Issues

This paragraph delves into the pragmatic approach of the LDS Church in Utah towards social issues, particularly in relation to LGBTQ rights and immigration. It explains how the Church's stance has evolved to maintain its global relevance and strengthen its position, without making substantial changes to its own doctrines. The paragraph also discusses the Church's support for certain LGBTQ rights while maintaining exclusions that protect its own interests, and its nuanced approach to immigration that aligns with its mission work in South and Central America. The paragraph suggests that the LDS Church's influence on Utah's policies is rooted in pragmatism and a focus on the Church's growth and strength, rather than rigid adherence to traditional conservative values.

20:11

📰 Navigating the Media Landscape and Understanding Utah's Unique Position

The final paragraph discusses the challenges of reporting and consuming news in a highly politicized and partisan media environment. It highlights the importance of seeking accurate information and avoiding stories that merely confirm one's pre-existing beliefs. The paragraph introduces the sponsor, Ground News, as a tool for navigating the media landscape and provides an example of how it can help consumers understand the biases and factuality of different news sources. It also promotes a special offer for Ground News's Vantage plan, which includes a feature called 'My News Bias' to track personal news consumption habits over time.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Mormons

Mormons refers to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religious group that has played a significant role in shaping Utah's cultural, political, and social landscape. The video discusses how Mormon beliefs and practices have influenced the state's unique characteristics, such as its abstention from alcohol and coffee, its conservative political leanings, and its approach to social issues like LGBTQ rights and immigration policy.

💡Utah

Utah is the subject of the video, which highlights its distinctiveness as a state shaped largely by the Mormon majority. It is characterized by its unique cultural practices, political conservatism, and historical efforts to maintain a separation from federal influence. The video explores how Utah's identity has been influenced by its geographical isolation, religious heritage, and the vision of its early Mormon settlers.

💡Word of Wisdom

The Word of Wisdom is a health code and guideline followed by Mormons, which includes prohibitions on alcohol, tobacco, and 'hot drinks' interpreted to mean coffee and tea. This doctrine has had a significant impact on Utah's culture, leading to the creation of unique beverages like 'dirty-soda' and influencing the state's strict alcohol laws, as detailed in the video.

💡Dirty-soda

Dirty-soda is a non-alcoholic, carbonated beverage mixed with syrups, creams, or juices, which originated in Utah as an alternative to coffee and tea due to the Mormon Word of Wisdom. The video explains that this unique drink has become popular in Utah, with chains like Swig spreading to other states, and has become a cultural symbol of the state's distinctiveness.

💡Pioneer Day

Pioneer Day is a holiday in Utah that commemorates the arrival of the first group of Mormon settlers in the Salt Lake Valley. Celebrated annually on July 24th, it is almost akin to a second Independence Day in the state, with parades, parties, and fireworks. The video highlights this holiday as an example of how Utah's history and Mormon heritage continue to shape its cultural identity and traditions.

💡Republican stronghold

Utah is described as a Republican stronghold in the video, indicating that the state has a strong conservative political base with a high proportion of its population identifying as Republican. This political leaning is linked to the state's Mormon majority and its influence on policy and legislation, such as the 'Utah Compromise' on LGBTQ rights and the state's approach to immigration policy.

💡LGBTQ rights

LGBTQ rights in Utah are discussed in the context of the state's support for non-discrimination protections and its progressive stance on issues like employment and housing rights for LGBTQ individuals. The video points out the contrast between Utah's conservative image and its nuanced approach to social issues, highlighting the 'Utah Compromise' as an example of this pragmatic and inclusive policy-making.

💡Immigration policy

Utah's immigration policy is characterized by its relatively progressive measures, such as allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state college tuition rates and issuing driver's licenses to this group. The video suggests that this approach reflects the state's pragmatic and inclusive tendencies, despite its overall conservative political leanings, and is influenced by the Mormon church's global mission work and its need for a diverse and inclusive image.

💡Deseret

Deseret is the proposed state that the Mormon settlers originally aimed to establish, which would encompass more than just present-day Utah. The video explains that this concept reflects the Mormons' desire for self-sufficiency and autonomy, and while it never materialized into an independent state, the idea of Deseret represents the early Mormon settlers' vision for a society built on their religious principles.

💡Mormon theology

Mormon theology, as the foundation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shapes the beliefs and practices of Mormons, which in turn have influenced the development of Utah's culture and society. The video discusses how Mormon theology has informed the state's unique characteristics, from itsćŸŽćž‚è§„ćˆ’ and social norms to its political stances on various issues, illustrating the deep connection between religious doctrine and societal values.

💡Pragmatism

Pragmatism in the context of the video refers to the practical and flexible approach taken by the LDS church in shaping Utah's political and social landscape. The church's support for certain progressive policies, while maintaining its own conservative doctrines, demonstrates a pragmatic strategy aimed at strengthening its position and influence without alienating its members or the broader public. This is exemplified by its stance on LGBTQ rights and immigration policy.

Highlights

Utah's political and cultural landscape is heavily influenced by the Mormon majority, leading to a unique blend of characteristics that distinguish it from its neighbors.

The state's isolation and insularity have contributed to its distinctiveness, with practices and laws often shaped by the Mormon faith.

Utah's prohibition of hot drinks, including coffee and tea, has led to the creation of drive-thru soda shops and the popularity of 'dirty-soda'.

The 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics marked a turning point for Utah's alcohol laws, with public bars becoming more accepted and regulated.

Utah's strict alcohol laws include a 0.05% drunk-driving blood-alcohol content limit, among the strictest in the nation.

Pioneer Day, celebrated on July 24th, is a significant holiday in Utah that commemorates the Mormon settlers' arrival, overshadowing Columbus Day.

The relationship between the church and state in Utah can be blurry, with public high schools allowing for off-campus religious education.

Utah's political leanings are heavily Republican, with the state having the second-highest portion of the population identifying as Republican.

Despite its conservative political affiliation, Utah has shown support for progressive policies such as LGBTQ rights and expanded rights for undocumented immigrants.

Utah's urbanization rate and support for LGBTQ rights defy national trends, with the state being more urbanized and supportive than typically conservative states.

The 'Utah Compromise' in 2015 expanded nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals, demonstrating the state's willingness to enact progressive legislation.

Utah's policies often deviate from the expected norms of a conservative state, reflecting a pragmatic approach influenced by the needs of the Mormon church.

The Mormon church's influence on Utah's politics is pragmatic and focused on preserving the church's strength and global relevance.

Utah's unique political and cultural identity stems from the Mormon settlers' goal to build a society based on their religious beliefs.

The state's historical efforts towards self-sufficiency and the establishment of the state of Deseret reflect the Mormon community's desire for autonomy.

Utah's approach to politics and social issues is shaped by a combination of theological principles and the pragmatic needs of the Mormon church.

The Mormon church's stance on immigration is influenced by its global mission efforts and the need to balance its religious goals with political realities.

Utah's political landscape is a complex blend of conservative and progressive elements, reflecting the nuanced influence of the Mormon church on state policies.

Transcripts

00:00

Mormons.

00:01

Mormons made Utah weird—that’s the answer. 

00:04

In a few more words: a century and a half of Mormon voting majority in an isolated,

00:08

insular state made Utah anomalous compared to the country of which it’s a part.

00:12

And in a few more words than that, well: on first glance, Utah appears the intuitive average

00:18

of its neighbors—it’s a melange of the red-rock deserts of Nevada and Arizona; the

00:23

deep-red politics of Idaho and Wyoming; the glitzy ski towns of Colorado and Wyoming;

00:28

and the ruggedly independent, outdoors-loving culture of the entire mountain west region. 

00:33

But it’s also got some things its neighbors do not.

00:35

It’s got
 drive-thru soda shops.

00:38

Utah pioneered this style of shop where instead of getting coffee or tea one gets so-called,

00:43

“dirty-soda”—carbonated drinks mixed with assortments of syrups, creams, or juices

00:47

to make a cocktail-like concoction.

00:50

In Salt Lake City, Swig, a leading dirty-soda chain, has nearly as many locations as sector-dominating

00:56

Starbucks.

00:57

The reason for this is that most of the half of the state that are members of the Church

01:01

of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—the Mormons—follow the Word of Wisdom: purported

01:06

revelations from God delivered to the church’s founder, Joseph Smith.

01:10

Along with alcohol and tobacco, the text prohibits so-called “hot drinks” which is interpreted

01:15

by the church to mean coffee and tea, regardless of whether they’re actually hot.

01:19

Therefore, to fill the role that coffee shops do elsewhere, Utah entrepreneurs started selling

01:24

dirty soda instead and it’s become such a hit that Swig has now spread to Idaho, Arizona,

01:29

Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas as well. 

01:32

Other anomalies stem from the same text.

01:35

For example, up until the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, public bars were technically not

01:40

allowed—at all.

01:42

Anything that functioned like a bar had to run as a private members club and sell $5

01:46

“temporary memberships” to allow entry.

01:49

Restaurants, meanwhile, could have physical structures that looked and operated like bars,

01:53

but only if they had so-called “Zion curtains.”

01:57

State alcohol laws prohibited establishments operating with restaurant alcohol licenses

02:00

from allowing alcoholic drinks to be prepared in view of customers, under the logic that

02:05

this would help prevent excessive drinking and the normalization of alcohol for those

02:08

under 21.

02:10

Similarly, waiters were prohibited from proactively offering diners a wine list, and could only

02:14

furnish it when asked.

02:16

While these laws were eventually eased, Utah still has some of the strictest alcohol laws

02:20

in America: it’s the only state with a 0.05% drunk-driving blood-alcohol content limit,

02:26

rather than the standard, looser 0.08%; and all but low-alcohol beers and beverages are

02:30

sold exclusively through state-run stores with limited opening hours. 

02:34

In fact, all of these stores are closed each July 24th.

02:38

While a perfectly normal-day for the rest of the United States, each July 24th in Utah

02:43

is what’s called Pioneer Day—it celebrates the arrival of the first group of Mormon settlers

02:48

to the Salt Lake valley.

02:50

Across the state, this is celebrated almost as a second Independence Day, with main-street

02:54

parades, backyard parties, and evening fireworks.

02:58

Fittingly, and perhaps pointedly, to accommodate this extra holiday Utah does not typically

03:02

celebrate Columbus Day each October—the holiday to commemorate the arrival of the

03:06

Italian explorer to the Americas.

03:09

Rather than celebrate European arrival to the Americas, they celebrate Mormon arrival

03:14

to Utah. 

03:15

The wall between church and state in Utah can be, at times, blurry.

03:21

For example, each of Utah’s public high schools are allowed to permit, upon parent’s

03:25

request, up to an hour of so-called “released time,” when students can learn off-campus.

03:30

In practice, this means time for religious education.

03:33

Utah law includes a litany of rules to make it clear that these off-campus religious classes

03:38

are not technically part of the public education system, since that would likely violate the

03:42

first amendment.

03:43

But day-to-day, Latter Day Saints seminary classes slide into the Utah high school experience

03:48

almost seamlessly.

03:49

At Bonneville High School near Ogden, for example, the seminary is right across the

03:54

street and it schedules its classes to correspond with the high school schedule—so for fourth

03:58

period, for example, one just walks across the street and learns about Joseph Smith.

04:02

In fact, it’s almost impossible to find a Utah high school without an adjacent seminary.

04:08

At Dixie High School in St George, in fact, the seminary sits in the exact center of the

04:12

campus—while technically on its own property and fenced off, its main entrance faces the

04:17

high school’s parking lot, rather than its own, and it sits on the direct path between

04:21

the high school and its baseball fields.

04:23

It is quite literally unavoidable.

04:26

Considered an inevitability, many new high schools in the state draw a location for the

04:30

seminary into their original architectural plans and count on selling the land to the

04:34

church without a second thought.

04:35

After all, a strong majority of the Utah voting public does not consider this coziness between

04:41

church and state controversial—it’s just simply convenient.

04:45

Among the US’ two major political parties, the Republican side consistently supports

04:49

a softer interpretation of the first amendment as it relates to the separation of religion

04:53

and government—for example, the majority of Republicans polled believe city governments

04:58

should be allowed to put religious symbols on public property, while 27% believe the

05:02

Federal Government should flat-out stop enforcing the separation of church and state entirely.

05:08

So with a strong, deeply-religious voting majority, it’s perhaps no surprise that

05:13

Utah is an incredible Republican-party stronghold. 

05:15

Now, Utah is certainly known as a red-state.

05:20

It feels right at home with its conservative neighbors in Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas,

05:25

but perhaps the part that would surprise is how they compare.

05:29

Based on self-reported party affiliation, Utah is the most Republican of these states.

05:34

In fact, among all states, Utah has the second highest portion of its population identifying

05:40

as Republican, and the second-lowest portion identifying as Democrats.

05:44

Now, this statistic almost certainly surprises, and with good reason: Utah does not look,

05:50

feel, or even act like the second-most conservative state in the nation. 

05:55

Across the US, there is a consistent correlation between urbanization rate and party affiliation:

06:00

the urban areas are Democrat strongholds, with about 62% of voters going for the party,

06:05

while rural areas lean Republican, gaining 54% of voters.

06:09

Therefore, on a state by state level, the states with low urbanization rates tend to

06:13

have high portions of their electorate voting for the Republican party, and vice-versa.

06:17

Yet Utah is the seventh most urbanized state in the country—more than 4/5ths of the state

06:23

lives in the Salt Lake City metro area, meaning it completely bucks this trend. 

06:28

Another broken correlation in Utah relates to LGBTQ rights.

06:32

The Public Religion Research Institute conducts a large, annual survey that includes a question

06:36

about support for nondiscrimination protection for LGBTQ people—as in, whether there should

06:41

be legal protections preventing landlords, for example, from denying a lease to an individual

06:46

based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

06:49

Fascinatingly, 86% of those surveyed in Utah were in support of such laws.

06:56

The only state to boast higher support was Hawaii, meaning Utah—the second most Republican

07:01

state in the nation—was more in support of making discrimination against queer people

07:06

illegal than the people of California, New York, Massachusetts, or any other liberal

07:11

stronghold.

07:12

And this does not appear a statistical anomaly.

07:15

After all, in 2015, the Utah legislature did something no-other Republican-controlled legislature

07:21

had ever done: they passed a bill expanding nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people.

07:28

From then on, sexual orientation and gender identity became protected classes for matters

07:33

of employment and housing.

07:35

The bill in question, SB296, was dubbed “the Utah Compromise” since it had simultaneous

07:40

support by the Republican party and the Church of Ladder Day Saints and organizations like

07:45

the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign.

07:47

Of course, it was a true compromise—notably, the bill excludes religious organizations

07:53

and their affiliates like schools and hospitals from the same nondiscrimination regulations,

07:58

meaning a religious school could theoretically fire a teacher, for example, based solely

08:02

on their gender identity.

08:04

And in practice, this means that Brigham Young University, run by the LDS church, can continue

08:09

its codified prohibition of “same-sex romantic behavior” by students.

08:13

But simultaneously, the bill isn’t an isolated case of support for certain LGBTQ rights in

08:19

Utah—in 2020, it once again became the first state with a Republican-controlled legislature

08:25

to ban conversion therapy in minors, and this bill was once again passed with the support

08:30

of both the LDS church and LGBTQ advocacy organizations. 

08:35

And Utah’s anomalous support for policies that might elsewhere be perceived as liberal

08:39

is not restricted to the matter of LGBTQ rights.

08:43

Utah has also long been softly in support of expanded rights for undocumented immigrants.

08:48

In 2002, it started to allow undocumented immigrants who graduated from high school

08:52

in the state to pay in-state college tuition rates at Utah public universities.

08:57

In 2005, it passed a law that allowed for the issuance of driver’s licenses to the

09:01

group.

09:02

Still today, it’s one of only twenty with such a law, and is the only one of these that

09:06

went red in the last Presidential election.

09:09

In 2019, Utah then tweaked the maximum penalty for misdemeanor crimes to make it easier for

09:13

undocumented immigrants to avoid deportation by Federal authorities, in 2022 they made

09:18

it so fewer employers were required to check a new hire’s immigration status, and in

09:22

2023 they expanded eligibility for taxpayer-funded health insurance to certain children of undocumented

09:27

immigrants.

09:28

This culminated in this brief memo by the director of the US Immigration and Customs

09:33

Enforcement’s Salt Lake City Field Office complaining that Utah’s jails were not holding

09:37

those arrested by the Federal immigration authorities, and therefore that they were

09:41

officially designating Utah a “sanctuary state.”

09:45

Utah’s leaders quickly shot back in sharp rebuke, but this memo was saying the quiet

09:49

part out loud: for all its statistical conservatism, Utah’s actual policies are far more nuanced. 

09:57

Now, Utah is far from a liberal bastion—the legislature overrode a veto by the governor

10:03

to pass a ban on transgender girls in women’s sports; it passed a near-total abortion ban,

10:08

even if it was later blocked by the state Supreme Court; and like many red states it

10:11

passed a series of laws allowing for the banning of individual books deemed objectionable from

10:16

school libraries.

10:17

But at the same time, polls conducted in Utah indicate broad support for gun-law reform,

10:22

for expanded sex-ed beyond abstinence, and even for free bus service in Salt Lake City.

10:28

Utah politics break norms.

10:31

Most policies in America sit on a spectrum where the strength of a given party’s hold

10:35

on a state’s legislature correlates cleanly with the likelihood of passing traditionally

10:39

left or right-leaning laws, yet Utah just does not sit on these spectrums.

10:44

It’s like an alternate reality, it exists outside the United States’ norms.

10:49

It’s like they built a completely different society.

10:53

But that means they’ve succeeded, because that’s exactly why Brigham Young and his

10:57

first group of pioneers came to the Salt Lake valley. 

11:00

You can learn a lot about a place by its names.

11:04

If one starts here, at Last Camp Site Monument, then follows Emigration Road west, passing

11:09

Donner Hill—where the ill-fated party spent weeks working around rugged terrain long ago

11:14

on the right, then passing the Hogle Zoo—the region’s largest, and very much a piece

11:18

of the present—on the left, there’s a small outcropping where a 60-foot tall monument

11:23

rises from the foothills.

11:24

By its grandeur, its granite and bronze composition, and its sheer size, it wouldn’t be hard

11:30

to imagine this standing some 1,800 miles or 2,900 kilometers away on the National Mall.

11:35

But look closer at the characters enshrined and it becomes clear that this celebrates

11:40

less the westward expansion of a nation, and more the birth of a new one.     

11:45

It was here, or somewhere very near here, that a sick, wagon-bound, travel-weary Brigham

11:51

Young, the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, looked

11:55

over the Salt Lake Valley and proclaimed that this was the place. 

12:00

The place for what exactly, becomes clearer after considering what the region lacked in

12:04

July of 1847.  

12:05

Before the shores of the Great Salt Lake served as the Saints’ shining city, the lake was

12:10

a myth.

12:12

Fur trappers said they had seen it, but told stories that were hard to believe.

12:15

It was massive, it was salty, it didn’t seem to have an outflow, and perhaps it instead

12:20

drained through some sort of whirlpool feeding a subterranean river.

12:24

Like the towering heights of the Rockies and the absurd depths of the Grand Canyon, it

12:29

was properly a figment of a frightening American frontier.

12:34

Following the fur-trading storytellers who bounced from fort to fort, though, was the

12:37

pathfinding, mythbusting, military man John C. Fremont.

12:42

Tracing the lake’s banks, rafting its waters, and touching foot on its islands, Fremont

12:46

found the Great Salt Lake large in size, but less remarkable than lore had led on.

12:51

It had fairly reasonable agricultural potential, and thus fairly reasonable settlement potential.  

12:57

His following report and published maps of his journey south of the Oregon trail began

13:01

to fill in a map that to Anglo-American eyes had long been blank.

13:05

These journeys, sponsored by a westward bound United States, were understandably of interest

13:09

in the halls of Washington DC.

13:12

Curiously, they were also of interest to an increasingly nervous religious minority stationed

13:17

in western Illinois.

13:19

  Now, Salt Lake City was not preordained in

13:21

Mormon theology as any sort of holy land in the religion’s founding.

13:25

The Great Salt Lake, after all, had yet to even appear on a map when Joseph Smith discovered

13:30

the golden plates—the foundational moment of the religion.

13:33

But something odd began to happen in the wake of Fremont’s trips into the Salt Lake region—with

13:38

increasing regularity, accounts and excerpts began to appear in the small town newspaper

13:43

of Nauvoo, where the Mormons had escaped to from Missouri, and increasingly believed they

13:47

now needed to escape from. 

13:50

What made the flat lands along the Wasatch range so alluring was the fact that through

13:55

the 1840s it hardly existed on maps or in American minds.

14:00

Unlike Illinois, Texas, California, or Oregon, it was devoid of Anglo American settlements,

14:05

overland trails, booming trade, or the rules, laws, regulations, federal administrators,

14:10

and agents that oversaw such budding developments.

14:13

On the fringes of two young countries, each seemingly uninterested in the territory, a

14:18

religion on the run from persecution and one bent on building a civilization in the image

14:22

of their beliefs found opportunity.

14:26

Looking out over the valley beyond the Rockies, south of the Oregon Trail and north of the

14:30

Spanish Trail, hemmed in by mountains, and only within reach of a few indigenous tribes,

14:35

  Brigham Young declared this was the place for a fledgling religion to take root, for

14:39

a civilization to bloom the desert, for a city to rise not in the image of the American

14:44

ideal, but the Mormon ideal.  

14:47

And for the perfect Mormon city, well fortunately there was a blueprint, as Joseph Smith had

14:51

drawn up a plat map for the city of Zion in 1833—the outlines of a pure city for the

14:57

pure of heart to await the second coming.

14:59

The new Salt Lake City residents did their best to stick to it.

15:03

Emanating from the temple’s location, they laid out massive 660 x 660 foot blocks to

15:08

accommodate church and municipal functions.

15:11

Splitting these blocks were 132 foot-wide streets oriented by cardinal directions.

15:15

Farther from the core was housing, separated from the street by twenty-foot sidewalks,

15:20

then 25-foot offsets for yards and gardens.

15:22

Beyond the housing was room for agriculture along the city’s south.

15:26

With such land pushed to the southern edge of town, this city was intentionally dense

15:30

for the time, ensuring that all saints were connected pieces of a shared city.

15:34

And as part of the shared city, the standard for cleanliness and order was set high.

15:39

The emphasis on well maintained gardens and orchards, for instance, caught the eyes of

15:43

travelers as early as 1850 and those of the famed naturalist John Muir who visited the

15:47

valley in 1877. 

15:49

 While the buildings may be long gone, the footprint remains.

15:53

And if it were difficult from above to pin down the city’s spiritual center, well there’s

15:58

the street names, be it 100 South or 300 East, each informing every visitor just how far

16:03

they are from the temple.    

16:05

Salt Lake City, while the shining example, is not the only city that adopted such a layout.

16:11

In Provo, follow the descending street numbers and you’ll find the temple.

16:16

The same goes in Logan.

16:17

The same also goes in St. George.

16:20

Cities more or less in the image of the religion’s center that communicates the religion’s

16:24

values through design, does after all, make intuitive sense.

16:28

But ultimately cities whose existence in the first place can’t be explained solely through

16:33

theology. 

16:34

The settlers weren’t just city builders, they were state builders.

16:38

The dream didn’t end with a Mormon city, but a Mormon state, the state of Deseret.

16:44

With the US wrestling control of the southwest from Mexico in 1848, Mormons were again within

16:50

the confines of the US—a country whose laws seemed to come down hard on Mormon practices

16:55

like polygamy but didn’t seem to protect them from mobs and militias who threatened

16:58

and attacked the saints in the past.

17:00

The best recourse, they figured, was statehood—something not necessarily sovereign, but certainly not

17:06

reliant on the rest of the nation, either.

17:09

And as they fought for the expansive Great Basin state they called Deseret with politicians

17:13

in Washington, they furthered their own self-sufficiency with colony building of their own. 

17:17

Until 2022, St. George’s Utah Tech University was called Dixie State.

17:22

Its nickname, until recently, was the Rebels.

17:26

Located in Washington county in southwestern Utah, and very far from the American South,

17:30

this region is called Utah’s Dixie.

17:32

And while stances over names, mascots, and statues have spurred endless debate in the

17:38

region, the moniker of Dixie dates back to the founding of St. George as part of the

17:41

church’s southern mission to grow warm weather crops such as grapes, figs, and especially

17:46

cotton.

17:47

At the same time that church officials were fighting for statehood on their terms, Brigham

17:50

Young was pushing for self-sufficiency across Mormon society that, in 1861, would only have

17:55

tenuous connections to the American South with the onset of the Civil War.

18:00

Colonization as a strategy to self-sufficiency wasn’t just a one-off, either.

18:04

Mantua was founded to source flax, Minersville was for various minerals, while Coalville

18:08

was founded for what its name would suggest. 

18:11

Of course, there is no state of Deseret, and the arrival of the transcontinental railroad

18:16

in 1869 bringing goods and gentiles downplayed the need for Mormon resource colonies and

18:21

diversified the population.

18:23

The arrival of troops, an army base, and a generally increasing federal presence in the

18:27

territory also ensured it’d stay tethered to the nation going forward.

18:31

But the towns founded and families relocated in this state-building era still persist in

18:36

such places.

18:38

And so too does a social memory informed by distrust fueled by federal incursion, skepticism

18:43

informed by prior persecution, an understanding to outsiders who have experienced similar

18:47

persecution, and continued sense of pride and purpose in their self-sufficiency.  

18:52

In its embrace of tourism, its ski industry boom, then its brilliant marketing of its

18:57

natural parks, in its embrace of the Olympics, and more recently the tech center and the

19:01

hordes of Westerners relocating within the state’s bounds, Utah’s fundamental singularity

19:06

in its founding has been paved over bit by bit.

19:10

This makes aspects of the state’s differences, its dearth of Dunkin Donuts or its watered

19:14

down beers, seem quaint, trivial, and randomly dispersed.

19:19

But here opinion on LGBTQ or immigrant rights are informed by the same worldview that opens

19:24

the doors for a burgeoning dirty soda market, one informed both by theology and a shared

19:29

set of experiences now long mythologized that no state neighboring it, nor really any state

19:34

in the union can mirror.

19:37

So ultimately, the seemingly anomalous actions by the LDS church can be explained—it supports

19:43

certain, limited LGBTQ rights, but typically only when it will not directly affect its

19:48

own discrimination towards the group.

19:50

The church came out in vocal support for nondiscrimination protections that directly excluded itself,

19:56

yet is still largely opposed to same-sex marriage and certainly does not facilitate them itself.

20:01

And through the years, the church has barely changed how it itself treats LGBTQ people,

20:07

all it’s changed is its view on how others should treat the group.

20:10

This is pragmatic for LDS leadership’s mission of preserving and expanding the strength of

20:15

the church—public sentiment has changed tremendously and the youngest cohorts of LDS

20:19

members express majority support for marriage equality.

20:22

So the more it can be perceived as changing, even without actually changing, the stronger

20:27

the church.

20:29

Similar logic underpins its support for expanded rights for undocumented immigrants.

20:33

Most Mormon men go on a two-year mission somewhere around the world to spread the religion and

20:37

convert individuals to the faith.

20:39

A disproportionate number of the 400 or so LDS missions are in South or Central America,

20:44

given that this is the area of the world in which the church has seen the most success.

20:48

This is also the area of the world that is the source of much of the undocumented immigration

20:53

to the US, so, according to a study done on the matter, missionaries actually gain a more

20:57

pro-immigrant political view after a post in the area, where they might see and experience

21:02

the forces that drive undocumented immigration.

21:04

And then in addition, the church seemingly recognizes that it can’t be anti-immigrant

21:09

and simultaneously find success in converting new arrivals to the religion, so it has prioritized

21:15

the strength of the church. 

21:16

In a society built by the church, it's no wonder that the church has strong, centralized

21:22

control.

21:23

That control appears focused first and foremost on the church itself, so that creates these

21:27

scenarios where Utah deviates from national norms in nuanced ways that are convenient

21:32

to the Mormon mission.

21:33

The LDS church seemingly understands that to be globally relevant, they have to be viewed

21:38

as somewhat tolerant globally—not just by the people of Utah.

21:42

So Utah is a state that has all the legislative ability to pass some of the most conservative

21:46

laws in the country, but its most powerful institution understands that doing so would

21:51

be against its own interests.

21:53

The LDS church is small, so a certain degree of inclusivity is a pragmatic necessity that

21:59

often trumps any instinct to engage in exclusionary tenets of the culture war.

22:03

Weirdly, at times, this pulls Utah towards the left, in the more progressive direction. 

22:10

So put simply: Utah’s differences stem from the LDS church’s differences.

22:14

It’s a relatively tiny, relatively new religion whose persistence is far less guaranteed than

22:20

equivalents centered in the Vatican or Mecca.

22:23

Therefore, their political influence is more rooted in pragmatism.

22:27

Other churches that influence politics in other states operate at such scale that their

22:31

political influence appears more firmly rooted in historical inertia.

22:35

LDS is a different church, and so Utah, itself, is different. 

22:40

This topic was, at times, difficult to write about since it relates to so many topics that

22:47

are highly politicized in American media.

22:49

With news outlets relying so heavily on advertising, and therefore clicks for their revenue these

22:54

days, they’re incentivized to write highly partisan stories that create the kind of outrage

22:58

that leads to readers spreading stories further on social media.

23:02

Sometimes these stories might be true, but it’s tough to know when it's written with

23:05

such a political slant—even if it’s the political slant you agree with.

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23:13

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Tags associés
MormonHistoryUtahCulturePoliticalAnomalyLDSChurchStateBuildingSocialPoliciesRepublicanStrongholdLGBTQRightsImmigrationStanceUtahDixie
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