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Time Discovers a New Utah
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Gordon B. Hinckley, the president of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reproved members last
July for being clannish and adopting holier-than-thou attitudes. He
called for the members to be more open and lectured them on being
good neighbors to Utah's diverse population. The church plans to use
the publicity generated by the Olympics to dispel myths about
Mormonism and show the membership in a good light.
Utah has the highest birthrate in the country and the workforce is
growing at twice the national average. Utah is now looking to expand
its economy from agriculture, mining and military bases. While 5
million visitors came to Utah's five national parks in 2001 and 3.4
million skier days were recorded at its 14 Rocky Mountain resorts,
Utah is still looking for more jobs and hopes to attract high-tech
industries.
Still stereotypes remain. When Mormons are mentioned, the topics of
liquor and polygamy are often brought up. Salt Lake actually has a
thriving bar and club scene and since last August, it has been legal
to advertise liquor. A Utah company also makes a beer called Polygamy
Porter with the advertising slogan, "Why just have one!" The Olympic
area has 1,305 places to buy a drink, twice as many places as in the
two previous Winter Olympic venues combined according to Governor
Mike Leavitt.
While the hardships of drought, desert heat, and crop failures
created strong individualism across the west, in Utah the church had
members pool their resources and help each other out. That philosophy
lingers today and makes non-members feel like an oppressed minority.
According to Michael Zimmerman, a Salt Lake lawyer who served on
Utah's Supreme Court for 16 years, outsiders visiting Utah are
frequently shocked by the degree of anti-Mormon sentiment that is
expressed in conversation by non-Mormons, often quite openly.
"People say things about Mormons that they wouldn't dream of saying
about blacks or Hispanics or Jews or whatever," said Zimmerman. Salt
Lake City mayor, Rocky Anderson appreciates the Mormon leadership's
call for greater tolerance. "This is a very important transitional
time," he said. "Now we need the same opening from the other side --
those in the minority can exercise the same kind of bigotry as they
have complained about suffering themselves."
Source:
The New Utah
Time 3Feb02 D4
By Terry McCarthy with reporting by Peta Owens-Liston
It's not your father's Land of Mormon. The Beehive State looks to
modernize, diversify and find work for its kids
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