Hi:
My family and I also live here in the heart of Salt Lake City, or at least a little south of the “heart”. We are active members of our parish, and our children attend catholic elementary and one of the area’s two catholic high schools.
We’ve been here 5 years now, having moved from the New Orleans area. Here are some things I’ve found to be true in living here, and believe me, I’m in the middle of Mormon country here.
We did at first have a few attempts to proselytize us and the children. Try not to feel too much stress over it, I know its difficult. Generally I’ve found the members of the LDS community to be respectful. You must draw the line at allowing your children to go organized activities at most other children’s homes. Hate to say it, but almost all of their organized activities are organized by the church. I even experienced a group of girls and their mothers inviting my daughters to a “Young Women’s” meeting. The mothers came to my door and assured me that it had nothing to do with the church. This was of course, absolutely untrue. I’m not sure how they can rationalize dishonesty in this situation, but I was not convinced by their arguments, my girls remained home that evening. Avoid any invitations to Mormon homes on a Monday evening. Monday evenings mark a special observance by LDS families, usually referred to as “Family Home Night” or by some other similar name. If you honor an invitation to their home on a Monday night, understand that you are opening season on yourself, and you’ll make yourself the conversion project of that family for some time to come. Refusing the invitation, politely, perhaps returning it with one of your own, for some other night, (which will probably not be accepted), will tell them you’re not an easy mark. I don’t mean to put it in the terms of a con-man, but you understand what I mean.
I can tell you now that none of my neighbors invite us over, or have a lot to do with us. They don’t bother us either though, so I’ll take it. We have friends in our Parish (one in Sandy). We even have LDS friends who come over for card night occasionally, we just don’t talk religion, though they sit under my picture of Pope Benedict.
Please feel free to contact us if you like, my wife and I know how it can be here, when you first arrive. We’d love to increase our circle of friends, and don’t worry, you can go to my church without concern!
), so you’ve got the “luxury” to be more blunt with families than you may feel comfortable with if you knew you had to live next to them for the long run.
