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I really want to visit Salt Lake City

D

desura

Diamond Member
To see what life is like in Mormon-land.

Like, any suggestions on sites to check out?

Do they allow any stranger to wander into their services, or are they restrictive on who can get in the doors?
 
Mixolydian said:
don't drink the water in the lake. it's too salty.
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If you have ever been to the Great Salt Lake you would realize that drinking the water would never occur to you. The south shore is a vast expanse of algomat encrusted rotting sea gull corpses. You can stroll along on top of the crust for a while then break through and find yourself ankle deep in black fowl smelling muck, bones, and feathers. It is not at all a pleasant experience.
 
I can't speak to the city itself, but I have family that lives near the canyon roads. That city is all about the outdoors as far as I'm concerned, drive like 30 minutes up one of the passes and there's everything you could ever want.

SLC is unique in that it is a premier ski resort town without premier ski resort prices.. why many (most?) pro skiers and other outdoorspeople live there.
 
If you mean day to day life, just drink coffee and diet coke but don't tell anyone. Take 10% of your paycheck and give it to someone with too many kids so they can pay their mortgage. Other than that it's pretty much normal, you probably wouldn't witness any of the stuff that you would find a little unique unless you actually joined the church. If you want the history I would go to the temple and take the tour, ask them what other sites you should see.
 
desura said:
Yeah, I'd like some suggestions to places to visit.

Is there like...a way I could...get immersed in Mormon life?
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Walk around temple square, talk to some of the missionaries walking around. There is an entire history exhibit on Mormons. They can show you where and when church services start (all are welcome).

The answer you're looking for is to visit Temple Square. You could walk around Salt Lake City all you want and not notice anything "Mormon" at all.
 
oldsmoboat said:
Last time I was there, you couldn't go into the temple unless you were a mormon.
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And even Mormons need to get a Temple Recommend from their bishop, ie you have to be a member in good standing, be involved, current on tithings, etc.

desura said:
Yeah, I'd like some suggestions to places to visit.

Is there like...a way I could...get immersed in Mormon life?
Click to expand...

Temple Square has some exhibits and there's always missionaries around to answer your questions, there's also a church museum and the genealogy center nearby. You could also drive down to Provo/Utah Valley (~45min drive) to where BYU is, the Mormon concentration is much higher down there while the majority in downtown SLC is non-Mormon and fairly liberal.
 
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Salt Lake is too progressive - you need to visit Southern Utah to understand what life in the cult is really like.

Starbucks, alcohol, cigarettes - good luck finding them - cigarettes especially
 
Provo/Orem is the most religious, where I live. You can view the tabernacle being rebuilt. And go to church. SLC has the HQ of the church but there is a lot history everywhere. Just go to temple square and they will have all the info. You can all go to the Missionary Training Center and ask to take the new member lessons.
 
SLC ain't worth the hate. Yeah, the Mormons have their quirks and while I would not want to work in a "Mormon" company where there is a glass ceiling for non-Mormons, SLC is one of the best places in the country IMO to raise a family. The people are just so nice there. They smile. They are typically helpful and knowledgeable.

Of course I would also choose to live in downtown SLC where there is a healthy concentration of non-Mormons. The downtown area is very green. The business district slowly blends in all directions into sleepy, well-manicured neighborhoods where kids freely play on the streets, etc. The schools are decent from what I hear.

Best part is that you are just a few minutes from Park City, etc. You can escape the desert heat in summer and enjoy the best powder in the world in winter. Driving to southern UT, you have some of the most beautiful national parks in the world.

The real estate market is healthy; cost of living is on the cheaper side.

Finally, SLC is home to the best Mexican restaurant in the US: The Red Iguana.

As for cons, I have heard that the non-Mormon community (downtown SLC) can become quite incestuous and the dating scene offers a pretty small (non-Mormon) pond. Every gets to know everybody at some point.
 
GTaudiophile said:
Finally, SLC is home to the best Mexican restaurant in the US: The Red Iguana.
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:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

So good that there's a 30min-1hr wait most nights. They even built a 2nd restaurant, the Red Iguana 2 a block away to relieve some of it but then they got swamped too!

I used to live a block away and would get take out every Fri, still haven't found mole that comes anywhere close.
 
It's a pleasant place with pretty views of the mountains. I could point you to a couple spots, but nothing that's a big deal to see.

I can't advise you on the Mormon temple, except that I think it's relatively restricted and secure.

A lot of people there seem to feel the Mormon culture weighs pretty heavily. But nothing you really notice going around town. Maybe the odd billboard with political messages.
 
GTaudiophile said:
SLC ain't worth the hate. Yeah, the Mormons have their quirks and while I would not want to work in a "Mormon" company where there is a glass ceiling for non-Mormons, SLC is one of the best places in the country IMO to raise a family. The people are just so nice there. They smile. They are typically helpful and knowledgeable.

Of course I would also choose to live in downtown SLC where there is a healthy concentration of non-Mormons. The downtown area is very green. The business district slowly blends in all directions into sleepy, well-manicured neighborhoods where kids freely play on the streets, etc. The schools are decent from what I hear.

Best part is that you are just a few minutes from Park City, etc. You can escape the desert heat in summer and enjoy the best powder in the world in winter. Driving to southern UT, you have some of the most beautiful national parks in the world.

The real estate market is healthy; cost of living is on the cheaper side.

Finally, SLC is home to the best Mexican restaurant in the US: The Red Iguana.
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+1

I also recommend the Rodizio at Trolley Square. Awesome Brazilian food.

As others have pointed out, Temple Square is your best bet if you want to see some of the Mormon culture. There is generally a movie being shown in the Joseph Smith Center that focuses on an aspect of Mormon history. All regular services are open for anyone to attend and visitors are always welcome. Only the temple is restricted to members in good standing.
 
Fmr12B said:
Salt Lake is too progressive - you need to visit Southern Utah to understand what life in the cult is really like.

Starbucks, alcohol, cigarettes - good luck finding them - cigarettes especially
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I live in Southern Utah.

Cigarettes are sold over the counter in every grocery store and gas station.

Beer is sold in every grocery store and gas station. Wine and other alcohol are sold in the state controlled liquor stores.

A Starbucks can be found in all major towns in southern Utah.

Saint George in particular has seen a large influx of disillusioned So Cal people and has become relatively metropolitan.
 
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