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Good News: Utah – The Happiest State

10 November 2009 @ 7:02 pm | 7 comments

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Finally the truth comes out. According to a survey called the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Utah scores as the happiest state in the Union. Interestingly, the survey’s takeaway is that the happiest states have residents that are wealthier, better educated and more tolerant residents on average. I’m sure some will quibble with that as a description of Utah but it sounds right to me.

What will be curious is if this survey will prompt a review of the “root causes” of such happiness. Just two years ago, Utah was declared the most depressed state which led to a debate whether a locally predominant culture was responsible. Perhaps said culture will now get some of the credit for producing such happiness.

Or perhaps, Utahns are in denial about their depression and just claim to be happy, throwing off the survey takers (Hawaii and Wyoming round out the top three? What a trio). Or possibly, surveys and studies don’t make much more than good headlines.

Conservative Crank’s Paranoia of Media’s Anti-Mormon Bias Is Validated

17 October 2009 @ 12:04 am | 12 comments

As a member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy™, I am obligated to sniff out media bias wherever it may lie.

This finely-honed skill helped in my assertion that the Associated Press’ coverage of Elder Oak’s talk was in large part to blame for the civil-rights analogy kerfuffle this week. In anticipation of his talk, Elder Oaks gave the A.P. an interview and his talk’s text to accompany its coverage of his address. With his cooperation and a despite a very substantive talk, the A.P. reporter framed a news story based on one sentence aiming for maximal controversy.  And it worked.

The A.P.’s coverage is not too surprising.  I’ve long thought it covered the Church unfairly, (recent egregious example). But this week, it has also been interesting to see the local Utah media reaction behind the scenes.

The City Weekly jumped on the Deseret News for not covering the civil-rights analogy issue as did all the other news outlets who followed the A.P.’s lead.  In its view (and by way of Twitter, the view of other area reporters), if the D.N. didn’t follow the A.P.’s lead, it wasn’t being fair and balanced. So much for original reporting.

Most remarkable was another post at the City Weekly about an executive news producer at the local Salt Lake Fox affiliate, Fox 13 who violated the Church’s embargo with a tweet. Perhaps not a big deal but her blog about her phone call with the Church’s Public Affairs office and her feelings towards the Church as a former member and its involvement in Proposition 8 is quite an eye opener (to read a sanitized version just read the Weekly’s version, there you can click through to read the very crude and psychodrama-rich original if you dare, but beware). Quite astonishing to realize that this is someone who deals with and reports on the Church as a journalist.

Fox 13 news doesn’t strike me as biased, or anti-LDS.   I do think that it did stoke up the controversy a bit online by tweeting up the story over and over and over and over and over and over again (and no, Elder Oaks did not claim that “Mormon backlash after Prop. 8 [was] similar to treatment of Southern blacks”). But the controversy probably sent them pretty good traffic.

As for their news producer, it’s nice to see news folk let it all hang out and not pretend that they are impassive robots unburdened by the silly squabbles the rest of us mere mortals deal with. Perhaps in such a small news operation she can’t recuse herself from stories when she loathes the subjects she covers. But for her own mental health it might be for the best.

As for the City Weekly, its interesting to read some of the local inside baseball of the journalism scene. But after reading its own coverage and the tweets from other reporters, its laughable to single out the Deseret News as unbalanced. And soliciting for more LDS Public Affair horror stories to confirm your own biases? That’s not high-minded journalism, it’s called blogging. Join the club.

Even more see, “Dallin H. Oaks: Calling for fair reading, fair thinking, fair commentary“

Sen. Bennett runs for FAIR president or something.

Sen. Bob Bennett knows that The Book of Mormon is true, and now he wants others to read how he came to that conclusion in a new book he has written.

The book, published by LDS Church-owned Deseret Book, comes as the Utah Republican faces a tough re-election challenge from within his own party ranks. . .

“I offer it in the hope it will convince all who have an interest in The Book of Mormon, be they believers or skeptics, that any decision with respect to its origins requires a leap of faith,” Bennett wrote in the preface to his 584-page book.

Odd timing but 584 pages seems more than your usual campaign tome.

25 August 2009 @ 7:53 pm | 2 comments

Replacing Angel Moroni Oquirrh Mountain temple

A photostream of last week’s replacing a lightning scorched Moroni for a shiny, new one at the Oquirrh Mountain temple. New and improved with two lightning rods!

17 August 2009 @ 5:08 pm | No comments

Larry King resigned to being baptized after he’s dead and on Provo: “It’d still be better than being dead.”

26 May 2009 @ 1:43 pm | 1 comment

Oquirrh Mountain Utah LDS Mormon Temple

LDS Church announces open house and dedication for Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple.

The public will be invited to visit the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple during an open house that will run from Monday, 1 June, through Saturday, 1 August 2009 (except for Sundays; Saturday, 4 July; and Friday, 24 July).

Following the open house, the temple will be formally dedicated on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 21–23 August 2009. A total of nine dedicatory sessions will be held.

Plus, South Jordan: the city with two temples.

20 May 2009 @ 11:07 am | No comments

Why Apologize for the Zion Curtain?

11 March 2009 @ 3:00 pm | 9 comments

Utah Beer

Much ado has been made about this week’s “normalization” of Utah’s alcohol policy. In fact, much ado has always been made of Utah’s alcohol laws and any discussion wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the predominant religious culture’s influence on them.

Granted, Utah’s alcohol regulations can’t help but be influenced by the values of its people (see “The LDS Church and alcohol control policy” for more), but looking at other states it’s clear that Utah is far from being the only state to have “curious liquor laws.”

And yet, despite “Utah’s quirky alcohol laws,” the New York Times reported this year that local pubs and breweries here have been able to flourish and “don’t seem to be holding anyone back.”

To see that Utah is not alone, here is a cursory look at some of the alcohol laws around the rest of the country:

Also check out “Odd Alcohol Laws Keep the Party Spirit, Within Limits Of Course” and “Cheers! Stupid beer laws falling off.”

Perhaps Utah’s liberalization of alcohol laws will be a good thing. Some of the changes sound reasonable but on the whole, I’m not convinced that claims of boosting tourism are worth risking more DUIs. I would be happy if they made the punishments for DUI much more draconian (serious prison sentences and a permanent loss of drivers licenses) but at least it sounds like they will be increased somewhat.

It would be nice to think that these changes will at least end the need to feel sheepish about Utah’s alcohol laws (somehow I doubt that will happen). Rather than reflecting some theocratic plot to oppress the drinking rights of its citizens, Utah is just like many other states, regulating alcohol to make it safe while accessible.

And that’s saying something:

As I sat through Thomas Friedman’s sold-out lecture at Abravanel Hall last night, I was reminded that the only thing worse than a sanctimonious Utah County conservative is a smug Salt Lake liberal.

11 March 2009 @ 1:04 pm | No comments

This can’t be right. I thought Utah was the most depressed, bankrupt and porn-addicted state in the union. Now a study says it’s also the happiest.

Looking for happiness—it’s family-friendly communities for some, tropical paradise or the rugged West for others. A survey of Americans’ well-being, conducted by Gallup in partnership with Healthways and America’s Health Insurance Plans, gives high marks to Utah, which boasts lots of outdoor recreation for its youthful population.

Speaking of outdoor recreation, the islands of Hawaii took second place and Wyoming was third in the poll that rated such variables as mental, physical and economic health.

I guess a vacation to Hawaii would be a let down now.

11 March 2009 @ 9:49 am | 6 comments

Flickr Find: Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain Utah LDS Temples

2 March 2009 @ 11:42 am | 2 comments

Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain Utah LDS Temples

Of the temple photos I’ve posted so far, this is the first I’ve taken myself. I’m clearly not a photographer and its not the greatest shot but how often can you take a photo of two temples in the same frame?

If you can’t see the Oquirrh Mountain temple just squint, looking along the horizon to the left and pretend it’s there (or click though the picture to see the Flickr notes). Here’s a closer view taken by someone else.

Supreme Court rules for Utah city in religious marker case

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Wednesday that a small religious group cannot force a city in Utah to place a granite marker in a local park that already is home to a Ten Commandments display.

In a case involving the Salt Lake City-based Summum, the court said that governments can decide what to display in a public park without running afoul of the First Amendment.

25 February 2009 @ 9:49 am | No comments

When LDS Church Representatives Meet with the State Legislature

9 February 2009 @ 11:15 pm | 2 comments

A little late in getting to this, but Michael Otterson’s response to the perennial complaints about LDS Church involvement with the Utah legislature can’t go by unnoticed. Particularly since the SL Trib’s archives of death will swallow up the article soon (but good for them for publishing this response to their Rebecca Walsh’s claims of theocracy).

Here’s how the meetings go down if you’re interested.

Lunches both for Democratic and Republican legislators follow exactly the same pattern:

An expression of appreciation to those who work long hours and devote a good slice of their lives to serving our communities.

A reminder that we meet with both parties, and that the church maintains its position of partisan neutrality.

Much more listening on the part of church representatives than speaking. Legislators are much more prone to express a variety of views on issues than are church leaders.

As any legislator who has ever attended these lunches will tell you, the LDS Church’s central message is to encourage legislators to be wise, thoughtful and compassionate as they go about the people’s business. It is not prescriptive. The church takes a position on very few bills anyway, but when it does that position is made public.

Funny how there weren’t complaints last year when the Church was encouraging compassion for immigrants.

Behold the Mormon Belt

3 February 2009 @ 11:42 am | 6 comments

Not as catchy as the “Jell-O Belt” or as significant as the “Mormon Index” but still interesting. And depressing if you lean Republican.

Obviously, last year was a big year for Democrats but a Gallup survey shows that 35 states leaned Democrat by five points or more and only five states leaned or were solidly Republican. Utah was considered the most solidly Republican with a Democrat-Republican gap of 23%.

Mormon Belt of dwindling GOP support

The small cluster of holdout states has been dubbed the “Mormon Belt.” Looking to 2012, if Sarah Palin wants to woo her base, maybe she should convert (and Mike Huckabee should at least take the discussions).

There were a lot of reasons that contributed to the last year’s Republican wipe-out. Many of those I think (or is it just hope?) will be more temporary than long-standing. Subsequent run-off elections suggest that the Obamenon may be singular event and not necessarily a party-wide Democratic trend.

Either way, Utah is not (yet) joining Pres. Obama’s “moment” and the GOP have a lot of work to do. But how fair is it to attribute these GOP holdouts due to their Mormon population? I’m not sure.

The Sad Plight of Farm Analogies

31 December 2008 @ 12:07 pm | 6 comments

I couldn’t help but chuckle at this quote at Utah Policy:

“These guys don’t understand them. I use them every once in a while, but that’s who I am. They have to ask somebody else, ‘What the heck is this guy talking about.’”

– Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan, asked in an interview with the Utah Farm Bureau News [PDF] if he ever uses farming analogies with his players.

Perhaps a strange thing to muse on, but I fear the same will happen to General Conference talks.  So much of the gospel applies references to agriculture and many church leaders have told wonderful stories of growing up on farms.

But as we became less of an agrarian society, I wonder how many future lessons will be taught using farm references or who will even understand what the heck they’re talking about.

Reservations for the Draper temple open house can now be made for Thursday, 15 January, 2009 – Saturday, 14 March, 2009 (except Sundays).

3 December 2008 @ 3:06 pm | 2 comments

Utah geologists discover ‘dinosaur dance floor‘

Utah geologists say they have discovered prehistoric animal tracks so densely packed on a 3/4-acre rock site, they’re calling it a “dinosaur dance floor.” The site along the Arizona-Utah border is offering a rich new set of clues about the lives of dinosaurs 190 million years ago.

20 October 2008 @ 10:24 pm | No comments

An amazing photo of the Milky Way as seen from a cave in Canyonlands, Utah.

13 October 2008 @ 12:01 am | No comments

22 September 2008 @ 12:22 am | No comments

I Thought Utah Democrats Didn’t Like the Political Exploitation of the Mormon Church

4 September 2008 @ 5:08 am | 21 comments

I thought Utah Democrats didn’t like the exploitation of the Mormon Church for politics.

The Utah Democratic Party charged this week that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is a “devout member of an anti-Mormon denomination” and questioned whether LDS faithful should vote for her.

But Palin is not a member of the church the Democrats are referencing, that church denies it is anti-Mormon and there’s no evidence of any anti-Mormon rhetoric from its pulpit.

Now, Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland is backing off the statement.

“We do not plan on making her religion an issue,” Holland said Wednesday afternoon, adding he had not seen the news release, which includes a quote by him along with several questions.

The pertinent one: “Will Republicans of the LDS faith vote for Sarah Palin, a devout member of an anti-Mormon denomination?”

Voting Democrat Does Not Equal Charity

1 September 2008 @ 3:25 am | 17 comments

Perhaps the oldest and most unanswerable question of the Bloggernacle is why do Mormons vote so overwhelmingly Republican.

I’ll try to avoid that directly, but the SL Tribune’s weekly provocateur of the dominant Utah culture, Rebecca Walsh, joins Sen. Reid’s latest lament that misguided Utah LDS so overwhelmingly align themselves with the GOP.

Democrats have been scratching their heads for years, trying to make sense of the paradox that has Reid so flummoxed: It seems counterintuitive that a state largely populated by compassionate, peaceful, faithful people who are admonished by their religious leaders to volunteer, give to the poor and live modestly and within their means should hang on the coattails of a political party that does not.

This makes no sense. Of course Mormons (and Utahns) believe in virtues such as service, charity, and sacrifice. But Walsh seems to mistakenly think that they are synonymous with supporting government action: unless the government does it, it isn’t charity.

Except she has it exactly backwards. We are taught to not wait for the government to tax and act in our place. In fact we are not performing our charitable duty unless we give and do of our own time and talents.

So where’s the disconnect? It’s in fact with Ms. Walsh. Conservative Mormons are very similar to other religious conservatives who are suspect of the government accomplishing charity and instead rely on themselves. Arthur C. Brooks has studied the poltical and religious influences on charitable giving and found that:

religious conservatives are far more charitable than secular liberals, and that those who support the idea that government should redistribute income are among the least likely to dig into their own wallets to help others.

So putting aside social issues and other sundry reasons why Mormons vote Republican, there’s no inconsistency that a people which believes in service and charity support a party that doesn’t want to outsource them to bureaucrats.

Bountiful Temple

31 August 2008 @ 9:23 pm | No comments

Sen. Reid keeps charming them, one state at a time:

“What is wrong with the people of Utah? They like where this president has taken this country?” asked the Nevada senator, who is LDS. “People in Utah need to wake up.” . . .

“I was thinking Idaho and Utah are very much like we were [in Nevada] 10 years ago,” he said. “It’s hard for me to understand why [Utah is] such a Republican state. Utah should be a state that believes in what we stand for.”

29 August 2008 @ 9:16 pm | No comments

Obama outraises McCain in Utah:

It appears that Obama supporters are truly enthused by his candidacy and are opening their wallets to show it. Meanwhile, Utah Republicans may be suffering donation fatigue from their heavy contributions to favorite-son Mitt Romney — and have not been so free-flowing with cash to McCain after he beat Romney.

21 August 2008 @ 1:17 am | No comments

Happy Pioneer Day!

24 July 2008 @ 9:48 am | No comments

Mormon Grassroots: The Sutherland Institute

22 July 2008 @ 7:27 pm | No comments

This is the third of occasional posts looking at various Mormon-related grassroots political organizations.

Although the Sutherland Institute is not strictly a Mormon organization, it’s focus on Utah and its culture invariably lends it to cover issues that are of concern to latter-day saints. The Institute has published an essay series for civic-minded LDS called Transcend for Latter-day Saints.

Katie Christensen, Manager of Public Relations of The Sutherland Institute was kind enough to respond to some questions.

1. Why and when was the Sutherland Institute formed?
The Sutherland Institute was founded in 1995 by Gaylord Swim as a way to transcend impulsive, convenient, or self-serving policies and politics by looking for truly lasting solutions – solutions that both serve the common good and that also sustain time-tested principles of freedom and prosperity.

2. What are the priorities of the Sutherland Institute?
Simply put, Sutherland is most concerned with strengthening families, promoting a culture of faith and morality, and securing our God-given liberties for ourselves and future Utahns. As such, Sutherland Institute is committed to shaping Utah law and policy based on a core set of governing principles:

• Personal Responsibility as the basis of self-government
• Family as the fundamental unit of society
• Religion as the moral compass of human progress
• Private Property as the cornerstone of economic freedom
• Free markets as the engine of economic prosperity
• Charity as the wellspring of a caring community
• Limited Government as the essence of good government

We believe that these principles will ultimately make Utah an example of good government for the rest of the nation and a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

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