Utah is a mountainous landlocked state in the mid-western part of the U.S. Most of Utah is reddish and has planet Mars-like rugged landscapes. On a map, Nevada surrounds it from the west, Idaho on the north, Wyoming on the northeast, Colorado in the east, and Arizona in the south.
Utah is well known for its several beautiful states and National parks, such as Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion National parks.
Utah is also well known as the headquarters of the Mormon Church (LDS) situated here. According to an FBI crime statistics report, Utah ranked 39th in the U.S. for violent crimes. Though Utah is a comparatively safe place to live, many people don’t like to be there for a prolonged time.
Many cities in Utah, including Salt Lake City, have problems like weather and air quality issues, homelessness, and traffic jams despite the LDS Church’s influence.
Racial and Ideological Segregation
The Mormon church is also called The Church of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Its teaching is not trinitarian and considers the foundation for restoring the original Church established by Jesus Christ. The Mormons have different extra books and more restrictions than other sects of Christianity. The Church insists that the followers are the true Christians and restorers of the lost doctrine of Christianity.
Utah is a pretty place for living, but around 62% of its residents believe in the doctrines of the Mormon Church. They consider non-Mormons as not mixable with them and prefer to stay separated from different races and religious groups. As they are the dominant figure, they profoundly influence the state’s governing bodies.
Authoritarian Influence on State Government
The Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) is so powerful that it has a massive impact on the state’s politics, legislation, education, and the non-Mormons’ daily lifestyles. Most of the people who are not members of the LDS face a lot of restrictions in their businesses and are angry about the whole system.
Utah legislators make policies following the Mormon ideologies blindly, which negatively impacts non-members. According to The Daily Utah Chronicle, “Utah policy deeply reflects Mormon ideals is that nine out of every ten legislators are LDS members. And while many policymakers try to downplay the severity with which the Church involves itself in governmental affairs, some of them recognize the faith’s influence.”
In the United States, everyone has the freedom to practice their religion according to their wishes. Nobody is allowed to force and hamper someone’s religious belief. The LDS Church members and state legislators are violating the constitution of the United States of America. There is no consistency in state policy and the country’s constitution.
They have mixed their religious views with politics and are acting like an overpowered regional fundamental political group. The members are creating trouble for other residents living in the same state, for which many non-practicing Mormon members and non-Mormons don’t like to be in Utah.
Every year many people from different states visit Utah occasionally; they enjoy the landscapes and places but don’t prefer to move there as permanent residents.
Social Disciplinary Issues
The members of the LDS Church are religiously conservative, and they have different values than others. Sometimes those values seem immoral to non-Mormon people; for example, some fundamentalists believe and practice Polygamy. In the Polygamy marriage system, a man can have multiple wives simultaneously.
People should wear modest dresses, not showing their skin enough to provoke others sexually. Mormons can’t have sex without marriage and are permitted only with their husbands and wives.
They should not drink tea, coffee, or any alcoholic beverages for good health. People couldn’t buy Alcoholic beverages until recent years. Still, people face restrictions on their businesses related to alcohol and caffeine on certain days.
Many local grocery stores, liquor stores, and business institutions are closed on Sunday.
People from the LGBTQ community are not welcomed in Utah. The Church doesn’t support same-sex marriage, homosexuality, pre-marital sex, and abortion.
Lack of Diversity
In Utah, anybody unknowingly coming from outer states may face cultural shock because of various restrictions on their everyday activities. They feel unwelcomed by their neighbors. Most Utahns are white and followers of the LDS Church. Small children and students from non-Mormon families always face humiliation and constant pressure from their teachers and school administration because of their different faith and overview of life.
The situation is burdensome for those students’ general education as they face questions, criticisms, and mockeries from others in social activities. Students and parents, and job-seeking young adults face the same attitude from the authority members.
The Members of the LDS Church have a particular dress code and pursue collecting more members for the Church’s income. Most of them try to convince people by imposing their religious views and opinions on other religious beliefs.
Utah is a beautiful picture-perfect state where people can live happily without trouble. Newcomers usually feel odd situations in a new place, segregated from others. Hesitation and helplessness create anxiety to live in Utah. So, the people who know well about the state’s living style and cannot accept the conditions will always hate Utah.
Utahns should skip ignorance about different people and their religions. They need to learn to respect others’ faith and use common sense. The Mormon Churchs’ influence needs to be eliminated from the state laws.
Desert Weather Condition
Utah looks like a rugged, uplifted, mountainous state with scorching summer heat and harsh winter. It gets a lot of snow in the winter months, but people need AC in their homes to fight high temperatures in summer. As many neighborhoods are established in hilly areas, residents need all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicles for winter.
Utah is the second driest state (after Nevada) in the U.S. People from more humid areas are surprised and don’t feel great living here. The air quality is not so good in many regions, and people suffer from diseases related to breathing problems in the dusty air.
Unemployment and Homelessness
Like many other U.S. states, Utah also has jobless and homeless people. Lack of knowledge and training in specific fields makes it hard for some of the residents to find jobs. Housing prices are so high that many people cannot afford houses to move there.
Traffic Problems
Cities and towns are congested in certain areas. Though Utah has modern roads and highways, people still face traffic jams during rush hours.
Seismic Faults and Earthquake Prone Area
A lot of seismic activities are present in Utah’s natural environment. Several seismic faults are running along the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state. The mountain range is a part of the Rocky Mountain range and covers about 160 miles or 260 kilometers in Utah. Many cities and towns are situated near the fault lines.
Earthquakes usually happen near fault lines due to the earth’s crust’s movement and volcanic activities. If any big earthquake occurs, most cities and towns will be devastated. Utah residents will face significant losses from the massive destructive forces.
The state welcomes people saying “Life Elevated” on its roadside banners. By watching the signs and reading the words, people become confused about the state’s high standard of living conditions and the uplifting landscapes.
Because of the above socio-political issues and geological or environmental issues, everyone hates Utah.