It's been 46 years since I last visited SLC. My wife and I went this weekend to attend the ExMormon Foundation Conference and I viewed the place with a different perspective than I had in November of 1968. You see the first time we went to Salt Lake we were on our honeymoon. We had just been sealed in St. George and headed on up the road to take a look at the home of Mormondom. The eyes of two TBM young LDS were blinded by the mystic of the whole experience.

Forty-six years pass and we are back only now we are no longer members. We left the church about twenty-two or three years ago and officially eighteen years ago. During this time we suffered the withdrawal on our own. So we decided to go to SLC for the conference this weekend and while there we went to City Creek Center to take a look. The sight that left the biggest impression upon me had nothing to do with the shopping center. Instead it was the people I witnessed that made the biggest impression. I saw a lot of white shirts and suits. It was lunch time and the church offices are near as is the temple. Then I noticed the young families. Young men and their young pregnant wives followed by their two or three other children who all look to be under the age of five. I asked my wife if that is how we looked when our kids were little. These folks looked like they were in a cult. It seemed very surreal to me.

As for the conference, it was really good and fun. The talks were very interesting and the socializing with similarly minded people was refreshing. We think we will try to make it again next year and maybe bring one of our kids as well.