I've lived in all three areas. I noticed a big difference with Utah Mormons, but not so much difference between Mid-West and East Coast. But the Mormon population density and the neighborhoods I lived in were relatively similar in MW and EC.
I noticed that the east coast Mormons were more liberal, except in very small towns. I went to church in Manhattan when I was ten. New York had only one English speaking ward and one Spanish ward. Latinos were entirely segregated from whites. We never saw each other. The church was a rented synagogue downtown. It was a bad neighborhood. My Webelos teacher at church came across the date July 24th in the lesson manual from Salt Lake City. "What is July 24th?" I asked her. She didn't know. Maybe it was a misprint.
We had to go through a rough patch of town to get to the synagogue on Sundays. There were a lot of bars on the street, which scared the shit out of my father. I could see the fear in his eyes. He rushed us along through there, and we skipped over the dogshit and the legs of unconscious drunks on the sidewalk. Weird fact: Robert Redford's wife, Lola, was in our ward. You shoulda seen the shiny car she pulled up in for sacrament meeting. Robert Redford didn't attend, but his kids came with their mother.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2016 11:32PM by donbagley.
The east coast Mormons that I grew up around were adept at blending in with the nevermos. The Mormon women were not afraid to be intellectual, and they pursued both undergraduate and graduate degrees. At the same time, one was left with the feeling that they had this whole different life going on that the average nevermo knew nothing about.
West as in as far west as Utah. Utah and southern Idaho and Mesa Arizona are just a completely different country. They are so immersed in Mormonism that it's weird, especially in rural areas. SLC not so much. Everytime I go back to visit I feel like I'm visiting something akin to Amish country. Walmarts with church books in them, they sell Mormon uniforms for both men and women, (you know what I'm talking about).
When I lived in WA it wasn't as rigid but not that far off, probably because we had a lot of transplant Utah mormons.
Living in the southeast it's totally different.
Southeast, the ward is as diverse as I've ever seen a ward outside of when we lived in Asia. There are many highly educated women but they choose to stay at home and raise their 4 or 5 kids. Which by Mormon standards is pretty moderate. I haven't gotten any crap from members for attending another church. All in all a very different experience.
I once thought California mormons were more "laid-back." Inherited from the surrounding culture and all.
Then a California bishop basically ordered my mom to divorce my inactive dad in favor of a worthy priesthood holder.
Then a California stake president excommunicated a friend of mine for a rape he didn't commit (and the girl in question admitted it).
Then another California bishop stripped a great scout leader of mine of his priesthood and temple ordinances because it was discovered he had a black ancestor many generations back (a few months before the "revelation" in 1978).
Then a mormon kid I was tutoring told me his parents had said they'd kick him out on the street and disown him if he didn't go on a mission.
California (west-coast) mormons may not be Utah mormons, because they aren't surrounded by a mormon bubble, but they're no less hard-core, and no more laid-back. The church is hard-core. No matter where you are.
I was in a very small ward in Ohio. It was a strange mix. There were several single older women who were professors at the local college. At least one of them was gay, but never admitted it.
There were a few local converts who were chronically confused about what exactly mormonism was. They played the game as well as they could though.
Then there were the mixed bag of mormons from other places. Mostly they were married students at the College. There were a few single ones, but not many. This group made the ward quite transient. Every semester someone left and new people arrived.
Then there were the people from Utah. Some were there because of jobs, some for school. They were obnoxious know it alls that tried to be in everyones business. They were often put in their place. The Utah music nazi's were the worst.
In the summer we were usually entertained by the Utah members crazy relatives who all seemed to think they were prophets. They were the stuff that SNL was made of.
My hubby and I didn't fit into any of these groups really. We were a mix that most mormons couldn't wrap their minds around. We were a divorced/convert/transfer/local/member/white couple that looked like a mixed marriage but wasn't. They were intrigued, yet afraid of us at the same time. We lived 30 miles away from everyone else in the ward. That just added to the mystique. That was back when there were no cell phones, and the internet was just coming into being. We were long distant phone call to anyone in the ward. It was the best way ever to be a mormon. We never saw a mormon unless we went to church on Sunday.
Then we moved to Western Washington. The mormons were a whole different breed. They were all in our business, showing up all hours of the day and night. The phone ringing off the hook. The bishop started grilling our kids about things that were none of the bishops business. It was horrid. We tried to distance ourselves, but that's not allowed.
After living in that ward for less than a year we put our house up for sale. We couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. We moved 20 miles away out in the sticks. It was a bit better.
Then, we found out all the nasty little family secrets of mormonism and we were out. I don't miss any of it. All in all though I'd say that the East/midwest Mormons are more laid back and mind their own business. The worst mormons i've encountered have been Utah mormons. They don't have a clue what the word boundary means. Nosey, invasive, bossy, and self righteous. The PNW mormons are related to a lot of people from Utah. This makes for some semi Utahish mormons. The converts that have never been to Utah are the best ones. The closer a mormon is to Utah relatives, the crazier it gets.
How proud Mormons are to say they aren't Utah Mormons! That's what I notice about Denver area Mormons. Why? Because they aren't as true to covenant? Because they don't have legacy or heritage? Why the distance? Are you afraid you might be in a ridiculous cult? Yup.
For God's sake, non-Utah Mormons - don't save this monstrosity of a religion. Would you let it die, please? For ex-Utah Mormons sake. It's atrocious. Free the legacy Utah Mormons!