Utah faiths pursue amity

OREM — Fleeing persecution in other states, Mormons settled in Utah under the leadership of their prophet Brigham Young, who hoped to create a religious refuge free of outside interference.

Drawing heavily on a vision of "the Kingdom of God," members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sought to control the social, political and religious facets of their new state.

"However, almost immediately that vision was challenged by non-Mormons, or gentiles as they were called, entering the Salt Lake Valley," said Brian Birch, director of Utah Valley State College's religious studies program.

Since that time, Birch said that a sense of "Mormon preservation" has remained, leaving many residents from other faiths feeling like "second-class citizens or strangers in a strange land."

On Tuesday night, local religious leaders came together at Utah Valley State College for a roundtable discussion, entitled "Religious diversity in a homogenous culture."

The homogeneity, of course, is the result of a local community that is largely LDS. In Utah County alone 90 percent of the population is LDS.

There is still diversity within county lines, however, as evidenced by roundtable participants who represented several faiths.

"As far as the Muslim community is concerned, we are very happy in Utah because we share many common beliefs," said Mohammed Shoaibuddin of the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake City.

Shoaibuddin said that any perceived discrimination "would probably be because he or she is Muslim, not because he or she is not LDS."

Other roundtable participants also praised Latter-day Saint values, but expressed a certain discomfort with some "holier-than-thou" attitudes and what they perceived as missionary efforts masquerading as friendships.

"If we can put honesty and civility together, I think we are going to have true integrity," said Greg Johnson of Standing Together.

LDS leaders agreed that Utah's unique situation can be difficult for other faiths, but placed the blame evenly on members of the majority and minority — noting both groups could interact more personally with members of other faiths.

"I would check my agenda," said LDS public affairs spokesman Robert Millet. "I think if people were more bent on creating friendships than with converting their neighbor to their faith, we would have a happier society.

While Tuesday's discussion largely revolved around the impact of an LDS culture on community life, participants also broached important issues about creating interfaith unity without sacrificing personal beliefs.

In the end, however, most religious leaders agreed that a peaceful coexistence on all social levels and between all faiths will take extensive dialogue and change.

"We recognize that these are large questions that require much more careful study," Birch said. "Events like this can only hope to be a catalyst for widespread social change."

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E-mail: lwarner@desnews.com