MormonTimes.com: Beauty is free even in hard times

There's a strange parallax that comes when you've lived away from Utah for a while, and then return.

On the one hand, there's a powerful nostalgia; on the other hand, there's the strangeness that comes from having a different set of expectations.

For instance, I never realized how ugly Utah architecture was until I lived in parts of the country with a tradition of grace. It was as if Utah builders were determined to achieve cheapness, regardless of the cost.

I know, I can already hear proud Utahns saying, "We didn't build it for you! If you don't like it, stay away!" But I can't stay away, and I can't ignore it. Utah's architectural values seep out into every Mormon meetinghouse, which imposed on all of us that miserable period of circus-tent buildings with no front and no windows, so all you saw from the outside was roof, and you were lost the moment you stepped inside. Besides, how Utah looks reflects on all of us. If a Mormon builds an ugly house in North Carolina, passing tourists assume we're Baptists anyway, so it doesn't hurt the Mormon reputation.

Read the full column on MormonTimes.com.