Sonnenberg: What It’s Like to be Catholic in Mormon Utah
An icon shop in Budapest, Hungary
June 12, 2018
Although the LDS Church’s headquarters are located in Salt Lake City and much of the state is predominately LDS, the church has not directly affected my experience as a student at the University of Utah. After traveling through Europe, however, I realized that the omnipresence of the Mormon faith has an indirect influence on my experience as a practicing Roman Catholic.
Whether you live in LDS Utah or Catholic Croatia, the dominant faith where you live will influence your culture and knowledge about religion. I didn’t fully understand this when I moved to Utah so I wasn’t expecting that some people’s only experience of Christianity would come from the LDS Church. I was surprised when fellow students in my world religions class had never heard of the Trinity or the Incarnation, two important doctrines in mainline Christianity. Living as a member of a minority faith in Utah sometimes leads to more awkwardness than disagreements about doctrine. Ash Wednesday inevitably fosters questions as to why I have dirt on my forehead and fasting is even less fun when you have to explain your rationale. I’ve gone to the St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Newman Center’s on-campus Stations of the Cross for the past two years and we get a good number of confused stares perhaps because the public processions aren’t an LDS tradition. These differences in knowledge about doctrines and practices make sense given they are not part of the LDS Church’s faith and it’s reasonable that people wouldn’t know about another church’s beliefs and traditions when they haven’t been exposed to their practices on a frequent basis.
These minor inconveniences of religious differences have stood out to me since I’ve traveled in Catholic-majority countries in Europe. I feel at home seeing cars with rosaries hanging from their rearview mirrors, public Eucharistic processions and Epiphany blessings chalked on the doorframes of homes and businesses. Churches are even more concentrated than LDS chapels, with some city centers hosting five or more churches within a five-minute walk. In countries like Croatia, where 86% of the population is Catholic, I knew everyone would know about the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation in the same way that most Utahns know about the Mormon doctrines of the premortal existence and the Great Apostasy. Currently, in Europe, I’m not looking forward to leaving the land of randomly placed icon stores and habited sisters walking on the beach.
Of course, I will have to leave and I’m beginning to see how going back to being the minority can be a good thing. While it’s inconvenient to explain my beliefs, it means I become more knowledgeable about my faith. I can engage friends in conversations about religion because I know that I offer a different perspective. It’s easy to avoid taking my faith for granted when it’s not part of the society I am immersed in. Since my religion is an important piece of my identity, I’m grateful to be part of a religious minority in Utah.
Jennifer Clark • Dec 23, 2020 at 9:09 am
A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is first and foremost. Ones choice of religion should be considered secondary thus supporting your belief in Christ. Unfortunately, I have found too many churches focusing on teaching their religion instead. ie., how to be Mormon or how to be Catholic and how to conform to the rules of their institutions. I’ve also found too many focusing on money. Catholics and Morons alike building multimillion dollar over the top gaudy cathedrals and temples that mostly sit empty. I personally would rather pray with a spirit of humility in a garden filled with God’s natural creations and wonders. Man always makes things complicated by losing sight of what the spirit desires verses what the flesh craves. In the Bible, we are told in Romans 8 to live by the spirit and in Proverbs 3 to seek wisdom. Matthew 22:37-40 are the 2 commandments that rule the land. I have attended almost every religious Christian denomination to see which one I feel most aligns with my faith in Christ- Baptist. I do not bend my knee to the secular world only to the Lord. Homosexuality is a sin and any church that welcomes it or hangs a gay pride flag is one practicing hypocrisy: Mormons acceptance of it and the Catholic Church is not a holy one if priests are sexually abusing children or practicing homosexuality in secrecy. A Christian church should be one representing, teaching and practicing Christianity. (period!)
Linda • Apr 18, 2019 at 2:17 pm
I live in a small Utah town with 90% LDS. The Catholic Church is 45 minutes away and the acoustics were terrible. All the priest had heavy accents. Soooo I became LDS so I could praise Jesus locally. Both my husband and I studies the religious very extensively. After 6 years we just miss the Catholic Church and the traditions our families have upheld for over a century. We feel that we have to hide our crucifixes and rosaries. The hard part is we r afraid we will b turned against by our friends for going back as it is so important to convert people. Pray for us as we r now willing to drive 45 minutes to go with works for us.
Sierra Diante • Nov 28, 2018 at 7:38 pm
Wonderful story!Blessed is She is an organization of Catholic sisters in Christ. Please join us and contact them. It would be wonderful to here your voice.
God bless:-)
https://blessedisshe.net
Susan Bressloer • Aug 2, 2018 at 5:15 pm
Dear Kristiane, you wrote a sensitive article. I enjoyed reading it. It can be wonderful with a good friend’s. Surrounding yourself with people who can engage in civil conversation’s with politeness and sensitivity is the key. If I had it to do all over again, I would remove myself right in the beginning when you are around people with bad vibes, or lack sensitivity. Utah is beautiful and their many great stream’s with moving water to sit and reflect. It is important to be with people you have alott in common with and who are respectful. Best of luck, Susan
Dave Ruth • Jun 13, 2018 at 8:17 am
Its no walk in the Park. I will never Forget when I was in St George at a Pizza place and they asked me if I wanted to join the Lds. My answer, OK Get a Black Elder in the 12. Needless to say, That was the End of that Conversation.