>>2434024Lived here for a long time; in various parts of the state. What you're seeing is cognitive dissonance on a mass scale.
Mormons have historically been an extremely tight-knit society that was bound by religion and settler ideology. For the most part, this is still the case; but the slow wane absolutely terrifies these people. I get the sense that there are significant family tensions here.
The shell is usually held up by an aggressively harsh work culture and mutual self-checking. Behind the pristine walls of classic american suburbia; families yell at each other, parents drink or abuse prescriptions, and the kids are often far more diverse and progressive owing to the internet; which leaves parents in this weird and uncomfortable daze; despondent to anything really going on. Church is a 3 hour patience ritual. The number one hobby of the mormon is to stare at minorities and anyone who doesn't dress like they eat quaker oats every morning; the silent judgement is incredibly grating. It's the kind of place where overworked fathers will hop in the car and drive for hours to avoid yelling when they get home.
Regionally, it varies. I was pretty young at the time but there are places in Lehi, for example, where thousands live right next to a potentially toxic quarry without a shred of complaint. They build strip malls and movie theaters on land that'll be damn near apocalyptic soon, given the situation with the great salt lake drying out, and the lakebed putting heavy metal particulates into the air. If you tell them about this, it'll always be the same drivel response about how god has a plan for them; tacitly dismissing god's inaction for others. Mormons think they're special. The only hint of honest interaction is through some of the older people there; who are largely coping with mortality.
The least religious part of the state would be Park City. Park City is the Haute Bourgeoisie to the Petit Bourgeoisie of the rest of the state. It hosts the largest ski resort in the country, gated communities, and regularly draws in lavishly rich patrons, who are all total fucking assholes. Jeffery Epstein owned 5200 acres near the highway leading into town. It seems like the city is kind of meant to be a secret shared amongst the ultrawealthy; and it's definitely very different from the rest of the state. Honestly, it is probably where class divisions are most clear; because there's a significant but hidden minority of poor migrant workers who do most of the upkeep in the region, as well as neighboring cities experiencing deep, deep poverty. The city is zoned so as to put them out of sight; but it's real. On top of that, there's a major drug problem and even a fascism problem - mostly because the children of these highly wealthy, highly neoliberal financiers and celebrities would rather be anything else; and of course it would be against their interests to be aware of class. Absent, wine-tasting bohemian parents seem to be very common.
Utah County (provo, orem) is actually fairly progressive. Of course by this I mean that it's infested with petit-bourgeoisie anarchists; but it's a step up. There's a rivalry between its two colleges, BYU and UVU (where charlie kirk got slimed). BYU is highly conservative, sometimes even hosting deznats (deseret nationalists), while the staff stalks people after graduation, withholding transcripts for anyone who turns out gay or trans. Meanwhile UVU is one of the most minority friendly and arts-oriented schools in the state, specifically in opposition to BYU. The two schools are about 10 minutes away from each other. It leads to a weird dynamic of trans people in punk jackets regularly coming into contact with mini hitlers coming up from bumfuck nowhere central utah.
Southern Utah is a lot like the mormon parts of the state, but because of proximity to Vegas and the fact that people pass through often; they're a lot more aggressive. Tons of preppers who have plan and intent to block off people from vegas, should an apocalyptic situation occur; dozens of gun stores all across the area and more than a few white nationalist militias. Alongside this is a faction of zionists, motivated by mormon doctrine on the state of israel. I was at a play in St George once, and there was a part where Joseph (from the bible, keep up) started talking about how his people need 'land of their own' and I shit you not, the entire theater stood to cheer, without even a hesitation or break for them to do so. It lasted at least 30 seconds and was absolutely fucking surreal. This was after palestine had been under siege for at least 4 to 6 months, as well.
altogether the place is fucking insane.
TL;DR: Utah is like Isn'treal, but if they chilled out for a few generations and forgot how to be hitler; instead replacing it with the malaise of an invented history.