Lovin' the east coast

I have never lived in Utah. I have visited a few times. It is really beautiful out there and I love that everything is so wide open and wild.  I like that there are not so many people.  I would like to live out west, except for all the Utah mormons.   I love the church. I love the gospel.  I just do not like the attitude that some west coast mormons have about anyone who does not live in the western US. 

I have been LDS all of my life. I have never had any desire to move to Utah.  I enjoy being different and having the opportunity to stand out.  It is a little harder to live the gospel when everyone else thinks your values are weird but it is easier to have opportunities to share your testimony when people ask you about the things that make you different. 

We are not less faithful.  Our testimonies are not weaker.  If anything I think we are stronger.  Some of us have had our families disown us because of our choice to join the church.  Our friends think we are crazy when we send our children off to serve missions and not call home or see us for18months -2 years.  They look at us like we are bad parents.  They think the word of wisdom is the strangest thing ever and we dress funny (especially here in FL).  And imagine how difficult it is to explain to our non member family and friends why they can't come to our weddings.  We are indeed peculiar people.

Personally, these things make me stronger and living here means that I will always have opportunities to serve those who really need it and there are lots of chances to share our testimonies with people who don't know their Savior.

We east coasters have our own pioneers, as well.  My father was the first branch president in the area where I grew up.  My mom-the first RS president.  We moved from an old office building where rats ran over our feet in sacrament meeting to a tiny little one room white chapel just like the one on Little House on the Prairie to a big church building that we purchased from a Baptist congregation and had to pull down a huge cross from the top of the chapel.  

There are lots of other pioneer stories out here.   We are proud of our history and proud of being east coast LDS.  We don't need anyone coming in telling us that we don't measure up because we live in the "real world". 

We are tough and we are hard working. If you want to fit in, please make an effort to respect and appreciate us and stop obsessing over how awesome Utah is.  We appreciate any new ideas you have to offer but we don't need to be fixed.  Join us and help us build up the church here or go home and take the easy road. 

I know it is a little harder to find LDS friends here because there may not be as many people who you relate to in church here but we are loving and we are willing.  Reach out and be a friend.  Let us know when you need something.  We are you sisters...and brothers.