I really enjoyed reading about this woman's story and how she was encouraged to never leave Utah, but did and has found purpose and joy in life, and she's an active member of the LDS church now. It's OK to be different, the gospel works for a lot of people and cultures and circumstances. Recognizing that will be the first step for Utah Mormon culture to overcome some of its really damaging aspects. There is too much judging, and not enough empathy and compassion. They will accept the druggie or convert as they are coming back to the fold, but as the person progresses, they don't want to see them as a peer and definitely not better than them. They are accepting as long as you know your place in the culture and stay there. These are of course generalizations, but her examples of being excluded, being told as a single mother to stay away from someone's husband, etc. are examples of some of the cultural biases that need to go. Those types of biases and judgments are way more damaging than people realize. The worst of it is that the ones carrying them don't even realize it and have no idea why the other person is offended, and then they'll tell everyone how we just need to be nice and use kind words. It goes deeper than than the words we use, we need to truly care about people and see them all as peers, not a "potential convert" or "someone I can help" or as a duty or obligation to be nice, but to genuinely see them as potential friends and equals regardless of our different personalities or backgrounds. That I think is the worst part of Utah Mormon culture-- the judging against each other and people putting themselves above others. It looks like she has been able to recover from it and even settle in Utah, it sounds like she is doing a lot of good there now, kudos to her. It is an uphill battle, but maybe as more people see it and recognize it, many more can freed from it.
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