Living in Utah, the strong influence of religion is inescapable. It leaks into daily conversation, sways public policy and hovers constantly in the background for most of us. Of course, the primary driver is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose cultural omnipresence is also visible through real estate.
Looking back at my 118 running routes covering the entirety of Salt Lake City's streets, approximately 80% of them went past a meetinghouse, seminary or other LDS Church-related building. So, despite Salt Lake City's strong countercultural vibe and the idea that Salt Lakers are somehow "different," they really aren't.
The unfortunate effect of the ubiquity of Latter-day Saint church properties here is that it masks the city's otherwise impressive religious diversity and houses of worship that contain their own storied histories. One prominent example is the Calvary Baptist Church (above photo), located on 1090 S. State Street, which (according to the church's website) was founded in the 1890s by a Black women-led prayer group banding together to form the church.
There are also several interesting pockets, scattered mostly on the west side, where you find wide-ranging denominations within just a short walk. For example, on 700 West between 500 North and 300 North—a span of a mere two blocks—there's the Tam Bo Buddhist Temple, the Islamic Society of Bosniaks in Utah Mosque and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.
However, the best illustration of a diverse religious concentration can be found on 1000 West just north of 1700 South in Glendale (photo below). It might break Kayak.com to piece together a flight itinerary between the capitals of Samoa (Apia) and Serbia (Belgrade), but here you can find congregants from both countries worshiping as literal neighbors.
Maybe it's time to revisit this idea of Utah being a religious monoculture. After all, I've heard that the Church of the Sacred Whale of 9th and 9th is thriving, too.
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