Let me tell you a little bit about my ward:

It has 15-20 kids in the Primary. No scouting program whoatsoever. I hope this improves by the time my boy is old enough for scouts, but I don’t feel that strongly about scouting anyway, so it’s not that big a deal for me.

It has no young women. As in zero. I hope this improves when my girls get big enough for the program, but I have no guarantee of this.

It has 4 young men. It is very common to have an elder or a high priest give you the sacrament. My husband is often up there, and my kids love to get the sacrament from him. They try to make him laugh as he stands by our pew.

We have 2 full time missionaries out in the field.

It is a small ward, and I love it.

I live in Utah.

I would really appreciate if people would stop bashing Utah, as if every ward here is overflowing and filled with made-up callings, intolerant people, and people who don’t know what it’s like to live on the same street as Jewish people, non-denominational Christians, and a black Baptist preacher. (That is my street).

I am just sooo tired of the phrase, ‘well, of course it’s not like this in Utah, but…’ I’m just tired of it. I’m tired of people who feel they are superior than I am because they live in the ‘real world.’ So, I’m removing some of my anonymity (which is possibly all blown to hell anyway) and saying I live in Utah. And… I am tolerant, loving, and understanding of diversity, damn it!

I have lived outside of Utah in humongous wards - wards where nobody would know if I stayed or went, and frankly, didn’t care. Several, in fact.

I never thought I would settle here or raise my kids here. And it’s a long life, who knows, I still might move someday. But chances are, if I move outside of Utah, I’ll be moving to bigger ward than the one I’m in now. Maybe they’ll even have scouting, who knows?