 |
 |
 |
 |
- The Name Game
All of those "small world" connections are true. For those who don't know: District Leader = missionary in charge of about six to eight other missionaries (a district); an exchange is when we split up with members of the local congregation (or ward) for the evening (get twice as much done); EFY music is music made for "Especially for Youth" a youth retreat every summer at BYU - very famous and very crowded; the medley mentioned is a famous example of such music; a Mormon seminary is more like Sunday School for youth, except it happens every weekday, and, in Utah, we actually get release time from public school to go. Elsewhere kids usually go to early-morning seminary, which is just what it sounds like.
Also, there is something of a distinction in Mormon culture that the Mormons from Utah seem to be a little different from everyone else. Utah Mormons will tell you this is not true, but I think it is. Stereotypically, Utah Mormons will try to find "small world" connections everywhere ("Oh, you're from Chicago? Do you know Sister Molly Perkins?" "Um, I live in Chicago."), don't know much about the outside world while thinking they do (it's sometimes called the Utah Bubble), and many other strange things (like being horrible drivers for being simultaneously too nice and too unaware of other cars). Non-Utah Mormons tend to be much more normal people. Elder Dyslin was from Pennsylvania. Oh, yeah, and my parents are from Boston and Cleveland. They're not too Utah Mormon... yet. :-)
