It became the new center of Mormonism, replacing the Victorian houses of Salt Lake City's Avenues neighborhood. And until the past decade, the so-called Harvard-Yale area was home to dozens of apostles and church presidents. Ezra Taft Benson built a home on Harvard, Spencer Kimball lived on Laird, Joseph Fielding Smith on 12th East and Gilmer. The LDS faithful filled in the spaces between and among their leaders, creating a new Mormon ward every few blocks.
Now it seems the Mormon population is shifting north, south and west. As Mormons move to the suburbs, downtown Salt Lake City has grown more religiously diverse - and often more attractive to outsiders.
In the past few years, Mormons near the city center have prayed for more of their own to move in, while real-estate agents alert potential homebuyers than these areas have the smallest LDS concentration. LDS stakes in Sugar House, the Avenues and the areas around the University of Utah, which typically comprise six to nine congregations of 300 to 500 members apiece, have had to regroup, while stakes in South Jordan and North Salt Lake are pushed to the limits.
Five years ago, the Avenues' three stakes were reduced to two. A year ago, the LDS Church closed a Mormon chapel on K Street between 10th and 11th avenues and sold the land. The building was demolished and replaced by houses. In March, the Foothill Stake, which stretches from 1700 to 2100 South and 1900 to 2300 East, went from seven to five wards.
Just last month, the Hillside Stake, from 1300 to 2100 South and 1300 to 1900 East, went from nine wards to six. Though it represented a loss of members in the area, the move was a boon to those staying, says Rebecca Gardiner, Hillside Stake Relief Society president.
"The church is not in the business of collapsing, it's in the business of expanding, but our leaders are realists," Gardiner says. "They had to create these dynamic wards. We are all superexcited. We've been here 16 years, and it was like a shot of adrenaline."
Still, she laments the loss of so many strong LDS families. "We wish more of our friends would come back," Gardiner says, "and help grow the church in Salt Lake."
The flight includes, by the way, many of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' highest officials. Currently only LDS apostles Dallin H. Oaks, Joseph B. Wirthlin and M. Russell Ballard live on Salt Lake City's east bench. Apostles Russell M. Nelson, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland and David A. Bednar all live in North Salt Lake and Bountiful, as do Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the governing First Presidency.
LDS spokesman Rob Howell confirmed that total population of LDS Church members in Salt Lake City has decreased by approximately 5,000 individuals in the past five years.
"We understand that the total population of Salt Lake City has also declined during that same time," he added.
While the Mormon exodus may trouble those who remain, it's pretty typical.
"This corresponds to suburbanization process we've seen all across the country," says Pam Perlich, an associate with the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the U. "It is not unique to Utah."
People want bigger homes and can get more for their money farther from downtowns. Plus, they tend to collect next to those they are comfortable with, Perlich says. That helps explain why Mormons are moving away, while single people, non-Mormons, out-of-staters and ethnic minorities are buying the homes closest to the city. Those Mormons who remain in these older neighborhoods tend to be more open to diversity, less threatened by it.
"You cannot underestimate the impact of the University [of Utah] on the demographic composition of this city," Perlich says. A few years ago, Jen Jacobsen, with her husband and three children, moved from their home on Princeton Avenue to Daybreak, a development west of Bangerter Highway on 114th South. They liked the different houses and walking community. It has the feel of the old neighborhood, but with new houses.
"My kids went from being one in 25 kids in Primary [the Mormon organization for children younger than 12] to one in 250," Jacobsen said.
About 30 percent of her neighborhood moved from Sugar House, 30 percent from out of state, and 30 percent from the south valley.
Currently, Daybreak is between 60 percent and 80 percent LDS; after a new South Jordan temple was announced, even more Mormons moved in.
After an LDS temple was completed in 1995, Bountiful saw an influx of Mormons tired of housing prices in the older neighborhoods, where even a smallish bungalow can go for between $500,000 and $700,000.
Eva Quinton and her husband moved to Bountiful in 1996, when houses were relatively cheap. Prices have risen steadily since then, but they stay because of the children.
"There are 28 children under 12 within nine houses on our cul de sac," says Quinton. "We are all stay-at-home moms and all Mormons. It's great."
Peggy Fletcher Stack can be contacted at pstack@sltrib.com or 801-257-8725. Send comments about this story to religioneditor@sltrib.com.
