Happy Saturday, and welcome to Inside Voices, a weekly newsletter that features a collection of ideas, perspectives and solutions from across Utah — without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms. Subscribe here.
As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for subscribing to Inside Voices and reading along each week. My hope was to create a forum for opinions you won’t find elsewhere and to share your own experience without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms.
Those efforts have had a positive impact: In The Tribune’s Voices section, we’ve seen a greater range of diversity in those who share their stories. We continue to see more timely, unique and interesting commentaries come in. And we’re seeing a sizable increase in reader engagement and interest.
I’m especially grateful to those of you who have shared your perspectives, analyses and ideas. To celebrate that, I’d like to take a look back at some of The Salt Lake Tribune’s most read Voices pieces from 2025:
It’s time for Utah to phase out this stinky, dangerous and overplanted tree
“Here in Utah, a quick look and sniff around reveals the Callery pear tree is still popular, but sales are declining — which means the message about the significant issues with this tree is spreading,” writes Mike Lorenc, a lead horticulturist at Conservation Garden Park. “It’s time to phase this tree out in favor of better adapted or native trees. However, we need to replace it with more than a single type of tree and use more types and varieties of trees to diversify our urban forests.” Read more.
In 2025, LDS women may see another half-inch of progress. Exclusions apply.
“I’ve reached a point where I’m no longer interested in what the church thinks of me,” writes Rosemary Card, an entrepreneur, author and advocate for women’s rights. “I no longer let old men pick my underwear. I don’t give one of the richest churches, with an estimated $265 billion, my money. I don’t counsel with untrained and often unqualified male neighbors before making important personal life choices. Nor do I let them decide how I will serve in my community. Most importantly, I no longer look to men who flip-flop between being mouthpieces for God and imperfect humans when convenient to determine what I believe or how I interact with the divine.” Read more.
The LDS Church must address its demon problem — or more children will suffer
“It’s time for Latter-day Saint leaders to confront and reform the faith’s teachings on demonic possession,” writes Alyssa Grenfell, an author and former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “This doctrine has convinced many members there are demons in their homes, in their walls and in their children. These cases of abuse and murder can be directly attributed to this doctrine, and the perpetrators of these crimes have stated this time and time again. Until the church addresses this doctrine, or, better yet, dismisses it entirely, more children may suffer.” Read more.
I’ve seen my LDS community rally around painful life experiences. But when it comes to divorce, I feel alone.
“Divorce was the right choice for me. It was also one of the most painful experiences of my life,” writes Andrea Whatcott, a single mom of four. “And for me, and for many others I know, religion can make it even more painful. I want others to know that there is no shame in saying this out loud. You are not less of a Christian if you feel as though no one in your church is looking at you the same. You are not lacking in faith if it feels like you are not getting the support you need from your church community. You are not smaller in the eyes of God if you feel alone in your grief. ” Read more.
I’m a Ute elder. ‘American Primeval’ furthers harmful stereotypes about American Indians, Utah and the West.
“I am disappointed in ‘American Primeval,’ writes Forrest Cuch, who was born and raised on the Uintah and Ouray Ute Indian Reservation in northeastern Utah. “I believe this series’ only purpose was to entertain — and to do so in the same vein of the blood-thirsty, fast-paced violence that has become the mainstream of American film these days. Worst of all, ‘American Primeval’ buried wrongheaded stereotypes even deeper into the public psyche and did little to bring understanding of the real American West.” Read more.
Utah is skiing on borrowed time
“It’s easy to forget about decreasing snowpack levels when resorts like Park City, Snowbird, Solitude and Alta still host thousands of visitors every winter,” writes Helena Huizenga. “But warmer weather and inconsistent snowfall are forcing Salt Lake City and Park City ski resorts to turn to snowmaking in the early season. And despite a few record-breaking snowfalls in the last few years, the pattern of decreased snowfall does not bode well for the future of our favorite slopes.” Read more.
My Utah town is among the fastest growing — but it’s growing the right way
“I don’t particularly like the urban sprawl that’s depositing California-like housing on all the scenic hills and valleys surrounding St. George, but it’s predictable when the growth is so rapid,” writes Jeanette Rusk Sefcik. “The more attractive structures going downtown partially assuage my distaste for some of the less appealing outer development. Nothing’s perfect, but overall I say kudos to all involved in the sensible transformation of St. George from its insular small-town cast to one of the most appealing and livable medium-sized cities in the country.” Read more.
I’m a professor. Utah’s universities are not, and should not be, vocational boot camps.
“[U]niversities are more than a job pipeline,” writes Dr. Tyson Riskas, a professor at Utah Valley University. They need to be viewed as developmental playgrounds, places where students learn how to think, not what to think, how to engage empathetically within society and to question systems, not just follow them. A purely economic driven higher education policy misses the mark. Universities shape minds, which help shape society. The pursuit of knowledge should be for its own sake, not because it leads to a high paying job.” Read more.
As a parent and professor, I’m watching Utah squander its young talent
“My daughter and most of her friends are leaving Utah,” writes Anne Jamison, an English professor at the University of Utah. “Who could blame them? These great kids are queer, or their close friends are. They vibrantly represent all the letters of the LGBTQ+ alphabet, and Utah has done everything in its power to let them know they are not welcome here. In the past year alone: The flags we used to communicate that they were welcome and valued — banned. Their affinity groups and centers — gone. Their sports, dorms, bathrooms, health care — gone, threatened, diminished.” Read more.
I’ve attended Utah’s Pride Festival for 17 years. It’s become a feedback loop of mediocrity.
“It’s time to admit that the current stewards of pride have lost the plot,” writes Collin Washburn. “If this movement is going to matter again, it can’t just be another city-sponsored party with food trucks and a merch tent. It needs to challenge, to educate, and yes — to provoke. Maybe it’s time we looked back to those who paved the way. Not out of nostalgia, but for guidance. Because if we don’t restore purpose to the Pride Festival, we risk losing the very thing that made it powerful in the first place.” Read more.
The Salt Lake City housewife lifestyle is compelling, but real problems facing our community demand our attention
“It’s fascinating to watch the housewives argue over what constitutes ‘high body count hair’ or marvel at the hold that a little-known member of the Osmond family seems to have on one member of the cast,” writes Emily Bell McCormick, founder of The Policy Project. “But it is time we shift just a bit of our collective attention to the reality of children who live in our own cities and towns, picking food out of the trash or eating dog food and then going to school hungry. This, too, is a ‘real’ side of Utah that we shouldn’t look away from — and it’s something we can change.” Read more.
Our class may be small, but our impact is enormous in Utah and beyond. We shouldn’t be on the chopping block.
“This is more than an academic department,” write four mining engineering students at the University of Utah. “It’s a community of future engineers passionate about building a better, more sustainable world. And while we may be small in number, our reach is global. Our work directly supports the domestic production of critical minerals — resources essential to national infrastructure, clean energy technologies and economic security.” Read more.
Imagining the Cincinnati Sundance Film Festival is like imagining the Park City Bengals
“Something about Sundance in the Midwest just doesn’t feel right,” writes comedian Brian Higgins. “Sundance is all about purple mountain majesty. The fruited plains are great; they’re just not the right vibe. When the average person thinks “Sundance,” they think of snow gently falling on their favorite movie stars with a moonlit peak in the background. Not to downplay the Ohio River’s important role in the history of American trade, but it doesn’t have the same mystique.” Read more.
As long as LDS women are invisible in the church, we will continue to be misrepresented in media
“The real question isn’t whether Hannah Neeleman or Taylor Frankie Paul accurately represent Latter-day Saint women, but rather: How does women’s invisibility shape our self-perception and how we are viewed within the church?” writes Amy Watkins Jensen, a teacher, writer and lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “How can practices that affirm our doctrinal beliefs of women’s essential role allow us to flourish?” Read more.
A Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola would address current challenges and future needs
“As Utah’s population continues to grow, inaction is not an option,” writes Nathan Rafferty, president & CEO of Ski Utah. “More often than not, getting to and from recreation opportunities in Little Cottonwood Canyon isn’t just frustrating, it’s broken. The gondola represents a forward-thinking approach that addresses both current challenges and future needs. It’s time to move beyond misconceptions and misinformation and embrace a thoughtful plan that will benefit all Utahns for generations.” Read more.
We teach at USU. SB334 is an attack on our academic freedom, and it’s bad for students.
“Across the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the faculty we have talked to have expressed feelings of intense betrayal — not just by the Legislature, but by our own university’s administration,” write Shane Graham and six other educators at Utah State University. “This feels like an attack on our expertise and our academic freedom. We wish to make clear our view that this law constitutes a power grab, taking advantage of a vacuum in university leadership to impose a political agenda at the expense of taxpayers and students.” Read more.
Who is the real Spencer Cox?
“In 45 years as a newswoman, I covered governors including Republican Arne Carlson in Minnesota, Democrat Ann Richards and Republican George W. Bush in Texas, and Republicans Mike Leavitt and Jon Huntsman Jr., in Utah,” writes Holly Mullen. “I am the widow of Ted Wilson, a three-term Salt Lake City mayor and Democrat known statewide for working both sides of the aisle. Which is to say, I’ve seen true grit in a lot of politicians, both D’s and R’s. Cox may be too busy angling for national office at this moment to see the hypocrisy in his behavior. Maybe he has too many consultants pulling his strings and vying for stardom of their own. What is Cox’s truth? Who knows. But really, what we need in Utah is a governor who does right by all of us. ” Read more.
I lost my job because of Trump’s mass layoffs. What are Utah’s political leaders doing to stand up for people like me?
“Now, rather than paying income taxes in Utah and continuing to work sustaining the health of the federal lands that fuel Utah’s economy, I am applying for unemployment in Utah,” writes Dr. M. Allison Stegner, an ecologist who worked for the U.S. Geological Survey in Moab. “How does that benefit taxpayers? Because these layoffs were hasty and careless, the research I was paid to do over the last 11+ months is unfinished, won’t ultimately aid public lands management and represents another waste of taxpayer money. Multiply my story across thousands of federal employees who are now in the same circumstance.” Read more.
BYU students deserve scholars who can demonstrate fidelity to both their personal conscience and to their LDS faith
“This is personal for me,” writes Zach Stevenson. “I graduated from BYU last April, and the most meaningful class I took while a student there is likely not one that [Clark] Gilbert would have embraced. Once a week during the semester, I’d gather with my classmates to discuss contemporary Latter-day Saint discipleship. Together we gave voice to our gratitude and our frustration, to our profound appreciation for the people we were because of our Mormonism as well as our impatience with an institution that was patriarchal, hidebound and too assured of its own chosenness. Our gratitude and love for the restored gospel and the institutional church were inseparable from our frustrations and impatience with both.” Read more.
I sponsored SB334. It’s not an attack, it’s a wake-up call for Utah higher education.
“SB334 is not a partisan takeover so much as a civic recovery mission,” writes John D. Johnson, a Utah state senator. “And at a time when universities are fighting to remain broadly relevant and to justify their cost, to offer learning of lasting import enhances the institution’s value proposition to students and parents alike.” Read more.
Mike Lee awarded me an American flag. Here’s why I’m sending it back.
“Lee does not understand or represent the flags he charges voters to fly over the U.S. Capitol,” writes Garth Talbot. “Lee is quick to find ways to ingratiate himself to Utah voters while only caring for his own interests and power. For all his talk, Lee consistently shows a callous disregard for human life, as he demonstrated this past weekend. His senatorial social media account posted about his prayers for gun violence victims’ families while his personal account used the deaths to mock ‘Marxists’ and Democratic governor Tim Walz. I have no idea if Lee prayed for the victims, but I know that he used sarcastic jokes to pray to what he really worships: his ego and online like counts.” Read more.
A white-only vision of American valor fails us all. In Utah, we’re working to tell the whole story.
“Utah’s military history is more complex and diverse than is often taught,” writes Robert Burch, the executive director of Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture. “From the Buffalo Soldiers who patrolled the Utah frontier to the five Black commanders who have led Hill Air Force Base, Black service members have long been vital to the defense of this state and nation. Their stories are not side notes — they are central volumes in our shared history. Yet, across the country, we see persistent efforts to diminish or erase those contributions. Cultural conservatives often rail against so-called “identity politics” yet promote a version of patriotism that recognizes only white soldiers as true heroes … This version of patriotism is not only racially exclusionary; it’s unsustainable.” Read more.
I’m a scientist and sleep expert. Utah needs to see the light on daylight saving time.
“As Utah considers its options, it is crucial to prioritize these scientific insights and the broader implications for both public health and economic vitality,” writes Dr. Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioral scientist at RAND and adjunct professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah. “By embracing permanent standard time, Utah can ensure its policies are in harmony with human biology and economic interests, setting a precedent for other states to follow. This informed choice can enhance the well-being of Utah residents while safeguarding key industries that drive the state’s economy.” Read more.
It’s time to reimagine what a town hall could be
“When people say, ‘We want more town halls,’ I understand what they’re asking for,” writes John Curtis, a U.S. senator for Utah. “They want accessibility. They want answers. They want to be heard. But let’s be honest — if your real goal is to scream, cause a ruckus and get your picture in the paper, then what you want isn’t a town hall. It’s a stage. What I’m committed to is accessibility that works — for everyone. I’ll continue to offer meaningful, measurable ways for constituents to engage with me. I’ll continue listening to every person willing to have a reasonable, respectful conversation — even if we disagree, especially if we disagree.” Read more.
I’ve worked in housing for 20 years. Utah’s housing shortage is a full-blown emergency.
“Affordable housing is not some fringe issue,” writes Bill Knowlton, a real estate attorney and affordable housing developer. “It is economic infrastructure. It is a public health intervention — with residents in affordable, stable housing experiencing 18% fewer emergency room visits. It is criminal justice reform – with individuals with stable housing exhibiting dramatically lower rates of recidivism. It is education policy — because housing affordability, stability, quality and neighborhood characteristics are strongly linked to students’ school readiness, attendance and test-score performance. And it is the moral test of any society that claims to care about families. We know what works: building mixed-income communities, transit-oriented development, streamlined permitting, state and local alignment with federal tax credits, and the political will to tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.” Read more.
I was at the ‘No Kings’ protest. This is who we are.
“When the shots rang out, there was fear. But there was devotion, too,” writes Georgia VanDerwater. “First, people yelled ‘shooter,’ ‘shots’ and ‘bomb.’ We grabbed elbows and ran. We locked eyes with strangers and called them over to hide. It’s kind of beautiful, when you think about it, that our first instinct is to protect 一 to call out, alert others to danger, to reach out, to pull them to safety. It’s tragically beautiful. When we ran, we ran toward each other.” Read more.
I recently visited the U.S.-Mexico border. What I saw broke my heart.
“I witnessed a young girl, separated from her family and living in an orphanage, playing with a Barbie house. What does ‘playing house’ look like for a migrant child with no home?” writes Jenny Richards, a chaplain at St. Mark’s Hospital. “I witnessed a room in a Tijuana shelter where 70 families sleep in poor conditions. Lice. Bedbugs. One family per bed. No privacy. The smell of urine. More, many more, are expected. They have nowhere else to go.” Read more.
I study child-rearing. The reasons behind Utah’s declining fertility rate might surprise you.
“Instead of changing values influencing fertility rates, people’s ability to set their own fertility preferences has changed values,” writes Theodore Samore. “The decline in birthrates may reflect a universal revealed preference for smaller families, and that people have more ability to exercise those preferences than in the past. These individual preferences may then be accelerated by changes to norms — as people have fewer children, it becomes more common to have fewer children, resulting in a runaway feedback loop. From an evolutionary perspective, our psychology hasn’t necessarily evolved to maximize a desire for large families, but rather to engage in behaviors that increase reproductive success on average over time. In the context of global fertility declines, these two things may have become decoupled.” Read more.
I’m gay, and I’m a mayor in Utah. Pride flags aren’t political, they’re symbols of affirmation for those who need it most.
“Growing up, there were very few openly LGBTQ+ leaders in elected office,” writes Midvale Mayor Dustin Gettel. “I didn’t have the reassurance that someone like me could step up, serve and lead. From personal experience, I can tell you that seeing a pride flag displayed at City Hall isn’t just symbolic — and it certainly isn’t political. It’s a statement that all qualified, capable individuals have a place in public service at every level of government. Supporters of HB77 argue that removing pride flags is about keeping the government ‘neutral’ and avoiding political statements. But pride isn’t political — it’s about people. It’s about ensuring that LGBTQ+ individuals know they are seen, valued and welcome. At a time when Utah’s youth suicide rate remains among the highest in the nation, especially for LGBTQ+ youth, this legislation sends the wrong message to those who need support the most.” Read more.
Lowering the age for LDS sister missionaries will lead to more faith crises. That’s a good thing.
“In my opinion, what church officials continue to miss is that the most successful evidence of spiritual growth following years of commitment to the church (through missions, callings, etc.) is the Latter-day Saint faith crisis,” writes Valerie Hamaker, a professional mental health counselor and the host of the “Latter Day Struggles” podcast. “This means that people are awakening to their own true selves, complete with their own internal compasses.” If that growth were ever acknowledged for what it truly is, Mormonism could become a place where all truly feel welcome wherever they are on their faith journeys — transcending earlier paradigms that no longer serve, while including the value of the foundation upon which they have built their current spiritual selves.” Read more.
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(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mill Creek Canyon is pictured near Lower Big Water on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025.
I’m gathering predictions ahead of the new year. What do you see happening — or what would you like to see happen — in Utah in 2026?
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