LETTER: It shouldn’t really matter

To the editor:

I have a dream: that Mormons and non-Mormons can all just get along! In response to the article “the Mormon Majority,” I have just a few observations. To those of you not of the LDS faith that feel that Mormons “look at you weird” or give you dirty looks as they exit their Institute building, I ask you this: How can a Mormon – or anyone, for that matter – be able to tell that you’re not of their faith just by glancing at you? Maybe I’m misinformed, but I don’t imagine that LDS students have a “non-member” alarm that goes off just so they can glare at you as you walk by. Anyways, did you ever consider that maybe they’re not even giving you dirty looks? Maybe they just failed a chemistry exam, or they’re regretting the prospect of booking it to a class on the other end of campus. Just a thought.

And now to those of you who ARE of the LDS faith: This article should make it blatantly apparent that people watch you all the time. Please act accordingly. It is never comfortable to be the minority, so be aware of the fact that even though USU is indeed primarily LDS, not everybody is. Don’t make assumptions, and especially don’t ever prevent building friendships just because someone believes differently than you do. By so doing, you’d miss out on great opportunities.

So the moral of the story is this: To all USU students, we need to be a little more open-minded and a lot less eager to be offended. I would venture to guess that most conflicts arise from misinterpretation and not from premeditation; so think the best, and if something doesn’t go your way, be an adult and get over it.

Christie Bagley