Utah is the beating, putrid heart of the LDS (Mormon) Church. If you’re unaware of the particulars of Mormonism, it is, in a phrase, American exceptionalism as a religion. One part massive corporation and one part puritanical religion, the LDS church has guidelines for nearly every aspect of how you should live your life. For example, there is The Word of Wisdom, which prohibits green and black teas, coffee, alcohol, and tobacco. This has since been expanded to include vaping and all recreational (but not prescription) drugs. Premarital sex is strictly off the table, and while they are less uptight about it than they used to be, it is still definitely not acceptable to be LDS and queer. They weren’t even cool with tattoos and more than one piercing in each ear (and even then, only for women) until the last couple of years where it was reframed as a personal decision.

Now, for Utah itself. As a result of the high concentration of Mormons in Utah, social dynamics amongst them become very strange and, frankly, deeply judgmental. Everyone who is part of the church sort of becomes an accountabilibuddy for everyone else, in a sort of arms race to prove their own purity and adherence to the teachings of the church, and because the religion is so baked into communities, a perceived loss of piety can often translate to a direct loss in community and social standing. Consequently, the Mormons you meet who are from Utah are going to be a very different breed from the kind you’ll meet outside of Utah.

Edit: I’ve been fairly negative toward Mormons here, but I should say that this is, in part, my perception as an Ex-Mormon who grew up in Utah. The church has some negative aspects, but I feel I should be fair and mention that it isn’t all negative. Mormons are BIG on community. Participation in local service projects in your community is expected and heavily encouraged. If someone in your ward loses a family member, it would not be uncommon to see that ward band together, creating a schedule of people to cook meals and bring them to that person to help support and care for them while they grieve. Food drives are common, and the church has a history of running food banks and providing financial assistance for people dealing with poverty. Often this assistance comes with some strings (listen to missionaries/take lessons from visiting teachers) but they don’t require belief, baptism, or even church attendance to my knowledge. Not ideal, certainly, but an hour of evangelization a week beats homelessness or starvation. Like many religions, it’s a mixed bag.