What can they expect to find in this quiet little corner of America’s West? For one thing, snow, and plenty of it; nestled beneath the Wasatch Mountains, Salt Lake City has long been a favorite winter playground for lovers of the outdoors. The region is popular with artists and celebrities, too: nearby Park City, where many of the alpine events will be held, just finished hosting Robert Redford’s 20th annual Sundance Film Festival. And with its family-oriented population, vibrant economy and first-class restaurants and entertainment, Salt Lake City is routinely rated one of America’s most “livable” cities.
It’s impossible to separate Salt Lake City from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, better known as the Mormon Church. Not only is the city the headquarters of the fast-growing, socially conservative faith (which assumes that everybody has the potential to become “divine”), Salt Lake City literally grew up around the grand Temple Square, built in the center of town. The Mormon Church is still fighting the perception that it condones polygamy; though the church banned polygamy in 1890, some offshoots of the church still advocate it. The recent prosecution of Tom Green, who married five women, made international headlines. Political power in Salt Lake City–and statewide, where 70 percent of the population belongs to the church–rests firmly with the Mormon voting bloc. Indeed, most elected officials in the state are church members. “We are a quasi theocracy, there’s no question about that,” says Jay Shelledy, the editor of The Salt Lake Tribune. “The church does not call lawmakers up and dictate to them. They already know what to do.”
How the Mormon Church should behave during the Olympics has been debated since before Salt Lake City won its bid to host the Games. Publicly, the church says it won’t be proselytizing before and after competitions, though it is certainly renowned for spreading its word with missionary zeal. “We want to be good hosts, first and foremost,” says church spokesman Michael Otterson. In any case, the Mormon presence will be hard to ignore, from the voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir wafting out from the opening ceremony to the spires of the Mormon Temple serving as a backdrop for the medal presentations. “We knew we’d be criticized, whether we did too much or too little,” says Otterson. The church didn’t help its image by sending out thousands of press kits suggesting 100 “church-themed” story ideas for Olympics reporters.
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, looking to remake his hometown’s provincial image, has led the effort to make the city more hospitable to visitors. A liberal lawyer who was raised a Mormon but is no longer a church member, Anderson has argued cases on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is trying to ensure that protesters at the Olympics have a place to be heard. He is also hoping to loosen a law that prohibits dancing until dawn. Anderson insists there “are a lot of misperceptions” about Salt Lake City. “I’ve lived here for 47 of my 50 years,” he says, “and I’ve only seen two polygamists.” He argues that Salt Lake City remains a diverse community. “We have a healthy gay and lesbian population,” he says. “We are a major settlement location for refugees. And we have great cultural assets, including a thriving opera and symphony. People may be surprised by what they find here.”
For one thing, it will be relatively easy to get a drink. In ordinary times, Salt Lake City is not exactly a party town; Mormons neither smoke nor drink. “You can get a drink in Salt Lake,” says Sam Callis, general manager of the popular nightspot The Zepher Club. “It’s just a bit more tedious than in other places.” There are no bars per se; rather, to get a drink outside a restaurant, patrons must join a “private club.” One can do so temporarily–say, for the duration of the Games–by paying a $5 fee or by getting a club member to sponsor you.
But with hordes of visitors in town, Salt Lake City’s elders have loosened their collars. All the Olympics competition venues will serve alcohol. What’s more, Salt Lake City is hosting numerous street fairs, rodeos and other Western-themed events at which alcohol will be sold. Poking fun at some hard-core Mormon men who still take multiple wives, a local brewery is offering Polygamy Porter, a dark ale whose slogan is “Why have just one?”
Salt Lake City was tainted by a pre-Olympics scandal. Some members of the city’s bid committee were caught doling out favors to International Olympic Committee members to get the Games. But now that it’s got them, Salt Lake seems prepared to put on a good show. Penn State University Olympics historian Mark Dyreson calls Salt Lake City a “strange” place that’s “a little bit out of step” with the rest of the country. But many visitors may find its wholesomeness–and mountain scenery–a pleasant respite from the squalor of many urban areas. For his part, Salt Lake Organizing Committee president Mitt Romney says that “religion, sports, politics and business are all different spheres, and one should do one’s best to keep them separate.” That’s easier said than done in Utah. When Brigham Young trudged into the western valley with his followers, he stopped, looked around and declared, “This is the place.” For the next two weeks, that will certainly be the case.
