Originally published in Utah Business.

Call it a Mormon summer. Utah’s predominant religion has been the recipient of a mammoth amount of publicity this summer. In what commentators are calling the “Mormon moment,” news stories flood the airwaves with reports—some accurate, some not—about Mormonism. Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman Jr., Harry Reid, Twilight vampire novels, Glenn Beck, HBO’s Big Love and a Tony Award-winning Broadway play have placed a bright spotlight on the Mormon faith. It’s a spotlight that illuminates the economic reach of a global religion and the local economic impact of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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Originally published in Utah Business.

Every summer brings a boatload of economic news and events—oil prices, the summer job outlook, hurricane season, national park visits and so the list goes. This summer Utahns will also notice an abundance of media attention on the Beehive State as two prominent presidential candidates with Utah ties begin their quest for the presidency. The economic impact of these candidacies on Utah is worthy of reflection.

Continue reading Romney, Huntsman and the Utah Economy →

Originally published in Utah Business.

Some time ago I was taught the golden rule about rural Utah. It went something like this: “Once you’ve seen one rural community, you’ve seen one rural community.” The statement speaks to the uniqueness of Utah’s cities and towns and their separate challenges—large and small, rich and poor, accessible and remote.

Continue reading Where Urban and Rural Meet →