Why All Utah Mormons Should take a Religious Gap Year, Starting Now. Utah Mormons are a unique bunch. Even ask out-of-state Mormons for their thoughts, and you’ll find that they are considered more religious, more critical or ostracizing to non-members, and less flexible on dogma. (Hallstrom, 2012) This is especially true to the ancestral LDS members, born and raised here, with a family pedigree to show for it. As an out-of-state transplant who is from a religiously diverse background, I have found that there are some LDS members who have a more understanding and flexible mentality surrounding their treatment of non-LDS Utahans: by taking time to explore other faiths. I have taken the time to talk to them about their experiences, and have come to the conclusion: all Utah Mormons should take a religious gap year. It’s for the good of all of us, I promise. What is a gap year? A gap year is time taken away from regular activities, usually school, in which the person explores new