What will you do if you can't get into your church building?
I'm not a member of the church, but I chose this building specifically as it was most likely to have other people seeking shelter there who also had keys to the building. Indeed, the first family to arrive after us lived a block away and I did verify they do have a key.
I'm not a member of the church
The Church has encouraged people to have a minimum of a 72-hour kit (typically a backpack or backpacks with everything your family would need for 3 days away from home), as well as storing as much water and food as is possible in your circumstances, ideally a year's supply.
For example, when I lived in Idaho Falls, many of the Mormons I knew had thick concrete shelters in their basements, massive amounts of dried food prepared, huge jugs of water stored, and regularly did drills with other members of there community. Additionally, Mormon churches are usually pretty visible (plus, they'd probably be willing to take you in) and common enough that it shouldn't be too hard to get to one.
Con: The polygamy, child abuse, and endless fast and testimony meetings get kinda old after a while.
Speaking anecdotally about my experiences in Oregon with Mormon friends, this feels like a gross misrepresentation. I haven't seen any of these situations pop up, and certainly not in any way that would cause it to be systemic.
What the fuck? No. I’ve traveled all over, and met a lot of Mormons and have Mormon friends. The most sinister thing they’re into is family game night. Ok, I’m no fan of the missionary thing, but again, as a non-Christian I appreciate that the Mormons take no for an answer, and will still hang out with you.
Their religion is wacky, but so is every religion. They have cults, but so do all religions. So... no.
However, Utah has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the nation, and one of the highest rates of anti-depressant medication use in the nation. This is in large part due to the unrealistic expectations and pressure its members are subject to.
Sure, they're not as overtly harmful as similar high-demand cults like FLDS or Scientology, but try joining and then not paying 10% of your gross income to the church and see how that works out.
Look... If you want a different perspective, just start reading people's stories here: https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/
https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/155/5/413/171404
Not compelling, especially when you note that suicide is only one metric, violence against others being another, and so much more. Most of all though, I didn’t say they were wacky in particular, I said that they were wacky as are all religions. I don’t see them as materially different from any other religion, except in some cases, age.
Many Mormons entered into polygamous marriages after 1890. Over 200 polygamous marriages were performed between 1890 and 1904.
note though all Christian religions claim to believe in a book, the Bible, that has people who practiced polygamy blessed by God. It's pretty hypocritical for any one who believes in the Bible to be against polygamy when the God that book is about blessed the practice.
Every window in our house (save two) are the jalousie type common in older homes in Hawaii. [1]
[1] https://modernize.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/jalousie-wi...
Better, that, than standing outside...
Also keep iodine tablets in your bugout bag. And a razor, masks won't do shit if you have more than stubble on your cheek.
The church is simply the best structure for blast/fallout protection that is accessible from our house within the flight-time of an ICBM launched towards Hawaii.
That being said, it was comforting to have other families to share concerns with.
Was the church only meant as a shelter for the blast, and not an actual fallout shelter?
Yes, but Mormon churches generally have well-stocked pantries they use to help local families in need.
> Was the church only meant as a shelter for the blast, and not an actual fallout shelter?
Both. Compared to our house, the church is a stronger building that is much more airtight (in the case of fallout).
As far as actual fallout shelters, there are none -- this is simply the best option within reach.