Plus: The 2nd Congressional District debate hosted by the Utah Republican Party gives us a first look at 11 candidates
Good morning. Here are today’s temperatures: Logan: 40 - 74° ☀️ Salt Lake City: 52 - 77° ☀️ St. George: 62 - 92° ☀️ The Mormon cricket — yes, that is its real name — plays a prominent role today in one of the stories under "The West" category. If you are as surprised as I was at discovering the existence of this little critter, here are some factoids: The Mormon cricket's scientific name is Anabrus simplex. "Cricket" is actually a misnomer, it's a katydid — not a cricket. They can grow nearly 3 inches long. They come in black, brown, green or red. They were the culprits that necessitated the "Miracle of the Gulls" of 1848. And (as you will see in the story below) every so often, Mormon crickets enter a swarming phase in which millions of individual insects march across a given area, sometimes staying for years. Also on our mind: Dating in a politically polarized age, the Bible will remain in Davis District school libraries and why the Jazz rebuild should take more concrete shape after Thursday’s NBA draft. |
| What 18 years of research tells us about the mental health of Latter-day Saints |
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| | Unreliable data produced by poor research and reliable data that is poorly interpreted can both create phantoms that distract us from better understanding “things as they really are.” For instance, mental health statistics about Utah are often used as proxy for statistics about Latter-day Saints. This is unfortunate, given the mental health of the citizens of Utah appears to have far more to do with region than religion, according to W. Justin Dyer, professor of religion and family at Brigham Young University, and his coauthors, Daniel K Judd, Megan Gale and Hunter Gibson Finlinson. To understand the state of mental health among Latter-day Saints, the authors argue, research on Latter-day Saints is required. Here are some key findings from the authors' recent study of the last 18 years of research on Latter-day Saint mental health: Depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts: Studies typically find Latter-day Saints lower in depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts when compared to other religious groups and those of no religion. It appears one reason Latter-day Saint youth are less likely to experience suicidal thoughts and depression is because of their (on average) stronger family connections and less substance use. Body esteem: Perhaps a surprise to many, four different studies reported that Latter-day Saints have better body image (body esteem) and fewer eating disorders than the other religious groups with whom they were compared. And the more connected Latter-day Saints are with their religious beliefs and practices, the better their attitudes about their bodies. LGBTQ Latter-day Saints: Research findings show that Latter-day Saints who identify as LGBTQ, on average, have just as good and typically better mental health than LGBTQ individuals of other religious traditions or those who describe themselves as not believing in God. However, this research initiative is just beginning and there is much to disentangle, the authors say. |
Read more about how to understand data on Latter-day Saint mental health and what assumptions to avoid. |
| At the first debate for Republicans running for Utah's 2nd Congressional District, the candidates ranged from Greg Hughes, former speaker of the Utah House, who said he’s running because he’s afraid for the future of the country, to former state lawmaker and U.S. Senate candidate Becky Edwards, who said she was optimistic about the future. The debate was hosted by the state party, and was moderated by party Chairman Rob Axson and TV news anchor Glen Mills. The remarkably quiet audience of a couple of hundred voters — they almost never clapped or heckled — attended the debate in the Woods Cross High School auditorium, and the debate could also be viewed online. The Republican convention will be held this Saturday at Delta High School. Delegates from the district will have the opportunity to choose one candidate to represent them in the Sept. 5 primary election. Candidates can also gather 7,000 signatures by July 5 to get on the ballot. Read more about where the 11 candidates stand on the issues, including whether they would support former president Donald Trump were he to be the Republican nominee in 2024. |
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