Pioneer stock members

[poptart]

Hello,

Starting to learn more about the Pioneer stock members who still live in rural parts of AZ, WY and Utah vs. the ones who moved to the cities a few generations ago.  Was on vacation a few years ago and ran into a few of em, moms a BYUH alumni and was able to chat them up, they were very very different from what I've experienced in the past.  Also, apparently, I do have LDS cousins in those areas.  The ones we chit chatted with were very nice and hospitable, quite well off but you would never know it; they were so down to earth.  Since mom and I never had stakes in the politics that goes with that stuff, I've had non member cousins who usually gate keep like crazy "let us in" on that side.  Would really appreciate it if someone could educate me a bit on that flavor of LDS member, it's changing my mind on what I thought was a done deal.  Thanks, happy Thursday!

Edited May 8 by poptart

[rpn]

I don't understand what you are asking.  

You do know that In Brigham Young's time, he sent people to grow farms and families all around the Western states.  In  8th grade textbooks he's often credited with settling the west.

[Calm]

Do you (poptart) mean families that have lived a long time in the same home their great great grandparents built in rural Utah?  We have a few of them in our ward, their family were farmers or had orchards, but most of those are gone now and we don’t count as rural anymore.  Got our third stoplight even.  One of the long timers has been our handyman off and on.  A solid guy, but haven’t really done much talking with him.  My husband has much more.

Edited May 9 by Calm

[poptart]

On 5/9/2026 at 3:04 PM, rpn said:

I don't understand what you are asking.  

You do know that In Brigham Young's time, he sent people to grow farms and families all around the Western states.  In  8th grade textbooks he's often credited with settling the west.

I've noticed a difference between the pioneer stock who still lives in rural towns vs. the ones in affluent areas.  For me it goes beyond the city vs. rural divide.  They seem very genuine.  Also, some of them are incredibly wealthy landowners, you would never know unless you had an idea what to look for.  THat's the other thing, very self reliant and willing to share.

 

 

On 5/9/2026 at 5:37 PM, Calm said:

Do you (poptart) mean families that have lived a long time in the same home their great great grandparents built in rural Utah?  We have a few of them in our ward, their family were farmers or had orchards, but most of those are gone now and we don’t count as rural anymore.  Got our third stoplight even.  One of the long timers has been our handyman off and on.  A solid guy, but haven’t really done much talking with him.  My husband has much more.

Mmmm, these were in AZ and WY, I suspect it's the same in Utah.  Best way I can put it, these were the members mom would talk about, the genuinely good ones who will go out of their way to help and feed a stranger.  I've been unfortunate in life, it really is hard to meet good people if you aren't part of the culture, to be fair I get it with how times are you have to be protective of your own.  It was like, meeting a unicorn of sorts.  One in question was in AZ, Grand Canyon National Park, day before I hiked all the way down than back up.  (Don't do that unless you're in very good shape and prepared, I made it fine but....not everyone does..)  Anyway, day before mom met someone who I would have never suspected was a member, the ones I knew years ago tended to be rich and entitled, would not give the likes of me the time of day.  Once the walls came down she gave us all kinds of advice.  Here a lot of folks just assume moms from one of the reservations so maybe that helped.  For whatever reason, mom still has a knack for finding decent people, I give her upbringing the credit for it.  The member lived close by, owned a loooot of land and yep, was quite well off, you would have never known.  I could tell she was quite capable and smart, thing is I could feel the goodness.  I'm really the first one to grow up in the mainland so I never did really assimilate in the culture here so in general outside of my bubble I've really not met people like that, I could feel the goodness.  That's the only way I can describe it.  Hope that makes sense.

Edited May 14 by poptart

[Calm]

4 hours ago, poptart said:

They seem very genuine.  Also, some of them are incredibly wealthy landowners, you would never know unless you had an idea what to look for.  THat's the other thing, very self reliant and willing to share.

I definitely see this in the families that have been here forever.  Very hard workers, “salt of the earth”types, first to help the neighbors.  This has been my favorite neighborhood to live in ever as the ones who are more recent like us have also been great people.

[poptart]

15 hours ago, Calm said:

I definitely see this in the families that have been here forever.  Very hard workers, “salt of the earth”types, first to help the neighbors.  This has been my favorite neighborhood to live in ever as the ones who are more recent like us have also been great people.

That's exactly what I'm getting at.  I know many of them are quite well off, have generational wealth and are very, very capable people.  I have a knack for spotting not so obvious qualities that most people would not see.  There is that genuine goodness that always catches me by surprise.  
It reminds me of family back home and friends I have from Japan, a few come from well off families with samurai ancestry, they are the most down to earth people but not only are they well off, they've either served in the military, corporate or both.  They are content to live humble quiet lives, are active in their community and give back.  It's something I've very rarely seen here in the mainland.