SLC gets the 2034 Olympics? Cool!

[LoudmouthMormon]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michellebruton/2024/07/24/salt-lake-city-utah-2034-winter-olympics-return-to-us-for-first-time-in-32-years/

Quote

At the 142nd International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Paris, France, on July 24, 2024, Salt Lake City was selected as the host city for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

It marks the first time the U.S. has hosted a Winter Games since 2002—when Salt Lake City hosted its first Games.

Outstanding - congratulations to Salt Lake City!   I remember the 2002 winter Olympics as a massive boon for the Church. 

Before those Olympics, the entire world seemed to think of us as a cult that kidnapped children into spiritual wifery.  LDS apologetics had started gaining ground in the '90's, FARMS (1989-2011) was halfway through it's tenure.  Massive online battles in a dozen or more active discussion forums were in full swing.    Elizabeth Smart had been abducted by a crazy temple square street preacher who went by names like Immanuel and Hephzibah, and to the extent that the average human thought about the church, that's what most of 'em had heard about.  Common critical opinions from folks were all about not wanting to have the Olympics in Utah because of the Mormons.

Then we had the 2002 Olympics.  The entire world watched as nobody's daughters got spiritual wife abducted, and nobody got mind-controlled into baptism, and nobody had horns.  SLC was beautiful, the mountains were beautiful, the Olympics were beautiful, the Temple was there and not even a little bit scary.  The only bad stuff was the IOC scandal, and Utah's whacky liquor laws. 

The whole world seemed to chill the heck out about Mormons after that.   The online battles continued to rage for another decade and a half, but the other 99.9999% of the human race saw that we weren't the inbred cultists they thought.

 

What do you folks think about 2034, and how it'll impact the church's image?

[blackstrap]

I think it would be better if there were permanent Olympic sites around the world. IIRC there were only 2 cities vying for the 2024 games and to save trouble one ,Paris , got 2024 and the other 2028. IOC demands for new stadiums etc. priced most out of the running . Were  the 2002 winter games a financial success ? My info says the summer games are a financial disaster for most countries. 

[MustardSeed]

2 hours ago, LoudmouthMormon said:

What do you folks think about 2034, and how it'll impact the church's image?

Assuming the world hasn’t ended and the savior isn’t running things anyway, I would imagine that by then the church will be so extreme with regards to its “peculiarity” that it might be a little different than 2002. 

[JVW]

It shouldn't have a huge impact financially because we'll have already spent billions repairing the damage for the HUGE earthquake we'll be having by then. They can just add new olympic venues to the reconstruction plans.

[Teancum]

20 hours ago, LoudmouthMormon said:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michellebruton/2024/07/24/salt-lake-city-utah-2034-winter-olympics-return-to-us-for-first-time-in-32-years/

Outstanding - congratulations to Salt Lake City!   I remember the 2002 winter Olympics as a massive boon for the Church. 

Before those Olympics, the entire world seemed to think of us as a cult that kidnapped children into spiritual wifery.  LDS apologetics had started gaining ground in the '90's, FARMS (1989-2011) was halfway through it's tenure.  Massive online battles in a dozen or more active discussion forums were in full swing.    Elizabeth Smart had been abducted by a crazy temple square street preacher who went by names like Immanuel and Hephzibah, and to the extent that the average human thought about the church, that's what most of 'em had heard about.  Common critical opinions from folks were all about not wanting to have the Olympics in Utah because of the Mormons.

Then we had the 2002 Olympics.  The entire world watched as nobody's daughters got spiritual wife abducted, and nobody got mind-controlled into baptism, and nobody had horns.  SLC was beautiful, the mountains were beautiful, the Olympics were beautiful, the Temple was there and not even a little bit scary.  The only bad stuff was the IOC scandal, and Utah's whacky liquor laws. 

The whole world seemed to chill the heck out about Mormons after that.   The online battles continued to rage for another decade and a half, but the other 99.9999% of the human race saw that we weren't the inbred cultists they thought.

 

What do you folks think about 2034, and how it'll impact the church's image?

I think you far overstate the impact of the prior Olympics and how the rest of humanity view Mormonism.  My guess is 99% don't care or think about Mormonism much at all.

[LoudmouthMormon]

3 hours ago, Teancum said:

I think you far overstate the impact of the prior Olympics and how the rest of humanity view Mormonism.  My guess is 99% don't care or think about Mormonism much at all.

Oh, I know I'm speaking mostly from the perspective formed by my various tiny circles of awareness.  

That said, the anti-mormon tone, and the amount of it, present in my tiny circles absolutely diminished after the 2002 Olympics.  Except for the online circles.  But then, I was seeking out the fight online.