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By Kent Larsen
Deseret News Survey Shows Mormons Still Dominate Utah
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- The Deseret News completed its five-day look at the
most powerful and influential Utahns, creating a list of 20 people that is
dominated by active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. At least half of those on the Deseret News' list, and all of the top
five on that list, are active LDS Church members. But the News points out
that the nature of power in Utah has changed dramatically, broadening to
include more people and more points of view.
As previously reported on Mormon News, the top name on the list is LDS
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. He is followed by Utah Governor Mike
Leavitt and billionaire businessman Jon Huntsman.The names that follow
include a few surprises, including LDS businessman Larry H. Miller at number
five (following Senator Orrin Hatch) and Salt Lake Organizing Committee
President and LDS Church member Mitt Romney (who doesn't even consider
himself a Utahn) at number seven after Spencer Eccles, former chairman of
First Security Bank.
The list also includes some inactive LDS Church members (such as Salt Lake
City Mayor Rocky Anderson, Number 9) and those who just have Mormon heritage
(Spencer Eccles, number 6). Mormon News does not yet have reliable
information on the affiliation of six of those on the Deseret News' list:
Lane Beattie, Kem Gardner, Earl Holding, Jim Jardine, Charlie Johnson and
Budd Scruggs.
Perhaps the most interesting article analyzing these results is the News'
look at how the list of the most influential has changed over time. In the
1950s, the list might have been as small as just three people, LDS Church
President David O. McKay, Salt Lake Tribune Publisher John Fitzpatrick and
Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce President Gus Backman. Those three would meet
for lunch regularly at Lamb's Cafe on Main Street in Salt Lake.
In the early 1970s, the group was larger, according to longtime Chamber of
Commerce president Fred Ball, "I used to say when I first became chamber
president (in 1971) that if I had five men around a table agreeing, I could
do anything," recalls Ball. "They were N. Eldon Tanner (a former member of
the LDS Church's First Presidency); Jack Gallivan (former Tribune
publisher); Wendell Ashton (former Deseret News publisher and Utah Symphony
president); B.Z. Kasler (former president of Mountain Fuel Supply); and Arch
Madsen (former president of KSL)," Ball said.
Later, the group that held power was larger, including executives at KSL,
Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, Utah Power &Light, Kennecottt, Mountain
Fuel, Zions an First Security banks. Salt Lake public relations executive
Dale Zabriskie says that getting things done simply involved getting a
consensus from those executives and the head of the LDS Church.
Now, the leadership is much more diffuse, surprising Mitt Romney, who was
used to dealing with "The Vault" in Boston, "This is not a community where
you go to a couple of people and they nod, and suddenly everything you
needed comes your way. That may (still) be the case in places with very
strong business circles. In Boston we have something called The Vault --
where very senior business leaders come together and decide what certain
priorities are and are able to pull the strings necessary to make things
happen," Romney said. "I found this (Salt Lake) to be a far more diverse
power structure in the business community."
But according to another Deseret News article, the LDS Church, although a
powerful and influential force in Utah, acts in subtle ways, and it only
acts infrequently. According to Gov. Leavitt, this reality is in contrast to
the perceptions of many Utahns, "I think that the level of influence they
choose to directly exert is dramatically overstated in the minds of most
people." He says in one meeting he had with an LDS Church leader he was told
"that they spend a lot more time trying to keep the church out of things
than get them into things," Leavitt said. "And that's consistent with my
experience." He adds that the Church' direct involvement is "almost always
on issues that would be predictable, be within the nature of their mission --
the moral issues. But it depends on the issue."
Meg Holbrook, a two-term state chairwoman of the Utah Democratic Party, says
that many times the public assumes the Church is behind a political move.
"People do talk about the abuse of power by the church. But I haven't seen
it. Sometimes it is hard for people to see the difference" between
church-sponsored actions and efforts by elected officials who are LDS.
"That's especially true because so many of our officials are LDS. And
conversely (critics) make assumptions that aren't always accurate. Look, if
we lived in Vatican City people would make the same arguments."
The Deseret News' list is also interesting for who was not included. In
addition to President Hinckley, the only LDS General Authority on the list
was President Thomas S. Monson of the First Presidency, and he was included
in the second, unranked ten, not in the ranked top ten. Other prominent LDS
politicians, including all three Utah congressmen and every other local
government official, did not make the list. Just two women appear on the
list, and only one of the two is an LDS Church member, Gayle Ruzicka, the
head of the ultra-conservative Utah Eagle Forum, a political action group.
Sources:
'Vault of power' loses its punch
Deseret News 16May01 T2
By Bob Bernick Jr. and Lucinda Dillon: Deseret News staff writers
Church uses its clout subtly -- and seldom
Deseret News 17May01 N1
By Lucinda Dillon and Bob Bernick Jr.: Deseret News staff writers
Who didn't make list?
Deseret News 17May01 T2
By Bob Bernick Jr. and Lucinda Dillon: Deseret News staff writers
Media bosses, Hansen, Cannon all are absent
Utah's Power Players: 1 - 20
Deseret News 17May01 T2
Only 2 women on Top 20 power list
Deseret News 17May01 T2
By Lucinda Dillon and Bob Bernick Jr.: Deseret News staff writers
Utah still evolving in its comfort with women as leaders
Dealmakers wield clout in public and behind the scenes in Utah
Deseret News 17May01 T2
By Bob Bernick Jr. and Lucinda Dillon: Deseret News staff writers
Power players
Deseret News 17May01 T2
By Lucinda Dillon and Bob Bernick Jr.: Deseret News staff writers
Dealbreakers wield clout in public and behind the scenes in Utah
The Deseret News also included articles on each of those in the top ten of
its list. The following are listed because they are either LDS Church
members or have Mormon heritage:
Pres. Hinckley has most clout
Deseret News 13May01 N2
By Lucinda Dillon and Bob Bernick Jr.: Deseret News staff writers
Leavitt steps in -- then up
Deseret News 14May01 T2
By Lucinda Dillon and Bob Bernick Jr.: Deseret News staff writers
He values hard work, fairness and decency
Huntsman's charity sets him apart
Deseret News 15May01 B2
By Bob Bernick Jr. and Lucinda Dillon: Deseret News staff writers
No. 4 -- Orrin Hatch
Deseret News 16May01 T2
No. 5 -- Larry Miller
Deseret News 16May01 T2
No. 6 -- Spencer Eccles
Deseret News 16May01 T2
No. 7 -- Mitt Romney
Deseret News 16May01 T2
No. 9 -- Rocky Anderson
Deseret News 16May01 T2
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