Bloomberg News: Utah is last bastion of American dream but it would be difficult to replicate the state's success without Mormonism

Utah has an upward mobility rate that leads the nation. In fact, it is more than double the national average. If you're born poor, Itah is the place where you're most likely to have a rags to riches story. One Bloomberg reporter spent a few weeks in Utah to figure out why. Her conclusion: Utah has an amazing sense of community where getting things done in a cooperative way is more important than the egos of who gets the things done. The problem: this spirit of congeniality in the state largely exists because of the LDS Church. It would be impossible, or at least very difficult, to replicate elsewhere without the Mormon welfare infrastructure.

[link to www.bloomberg.com (secure)]