I lived in Utah for nine years. In Utah, the LDS Church is more than a religion, it's a vehicle to organize society. When a child is ostracized by the church, she is often also ostracized by her peers. I was fortunate that I lived in a fairly diverse community in northern Utah but I was still not part of a lot of activities that my peers participated in. On the plus side, I met some really fine people who are still friends many decades later despite our differences.