You are right. We do have larger families, and we tend to focus on them. We all are called upon to do volunteer work in our churches, too. So we are busy.
But I would not call us “insular,” unless by “insular” you mean that you won’t find us in the local pubs after work, looking for company.
We are counseled to be “in the world, but not of it.” We tend to be highly educated, and well involved in the business of the world. Because most of our young people serve distant missions, Mormons tend to have greater experience in the broader world than the average American.
I guess the difference is that we have less free time than the average American, and we tend to spend it in G-rated ways. But sticking to your principles doesn’t make you “insular.” Once upon a time in America, sticking to your principles was considered admirable.
BTW, this whole investigation thing is such a crock. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Mormon Church — or any other church — being involved in this issue. California has just imposed reporting requirements, and they are hoping to catch the Mormon Church is some kind of violation of the reporting requirement. You have to wonder if these kinds of reporting requirements should even be considered constitutional.
I agree.
I guess the difference is that we have less free time than the average American...
Yes, that's part of what I was getting at.
But I would not call us “insular,” unless by “insular” you mean that you won’t find us in the local pubs after work, looking for company. We are counseled to be “in the world, but not of it.” We tend to be highly educated, and well involved in the business of the world.
Emphasis on education, oh yes. But the context of what we were talking about was voter mobilization. Your under-18 kids in public schools couldn't mobilize many...
...and your BYU kids, your Ricks' College kids, your BYU-campus offshoot in Hawaii kids will mostly run in Mormon circles...and even at secular colleges, if there's an LDS Institute there, that's where you'll find these same circles...
...And even certain geographic areas are very highly LDS...your Utah/southern Idaho, southwest Wyoming, Northern AZ, Eastern NV, for example...
We all are called upon to do volunteer work in our churches, too...Because most of our young people serve distant missions, Mormons tend to have greater experience in the broader world than the average American.
I guess by "insular" I didn't mean to imply LDS eschew all or most outside contact. Of course there are always "business" contacts. But even your own examples here doesn't counter my point -- things such as volunteering in church -- where you're not likely to find very non-Mormons...or, I could mention countless hrs spent in genealogical research -- where a lot of work is quite impersonal...or, even LDS mission work tends to be more "hit & run" style where certainly it is de-emphasized in spending significant time toward relationship-building.