Abstract

Institutions that transcend national boundaries, particularly religious institutions, can provide migrants with social, cultural, and organizational capital that helps them become established in new locations. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), headquartered in Utah, USA, is one such institution. Based on sixty-one qualitative interviews with immigrants living in Utah, we analyze how the LDS Church functions as a facilitator of migrants’ relocation in the U.S. and an aid to their integration after arrival. We find that the LDS Church and «Utah Mormon culture» play a central role in facilitating the migration and incorporation processes of LDS immigrants in Utah. In contrast, non-LDS immigrants confront additional challenges to integration in Utah as both national and religious cultural outsiders. However «Utah Mormon culture» poses some unique gendered challenges for LDS migrants, who must navigate the strict gender roles and expectations promoted within the culture