Dr. Peterson's Blog on why Utah is so disliked
No, I'm quite confident that it's the predominance of Mormons in Utah that has made the place unfashionable, ...
I disagree with Dr. Peterson to some degree. If we use the example of a pile of radioactive tailings as being unpopular, we must ask if it is the pile itself that is unpopular or the radioactivity that it gives off?
Part of the appeal of the LDS Church for Mormons is that we believe ourselves to be the bearers of all truth in matters religious (and political). We have that "one true thing" going for us at all times. It whips our hair back and gives us a sense of pride and identity. We send our Elder teenagers throughout the world to proclaim this message.
At the same time, others may see this as arrogance. While we define being peculiar in our behavior as a good thing, the world does not always agree. Polygamy was a good example of this.
Our popularity might be helped by becoming both as good of neighbors and as non-judgmental of others as we possibly can, and staying out of politics in both deed and word. Going back to that analogy, our pile is better served by not being radioactive. Without that radioactivity we should be as popular as any other pile.