Interesting article about Mormons in Metro DC area

This article was sent to our church listserve a couple days ago. If you have a short attention span like me, and would rather have a summary of the article, read below. However, the article is only a couple paragraphs long, if you want to read it: Washington D.C. Is A "Mormon Mecca". There is also a 45 sec movie showing how crazy parking is in church lots in the area.

-The D.C. Area Has More Mormons Per Capita Than Any U.S. City East Of Denver

-estimates put the LDS population inside the D.C. Beltway between 50,000 and 60,000, most of them living in Northern Virginia.

-One reason so many Mormons are attracted to the area is because of the faith's emphasis on public service and American nationalism. Mormons are also disproportionately represented in Congress, where 3.2 percent are members of the faith, whereas they comprise only 1.7 percent of the general U.S. population.

-Moreover, many government, military, and contractor jobs require employees who can pass a security clearance background check - easier if you have no history of drug or alcohol abuse - and speak a foreign language.

-The mini-Mormon bubble in the D.C. area is felt on Sundays: many ward houses host crowded three-hour meeting blocks from 8 in the morning to 6 at night. Because land in the area is so expensive and in-demand, Nixon says, "We've never built a building in this area in the last 25 years that hasn't come with controversy."

Fortunately, only two wards (name of the congregation that is attended, based on where you reside) meets in our building. Although, we get to church at least 15 minutes early so we can park in the lot, and don't have to walk blocks and blocks to church. But nothing like you saw in the movie with the article.

That is pretty cool though, right? I had no idea our numbers were so huge in this area!!