--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After reaching Oruro, I was surprised to…" description: "\"“After reaching Oruro, I was surprised to learn how many Mormons were living here. Or maybe they just stood out. They could probably be spotted from a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/340/george-meegan-60382_mormons_after-reaching-oruro-i-was-surprised-to_3195601.jpg" --- # After reaching Oruro, I was surprised to learn how many… ![“After reaching Oruro, I was surprised to learn how many Mormons were living here. Or maybe they just stood out. They could probably be spotted from a high-flying jet, so conspicuous were they in their brown suits, wide ties, briefcases full of evangelical props, and close-cropped blond hair. I…” quote by George Meegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/340/george-meegan-60382_mormons_after-reaching-oruro-i-was-surprised-to_3195601.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/340/george-meegan-60382_mormons_after-reaching-oruro-i-was-surprised-to_3195601.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/340/george-meegan-60382_mormons_after-reaching-oruro-i-was-surprised-to_3195601.jpg) > ““After reaching Oruro, I was surprised to learn how many Mormons were living here. Or maybe they just stood out. They could probably be spotted from a high-flying jet, so conspicuous were they in their brown suits, wide ties, briefcases full of evangelical props, and close-cropped blond hair. I spent an hour and a half in the company of two of them, a pair of earnest, sincere, and intensely boring young men. While one with great solemnity sought to convert me, the other standing a foot before my face, silently held a booklet with illustrations to accompany the lecture and periodically flipped the pages for my benefit. It was a hard-earned tea.”” [George Meegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meegan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Encountering a distinct community reveals cultural differences and the challenge of bridging gaps between outsider and insider perspectives. **In simple terms:** Meeting unfamiliar groups highlights cultural contrasts. Key Takeaway Seek understanding beyond appearances. Themes culture observation identity Mood thoughtful curious Type reflective observational When to use this quote - travel - field research - intercultural dialogue Key Concepts cultural clash stereotypes communication Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions do you bring to new cultures? - How can curiosity replace judgment? A Different Perspective Preconceptions can hinder genuine connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Briefcases Evangelical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/briefcases-evangelical-5911944/) [Learn Mormons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-mormons-5911942/) [Mormons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mormons/) [Mormons Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mormons-living-5911943/) [Sought Convert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sought-convert-5911945/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [“Johnson evidently did not want it said that they had murdered the people for their property, but the leaders could not stand to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juanita-brooks/johnson-evidently-did-not-want-it-said-that-they-had-murdered-the/) [Juanita Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juanita-brooks/) > [ “Speaking in the tabernacle to a large assembly, he \[John Taylor, Mormon\] said: Who would not rather die than bow to the yoke of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juanita-brooks/speaking-in-the-tabernacle-to-a-large-assembly-he-john-taylor-mormon/) [Juanita Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juanita-brooks/) > [Utah may well be the most cosmopolitan state in America. 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We seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/it-s-a-lot-more-common-now-for-someone-to-know-a-mormon-rather-than/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [First of all, with Mitt Romney, I was saying to the Mormons - the Mormons are very smart people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/first-of-all-with-mitt-romney-i-was-saying-to-the-mormons-the-mormons/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Knock, knock! ...Who's there? ...Mormons!! ...fuck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/knock-knock-who-s-there-mormons-fuck/) [Author Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-name/) > [“If Joseph initially thought only Mormons had access to truth or goodness, he was abruptly corrected of his misperception a year into the Church's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-l-givens/if-joseph-initially-thought-only-mormons-had-access-to-truth-or/) [Terryl L. Givens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terryl-l-givens/) ## More by George Meegan > [“...During my first few hours in Loja, I had good fortune to run into two young Mormon missionaries who let me sleep one night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meegan/during-my-first-few-hours-in-loja-i-had-good-fortune-to-run-into-two/) [George Meegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meegan/) > [“Potosi, at over thirteen thousand feet, is the highest city in the world, and it is inconceivable that anyone would ever bother to build,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meegan/potosi-at-over-thirteen-thousand-feet-is-the-highest-city-in-the/) [George Meegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meegan/) > [“In fact, my itinerary, as I have hinted before, was influenced not so much by Tschiffely's journey--I hadn't even read his book--as by Snow's.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meegan/in-fact-my-itinerary-as-i-have-hinted-before-was-influenced-not-so/) [George Meegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meegan/) > [“In this land of great opportunity and few roads (in most regions the Alaskan Highway is the only real road), the immense distances can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meegan/in-this-land-of-great-opportunity-and-few-roads-in-most-regions-the/) [George Meegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meegan/) [Explore all 5 George Meegan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meegan/) ## More Mormons quotes > [“Johnson evidently did not want it said that they had murdered the people for their property, but the leaders could not stand to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juanita-brooks/johnson-evidently-did-not-want-it-said-that-they-had-murdered-the/) [Juanita Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juanita-brooks/) > [Knock, knock! ...Who's there? ...Mormons!! ...fuck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/knock-knock-who-s-there-mormons-fuck/) [Author Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-name/) > [First of all, with Mitt Romney, I was saying to the Mormons - the Mormons are very smart people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/first-of-all-with-mitt-romney-i-was-saying-to-the-mormons-the-mormons/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [It's a lot more common now for someone to know a Mormon rather than just know of Mormons out in Utah, ... 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It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-sayet/mitt-romney-is-a-true-mormon-john-edwards-and-bill-clinton-are-not/) [Evan Sayet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-sayet/) > [ “It was not until the spring of 1859 \[two years later\] that the children \[the survivors of the murdered emigrant train\] were officially turned… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juanita-brooks/it-was-not-until-the-spring-of-1859-two-years-later-that-the-children/) [Juanita Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juanita-brooks/) > [In Utah, the American melting pot is unstirred. Three out of four people are Mormons, and they are all here in this bleakly beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shana-alexander/in-utah-the-american-melting-pot-is-unstirred-three-out-of-four/) [Shana Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shana-alexander/) > [We, Catholics, share many of the moral guidelines of Mormons, the difference is you guys take it seriously. 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Vast numbers of young Mormons - increasingly women as well as men - spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-kristof/utah-may-well-be-the-most-cosmopolitan-state-in-america-vast-numbers/) [Nicholas Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-kristof/) > [ “Speaking in the tabernacle to a large assembly, he \[John Taylor, Mormon\] said: Who would not rather die than bow to the yoke of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juanita-brooks/speaking-in-the-tabernacle-to-a-large-assembly-he-john-taylor-mormon/) [Juanita Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juanita-brooks/) > [“If Joseph initially thought only Mormons had access to truth or goodness, he was abruptly corrected of his misperception a year into the Church's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-l-givens/if-joseph-initially-thought-only-mormons-had-access-to-truth-or/) [Terryl L. Givens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terryl-l-givens/) [Browse all 55 Mormons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mormons/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“After reaching Oruro, I was surprised to learn how many Mormons were living here. Or maybe they just stood out. They could probably be spotted from a high-flying jet, so conspicuous were they in their brown suits, wide ties, briefcases full of evangelical props, and close-cropped blond hair. I spent an hour and a half in the company of two of them, a pair of earnest, sincere, and intensely boring young men. While one with great solemnity sought to convert me, the other standing a foot before my face, silently held a booklet with illustrations to accompany the lecture and periodically flipped the pages for my benefit. 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