I always tell people that growing up in Utah was a little like living under the Taliban: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or Mormons as they're more commonly know) controls everything in Utah, from the booze you drink and the films you watch to the education you receive. Church and state are hardly separate — in fact, it's normal in Utah to have seminary service in the middle of the school day. My family's ties with the LDS Church run so deep, they can be traced to Brigham Young's initial crossing of the Great Plains over 150 years ago. After living in New York for 8 years, I finally feel comfortable talking about the church's eccentricities, atrocities and inconsistencies in a candid, frank manner through contemporary portraiture.