The Devil Went Down to Utah (Part One)

Posted on 9/21/2019 by the Salt City Sinner

By the pricking of my thumbs… something wicked this way comes.

Or, at any rate, it might if we’re lucky! The Satanic Temple – an organization of which I am a proud member and about which I have written in the past – is holding something of a contest, you see. We’re raising money for the Temple’s Reproductive Religious Rights campaign. The state that raises the most money by midnight on Halloween will get to host the 2020 Reproductive Religious Rights Rally. Given recent attempts by some Utahns to restrict women’s access to legal abortion, the time to support bodily autonomy is now. I cannot think of a better place than Salt Lake City (with the possible exception of Vatican City) to hold the Satanic Temple’s rally. If you’d like to help make that happen, you can donate to Salt Lake’s efforts here, or you can attend our Unholy Congregation this October:

It will be a family-friendly event, held at Crone’s Hollow (the owners of which have our gratitude for donating their space), and will feature food trucks, games, face painting, and more!

The 21^st century has thus far seen an astonishing groundswell of Satanism in Utah, a state that is the heart of Mormonism and is infamous for its social conservatism. I had a chance to ask Stephanie Purcell, current co-organizer of the Utah Friends of the Satanic Temple, a few questions by email recently about devilry in the Beehive State.

What do you wish more people in Utah knew about Satanism?

Not about Satanism specifically, and not only in Utah, but I wish more people really understood the Satanic Panic of the 80s and early 90s. I think if more people actually looked into it we wouldn’t have to fight as hard as we do in many ways. A video recently circulated where a few members of the Temple from another chapter were meeting at a local park for an ice cream social, just building community and minding their own business. A man approached them and instantly started lashing out and threatening them, and wound up getting the police involved. I feel that if the Satanic Panic either hadn’t happened or that if people knew that it truly was just a moral panic, fed into by corrupt entities, and not actual ritualistic abuse, that never would have been an issue and our members wouldn’t have to fear just meeting up in a park. That’s why the Satanic Temple’s Grey Faction is so important.

What do reproductive rights represent to you, in a religious sense?
For me, reproductive rights have always been about someone’s personal individuality. I personally never wish to have children, for many reasons, but I will never say that someone else must abide by my desires. That will never make sense to me. Reproductive rights go so much further than just childbearing as well. It’s the access to birth control, screenings, pap smears, STI testing, and so much information that isn’t being taught in schools anymore. In a religious sense, it allows me to live authentically to myself. To know that I don’t have to have children to be considered a good woman, that I could contract an STI and get the proper information and care to treat and or manage it.

What is it like to be a pioneering Satanist in Utah’s current “Friends Of” group? Have there been good surprises? Bad surprises?

Stephanie Purcell

Oh goodness, I haven’t had any bad surprises thus far. I’m sure they are coming, but Cody and I are really trying to focus on our group and build connections with each other. I’m sure once we do more public outreach, we are sure to furrow a few brows, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. As far as good surprises go, there are so many. I never dreamed my heart would be so full in dealing with a group of strangers. Everyone I have had interactions with have taught me something. Either just how welcoming people can be, or actual information that we’ve shared with each other. My mindset before this group was always that people were garbage, but this group has expanded my mind so much. 

What (if anything) do you think is unique about the Satanic community in Utah?
The ratio of ex-Mormons we have. We do have an insane number of Mormons in Utah, of course, but it’s amazing how many break free from the mindset and can share what it’s really like “on the inside.” I myself didn’t grow up in Utah, and I only had one Mormon friend as a child, so to see it from their perspective is really eye-opening.

Where would you like to see Satanism is Utah go?

I would be ecstatic to no longer hear that people can’t be Satanists openly because of repercussions they would face in their day-to-day lives. So many of our members feel that they need to use pseudonyms or false Facebook profiles to engage in their Satanic beliefs. Christian Joe down the street can shout it from the rooftops and no one would bat an eye, but the reality of it is that many Satanists don’t have that level of acceptance, even from family.

Again, you can donate here to the efforts of the Utah Friends of the Satanic Temple or attend our Unholy Congregation – thank you for your support, and Hail Satan!

UPDATE: the first version of this post contained a photo that was misidentified as Stephanie -- the person in that photo is unconnected to Satanism. I regret the error.