It’s because they want to jump and get closer to God. Joking! Mormons and weird theories on the internet are like a match made in heaven. If you go into forums and social media platforms, you’ll see many such generalized statements, including this one with trampolines.
So why do Mormons have so many trampolines? The most probable answer would be that it’s for fun. We will dig deeper. But we also need to see if trampolines in Mormon homes are myths or not.
Is It a Myth or a Fact?
If you do a little survey on Mormons online, we get a pretty clear idea about the relationship between Mormons and trampolines. While they never realized that trampolines have such a huge presence in their lives, people from the outside have noticed how Mormon kids get overly excited with trampolines.
People seem to think that it has much more to do with the regional culture rather than the Mormon religion. The state of Utah sees the highest number of Mormons, and trampolines are seen in almost all of their homes.
However, it’s not only the Mormons that have trampolines. They could be found in non-Mormon families just as much.
How Common Is Trampolines in Mormon Homes?
Since it’s established that Mormons and trampolines do have a relationship, it’d be pretty nice to know the ratio of trampolines vs. homes.
Sadly, it proved impossible to find statistics for it. But after talking to a bunch of people who have lived or live in the state of Utah, I’m pretty sure that at least every other Mormon home had one or more trampolines in their yards.
One of the people I talked to said he didn’t have to walk more than 30 yards from his home to find a couple of trampolines.
If you go to the website thirdhour.org which is a forum hosted by Mormons for Mormons, you’ll see most of them had a childhood jumping on trampolines. And they are extremely fond of those memories.
Why Do Many Mormons Have Trampolines?
As bizarre as they can get, there isn’t a shortage of theories. There are laughable theories that the trampolines help Mormons to feel closer to God. Who in their right mind would believe it?
There is another theory that says that the natural high you get from the adrenaline rush is what drives Mormons to have trampolines. You could argue that this bit is believable.
But the truth is that it’s not the case. If you ask the people of LDS, aka Latter Day Saints Church, about these theories, they will laugh at you.
So, what is the reason trampolines are found in so many Mormon homes?
Is It Religion, or Is it Convenience?
When Mormons and trampolines are put together in a sentence, it may sound like the affinity to trampolines derives from a religious point of view. You’d be very wrong, according to the practitioners of the religion.
They say it’s mostly because of convenience. What convenience, you ask? Well, suppose you have a large family with lots of kids. How are you going to provide a mode of entertainment for such a large household? Mormons have a solution. It’s trampolines!
It’s like any other big outdoor game such as handball, volleyball, or basketball, or activities such as swimming. But managing the space and required equipment costs money. So, turning towards trampolines solve a lot of problems at once.
And it can accommodate people from kids to adults, unlike the other outdoor entertainment options.
Trampoline As an Entertainment for Big Households
We know trampolines provide an easy and cheap way of entertainment. But why is it related to Mormon families only? Don’t non-Mormon families have big households as well?
It isn’t entirely wrong to say that Mormons have big families. From a statistical report in 2001, we can see that the average child per home is 2.6, whereas the average child per Mormon household is 3.25.
So, Mormons only have half a child per household. I don’t think this difference is significant enough to tag Mormon families as big families only.
The number has significantly decreased in both Mormon and non-Mormon households since then. But the notion of trampolines has remained in Mormon-majority areas in the United States of America.
So, since Mormons do not have a monopoly on big families, it’s unfair to further promote the idea that all Mormons love trampolines. It’s mostly the culture of big families in a few selected parts of the USA such as the state of Utah.
What Makes Trampolines So Near and Dear to Mormons?
There’s a simple answer to it. And it’s the family getting together to have a simple and fun time. Latter-day Saint church members pride themselves on family values and staying together. One way you can do it is by having family times frequently. And we know how hard and costly it is to have fun in commercial spaces.
So, trampolines in the backyard solve all the travel and money issues. Who needs to go to Disney Park when you can have really fun family time at home?
Is Trampoline the Mormon’s Only Mode of Entertainment?
The members of the LDS church have many programs set up from the church initiative to keep the young ones busy. There are multiple basketball, volleyball, and soccer programs for kids of all ages. Trampolines are just additional entertainment for the home.
Final Words
I think we’re pretty clear on why Mormons have so many trampolines. The reason is pretty awesome if you ask me. With the family system becoming vulnerable because of the poor market and economy, these simple ways to have fun family times are highly appreciated.
Last Updated on May 3, 2023
