Andy Weeks - A History of Mormon Landmarks in Utah: Monuments of Faith

Published by The History Press
Charleston, SC
www.historypress.net

Copyright 2015 by Andy Weeks
All rights reserved

First published 2015
e-book edition 2015

ISBN 978.1.62585.507.7

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015950781

print edition ISBN 978.1.62619.976.7

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For Brayden

who, by his example, has taught me so much about life and the gospel.
Im proud of you, Son. Thank you for making a difference.

I love you!

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Writing books is a love of my life, but it also is hard worksometimes tremendously so when many other things sit on my plate awaiting my attention, including deadlines from work and other sources. Most of the books Ive written so far have happened while working at busy newspapers as a reporter and/or editoranother love of my life. Each book has had its challenges, but so have they had their blessings. The same is true of this one. I wrote much of this book while working away from home as the editor of two community newspapers, during a time when my son was finishing up high school and preparing for a church mission. My family schedule was in flux. I was on the road a lot, and when I came home I sometimes felt I couldnt give anymore to the project. Thankfully, my awesome editor, Artie Crisp, extended my deadline. For this and his help securing many of the photos for the book, I extend my deepest appreciation.

I also appreciate those at Arcadia Publishing and The History Press, including Katie Parry in marketing, who has helped promote my other HP titles, and those who proofread and designed the manuscript. Elizabeth Farry once again did an excellent job streamlining the production process. You do great work, each of you, and I appreciate how you all rally as a team to help us authors.

As always, I appreciate my wife, Heidi, who encouraged and motivated me during this hectic time, reminding me that even with an extended deadline itd be here before I knew it. She was right, as she most always is. Its been fun to work on a faith-oriented book as our son prepares to serve a church mission in the Philippines. As always, he has been an example of faith to me during the writing process. Ive dedicated this book to the people of his mission that hell be serving and teaching in the islands, as well as to those whom I served and taughtand who taught meon my mission stateside. I hope theyll have the chance to visit Utah, if they havent already done so, and some of its historic Mormon landmarks.

Most of the information about the monuments has been gleaned over many years being a member of the LDS Church, researching its history and visiting many of the historic sites. The churchs official website, LDS.org, has been a helpful source, as have other online sources and printed material. I wish I had more time and means to have secured firsthand information about the sites, but living outside the state during much of its writing meant I often had to turn to secondary sources. Obviously, the research, views and opinions expressed herein are my own, and I recognize better than anyone the books limitations. More research would have been helpful if time and circumstance allowed. But as a busy professional, I tried to do the best I could with what I had to work with. This is not a definitive volume on the historic markers in Utah or of LDS church history. In essence, the stories contained herein are but snippets of the larger historical record and aim to draw more interest about the sites. Nor is the book in any way associated with or approved by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a fallible person with very human traits, I have tried to make the manuscript as factual and faith-promoting as I could with my own understanding, research and perspective. If there are errors in the history presented here, they are unintentional. My goal in writing the book has been to promote faith, understanding and respect for the LDS Church and its expansive and interesting past and to start readers on a journey to further explore the iconic landmarks of Mormonism. There are many ways a book such as this could be written. This is but my simple offering to a church and history I extremely adore.

As always, I appreciate the authors, journalists and historians who, through their own writings online and off, have helped me in the research and writing of this book. As an author and journalist, I know the work we do sometimes is thankless. But I thank you, tremendously so.

INTRODUCTION

When Brigham Young led a band of Latter-day Saints to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847, he looked over the expansive and fertile country and, perhaps feeling affirmation in his soul, proclaimed, This is the right place. Drive on. He knew that the Mormons, having fled their homes in the Midwest because of persecution and mob violence, had found the place Far away in the West where they could worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience.

This beautiful and rugged place, later legislated and named Utah, became the forty-fifth state of the Union in 1896. Today it boasts a population of nearly three million people, varied outdoor attractions, fine art museums and many historical landmarks that add color and perspective to a people and faith that formed a unique culture in the arid West.

The book is divided into three partsUtah, Mormons and Monumentswith many chapters between its covers. Part 1 gives a brief review of the state, not a complete history, while Part 2 briefly tells the beginning of the Mormon faith. Part 3 is the core of the book, which highlights a number of Latter-day Saint historical markers in the Beehive State. These include temples, bronze statues, granite markers, a fort and old homesteads, cemeteries and grave sites, chapels and other buildings, as well as other historical icons. It is in essence a simple book about somenot allof the historical markers important to the LDS faith in Utah. Not all of them are managed by the church, though many of them are, and the brief summaries or historical tidbits presented here are aimed to spark more interest in the monuments instead of giving a complete history. Caring for the monuments is a task that is never complete, but the church and other organizations involved take great pride in preserving their historical significance. I tried to include in the manuscript as many of the monuments as I could while also focusing on basic LDS tenets to give background and context; thus, there is a lengthy chapter on the history of temples as I understand it from the teachings of scripture and general authorities. I did this primarily for readers who may not be as familiar with the history of the church and its reasoning behind some of its basic tenets, such as why Latter-day Saints believe the Book of Mormon is comparable to the Holy Bible or why they build temples. Having an understanding of the faith helps readers better understand the importance of the monuments the pioneers left behind and those the church has built in more modern times. Also, when writing of the early temples the church built in Utah, I share spiritual or other interesting experiences that allegedly happened in them rather than focusing on the historical context of the buildings. This book may have special interest to those visiting the Beehive State whod like to learn more about some of its historical landmarks. You dont have to be Mormon to enjoy the colorful history that makes up Utah.