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Salt Lake
City Temple |
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In
1847, Brigham Young
and the first party
of Mormon emigrants
reached the Salt Lake
Valley. The story
of the Mormon exodus
from the Midwest to
Salt Lake has become
well known, but for
most tourists questions
still remain about
Mormon culture, and
about the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, as the Christian
religion is officially
known. Some visitors
take note of the lasting
impression made by
the "second wave"
of Mormons; hundreds
of Europeans who concerted
to the religion in
the mid-1800s, and
left their home countries
to travel to Utah.
Following the routes
of earlier explorers,
Mormon pioneers formed
the settlement and
transportation patterns
of the state. Differences
in Ancestry and economic
status marked the
architectural and
agricultural styles
in various areas.
For all Utahns,
members of the Church
of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints
or not, Mormonism
is a unique heritage
which has shaped
the past, and continues
to impact the state's
future. On the brink
of the 21st century,
approximately 70
percent of Utah's
residents are members
of the Church of
Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints,
Mormonism today
is a part of everyday
life throughout
the world, but because
of the concentration
of Mormons in Utah,
Mormon culture distinguishes
the area. Many Utahns
help shape public
issues in accordance
with standards and
ideas of their spiritual
beliefs. The result
is a modern forward-thinking
state, known for
citizens who believe
in community and
family values, volunteerism,
and civic pride.
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