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Primary (LDS Church)

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Within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), an organization is a secondary body of church government that is "established for moral, educational, and benevolent purposes." Prior to October 2019, the church's organizations were called auxiliary organizations . As the term suggested, the LDS Church's organizations are ancillary to the governing power of the priesthood in the church. The LDS Church's five organizations are Primary , Relief Society , Sunday School , Young Men , and Young Women .

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75-543: The Primary (formerly the Primary Association ) is the children's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It acts as a Sunday school organization for the church's children (ages 3–11). The official purpose of Primary is to help parents in teaching their children to learn and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. The official objectives of Primary are to: The Primary theme

150-658: A State of Deseret . The Mormon settlements provided pioneers for other settlements in the West. Salt Lake City became the hub of a "far-flung commonwealth" of Mormon settlements. With new church converts coming from the East and around the world, Church leaders often assigned groups of church members as missionaries to establish other settlements throughout the West. They developed irrigation to support fairly large pioneer populations along Utah's Wasatch front (Salt Lake City, Bountiful and Weber Valley, and Provo and Utah Valley). Throughout

225-653: A Mormon missionary for thirteen years, and a Salt Lake City newspaper owner, finally left Utah and wrote The Rocky Mountain Saints . His book gives a witnessed account of life in Utah, both the good and the bad. He finally left Utah and Mormonism after financial ruin occurred when Brigham Young sent Stenhouse to relocate to Ogden, Utah, according to Stenhouse, to take over his thriving pro-Mormon Salt Lake Telegraph newspaper. In addition to these testimonies, The Confessions of John D. Lee , written by John D. Lee—alleged "Scapegoat" for

300-403: A Primary Association for her local Farmington congregation on August 11, 1878. Two weeks later, the first meeting was held on August 28, with 215 children in attendance. That day, boys were specifically taught not to steal fruit from orchards and girls were taught not to hang on wagons. In addition, they were given lessons on faith , manners , obedience , and other principles. May Anderson ,

375-451: A major reason for poor air quality in Utah . On March 18, 2020, Utah suffered a 5.7 magnitude earthquake originating 3.7 mi (6.0 km) northeast of Magna, near Salt Lake City. Utah is known for its natural diversity and is home to features ranging from arid deserts with dunes to thriving pine forests in mountain valleys. It is a rugged and geographically diverse state at the convergence of three distinct geological regions:

450-484: A nursery class is available for children from 18 months to age 3. Classroom instruction begins for three-year-olds and continues to age 11, with classes grouped by age. At the beginning of the year they turn 12, children begin to attend Sunday School and the Young Men or Young Women programs. The Primary has its own songbook, made up of original songs and hymns modified for children. All members called to serve in

525-895: A partial list of names that have been applied to different age groups in Primary. In January 2010, the names of the classes were changed to the age of children entering the class, i.e., 4-year-olds are in the class CTR 4. Previously, names were indicative of the age children would turn the coming year, (4-year-olds in CTR 5). Larks Gaynotes Home Builders Lihomas Merry Miss Valiant 10 Boys: Hatchets Trail Builders Blazers Valiant 10 Bluebirds Firelights Hearths Home Builders Lihomas Merry Miss Valiant 11 Boys: Wagon Wheels Trail Builders Trekkers Valiant 11 Bluebirds Merrihands Home Builders Lihomas Merry Miss Valiant 12 Boys: Arrows Guides Trail Builders Blazers Valiant 12 A separate class, known as nursery,

600-546: A peripheral part of New Spain (and later of Mexico). Even while it was Mexican territory, many of the Utah region’s earliest European settlers were from the United States; notable among these were Mormons who were fleeing marginalization and persecution in the United States and arrived via the so-called Mormon Trail . In 1848, after the Mexican–American War , the region was annexed by the U.S. , becoming part of

675-415: A position that deals with youth or children are required to take the Church's "Protecting Children and Youth" training module which is provided on the church's website. Nursery and Primary leaders are required to release children only to members of their immediate families unless permission has been granted for someone else to pick the child up. Auxiliary organization (LDS Church) The existence of

750-456: A prayer, scripture (or Article of Faith ), and a short talk, all of these given by Primary children. About 20 minutes are then spent on music, primarily from the Children's Songbook . After music time, children are then sent to their individual classes where they are taught lessons from Come, Follow Me - For Primary . The names of the classes in Primary have varied over time. The following is

825-465: A regiment of California volunteers in 1862. Connor established Fort Douglas just 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Salt Lake City and encouraged his people to discover mineral deposits to bring more non-Mormons into the territory. Minerals were discovered in Tooele County and miners began to flock to the territory. Beginning in 1865, Utah's Black Hawk War developed into the deadliest conflict in

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900-554: Is "All thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children" (Isaiah 54:13). While Primary classes will differ slightly in different regions, most meetings are standardized. For the second half of Primary, children are separated into age groups with names for each group (see below). Where participants, classrooms or teachers are limited, multiple age-grouped classes may be taught together. In most congregations, Primary classes are co-ed. Primary begins with

975-483: Is held for children ages 18 months to 3. It is led under the direction of the Primary presidency by at least two people, a nursery leader and assistant nursery leader(s). Nursery leaders are required to be the same gender unless they are married. Nursery classes have a lesson, free play time, snack time, and music time primarily using the Children's Songbook. Additionally, two prayers are given by children with help from

1050-641: Is just over the Nevada state line in the southern Snake Range. One of western Utah's most impressive, but least visited attractions is Notch Peak , the tallest limestone cliff in North America, located west of Delta . Much of the scenic southern and southeastern landscape (specifically the Colorado Plateau region) is sandstone , specifically Kayenta sandstone and Navajo sandstone . The Colorado River and its tributaries wind their way through

1125-537: Is the central feature of protected state and federal parks such as Arches , Bryce Canyon , Canyonlands , Capitol Reef , and Zion national parks, Cedar Breaks , Grand Staircase–Escalante , Hovenweep , and Natural Bridges national monuments, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (site of the popular tourist destination, Lake Powell ), Dead Horse Point and Goblin Valley state parks, and Monument Valley . The Navajo Nation also extends into southeastern Utah, and

1200-541: Is the lowest point in the state, at 2,000 feet (610 m). The northernmost portion of the Mojave Desert is also located in this area. Dixie is quickly becoming a popular recreational and retirement destination, and the population is growing rapidly. Although the Wasatch Mountains end at Mount Nebo near Nephi , a complex series of mountain ranges extends south from the southern end of the range down

1275-585: Is the only state where every county contains some national forest. Utah features a dry, semi-arid to desert climate , although its many mountains feature a large variety of climates, with the highest points in the Uinta Mountains being above the timberline . The dry weather is a result of the state's location in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada in California. The eastern half of

1350-467: Is the variety of its terrain . Running down the middle of the state's northern third is the Wasatch Range , which rises to heights of almost 12,000 ft (3,700 m) above sea level. Utah is home to world-renowned ski resorts made popular by light, fluffy snow and winter storms that regularly dump up to three feet of it overnight. In the state's northeastern section, running east to west, are

1425-595: The Domínguez–Escalante expedition —left Santa Fe in 1776, hoping to find a route to the coast of California. The expedition traveled as far north as Utah Lake and encountered the native residents. The Spanish made further explorations in the region but were not interested in colonizing the area because of its desert nature. In 1821, the year Mexico achieved its independence from Spain, the region became known as part of its territory of Alta California . European trappers and fur traders explored some areas of Utah in

1500-459: The I-15 corridor, including the densely populated Wasatch Front , receives approximately 15 inches (381 mm). The Great Salt Lake Desert is the driest area of the state, with less than 5 inches (127 mm). Snowfall is common in all but the far southern valleys. Although St. George receives only about 3 inches (76 mm) per year, Salt Lake City sees about 60 inches (1,524 mm), enhanced by

1575-536: The Mountain Meadow Massacre —also came out in 1877. The corroborative testimonies coming out of Utah from Mormons and former Mormons influenced Congress and the people of the United States. In the 1890 Manifesto , the LDS Church banned polygamy. When Utah applied for statehood again , it was accepted. One of the conditions for granting Utah statehood was that a ban on polygamy be written into

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1650-602: The Mountain Meadows massacre . Before troops led by Albert Sidney Johnston entered the territory, Brigham Young ordered all residents of Salt Lake City to evacuate southward to Utah Valley and sent out the Nauvoo Legion to delay the government's advance. Although wagons and supplies were burned, eventually the troops arrived in 1858, and Young surrendered official control to Cumming, although most subsequent commentators claim that Young retained true power in

1725-710: The Rocky Mountains , the Great Basin , and the Colorado Plateau . Utah covers an area of 84,899 sq mi (219,890 km ). It is one of the Four Corners states and is bordered by Idaho in the north, Wyoming in the north and east, Colorado in the east, at a single point by New Mexico to the southeast, by Arizona in the south, and by Nevada in the west. Only three U.S. states (Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming) have exclusively latitude and longitude lines as boundaries. One of Utah's defining characteristics

1800-600: The Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Over the next 22 years, more than 70,000 pioneers crossed the plains and settled in Utah. For the first few years, Brigham Young and the thousands of early settlers of Salt Lake City struggled to survive. The arid desert land was deemed desirable by the Mormons as a place where they could practice their religion without harassment. Settlers buried thirty-six Native Americans in one grave after an outbreak of measles occurred during

1875-742: The U.S. government intensified due to the practice of plural marriage , or polygamy , among members of the LDS Church. The Mormons were still pushing for the establishment of a State of Deseret with the new borders of the Utah Territory. Most, if not all, of the members of the U.S. government opposed the polygamous practices of the Mormons. Members of the LDS Church were viewed as un-American and rebellious when news of their polygamous practices spread. In 1857, particularly heinous accusations of abdication of government and general immorality were leveled by former associate justice William W. Drummond, among others. The detailed reports of life in Utah caused

1950-612: The Uinta Mountains , which rise to heights of over 13,000 feet (4,000 m). The highest point in the state, Kings Peak , at 13,528 feet (4,123 m), lies within the Uinta Mountains. At the western base of the Wasatch Range is the Wasatch Front , a series of valleys and basins that are home to the most populous parts of the state. It stretches approximately from Brigham City at the north end to Nephi at

2025-461: The Utah Territory , which included what later became Colorado and Nevada. Disputes between the dominant Mormon community and the federal government delayed Utah's admission as a state: in 1896, after it agreed to outlaw polygamy, it was admitted as the 45th state . People from Utah are known as Utahns. Slightly over half of all Utahns are Mormons , the vast majority of whom are members of

2100-616: The death of Joseph Smith in 1844, Brigham Young , as president of the Quorum of the Twelve , became the leader of the LDS Church in Nauvoo, Illinois . To address the growing conflicts between his people and their neighbors, Young agreed with Illinois Governor Thomas Ford in October 1845 that the Mormons would leave by the following year. Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers reached

2175-501: The least income inequality of any U.S. state. Over time and influenced by climate change , droughts in Utah have been increasing in frequency and severity, putting a further strain on Utah's water security and impacting the state's economy. The name Utah derives from the name of the Ute tribe , meaning 'people of the mountains'. However, no such word exists in the Utes' language, and

2250-662: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City; Utah is the only state where a majority of the population belongs to a single church. The LDS Church greatly influences Utahn culture, politics, and daily life, though since the 1990s the state has become more religiously diverse as well as secular. Utah has a highly diversified economy , with major sectors including transportation, education , information technology and research, government services, mining, multi-level marketing , and tourism. Utah has been one of

2325-602: The LDS Church's first three temples in Utah, each started after but finished many years before the larger and better-known temple built in Salt Lake City was completed in 1893), as well as Parowan, Cedar City, Bluff, Moab, Vernal, Fillmore (which served as the territorial capital between 1850 and 1856), Nephi, Levan, Spanish Fork, Springville, Provo Bench (now Orem ), Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Lehi, Sandy, Murray, Jordan, Centerville, Farmington, Huntsville, Kaysville, Grantsville, Tooele, Roy, Brigham City, and many other smaller towns and settlements. Young had an expansionist view of

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2400-485: The LDS Church's organizations as a means of assisting the priesthood is based on the Apostle Paul's statement that God has established "helps" and "governments" in the church to assist the apostles and prophets who lead the church. Apostle Harold B. Lee taught that "an auxiliary is to be an aid to the priesthood in watching over the Church and also an aid to the home, under the direction and ... cooperation [of]

2475-801: The Olympic venues built along the Wasatch Front continue to be used for sporting events. Preparation for the Olympics spurred the development of the light-rail system in the Salt Lake Valley , known as TRAX , and the reconstruction of the freeway system around the city. In 1957, Utah created the Utah State Parks Commission with four parks. Today, Utah State Parks manages 43 parks and several undeveloped areas totaling over 95,000 acres (380 km ) of land and more than 1,000,000 acres (4,000 km ) of water. Utah's state parks are scattered throughout Utah, from Bear Lake State Park at

2550-674: The Pacific Ocean; he subsequently learned this body of water was a giant salt lake . After the discovery of the lake, hundreds of American and Canadian traders and trappers established trading posts in the region. In the 1830s, thousands of migrants traveling from the Eastern United States to the American West began to make stops in the region of the Great Salt Lake, then known as Lake Youta. Following

2625-476: The Priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will understand its duty; will assume its own responsibility, will magnify its calling, and fill its place in the Church, to the uttermost, according to the intelligence and ability possessed by it. When that day shall come, there will not be so much necessity for work that is now being done by the auxiliary organizations, because it will be done by

2700-949: The Primary general president from 1925 to 1939, initiated what became Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City (now part of Intermountain Health ). Anderson also helped establish kindergartens in Utah . In the 1970s, as a result of the Priesthood Correlation Program , the Primary Association was renamed "Primary". Beginning in April 2021, Camille N. Johnson was the Primary General President, with Susan H. Porter as First Counselor and Amy Wright as Second Counselor. In

2775-430: The U.S. states and territories, Utah, with a population of just over three million, is the 13th largest by area , the 30th most populous , and the 11th least densely populated . Urban development is mostly concentrated in two regions: the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, which includes the state capital, Salt Lake City , and is home to roughly two-thirds of the population; and Washington County in

2850-586: The United States had taken control of New Mexico and California. The entire Southwest became U.S. territory upon the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , February 2, 1848. The treaty was ratified by the United States Senate on March 11. Learning that California and New Mexico were applying for statehood, the settlers of the Utah area (originally having planned to petition for territorial status) applied for statehood with an ambitious plan for

2925-622: The Utah/Idaho border to Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum deep in the Four Corners region and everywhere in between. Utah State Parks is also home to the state's off highway vehicle office, state boating office, and the trails program. During the late 20th century, the state grew quickly. In the 1970s growth was phenomenal in the suburbs of the Wasatch Front. Sandy was one of the fastest-growing cities in

3000-464: The Utes refer to themselves as Noochee . The meaning of Utes as 'the mountain people' has been attributed to the neighboring Pueblo Indians , as well as to the Apache word Yuttahih , which means 'one that is higher up' or 'those that are higher up'. In Spanish , it was pronounced Yuta ; subsequently, English-speaking people may have adapted the word as Utah . Thousands of years before

3075-685: The administration of James Buchanan to send a secret military "expedition" to Utah. When the supposed rebellion should be quelled, Alfred Cumming would take the place of Brigham Young as territorial governor. The resulting conflict is known as the Utah War , nicknamed "Buchanan's Blunder" by the Mormon leaders. In September 1857, about 120 American settlers of the Baker–Fancher wagon train, en route to California from Arkansas, were murdered by Utah Territorial Militia and some Paiute Native Americans in

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3150-463: The adult leaders. While no particular order is required, it is recommended that the order be the same every week. Teachers use the "Behold Your Little Ones: Nursery Manual" for lesson plans and other resources. Primary was first organized in 1878 by Aurelia Spencer Rogers in Farmington, Utah , and adopted church-wide in 1880 under the direction of Louie B. Felt , who served as the president of

3225-707: The arrival of Europeans, the Ancestral Puebloans and the Fremont people lived in what is now known as Utah, some of which spoke languages of the Uto-Aztecan group. Ancestral Pueblo peoples built their homes through excavations in mountains, and the Fremont people built houses of straw before disappearing from the region around the 15th century. Another group of Native Americans, the Navajo , settled in

3300-535: The church members as leaders in their respective areas of stewardship, which are set out by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles . Prior to October 2019, each of the organizations existed at a local ward and stake level, with presidencies formed to direct the work of the organization in that particular region, except for the stake Sunday School organization. A member of

3375-456: The church's April 2022 general conference , it was announced that Johnson would become the new Relief Society General President on August 1, 2022. As a result, on that date, Porter became the new Primary General President, with Wright serving as First Counselor and Tracy Y. Browning as Second Counselor. |} Primary provides Sunday teachings and church-related activities to approximately 1.1 million Latter-day Saint children. In most congregations,

3450-401: The country at that time. Today, many areas of Utah continue to see boom-time growth. Northern Davis , southern and western Salt Lake , Summit , eastern Tooele , Utah , Wasatch , and Washington counties are all growing very quickly. Management of transportation and urbanization are major issues in politics, as development consumes agricultural land and wilderness areas and transportation is

3525-669: The direction of the local priesthood leaders, which in most cases are the bishop and the stake president . Utah Utah ( / ˈ juː t ɑː / YOO -tah , / ˈ juː t ɔː / YOO -taw ) is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States . It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona , Colorado , and New Mexico . It also borders Wyoming to its northeast, Idaho to its north, and Nevada to its west. In comparison to all

3600-572: The early 19th century from Canada and the United States. The city of Provo, Utah , was named for one Étienne Provost , who visited the area in 1825. The city of Ogden, Utah , was named after Peter Skene Ogden , a Canadian explorer who traded furs in the Weber Valley. In late 1824, Jim Bridger became the first known English-speaking person to sight the Great Salt Lake . Due to the high salinity of its waters, he thought he had found

3675-529: The eastern Great Basin. West of the Great Salt Lake , stretching to the Nevada border, lies the arid Great Salt Lake Desert . One exception to this aridity is Snake Valley , which is (relatively) lush due to large springs and wetlands fed from groundwater derived from snow melt in the Snake Range , Deep Creek Range , and other tall mountains to the west of Snake Valley. Great Basin National Park

3750-400: The fastest growing states since 2000, with the 2020 U.S. census confirming the fastest population growth in the nation since 2010. St. George was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000 to 2005. Utah ranks among the overall best states in metrics such as healthcare , governance, education, and infrastructure. It has the 12th-highest median average income and

3825-559: The happiness of the very early Church members before polygamy. They independently published their books in 1875. These books and the lectures of Ann Eliza Young have been credited with the United States Congress's passage of anti-polygamy laws by newspapers throughout the United States, as recorded in "The Ann Eliza Young Vindicator", a pamphlet which detailed Ms. Young's travels and warm reception throughout her lecture tour. T. B. H. Stenhouse, former Utah Mormon polygamist,

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3900-579: The majority of eastern Utah's population lives. Economies are dominated by mining, oil shale , oil , and natural gas-drilling, ranching , and recreation . Much of eastern Utah is part of the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation . The most popular destination within northeastern Utah is Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal . Southwestern Utah is the lowest and hottest spot in Utah. It is known as Utah's Dixie because early settlers were able to grow some cotton there. Beaverdam Wash in far southwestern Utah

3975-481: The organization through 1925. Rogers was concerned because younger Latter-day Saint children had too much unsupervised time due to the long hours that fathers and older sons kept on the farms and mothers and older daughters in the home. In particular, Rogers felt that the younger boys in the community were becoming unruly and mischievous. With permission from church leaders and under the initial direction of General Relief Society President Eliza R. Snow , Rogers organized

4050-550: The popular mid-century western film genre. From such films, most US residents recognize such natural landmarks as Delicate Arch and "the Mittens" of Monument Valley . During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with the construction of the Interstate highway system, accessibility to the southern scenic areas was made easier. Since the establishment of Alta Ski Area in 1939 and the subsequent development of several ski resorts in

4125-499: The priesthood." The purpose of the organizations is to help "plant and make grow ... a testimony of Christ and of the Gospel." According to Joseph F. Smith , the church's organizations are temporary and may be created or discontinued as the needs of the church and the priesthood hierarchy change. While serving as the church's president , Smith further stated: We expect to see the day, if we live long enough ... when every council of

4200-728: The region around the 18th century. In the mid-18th century, other Uto-Aztecan tribes, including the Goshute , the Paiute , the Shoshone , and the Ute people, also settled in the region. These five groups were present when the first European explorers arrived. The southern Utah region was explored by the Spanish in 1540, led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado while looking for the legendary Cíbola . A group led by two Catholic priests—sometimes called

4275-402: The regular quorums of the Priesthood. In the LDS Church today, each organization is headed by a church-wide "general president" and two counselors; the three individuals together form the organization's "general presidency." These individuals are not church general authorities , but are referred to as "general officers." Like general authorities, these officers are "accepted and sustained" by

4350-583: The remainder of the 19th century, Mormon pioneers established hundreds of other settlements in Utah, Idaho , Nevada , Arizona , Wyoming , California , Canada , and Mexico —including in Las Vegas, Nevada ; Franklin, Idaho (the first European settlement in Idaho); San Bernardino, California ; Mesa, Arizona ; Star Valley, Wyoming ; and Carson Valley, Nevada . Prominent settlements in Utah included St. George , Logan , and Manti (where settlers completed

4425-470: The sandstone, creating some of the world's most striking and wild terrain (the area around the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers was the last to be mapped in the lower 48 United States). Wind and rain have also sculpted the soft sandstone over millions of years. Canyons, gullies, arches, pinnacles, buttes, bluffs, and mesas are common sights throughout south-central and southeast Utah. This terrain

4500-539: The south end. Approximately 75 percent of the state's population lives in this corridor, and population growth is rapid. Western Utah is a mostly arid desert with a basin and range topography. Small mountain ranges and rugged terrain punctuate the landscape. The Bonneville Salt Flats are an exception, being comparatively flat as a result of once forming the bed of ancient Lake Bonneville . Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake , Sevier Lake , and Rush Lake are all remnants of this ancient freshwater lake, which once covered most of

4575-419: The southwest, which has somewhat more than 180,000 residents. Most of the western half of Utah lies in the Great Basin . Utah has been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups , such as the ancient Puebloans , the Navajo, and the Ute. The first Europeans to arrive - in the mid-16th century - were the Spanish. Because of the region's challenging geography and harsh climate, it only became

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4650-433: The spine of Utah. Just north of Dixie and east of Cedar City is the state's highest ski resort, Brian Head . Like most of the western and southwestern states, the federal government owns much of the land in Utah. Over 70 percent of the land is either BLM land , Utah State Trustland, or U.S. National Forest , U.S. National Park , U.S. National Monument , National Recreation Area or U.S. Wilderness Area . Utah

4725-474: The stake high council serves as the stake Sunday School president and may serve with or without counselors and/or a secretary. A similar structure exists for the stake Young Men organizations. The church announced in October 2019 that the presidency of the Young Men at the ward level was being discontinued. Leaders of organizations at the ward and stake levels are called "ward officers" and "stake officers," respectively. Local organization presidencies work under

4800-436: The state constitution. This was a condition required of other western states that were admitted into the Union later. Statehood was officially granted on January 4, 1896. Beginning in the early 20th century, with the establishment of such national parks as Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park , Utah became known for its natural beauty. Southern Utah became a popular filming spot for arid, rugged scenes featured in

4875-455: The state lies in the rain shadow of the Wasatch Mountains . The primary source of precipitation for the state is the Pacific Ocean, with the state usually lying in the path of large Pacific storms from October to May. In summer, the state, especially southern and eastern Utah, lies in the path of monsoon moisture from the Gulf of California . Most of the lowland areas receive less than 12 inches (305 mm) of precipitation annually, although

4950-401: The state's mountains, Utah's skiing has become world-renowned. The dry, powdery snow of the Wasatch Range is considered some of the best skiing in the world (the state license plate once claimed "the Greatest Snow on Earth"). Salt Lake City won the bid for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games , and this served as a great boost to the economy. The ski resorts have increased in popularity, and many of

5025-413: The territorial legislature passed the Act in Relation to Service and the Act for the relief of Indian Slaves and Prisoners formally legalizing slavery in the territory. Slavery was abolished in the territory during the Civil War. In 1850, Salt Lake City sent out a force known as the Nauvoo Legion and engaged the Timpanogos in the Battle at Fort Utah . Disputes between the Mormon inhabitants and

5100-441: The territory that he and the Mormon pioneers were settling, calling it Deseret—which according to the Book of Mormon was an ancient word for "honeybee". This is symbolized by the beehive on the Utah flag, and the state's motto, "Industry". The Utah Territory was much smaller than the proposed state of Deseret, but it still contained all of the present states of Nevada and Utah as well as pieces of modern Wyoming and Colorado . It

5175-409: The territory's history. Chief Antonga Black Hawk died in 1870, but fights continued to break out until additional federal troops were sent in to suppress the Ghost Dance of 1872. The war is unique among Indian Wars because it was a three-way conflict, with mounted Timpanogos Utes led by Antonga Black Hawk fighting federal and LDS authorities. On May 10, 1869, the First transcontinental railroad

5250-403: The territory. A steady stream of governors appointed by the president quit the position, often citing the traditions of their supposed territorial government. By agreement with Young, Johnston established Camp Floyd , 40 miles (60 km) away from Salt Lake City to the southwest. Salt Lake City was the last link of the First Transcontinental Telegraph , completed in October 1861. Brigham Young

5325-408: The tribe is part of the coalition that manages Bears Ears National Monument . Southeastern Utah is also punctuated by the remote, but lofty La Sal , Abajo , and Henry mountain ranges. Eastern (northern quarter) Utah is a high-elevation area covered mostly by plateaus and basins, particularly the Tavaputs Plateau and San Rafael Swell , which remain mostly inaccessible, and the Uinta Basin , where

5400-406: The winter of 1847. The first group of settlers brought three African slaves with them, making Utah the only place in the western United States to have African slavery. The three slaves, Green Flake, Hark Lay, and Oscar Crosby, came west with the first group of settlers in 1847. Utah was a Mexican territory when the first pioneers arrived in 1847. Early in the Mexican–American War in late 1846,

5475-524: Was among the first to send a message, along with Abraham Lincoln and other officials. Because of the American Civil War , federal troops were pulled out of Utah Territory in 1861. This was a boon to the local economy as the army sold everything in camp for pennies on the dollar before marching back east to join the war. The territory was then left in LDS hands until Patrick E. Connor arrived with

5550-597: Was completed at Promontory Summit , north of the Great Salt Lake. The railroad brought increasing numbers of people into the territory and several influential businesspeople made fortunes there. During the 1870s and 1880s laws were passed to punish polygamists due, in part, to stories from Utah. Notably, Ann Eliza Young —tenth wife to divorce Brigham Young, women's advocate, national lecturer, and author of Wife No.   19 or My Life of Bondage —and Fanny Stenhouse, author of Tell It All: My Life in Mormonism , testified to

5625-488: Was created with the Compromise of 1850 , and Fillmore , named after President Millard Fillmore , was designated the capital. The territory was given the name Utah after the Ute tribe of Native Americans. Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as the territorial capital in 1856. By 1850, there were around 100 black people in the territory, the majority of whom were slaves. In Salt Lake County, 26 slaves were counted. In 1852,

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