Lesson 36 - "The Desert Shall Rejoice, and Blossom as a Rose."

The lesson manual uses Our Heritage and focuses on Utah settlement and colonization, temples and missionary work.

It is significant to remember that this was not empty land to which the Mormons entered. Native Americans had already lived there for thousands of years. Their lands and way of life was completely disrupted. Though the Mormon interpretations of the Indians as descendants of Book of Mormon peoples gave them rationale to treat the Indians better, this was not always the case. Brigham Young believed it was easier to feed the natives than kill them (many Americans opted for the latter option), but overall relations were far from harmonious. If you want a book--try Jared Farmer's On Zion's Mount.


Examine the building process of the Salt Lake Temple here. A number of faith promoting rumours have circulated concerning cutting granite, temple arches, elevators and the like. With the help of the Church Historic Sites team, this article helps dispel some of the silliness.


Read Richard Oman's examination of the exterior symbolism off the Salt Lake Temple here.



This is a photo of a streetcar full of children headed to the Salt Lake Temple dedication in 1893. For more information on the photo read this.