History UsefulNotes / Utah

Utah is a relatively small state (by population, not area), although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Geographically, its southeastern corner meets with the state borders of UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}}, UsefulNotes/{{Colorado}}, and UsefulNotes/NewMexico (making up the Four Corners region); the state also borders UsefulNotes/{{Nevada}}, UsefulNotes/{{Idaho}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Wyoming}}. Salt Lake City is the capital and largest city. Reflecting its status as the seat of government and the headquarters of a global religion, its two most prominent buildings are the State Capitol (finished in 1915), a Neoclassical structure on a hill overlooking the city, and the Salt Lake Temple (finished in 1893), an unusual mix of Gothic and medieval castle architectural influences that anchors Temple Square at the center of the city's downtown. SLC has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting an openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]UsefulNotes/BarackObama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and UsefulNotes/MittRomney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; UsefulNotes/JoeBiden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure independent candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator UsefulNotes/MittRomney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial. The state also elected black former NFL player turned Republican politician Burgess Owens to the House of Representatives in 2020.

It has one major league sports team--two [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg if you count]] [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball soccer]]. The undisputed major-league team is the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]]'s Utah Jazz, which moved to SLC from UsefulNotes/NewOrleans in 1979[[note]]NBA teams traditionally keep their names when they move, even if it becomes [[ArtifactTitle hilariously inappropriate]] in their new home.[[/note]]. As for soccer, Real Salt Lake[[note]]named for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid[[/note]] began playing in UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer in 2005, and shockingly won the MLS Cup in 2009, despite finishing the regular season under .500 and going up against David Beckham's LA Galaxy in the final. College sports are also popular, with the state's three [[UsefulNotes/CollegiateAmericanFootball FBS]] schools being Provo's BYU Cougars in the [[UsefulNotes/PowerFiveConferences Big 12 Conference]], Salt Lake City's Utah Utes in the [[UsefulNotes/PowerFiveConferences Pac-12]],[[note]]Though in 2024, they will join their Holy War rivals in the Big 12.[[/note]] and Logan's Utah State Aggies in the [[UsefulNotes/GroupOfFiveConferences Mountain West]]. The state also hosts four other UsefulNotes/{{NCAA}} Division I athletic programs (Weber State[[labelnote:*]]Weber as a geographical name in Utah is pronounced WEE-ber rather than as a homophone of Webber. It derives from 19th century German-American fur trapper John Henry Weber, who apparently pronounced his own last name several different ways.[[/labelnote]] Wildcats, Southern Utah Thunderbirds, Utah Tech[[labelnote:*]]known as Dixie State prior to July 2022[[/labelnote]] Trailblazers and Utah Valley Wolverines).[[note]]UVU doesn't play football, nor do the Westminster College Griffins, an NCAA Division II program at a small private institution in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City[[/note]] There was also quite a party for [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames the 2002 Winter Olympics]], but local liquor laws made the celebrations a bit more restrained.[[note]]Utah used to have the most restrictive liquor laws in the country, but they've softened somewhat over the past decade in an effort to bring in more tourists.[[/note]]

Outside SLC, outdoor enthusiasts have discovered Utah's vast array of natural wonders, ranging from Monument Valley ([[CaliforniaDoubling You've seen it.]] [[TheWestern Trust us, you have]]) to flatter-than-flat [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment salt flats]] to world-class ski resorts. The state is home to five national parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion), the third most of any state behind only California and UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}. In all, it also has 8 national monuments (Cedar Breaks, Dinosaur, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges, Bears Ears, Rainbow Bridge, and Timpanogos Cave), 2 national recreation areas (Flaming Gorge and Glen Canyon), and 7 national forests (Ashley, Caribou-Targhee, Dixie, Fishlake, Manti-La Sal, Sawtooth, and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache), in addition to several other state parks and monuments. Every so often, NASA shows up for Mars training or to watch a spaceprobe fall out of the sky, and Hollywood makes use of the state to shoot Westerns and sci-fi flicks.

It has one major league sports team--two [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg if you count]] [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball soccer]]. The undisputed major-league team is the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]]'s Utah Jazz, which moved to SLC from UsefulNotes/NewOrleans in 1979[[note]]NBA teams traditionally keep their names when they move, even if it becomes [[ArtifactTitle hilariously inappropriate]] in their new home.[[/note]]. As for soccer, Real Salt Lake[[note]]named for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid[[/note]] began playing in UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer in 2005, and shockingly won the MLS Cup in 2009, despite finishing the regular season under .500 and going up against David Beckham's LA Galaxy in the final. College sports are also popular, with BYU Cougars and the University of Utah Utes being heated rivals, and five other NCAA Division I athletic programs in the state (the Utah State Aggies, Weber State[[labelnote:*]]Weber as a geographical name in Utah is pronounced WEE-ber rather than as a homophone of Webber. It derives from 19th century German-American fur trapper John Henry Weber, who apparently pronounced his own last name several different ways.[[/labelnote]] Wildcats, Southern Utah Thunderbirds, Utah Tech[[labelnote:*]]known as Dixie State prior to July 2022[[/labelnote]] Trailblazers and Utah Valley Wolverines).[[note]]UVU doesn't play football, nor do the Westminster College Griffins, an NCAA Division II program at a small private institution in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City[[/note]] There was also quite a party for [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames the 2002 Winter Olympics]], but local liquor laws made the celebrations a bit more restrained.[[note]]Utah used to have the most restrictive liquor laws in the country, but they've softened somewhat over the past decade in an effort to bring in more tourists.[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:319:"[[Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway Utah Welcomes You And Your Wives.]]"]]

Utah's Website/{{Facebook}} relationship status with [[UsefulNotes/TheSeveralStates the other 49 states]] would be "It's complicated." The state's history is heavily intertwined with that of [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], popularly known as Mormons. It was founded as a CultColony (in the most literal sense of the word) in 1847 by Mormons fleeing religious persecution in UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}, then UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, then Missouri (after the governor issued an extermination order), then finally Illinois, where Church founder Joseph Smith Jr. was assassinated. His eventual successor, Brigham Young, acting on a notion Smith had entertained of [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere emigrating from the United States altogether]], led the largest faction of Mormons [[SettlingTheFrontier out into the wilderness]] in a modern-day Exodus. Utah was Mexican territory [[UsefulNotes/MexicanAmericanWar at the time]], and was known mostly for being an inhospitable desert where even the water could kill you by being four times saltier than the ocean -- a place most wagon trains avoided or passed through as quickly as possible on their way to richer, more fertile lands in UsefulNotes/{{California}} and UsefulNotes/{{Oregon}}. A place nobody wanted, and hundreds of miles from any place anyone would want.

It has one major league sports team—two [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg if you count]] [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball soccer]]. The undisputed major-league team is the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]]'s Utah Jazz, which moved to SLC from UsefulNotes/NewOrleans in 1979[[note]]NBA teams traditionally keep their names when they move, even if it becomes [[ArtifactTitle hilariously inappropriate]] in their new home.[[/note]]. As for soccer, Real Salt Lake[[note]]named for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid[[/note]] began playing in UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer in 2005, and shockingly won the MLS Cup in 2009, despite finishing the regular season under .500 and going up against David Beckham's LA Galaxy in the final. College sports are also popular, with BYU Cougars and the University of Utah Utes being heated rivals, and five other NCAA Division I athletic programs in the state (the Utah State Aggies, Weber State[[labelnote:*]]Weber as a geographical name in Utah is pronounced WEE-ber rather than as a homophone of Webber. It derives from 19th century German-American fur trapper John Henry Weber, who apparently pronounced his own last name several different ways.[[/labelnote]] Wildcats, Southern Utah Thunderbirds, Utah Tech[[labelnote:*]]known as Dixie State prior to July 2022[[/labelnote]] Trailblazers and Utah Valley Wolverines).[[note]]UVU doesn't play football, nor do the Westminster College Griffins, an NCAA Division II program at a small private institution in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City[[/note]] There was also quite a party for [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames the 2002 Winter Olympics]], but local liquor laws made the celebrations a bit more restrained.[[note]]Utah used to have the most restrictive liquor laws in the country, but they've softened somewhat over the past decade in an effort to bring in more tourists.[[/note]]

In modern times, Utah has a reputation for being conservative, traditional, and highly family oriented. It consistently has one of the highest fertility rates in the nation (though families are no longer as large as they once were). The state and its residents are generally thought of as being friendly, cheerful, and socially concerned, though it's separate enough from the rest of the country that outsiders may fear feeling unwelcome or out of place. Naturally, the realities of such things are complex and varied.

It has one major league sports team—two [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg if you count]] [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball soccer]]. The undisputed major-league team is the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]]'s Utah Jazz, which moved to SLC from UsefulNotes/NewOrleans in 1979[[note]]NBA teams traditionally keep their names when they move, even if it becomes [[ArtifactTitle hilariously inappropriate]] in their new home.[[/note]]. As for soccer, Real Salt Lake[[note]]named for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid[[/note]] began playing in UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer in 2005, and shockingly won the MLS Cup in 2009, despite finishing the regular season under .500 and going up against David Beckham's LA Galaxy in the final. College sports are also popular, with BYU Cougars and the University of Utah Utes being heated rivals, and five other NCAA Division I athletic programs in the state (the Utah State Aggies, Weber State Wildcats, Southern Utah Thunderbirds, Utah Tech[[labelnote:*]]known as Dixie State prior to July 2022[[/labelnote]] Trailblazers and Utah Valley Wolverines).[[note]]UVU doesn't play football, nor do the Westminster Griffins, an NCAA Division II program at a small private college in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City[[/note]] There was also quite a party for [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames the 2002 Winter Olympics]], but local liquor laws made the celebrations a bit more restrained.[[note]]Utah used to have the most restrictive liquor laws in the country, but they've softened somewhat over the past decade in an effort to bring in more tourists.[[/note]]

It has one major league sports team—two [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg if you count]] [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball soccer]]. The undisputed major-league team is the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]]'s Utah Jazz, which moved to SLC from UsefulNotes/NewOrleans in 1979[[note]]NBA teams traditionally keep their names when they move, even if it becomes [[ArtifactTitle hilariously inappropriate]] in their new home.[[/note]]. As for soccer, Real Salt Lake[[note]]named for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid[[/note]] began playing in UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer in 2005, and shockingly won the MLS Cup in 2009, despite finishing the regular season under .500 and going up against David Beckham's LA Galaxy in the final. College sports are also popular, with BYU Cougars and the University of Utah Utes being heated rivals (and the Utah State Aggies are there, too, as well as the Weber State Wildcats, Southern Utah Thunderbirds, Utah Valley Wolverines, and Utah Tech[[labelnote:*]]known as Dixie State prior to July 2022[[/labelnote]] Trailblazers among Division I schools). There was also quite a party for [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames the 2002 Winter Olympics]], but local liquor laws made the celebrations a bit more restrained.[[note]]Utah used to have the most restrictive liquor laws in the country, but they've softened somewhat over the past decade in an effort to bring in more tourists.[[/note]]

Utah is a relatively small state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Geographically, its southeastern corner meets with the state borders of UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}}, UsefulNotes/{{Colorado}}, and UsefulNotes/NewMexico (making up the Four Corners region); the state also borders UsefulNotes/{{Nevada}}, UsefulNotes/{{Idaho}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Wyoming}}. Salt Lake City is the capital and largest city. Reflecting its status as the seat of government and the headquarters of a global religion, its two most prominent buildings are the State Capitol (finished in 1915), a Neoclassical structure on a hill overlooking the city, and the Salt Lake Temple (finished in 1893), an unusual mix of Gothic and medieval castle architectural influences that anchors Temple Square at the center of the city's downtown. SLC has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting an openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]UsefulNotes/BarackObama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and UsefulNotes/MittRomney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; UsefulNotes/JoeBiden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure independent candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator UsefulNotes/MittRomney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial. The state also elected black former NFL player turned Republican politician Burgess Owens to the House of Representatives in 2020.

Utah is a relatively small state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Geographically, its southeastern corner meets with the state borders of UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}}, UsefulNotes/{{Colorado}}, and UsefulNotes/NewMexico (making up the Four Corners region); the state also borders UsefulNotes/{{Nevada}}, UsefulNotes/{{Idaho}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Wyoming}}. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting an openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]UsefulNotes/BarackObama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and UsefulNotes/MittRomney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; UsefulNotes/JoeBiden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure independent candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator UsefulNotes/MittRomney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial. The state also elected black former NFL player turned Republican politician Burgess Owens to the House of Representatives in 2020.

As far as works are concerned, Utah has a highly active UsefulNotes/MormonCinema with culturally esoteric references and humor. Often parodied is the quirkiness and stiffness of its traditional culture, heavily tied to its [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian English]] history.[[note]]Utah has more English ancestry than any other state in the United States. Some of the ancestors were 19th century {{New England}}ers and UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}ers like the families of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, but most were actually off-the-boat immigrants who had already become Mormons in UsefulNotes/{{England}}; for instance, Mitt Romney's patrilineal ancestor Miles Romney was a carpenter and Mormon leader from [[OopNorth Lancashire]] before emigrating to America in 1837. An additional influx of already-Mormon immigrants from Scandinavia and UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} largely assimilated into the culture.[[/note]]

As far as works are concerned, Utah has a highly active UsefulNotes/MormonCinema with culturally esoteric references and humor. Often parodied is the quirkiness and stiffness of its traditional culture, heavily tied to its [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian English]] history.[[note]]Utah has more English ancestry than any other state in the United States. Some of the ancestors were 19th century {{New England}}ers and UsefulNotes/{{NewYork|State}}ers like the families of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, but most were actually off-the-boat immigrants who had already become Mormons in UsefulNotes/{{England}}; for instance, Mitt Romney's patrilineal ancestor Miles Romney was a carpenter and Mormon leader from [[OopNorth Lancashire]] before emigrating to America in 1837. An additional influx of already-Mormon immigrants from Scandinavia and UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} largely assimilated into the culture.[[/note]]

Utah's Website/{{Facebook}} relationship status with [[UsefulNotes/TheSeveralStates the other 49 states]] would be "It's complicated." The state's history is heavily intertwined with that of [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], popularly known as Mormons. It was founded as a CultColony (in the most literal sense of the word) in 1847 by Mormons fleeing religious persecution in UsefulNotes/{{New York|State}}, then UsefulNotes/{{Ohio}}, then Missouri (after [[KillEmAll the governor issued an extermination order]]), then finally Illinois, where Church founder Joseph Smith Jr. was assassinated. His eventual successor, Brigham Young, acting on a notion Smith had entertained of [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere emigrating from the United States altogether]], led the largest faction of Mormons [[SettlingTheFrontier out into the wilderness]] in a modern-day Exodus. Utah was Mexican territory [[UsefulNotes/MexicanAmericanWar at the time]], and was known mostly for being an inhospitable desert where even the water could kill you by being four times saltier than the ocean -- a place most wagon trains avoided or passed through as quickly as possible on their way to richer, more fertile lands in UsefulNotes/{{California}} and UsefulNotes/{{Oregon}}. A place nobody wanted, and hundreds of miles from any place anyone would want.

Utah's Website/{{Facebook}} relationship status with [[UsefulNotes/TheSeveralStates the other 49 states]] would be "It's complicated." The state's history is heavily intertwined with that of [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], popularly known as Mormons. It was founded as a CultColony (in the most literal sense of the word) in 1847 by Mormons fleeing religious persecution in New York, then Ohio, then Missouri (after [[KillEmAll the governor issued an extermination order]]), then finally Illinois where Church founder Joseph Smith Jr. was assassinated. His eventual successor, Brigham Young, acting on a notion Smith had entertained of [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere emigrating from the United States altogether]], led the largest faction of Mormons [[SettlingTheFrontier out into the wilderness]] in a modern-day Exodus. Utah was Mexican territory [[UsefulNotes/MexicanAmericanWar at the time]], and was known mostly for being an inhospitable desert where even the water could kill you by being four times saltier than the ocean -- a place most wagon trains avoided or passed through as quickly as possible on their way to richer, more fertile lands in UsefulNotes/{{California}} and [[UsefulNotes/TheOtherRainforest Oregon]]. A place nobody wanted, and hundreds of miles from any place anyone would want.

Utah is a relatively small state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Geographically, its southeastern corner meets with the state borders of UsefulNotes/{{Arizona}}, UsefulNotes/{{Colorado}}, and UsefulNotes/NewMexico (making up the Four Corners region); the state also borders UsefulNotes/{{Nevada}}, UsefulNotes/{{Idaho}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Wyoming}}. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting an openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure independent candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator UsefulNotes/MittRomney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial. The state also elected black former NFL player turned Republican politician Burgess Owens to the House of Representatives in 2020.

As far as works are concerned, Utah has a highly active UsefulNotes/MormonCinema with culturally esoteric references and humor. Often parodied is the quirkiness and stiffness of its traditional culture, heavily tied to its [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian English]] history.[[note]]Utah has more English ancestry than any other state in the United States. Some of the ancestors were 19th century {{New England}}ers and UsefulNotes/{{NewYork|State}}ers like the families of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, but most were actually off-the-boat immigrants who had already become Mormons in England; for instance, Mitt Romney's patrilineal ancestor Miles Romney was a carpenter and Mormon leader from [[OopNorth Lancashire]] before emigrating to America in 1837. An additional influx of already-Mormon immigrants from Scandinavia and Germany largely assimilated into the culture.[[/note]]

Utah is a relatively small state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting an openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure independent candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator UsefulNotes/MittRomney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial. The state also elected black former NFL player turned Republican politician Burgess Owens to the House of Representatives in 2020.

It has one major league sports team—two [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg if you count]] [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball soccer]]. The undisputed major-league team is the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]]'s Utah Jazz, which moved to SLC from UsefulNotes/NewOrleans in 1979[[note]]NBA teams traditionally keep their names when they move, even if it becomes [[ArtifactTitle hilariously inappropriate]] in their new home.[[/note]]. As for soccer, Real Salt Lake[[note]]named for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid[[/note]] began playing in UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer in 2005, and shockingly won the MLS Cup in 2009, despite finishing the regular season under .500 and going up against David Beckham's LA Galaxy in the final. College sports are also popular, with BYU Cougars and the University of Utah Cougars being heated rivals (and the Utah State Aggies are there, too). There was also quite a party for [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames the 2002 Winter Olympics]], but local liquor laws made the celebrations a bit more restrained.[[note]]Utah used to have the most restrictive liquor laws in the country, but they've softened somewhat over the past decade in an effort to bring in more tourists.[[/note]]

Utah is a relatively small state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting an openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure independent candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator UsefulNotes/MittRomney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial. The state also elected former black NFL player turned Republican politician Burgess Owens to the House of Representatives in 2020.

Utah is a relatively small state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting an openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure independent candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator UsefulNotes/MittRomney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial. The state also elected former NFL player turned BlackRepublican Burgess Owens to the House of Representatives in 2020.

Utah is a relatively small state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting an openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure third-party candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator UsefulNotes/MittRomney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial. The state also elected former NFL player turned BlackRepublican Burgess Owens to the House of Representatives in 2020.

Recently, the state is trying to position itself as a new Silicon Valley of sorts, as an alternative to the California Bay Area; its prime offerings are more reasonable taxes and living costs, technical excellence instead of political correctness[[note]]though Mormons are nothing if not friendly and respectful[[/note]] and fostering of family life. Many tech companies are setting up shop here, especially in Provo, and the arrival of {{Website/Google}} Fiber only sweetens the deal.

Utah's Website/{{Facebook}} relationship status with [[UsefulNotes/TheSeveralStates the other 49 states]] would be "It's complicated." The state's history is heavily intertwined with that of [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], popularly known as Mormons. It was founded as a CultColony (in the most literal sense of the word) in 1847 by Mormons fleeing religious persecution in New York, then Ohio, then Missouri (after [[KillEmAll the governor issued an extermination order]]), then finally Illinois where Church founder Joseph Smith, Jr. was assassinated. His eventual successor, Brigham Young, acting on a notion Smith had entertained of [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere emigrating from the United States altogether]], led the largest faction of Mormons [[SettlingTheFrontier out into the wilderness]] in a modern-day Exodus. Utah was Mexican territory [[UsefulNotes/MexicanAmericanWar at the time]], and was known mostly for being an inhospitable desert where even the water could kill you by being four times saltier than the ocean -- a place most wagon trains avoided or passed through as quickly as possible on their way to richer, more fertile lands in UsefulNotes/{{California}} and [[UsefulNotes/TheOtherRainforest Oregon]]. A place nobody wanted, and hundreds of miles from any place anyone would want.

As it turns out, Utah, dubbed "Deseret" (a term found in Literature/TheBookOfMormon that means "honeybee") by its new inhabitants, was more hospitable than anyone expected, but not by much. The main settlement, called Great Salt Lake City at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, was made viable with the irrigation and diversion of mountain streams and became the central command center for hundreds of settlements stretching from [[SouthOfTheBorder Sonora]] to [[CanadaEh Alberta]]. Mormon settlers from all over the United States, Canada, the British Isles and continental Europe, converted by zealous missionaries and told to come build an American Zion, would settle in places as diverse as cool green mountain valleys and redrock desert country and eke out a modest existence. A tug-of-war for power between the Mormons, the federal government, and non-Mormons would dominate the territory for the next 40 years, including the Utah War which was the result of a series of misunderstandings, aggravated federal employees annoyed at the unresponsive Mormon settlers, and the dispatch of a fifth of the US Army to put down a "rebellion." Unfortunately, this toxic atmosphere allowed the murder of 120 men and women by some rebellious Church members in [[OldShame the Mountain Meadows Massacre]].

Utah is a relatively small state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting an openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure third-party candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator Mitt Romney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial. The state also elected former NFL player turned BlackRepublican Burgess Owens to the House of Representatives in 2020.

As far as works are concerned, Utah has a highly active UsefulNotes/MormonCinema with culturally esoteric references and humor. Often parodied is the quirkiness and stiffness of its traditional culture, heavily tied to its [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian English]] history.[[note]]Utah has more English ancestry than other state in the United States. Some of the ancestors were 19th century {{New England}}ers and [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New Yorkers]] like the families of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, but most were actually off-the-boat immigrants who had already become Mormons in England; for instance, Mitt Romney's patrilineal ancestor Miles Romney was a carpenter and Mormon leader from [[OopNorth Lancashire]] before emigrating to America in 1837. An additional influx of already-Mormon immigrants from Scandinavia and Germany largely assimilated into the culture.[[/note]]

Utah is a relatively small state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons from throughout Utah and the surrounding states with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting a openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; as the largest city in hundreds of miles, many queer Utahns or Idahoans find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. Even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure third-party candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator Mitt Romney was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president and the only Senate Republican who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial.

It has one major league sports team—two [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg if you count]] [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball soccer]]. The undisputed major-league team is the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]]'s Utah Jazz, which moved to SLC from UsefulNotes/NewOrleans in 1979[[note]]NBA teams traditionally keep their names when they move, even if it becomes [[ArtifactTitle hilariously inappropriate]] in their new home.[[/note]]. As for soccer, Real Salt Lake[[note]]named for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid[[/note]] began playing in UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer in 2005, and shockingly won the MLS Cup in 2009, despite finishing the regular season under .500 and going up against David Beckham's LA Galaxy in the final. College sports are also popular, with BYU Cougars and the University of Utah Cougars being heated rivals (and the Utah State Aggies are there, too). There was also quite a party for [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames the 2002 Winter Olympics]], but local liquor laws make partying a bit more restrained.

In modern times, Utah has a reputation for being conservative, traditional, and highly family oriented. It consistently has one of the highest fertility rates in the nation (though families are no longer as large as they once were). The state and it's residents are generally thought of as being friendly, cheerful and socially concerned, though it's separate enough from the rest of the country that outsiders may fear feeling unwelcome or out of place. Naturally, the realities of such things are complex and varied.

Utah is a relatively small and not especially influential state, although it is steadily growing and diversifying. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting a openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; none of this is too surprising when you consider that it's the largest city in hundreds of miles, so a queer Utahn or Idahoan will almost certainly find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. That said, even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure third-party candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator Mitt Romney was one of the most outspoken Republican critics of the former president, and the only Senate Republican who voted to convict in his first impeachment trial.

Since then, Utah has been a quiet place, although steadily growing and diversifying. Mormons have concentrated on both expanding their membership and emphasizing their "normalness" to outsiders. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting a openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; none of this is too surprising when you consider that it's the largest city in hundreds of miles, so a queer Utahn or Idahoan will almost certainly find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. That said, even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure third-party candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, and Senator Mitt Romney was one of the most outspoken Republican critics of the former president.

Since then, Utah has been a quiet place, although steadily growing and diversifying. Mormons have concentrated on both expanding their membership and emphasizing their "normalness" to outsiders. Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting a openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; none of this is too surprising when you consider that it's the largest city in hundreds of miles, so a queer Utahn or Idahoan will almost certainly find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. That said, even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party. One-fifth of the state voted for the otherwise obscure third-party candidate Evan [=McMullin=] in 2016 rather than vote for UsefulNote/DonaldTrump, and Senator Mitt Romney was one of the most outspoken Republican critics of the former president.

Since then, Utah has been a quiet place, although steadily growing and diversifying. Mormons have concentrated on both expanding their membership and emphasizing their "normalness" to outsiders, and Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting a openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; none of this is too surprising when you consider that it's the largest city in hundreds of miles, so a queer Utahn or Idahoan will almost certainly find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City[[note]]Barack Obama narrowly carried the county in 2008, and Romney is the only Republican presidential candidate to win there since; Biden took the county by a double digit percentage in 2020.[[/note]] and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. That said, even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party.

Since then, Utah has been a quiet place, although steadily growing and diversifying. Mormons have concentrated on both expanding their membership and emphasizing their "normalness" to outsiders, and Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, even boasting a openly lesbian mayor (Jackie Biskupski) from 2016-2020; none of this is too surprising when you consider that it's the largest city in hundreds of miles, so a queer Utahn or Idahoan will almost certainly find their way here. This has led to some greater political and cultural tensions between the left-leaning Salt Lake City and its more conservative neighbor Provo, home to the [[StrawmanU church-run Brigham Young University]]. That said, even though Utah is overall a staunchly conservative state, the state's Republicans have an independent streak from the rest of the party.

Outside SLC, outdoor enthusiasts have discovered Utah's vast array of natural wonders, ranging from Monument Valley ([[CaliforniaDoubling You've seen it.]] [[TheWestern Trust us, you have]]) to flatter-than-flat [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment salt flats]] to world-class ski resorts. The state is home to five national parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion), the third most of any state behind only California and UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}}. Every so often NASA shows up for Mars training or to watch a spaceprobe fall out of the sky, and Hollywood makes use of the state to shoot Westerns and sci-fi flicks.

Since then, Utah has been a quiet place, although steadily growing and diversifying. Mormons have concentrated on both expanding their membership and emphasizing their "normalness" to outsiders, and Salt Lake City has long attracted non-Mormons with its relatively low crime, diverse economy, and low cost of living. In terms of demographics, SLC has large Hispanic and Polynesian communities, and a larger LGBT population than you might think, but then again it's the largest city in hundreds of miles; a queer Utahn or Idahoan is will almost certainly find their way here. It has one major league sports team—two [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg if you count]] [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball soccer]]. The undisputed major-league team is the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation NBA]]'s Utah Jazz, which moved to SLC from UsefulNotes/NewOrleans in 1979 [[note]]NBA teams traditionally keep their names when they move, even if it becomes [[ArtifactTitle hilariously inappropriate]] in their new home.[[/note]]. As for soccer, Real Salt Lake[[note]]named for Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid[[/note]] began playing in UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer in 2005, and shockingly won the MLS Cup in 2009, despite finishing the regular season under .500 and going up against David Beckham's LA Galaxy in the final. There was also quite a party for [[UsefulNotes/OlympicGames the 2002 Winter Olympics]], but local liquor laws make partying a bit more restrained.

Outside SLC, outdoor enthusiasts have discovered Utah's vast array of natural wonders, ranging from Monument Valley ([[CaliforniaDoubling You've seen it.]] [[TheWestern Trust us, you have]]) to flatter-than-flat [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment salt flats]] to world-class ski resorts. Every so often NASA shows up for Mars training or to watch a spaceprobe fall out of the sky, and Hollywood makes use of the state to shoot Westerns and sci-fi flicks. Recently, the state is trying to position itself as a new Silicon Valley of sorts, as an alternative to the California Bay Area; its prime offerings are more reasonable taxes and living costs, technical excellence instead of political correctness[[note]]though Mormons are nothing if not friendly and respectful[[/note]] and fostering of family life. Many tech companies are setting shop especially in Provo, and the arrival of {{Website/Google}} Fiber only sweetens the deal.

As far as works are concerned, Utah has a highly active MormonCinema with culturally esoteric references and humor. Often parodied is the quirkiness and stiffness of its traditional culture, heavily tied to its [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian English]] history.[[note]]Utah has more English ancestry than other state in the United States. Some of the ancestors were 19th century {{New England}}ers and [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New Yorkers]] like the families of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, but most were actually off-the-boat immigrants who had already become Mormons in England; for instance, Mitt Romney's patrilineal ancestor Miles Romney was a carpenter and Mormon leader from [[OopNorth Lancashire]] before emigrating to America in 1837. An additional influx of already-Mormon immigrants from Scandinavia and Germany largely assimilated into the culture.[[/note]]

As it turns out, Utah, dubbed "Deseret" (a term found in Literature/TheBookOfMormon that means "honeybee") by its new inhabitants, was more hospitable than anyone expected, but not by much. The main settlement, called Great Salt Lake City at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, was made viable with the irrigation and diversion of mountain streams and became the central command center for hundreds of settlements stretching from [[SouthOfTheBorder Sonora]] to [[CanadaEh Alberta]]. Mormon settlers from all over the United States, Canada, the British Isles and continental Europe, converted by zealous missionaries and told to come build an American Zion, would settle in places as diverse as cool green mountain valleys and redrock desert country and eke out a modest existence. A tug-of-war for power between the Mormons, the federal government, and non-Mormons would dominate the territory for the next 40 years, including the Utah War which was the result of a series of misunderstandings, aggravated federal employees annoyed at the unresponsive Mormon settlers, and the dispatch of a fifth of the US Army to put down a "rebellion." Unfortunately, this toxic atmosphere allowed the murder of 120 men and women in [[OldShame the Mountain Meadows Massacre]].

As far as works are concerned, Utah has a highly active MormonCinema with culturally esoteric references and humor. Often parodied is the quirkiness and stiffness of its traditional culture, heavily tied to its [[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian English]] history.[[note]]Utah has more English ancestry than other state in the United States. Some of the ancestors were 19th century {{New England}}ers and [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New Yorkers]] like the families of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, but most were actually off-the-boat immigrants who had already become Mormons in England; for instance, MittRomney's patrilineal ancestor Miles Romney was a carpenter and Mormon leader from [[OopNorth Lancashire]] before emigrating to America in 1837. An additional influx of already-Mormon immigrants from Scandinavia and Germany largely assimilated into the culture.[[/note]]