III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 590 

Recognizing the 171st anniversary of the arrival of pioneers belonging to 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Great Salt 

Lake Valley in Utah, and the contributions of the Church and its members to the United States and the world. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 24, 2018 

Mr. HATCH (for himself, Mr. LEE, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. RISCH, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. 

HELLER, and Mr. UDALL) submitted the following resolution; which was 

considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 171st anniversary of the arrival of pioneers 

belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints to the Great Salt Lake Valley in Utah, and 

the contributions of the Church and its members to 

the United States and the world. 

Whereas in the years following the establishment of The 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (referred to 

in this preamble as the ‘‘LDS Church’’) in 1830, the 

early members of the LDS Church (referred to in this 

preamble as ‘‘Latter-day Saint pioneers’’) experienced religious persecution manifested through physical assault, 

destruction of their houses and businesses, theft of their 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 590 ATS 

property, exile from their homes, threats of violence and 

war, imprisonment, rape, and murder; 

Whereas the petitions of the LDS Church to the United 

States Government for assistance and redress were frequently unanswered and produced no relief; 

Whereas the leader and prophet of the LDS Church, Joseph 

Smith, and his brother, Hyrum, were shot and killed by 

an armed mob; 

Whereas in a letter addressed to the President of the United 

States, James K. Polk, the new leader of the LDS 

Church, Brigham Young, wrote, ‘‘. . . [W]hile we appreciate the Constitution of the United States as the most 

precious among the nations, we feel that we had rather 

retreat to the deserts, islands or mountain caves than 

consent to be ruled by governors and judges. . . who delight in injustice and oppression’’; 

Whereas in pursuit of liberty and religious freedom, the Latter-day Saint pioneers journeyed westward in the winter 

of 1846, and ultimately travelled more than 1,300 miles 

of wilderness across vast prairies, barren deserts, jagged 

mountains, and turbulent rivers; 

Whereas the Latter-day Saint pioneers endured extreme 

weather conditions, illness, hunger, and exhaustion, resulting in the pioneers losing young children, spouses, 

parents, and friends to exposure, disease, and starvation; 

Whereas upon entering the Great Salt Lake Valley in Utah 

on July 24, 1847, Brigham Young announced, ‘‘This is 

the right place,’’ foretelling how the valley would become 

home to many Latter-day Saints and their posterity; 

Whereas the Latter-day Saint pioneers worked together to 

plant crops, irrigate fields, and build homes and busiVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:51 Jul 25, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR590.ATS SR590

pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 590 ATS 

nesses, transforming the desert into a thriving community where they could live in safety and practice their religion without prejudice and abuse; 

Whereas on July 24, 1849, the Latter-day Saints first commemorated their arrival to their new home with a procession to Temple Square in Salt Lake City for a special devotional, followed by a feast of thanksgiving; 

Whereas ‘‘Pioneer Day’’ is a Utah State holiday celebrated 

on July 24th to remember and honor the early settlers 

with parades, flag ceremonies, re-enactments, devotionals, 

sporting events, feasts, dances, concerts, festivals, rodeos, 

and fireworks; 

Whereas the Latter-day Saint pioneers helped shape the settlement of the West by constructing bridges, building ferries, clearing trails, establishing communities, planting 

crops, expanding trade posts, erecting trail markers, and 

charting maps, all of which assisted thousands of settlers 

westward; 

Whereas the Latter-day Saint pioneers exemplified what can 

be achieved when industrious and resilient people work 

diligently and join together as communities to build a 

stronger and brighter future; and 

Whereas the bravery, determination, and ingenuity that the 

Latter-day Saint pioneers demonstrated inspires citizens 

of the United States and people across the world to triumph over adversity, to continuously strive toward 

progress and innovation, and to press forward with unconquerable faith and undaunted hope: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 590 ATS 

1 (1) recognizes ‘‘Pioneer Day’’, on the 171st an2 niversary of the arrival of the early members of The 

3 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (re4 ferred to in this resolving clause as ‘‘Latter-day 

5 Saint pioneers’’) to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 

6 Utah; 

7 (2) acknowledges the many sacrifices of the 

8 Latter-day Saint pioneers in their pursuit of liberty 

9 and religious freedom; and 

10 (3) commends the Latter-day Saint pioneers 

11 and their descendants for their significant contribu12 tions in facilitating the settlement of the West, and 

13 providing an example of courage, industry, and faith 

14 that inspires people throughout the world. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS