this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2024
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When settlers first got to Utah they imported bees and brought them in to help develop and cultivate. Since then, Utah has been known as the beehive state.
That would be a logical reason for it but remember this is Utah... so no.
Bees have weird place in Mormon lore. The creepy founder created a new name for them in the Book of Mormon "Deseret".
His successor, Brigham Young, used it as the name of country Mormons tried to establish in the west.
"It represents a theocracy ruled by the church."
https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/the-symbolism-of-the-beehive-in-latter-day-saint-tradition/
Wow. That is nuts.
I had the "Symbols of Manchester" Wikipedia page at the ready to make the point that a bee is a fairly well-known symnbol of industry, but as they say, truth is stranger than fiction.
that makes sense. thanks for the utah lore