In 1847, 14,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, under constant threat both legal and extrajudicial from the Protestant and Catholic majorities of America, made the decision to head west to seek land where they would not be persecuted. In the February cold, they left Nauvoo and trekked into the great unknown, slogging through mud and forced to drag themselves through mountains. It took until July 1847 for the first set of Mormon eyes to fall upon the Salt Lake Valley and the massive body of water beside it, nestled in the heart of the Great Basin - but when Brigham Young saw the view, he knew he had found their new home.

America caught up with the pioneers within the next 3 years, but the Mormons have never left. Through food shortages, harsh weather, armed conflicts, and disease, they staked their claim to their new lands tenaciously. In today's America, Salt Lake City is unique in its status as the largest majority-Mormon city in the country, the headquarters of the LDS church and the site of the gigantic Salt Lake Temple. Religion shows itself in the culture, the universities, the politics, and the people of the region. Few, if any, other cities in America can claim such united worship.

To focus on nothing more than Mormonism when talking about the Crossroads of the West, however, is to dismiss the culture of almost 200,000 Americans. The beauty of the mountain ranges which make up the edge of the valley is unparalleled, not to mention the strong skiing and hiking scene that comes with them. Beneath their snow-capped exterior, too, are arteries of silver and ore which have made up the bedrock of the region since the 1850's. The city itself, connected by its massive blocks and six-lane streets, has theaters, parks, and a small but vibrant music scene. Finally, of course, there's the eponymous Great Salt Lake, the habitat for millions of birds and scene of trails and tourism.

Salt Lake City has its problems, of course. Growth is stagnating, the city is expected to begin declining in population, and the Church's influence can be as much a hindrance as it can be a help. Yet, despite all this, perhaps Brigham Young's words when he first saw the new home for his Church still apply.

"This is the right place," he said. "Drive on."