Utah Quiz

Here is the long awaited Utah quiz.

Scroll down for the answers... but at least try to answer first :-)

1. When did Utah become a state?
2. Where did Utah's name come from?
3. What is Utah's nickname?
4. What is Utah's tagline/ claim to fame?
5. How many National Parks are located in Utah? Bonus: name them.
6. Utah is considered to be a semi-arid to arid climate. What are the average highs and lows in the summer and winter?

And onto the popular religion, two points on the Mormon thing...

First, the proper term for the religion/ followers of the religion is LDS (short for Latter-day Saints, which is short for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Second, we know lots of wonderful and kind people who are LDS. But, it is a curious and obvious topic when it comes to Utah, so I couldn't resist throwing in a few related questions...

7. What percentage of the Utah population is Mormon (LDS)?

8. What town has the highest Mormon population?

9. Brigham Young, (long-time president of the church, founder of SLC, first governor of UT) is the the most popular/ beloved figure in the church. How many wives did Brigham Young have?

10. What is the target number of children for LDS families?

Fun Facts!

Utah consumes more Jell-o per capita than any other state in the US. Mormons love sweets! Milk shakes and ice cream are also big sellers. But chocolate is generally forbidden, as it contains caffeine - a Mormon no-no.

Utah has the highest literacy rate in the nation. As Keith said, "if you can't read the Book of Mormon, how can you spread the word?"

Answers:

1. The United States acquired the region in 1848, which, at that time belonged to Mexico. The people of the region named the area the state of Deseret. On January 4, 1896, it was officially established as the state of Utah by the United States government.

2. The name Utah comes from the Native American Ute tribe and means people of the mountains.

3. Beehive State. The beehive symbolizes thrift and perseverance.

4. Greatest Snow on Earth. Sounds like a boastful superlative, I know. But, it's a fact that the snow that falls in the Wasatch Range in Utah is often very light and dry because of the desert climate and lake effect from the Great Salt Lake. The Wasatch also consistently receives significant quantities of snow, making it a reliable place to plan a ski trip. In particular, Alta always ranks in the top 5 snowiest resorts in the world with an average of 547 inches / year.

Keith thinks that everyone loves skiing as much as he does and insisted that readers would want to know the other resorts in the to 10. Their ranking varies year by year, according to snow totals, but here's the general list:

• Mt. Baker, Washington State
• Niseko, Japan
• Alta, Utah (Little Cottonwood Canyon, to be specific)
• Alyeska, Alaska
• Kirkwood, California
• Stevens Pass, Washington State
• Sugar Bowl, California
• Grand Targhee, Wyoming
• Snowbird, Utah (Alta's neighbor in Little Cottonwood)
• Mt. Hood, Oregon

5. Five National Parks -- Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef

It also has seven national monuments, two national recreation areas and six national forests. If you've never been to Utah, particularly Southern Utah, you really shouldn't miss it.

6. In the summer, the average high ranges from 85 to 100, while the average low is 61. Though very hot during summer days, the low humidity and high elevation typically result in cool nights. Utah is also very sunny (good spot for a dermatologist!) Salt Lake City averages 125 clear sunny days and 101 partly cloudy days per year.

In the winter, the average high is 40, while the average low is 22, though it is typically at least 10 degrees colder in the mountains.

7. 62% of the Utah population are followers of the LDS church. That's for the whole state. In Salt Lake City, less than 50% of residents are LDS. And the percentage of Mormons at Alta on a Sunday (where we'll be hanging out) - 0%.

8. Provo, site of Brigham Young University. And lots of ice cream / milk shake shops.

9. Brigham Young had 55 wives. Also, he was born in Vermont, as was Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What is it about Vermont?

10. The more children the better! But you aren't required to tithe (10% of your income is standard) if you have more than 6 children. Many families do anyway because they are good and faithful followers.

Thanks for playing!