Brigham City, Utah
Encyclopedia
- Brigham City redirects here; for uses other than this city in Utah see Brigham City (disambiguation)Brigham City (disambiguation)Brigham City may refer to:Places:*Brigham City, Arizona, listed on the NRHP in Arizona*Brigham City, UtahOther:*Brigham City , a film by Richard Dutcher*Brigham City v. Stuart, a U.S. Supreme Court case involving right to privacy...
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Brigham City is a city in Box Elder County
Box Elder County, Utah
Box Elder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It lies on the north end of the Great Salt Lake, covering a large area north to the Idaho border and west to the Nevada border. Included in this area are large tracts of barren desert, contrasted by high, forested mountains. The...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 17,899 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Box Elder County
Box Elder County, Utah
Box Elder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It lies on the north end of the Great Salt Lake, covering a large area north to the Idaho border and west to the Nevada border. Included in this area are large tracts of barren desert, contrasted by high, forested mountains. The...
. It lies on the western slope of the Wellsville Mountains
Wellsville Mountains
The Wellsville Mountains are located in northern Utah and are often considered part of the Wasatch Mountains. The mountains separate the Cache Valley from the Wasatch Front. Nearly all of the water collected by the Wellsville Mountains drains into the Bear River.While only moderately tall, they are...
, a branch of the Wasatch Range
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
at the western terminus of Box Elder Canyon. Brigham City saw most of its growth during the 1950s and 1960s, but has seen a struggling economy and stagnating growth since then. It is currently the headquarters of ATK Thiokol
Thiokol
Thiokol is a U.S. corporation concerned initially with rubber and related chemicals, and later with rocket and missile propulsion systems...
, the company that created the solid rocket booster
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster
The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters were the pair of large solid rockets used by the United States' NASA Space Shuttle during the first two minutes of powered flight. Together they provided about 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. They were located on either side of the rusty or...
s for the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle program
NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...
.
Brigham City is known for its peaches and holds an annual celebration called Peach Days on the weekend after Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
. Much of Main Street is closed off to cars and the festival is celebrated by a parade, a car show, a carnival, and other activities. The The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is in the process of building a temple
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
in downtown, which will be the 14th in Utah.
History
Mormon pioneer William Davis first explored the Brigham City area in 1850. He returned with his family and others a year later to create permanent homes. Brigham YoungBrigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
directed Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
to create a self-sufficient city at the site in 1853. Snow directed both religious and political affairs in the settlement, eventually naming it Box Elder in 1855. Brigham Young gave his last public sermon there in 1877 shortly before his death and the name of the town was changed to Brigham City after the church president. In 1864, the cooperative movement began in earnest with the creation of a mercantile co-op store. Other industries were added, and the Brigham City Co-op is widely recognized as the most successful of the Mormon Co-op ventures. Economic hardships brought an end to the Co-op in 1895, though the Co-op had first started selling businesses off in 1876.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
brought a major economic boost to the city. The federal government created Bushnell General Hospital on Brigham City's south side to treat soldiers wounded in the war. Locals sold supplies and food to the hospital while hospital staff patronized local businesses. After the war, the hospital's buildings were used as Intermountain Indian School
Intermountain Indian School
The Intermountain Indian School was an Indian boarding school in Brigham City, Utah.- History :The Intermountain Indian School, which is in Brigham City, Utah, was originally the Bushnell Army Hospital, which was open from 1942 to 1947 serving wounded soldiers of World War II...
. Many young Native Americans attended the boarding school until it closed in 1984, although the Intermountain "I" on the mountain is still visible in tandem with Box Elder High School's "B". The facility has left its mark in a number of other ways, with most of the buildings still standing. Some have been converted into businesses and condos, while others remain empty.
Despite layoffs over the past decade, much of Brigham City's economy relies on Thiokol
Thiokol
Thiokol is a U.S. corporation concerned initially with rubber and related chemicals, and later with rocket and missile propulsion systems...
, the creator of many missiles, as well as the solid rocket booster
Solid rocket booster
Solid rocket boosters or Solid Rocket Motors, SRM, are used to provide thrust in spacecraft launches from the launchpad up to burnout of the SRBs. Many launch vehicles include SRBs, including the Ariane 5, Atlas V , and the NASA Space Shuttle...
for the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle program
NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...
. Additionally, the local Autoliv
Autoliv
Autoliv is a Swedish-American company with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, that in 1997 sprung from the merger of the Swedish company Autoliv AB and Morton Automotive Safety Products, Inc., a division of the American firm Morton International....
(formerly a part of Thiokol) airbag plants also net Brigham City many jobs. The addition of a WalMart distribution center in nearby Corinne
Corinne, Utah
Corinne is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 685 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Corinne is located at ....
has also brought new jobs.
Geography
Brigham City is located at 41°30′37"N 112°0′54"W (41.510192, -112.015011).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 14.3 square miles (37.1 km²), of which, 14.3 square miles (37.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.14%) is water. It lies at an elevation of 4,315 feet (1,315 m).
Brigham City lies on the western slopes of the Wellsville Mountains
Wellsville Mountains
The Wellsville Mountains are located in northern Utah and are often considered part of the Wasatch Mountains. The mountains separate the Cache Valley from the Wasatch Front. Nearly all of the water collected by the Wellsville Mountains drains into the Bear River.While only moderately tall, they are...
, a branch of the Wasatch Range
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
, at the western end of Box Elder Canyon. Brigham City is generally considered to be the northern end of the Wasatch Front
Wasatch Front
The Wasatch Front is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Utah. It consists of a chain of cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range from approximately Santaquin in the south to Brigham City in the north...
. To the west is a large, flat region of desert scrub, eventually giving way to marshlands on the edge of the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
. Interstates 15 and 84 pass to the west of the city together. U.S. 89 approaches from the south and U.S. 91 comes from I-15/84 to the west. They intersect in the city, climbing through Box Elder Canyon together. Two routes of the Utah Transit Authority
Utah Transit Authority
The Utah Transit Authority operates a public transportation system throughout the Wasatch Front of Utah, United States. It operates fixed route buses, express buses, ski buses, three light rail lines , and a commuter rail line from Salt Lake City to Pleasant View, north of Ogden. UTA is based in...
's bus system also provide access to Brigham City from Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, and it also has a Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
bus stop. It is planned to be the northern terminus of the FrontRunner
FrontRunner
FrontRunner is a commuter rail system operated by the Utah Transit Authority , serving the northern portion of the Wasatch Front from Salt Lake Central Station to Ogden Union Station. The system opened 26 April 2008...
commuter rail line by 2020.
The climate of Brigham City is generally the same as that of the rest of the Wasatch Front. Snow is heavy in winter with an annual average of 50.0 inches (127 cm), although it is too far north to receive lake-effect snow. Precipitation is light, averaging 18.46 inches (469mm) annually. Summers are hot, but humidity remains low and overnight temperatures are cool, and winters are cold (but rarely frigid). April is the wettest month, while July is the driest.
Sites of interest
There is an LDS tabernacleTabernacle (LDS Church)
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a tabernacle is a multipurpose religious building, used for church services, conferences, and as community centers. They differ from meetinghouses and temples in design, scale, and purpose...
in downtown Brigham City. The city is also located in a prime historical and environmental region. Nearby attractions include Golden Spike National Historic Site
Golden Spike National Historic Site
Golden Spike National Historic Site is a U.S. National Historic Site located at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah.It commemorates the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad where the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad met on May 10, 1869...
, which lies northwest of the city near Promontory Summit, the Brigham City Museum-Gallery
Brigham City Museum-Gallery
The Brigham City Museum-Gallery aka BCMG, is an art museum and history museum in Brigham City, Utah.- Collections :Permanent collections include artifacts, photographs, and documents related to the Pioneer settlement of Brigham City and Shoshone occupations in the area...
, and the Box Elder Museum. State Route 13 heads northwest from Brigham City and turns north at Corinne
Corinne, Utah
Corinne is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 685 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Corinne is located at ....
. However, State Route 83 continues west from there and eventually reaches Lampo Junction, where the turnoff to the historic site is located. The work of art known as the Spiral Jetty
Spiral Jetty
The Spiral Jetty, considered to be the central work of American sculptor Robert Smithson, is an earthwork sculpture constructed in 1970.Built entirely of mud, salt crystals, basalt rocks, earth, and water on the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake near Rozel Point in Utah, it forms a , ...
lies west-southwest of this site. The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Utah, established in 1927. Leased by the government from private property owners....
lies directly west of Brigham City on the northeast side of the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
at the mouth of the Bear River
Bear River (Utah)
The Bear River is a river, approximately long, in southwestern Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, and northern Utah, in the United States. The largest tributary of the Great Salt Lake, it drains a mountainous area and farming valleys northeast of the lake and southeast of the Snake River Plain...
.
Popular culture
Brigham City was the namesake of American movie director, producer, writer, and actor Richard DutcherRichard Dutcher
Richard Alan Dutcher is an American independent filmmaker who produces, writes, directs, edits, and frequently stars in his films. Well known among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for his early Mormon-themed productions, Dutcher has been called “The Father of Mormon...
's 2001 film Brigham City
Brigham City (film)
Brigham City is a 2001 murder mystery film. It was written, directed by and starring Richard Dutcher in the main role. It is an independent film and was financed by private investors....
about murder in a fictitious small Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
town, although it is not actually about the real Brigham City. Due to geography and population, the movie was actually filmed in Mapleton, Utah
Mapleton, Utah
Mapleton is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,809 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mapleton is located at ....
.
Movies that have scenes filmed in Brigham City include The Work and the Story
The Work and the Story
The Work and the Story is a comedic Mormon film written and directed by Nathan Smith Jones. The movie's title is a parody of The Work and the Glory- Plot :...
, Species
Species (film)
Species is a 1995 science fiction horror film directed by Roger Donaldson, and starring Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Alfred Molina, Forest Whitaker, Marg Helgenberger, and Natasha Henstridge...
, and Clay Pigeons
Clay Pigeons
Clay Pigeons is a 1998 German/American crime-comedy film written by Matt Healy and directed by David Dobkin. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Clay Bidwell, Vince Vaughn as Lester Long, and Janeane Garofalo as Agent Shelby.-Plot:...
.
The company Smith's Food and Drug
Smith's Food and Drug
Smith's Food and Drug, commonly known as Smith's, is a chain of supermarkets in the Intermountain West and Southwest regions of the United States. Smith's operates 132 stores in Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Smith's utilizes a combination food and drug center...
was started in Brigham City.
The company Flying J was started in Brigham City and operated there as one of the largest privately held companies until a few years ago when it relocated its headquarters to the local city of Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
.
The LDS Church President Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
, for whom Brigham City is named, gave his final public address in the city. The place where he gave his address is called Pioneer Park and is the location of the municipal swimming pool and several baseball diamonds, as well as being the location of the city's annual Fourth of July fireworks display.
The LDS prophet Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
is buried in the Brigham City cemetery.
In October 2009 it was announced that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be building the Brigham City Utah Temple
Brigham City Utah Temple
The Brigham City Utah Temple is a planned temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under construction in Brigham City, Utah. The announcement was made by President Thomas S. Monson on October 3, 2009, during the church's semi-annual General Conference...
across from the historic Box Elder Tabernacle.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 17,411 people, 5,526 households, and 4,409 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,216.4 people per square mile (469.8/km²). There were 5,838 housing units at an average density of 407.9 per square mile (157.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.26% White, 0.24% African American, 1.63% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 4.07% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.67% of the population.
There were 5,526 households out of which 44.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.53.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.2% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,335, and the median income for a family was $46,891. Males had a median income of $39,271 versus $22,061 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,503. About 7.3% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Brigham City is part of the Box Elder School District. The city has one high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, one middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, one intermediate school, and five elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s. It's also home to a regional campus of Utah State University
USU-Brigham City
Utah State University Brigham City Regional Campus is part of the Utah State University Regional Campuses and Distance Education system located in Brigham City, Utah. The campus offers 6 Associate, 21 Bachelor, 16 Masters, and Doctoral of Education degrees as well as certificate, licensure, and...
, which continues to grow in physical size and available offerings for local residents, as well as a campus of Bridgerland Applied Technology College
Bridgerland Applied Technology College
Bridgerland Applied Technology College is a post-secondary educational institution located in Logan, Utah. It is a campus of the Utah College of Applied Technology system, and provides several courses designed to train students interested in a particular career field...
.
- Box Elder High School (BEHS)
- Dale Young Community High School
- Box Elder Middle School
- Adele C. Young Intermediate School
- Discovery Elementary
- Foothill Elementary
- Lake View Elementary
- Mountain View Elementary
Notable residents
- Lorenzo SnowLorenzo SnowLorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
- fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Founded and lived in the city; is buried in the Brigham City cemetery. - Boyd K. PackerBoyd K. PackerBoyd Kenneth Packer is an American educator and religious leader, and the current president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He served as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve from 1994 to 2008, and has been an apostle and member of...
- President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church. Taught LDS seminary in Brigham City. - Allan F. PackerAllan F. PackerAllan Forrest Packer has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2008....
- General authorityGeneral authorityIn The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of the LDS Church. - Rob BishopRob BishopRobert William "Rob" Bishop is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education, and early career:...
- former school teacher at Box Elder High and current member of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Represents Utah's 1st congressional districtUtah's 1st congressional districtUtah's 1st congressional district serves the northwest area of Utah, including the cities of Ogden, Logan, Tooele; the northwest portion of Salt Lake City, and the entirety of the Great Salt Lake....
. - Joseph HowellJoseph HowellJoseph Howell was a U.S. Representative from Utah.Born in Brigham City, Utah Territory, Howell moved with his parents to Wellsville, Utah, in 1863....
- former U.S. Representative. - Charles W. NibleyCharles W. NibleyCharles Wilson Nibley was the fifth presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1907 and 1925 and a member of the church's First Presidency from 1925 until his death....
- presiding bishopPresiding Bishop (LDS Church)The Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a priesthood calling with church-wide authority. The Presiding Bishop is the highest leadership position within the church's Aaronic priesthood.-Presiding Bishopric:...
of the LDS Church and a member of the church's First PresidencyFirst Presidency (LDS Church)The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
. - Larry L. RichmanLarry L. RichmanLarry Richman is a social media expert, Internet strategist, publishing executive, trainer on project management, and of over a dozen books, numerous book translations, and articles in professional journals and magazines. Syndicated columnist...
- magazine and website publisher for the LDS Church. - Morris D. RosenbaumMorris D. RosenbaumMorris David Rosenbaum was a prominent businessman in early Utah and one of the few Jewish people to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the 19th century....
- prominent businessman in early Utah and one of the few Jewish people to join the LDS Church during the 19th century. - William J. Critchlow, Jr.William J. Critchlow, Jr.William James Critchlow, Jr. was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1958 until his death.Critchlow was born in Brigham City, Utah Territory...
- General authorityGeneral authorityIn The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of the LDS Church. - Brooke Walker - News anchor for Salt Lake City based KSL-TVKSL-TVKSL-TV, virtual channel 5, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. KSL-TV is owned by Bonneville International Corporation, which is in turn owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
.