Jan 17

What to Expect from the 2025 Legislative Session in Utah

By Christie Porter City Watch

Leaders in the Utah State Legislature tried to take away the right of voters to shape their government. Utah Justices checked the effort, but the 2025 Legislative Session will bring more attempts to seize power from the people.

This last November, Amendment D appeared on the ballot but votes “for” or “against” it were never counted. The Utah Courts ruled the language on the ballot was deceptive and voided the amendment. How that misleading text ended up on the November ballot and how it could have undermined the will of the people goes back to another ballot in 2018.

Enshrined in the Utah Constitution is the right for Utahns to reform their government through ballot initiatives. “In 2018, they exercised that right to try and get rid of gerrymandering, which plagues our state and makes it so that many voters have no tangible say in their representation,” says Katie Wright of Better Boundaries, an organization that supported 2018’s Proposition 4, which Utah voters passed. Rather than respecting the vote, the Republican majority in the Utah State Legislature repealed the measure, weakened the Independent Redistricting Commission created by the proposition and, instead, drew their own voting district maps.

Utah Legislative Session — Better Boundaries protest at the Utah State Capitol. Photo courtesy of Better Boundaries.

The League of Women Voters of Utah and partners then sued the legislature, asserting that the legislature’s Congressional maps were illegal. “We believe that every voter should have a voice,” says Katharine Biele, president of the League of Women Voters of Utah. “What the Legislature did diluted other voices. If you divide Salt Lake County into four different Congressional Districts that go down to Southern Utah, you’re not only diluting the voices of urban Utah, but you are diluting the voices of rural Utah.”

While the District Court still has not yet ruled on the redistricting process itself, in August 2024, the Utah Supreme Court did rule that the Legislature violated the state constitution by repealing and replacing a citizen initiative. The unanimous Justice opinion read, “We hold that the people’s right to alter or reform the government through an initiative is constitutionally protected from government infringement, including legislative amendment, repeal, or replacement of the initiative in a manner that impairs the reform enacted by the people.”

Legislative leadership responded immediately to the ruling. “We were surprised at their reaction, which I will call hysterical,” says Biele. The Legislature called itself into emergency Special Session (a relatively new power that once was held only by the Governor), and lawmakers passed S.B. 4003, the bill that put Amendment D on the ballot.

Senate President J. Stuart Adams (R-Layton) and House Speaker Mike Schultz (R-Hooper) claimed the amendment “prohibits foreign entities from contributing to ballot propositions,” and that “The initiative process will remain unchanged.” In actuality, Amendment D would amend the constitution to allow the Legislature to repeal and replace voter-backed initiatives, in effect weakening the ability of citizens to shape their own government. “It’s too bad because they [the legislature] need to just calm down and remember who they represent,” says Biele. “They represent the people of Utah.”

The Utah Courts voided the amendment because the language on the ballot neglected to inform voters of what was at stake. (Adams and Schultz drafted the Amendment D ballot language under a 2024 law that took that responsibility once held by the legislative general counsel.) With their power once again checked by the judicial branch, the same lawmakers could try to retaliate during the upcoming 2025 Utah Legislative Session.

“We know that our judiciary is going to be under attack because legislative leadership has been saying that out loud,” says Wright. “Their response has been to degrade our judiciary system. And we think that that’s really dangerous.”

Biele fears legislative leadership will continue to erode the current merit-based system for judiciary appointments. “We actually have a very good system right now,” she says. “Nothing is perfect, but it’s a good system. And then we have a retention election every three to five years for all of the judges.”

Legislative leadership could also try for another amendment like Amendment D. “We expect that we will see bills this legislative session that try to undermine that constitutional right to ballot initiative,” says Wright. “And we’re going to fight really hard against that.”

The League of Women Voters will be physically at the Capitol every day of the session. Citizens can track online the bills introduced on the Hill using the legislative session website and call their representatives and tell them how they want them to vote. Biele implores the public, “Please be educated on what is happening up there.”

Redistricting challenge

The anti-gerrymandering case of the League of Women Voters against the Utah State Legislature is currently in the Third District Court. “The district court will figure out how to redistrict,” says Katharine Biele. The district court could take several different paths, including accepting one of the Congressional District three maps proposed by the Independent Redistricting Commission. Regardless of what the District Court decides, it could be some time before they have a decision. Biele says, “We won’t have new districts one way or the other before 2026.”

Jan 13

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The Impact of the 2002 Winter Games

By Christie Porter Community

Before 2002, cross-country skier Luke Bodensteiner, who competed at the University of Utah and in the 1992 and 1994 Winter Games, remembers, “Utah had a strong sports community,” but, he says, “I wouldn’t say that, aside from Alpine skiing, that Utah was necessarily a ski town,” and sports like freestyle, cross-country and ski jumping didn’t meaningfully exist here before 2002.

Ski jumper of the Flying Ace All-Stars Freestyle Show at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City. Photo Courtesy of Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation

Bodensteiner worked for U.S. Ski and Nordic Team at the time, while they were pushing for the inclusion of new sports and events, like slopestyle and big air, that were oftentimes pioneered in the U.S., and they knew Americans could field good teams in those areas. It was an evolution of winter sports that started before 2002 but took off around the Salt Lake City Winter Games. “That was sort of the first big expansion in my mind, when places like the Utah Olympic Park were developed,” he says. “Just having those facilities provided the opportunity for people to participate, and that stimulated the growth of clubs around those sports.”

Now, Bodensteiner works as the Sport Development Director and General Manager of Soldier Hollow with the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (UOLF), which maintains Olympic facilities, including Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, the Utah Olympic Oval and Utah Olympic Park. “The [2002] organizing committee was pretty visionary in their desire to make sure that there was a lasting legacy after the Games,” he says, which was something that set Salt Lake City apart from many other Olympic host cities. “Before that, other Olympics, obviously, were really focused on making the Games happen, but there wasn’t a lot of forethought in terms of what’s going to happen to the facilities after.” The financially successful games left behind a legacy fund that kept Utah’s Olympic venues in “world-class” shape, where Olympians would train and compete.

Even then, the Olympic venues’ full potential had not yet been realized. “After the games, people were coming in and seeing the building [the Oval] but then leaving because there weren’t any real programs that were being run here,” says Derek Parra, a U.S. speedskater who won gold in the 2002 Games. He started doing youth outreach at UOLF after the Vancouver Games and is now the Director of Sports at the Utah Olympic Oval, but Parra gives credit for envisioning the venues as a place for youth sports to Colin Hilton, the president of the foundation. They hired coaches and created programs to engage kids and “teach them about life through sport” in hopes of creating long-term athletes. “If you look at every other Olympic venue in the world, there aren’t many that are doing this,” Parra says. “I think we are the best example of that.”

Hundreds of children participate in sports programs at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, in Midway, including cross-country skiing.

At Soldier Hollow alone, Bodensteiner says they have some 500 kids participating in their programs. With all of the UOLF programs combined, nearly 3,000 kids participate. “The gravitational pull of the Legacy foundation and its ability to bring clubs together under one roof has just really allowed that whole thing to explode,” says Bodensteiner. And it doesn’t hurt to have elite athletes, and former Olympians like Bodensteiner and Parra, running the programs.

“When you have experience as an athlete, you have a certain level of intuition about what the next generation of athletes needs or what the programs need,” says Bodensteiner.

“It was easy for me to kind of pay that forward,” says Parra about his experience coaching. “I was bringing in kids who were kind of following my footsteps.”

Future Olympians

Emily Fisher, Executive Director of Youth Sports Alliance (ysausa.org).

Utah boasts dozens of former Olympians and Olympic athletes who claim Utah as their home because multiple U.S. Olympic teams have headquarters and train here. We saw a class of athletes, inspired by watching the 2002 Winter Games, compete in Turin, Vancouver, Sochi and Pyeongchang. Now, we have begun to see more Olympians, too young to remember 2002, emerge from Utah with the support of Utah’s enduring Olympic legacy.

The Youth Sports Alliance (YSA) was founded as a result of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games and has become a way to inspire future Olympians. Its goal is getting as many kids as possible—from all different backgrounds—out, active and using the Olympic venues, without the typical barriers to entry (like lots and lots of disposable income).

“Our afterschool programs are unique because we provide transportation, proper gear and proper clothing so all kids can participate,” says Emily Fisher, Executive Director of the Youth Sports Alliance, but no one group is singled out. “We don’t run programs just for specific parts of our community. All the kids get on the same bus. They have the same experience, share the same snacks, and talk about wipeouts together,” she says.

Last year, more than 2,500 kids from 23 local schools participated in more than 150 after-school programs. YSA also supports seven local winter sports teams in the Wasatch Back. If the young athletes can’t afford team participation, they can apply for a YSA scholarship to pay for fees, camps and competitions.

The YSA has a reciprocal relationship with the Legacy foundation, using the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow for after-school programs. The UOLF provides the coaching staff and at the end of the program, Fisher says, “[The UOLF] can reach out and say, ‘Hey, you just tried four weeks of biathlon. If you’d like to join our club, come try out for one night for free.’”

From the ranks of the YSA, the young careers of multiple Olympians and Olympic hopefuls have emerged. In 2022, three after-school program alumni qualified for the Olympics.

Among them, 25-year-old Ashley Farquharson first rode a sled down an Olympic track as part of a YSA after-school program. She competed in luge at the 2022 Winter Games. Nordic combined skier 25-year-old Jared Shumate started in the YSA after-school program as well. He had the strongest finish of any American in the large hill event in the Beijing Winter Games. Speedskater Casey Dawson, 25, has set a world record and won a bronze medal in team pursuit at the 2022 Winter Games.

And YSA alumni certainly have high hopes for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy. “We’ve had really great success with the Nordic jumping program,” says Fisher. Josie Johnson, 17, was an alpine skier in the after-school ski jumping program. Last year, she won a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games.

Soldier Hollow Nordic Center’s cross-country trails are open to pass holders year-round. Photo courtesy of Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation/Soldier Hollow Nordic Center.

The chance to “sample” activities, beyond Olympic dreams, is important, Fisher says. As a lifelong athlete and cross-country ski racer, she can speak personally to the difference it makes. “To be able to provide that for the community I’ve been in for 26 years, it’s definitely my dream job,” she says.

Bodensteiner adds, “It’s about offering people opportunities to engage in sports. The more people we can get involved, the more we are building up that culture in our communities.”

And those communities built around sport can become lifelines. Parra says, “Everything I learned in my life—the lessons that I learned through the people around me, the communities I was in, the sport that I was participating in, and all the failures and successes that I had, whether it’s budgeting, accountability, teamwork, treating people nice—all that came from my time in sports.”

Speedskaters Casey Dawson, Ethan Cepuran and Emery Lehman

Countdown to 2034

When the International Olympic Committee visited Utah in April, they met with the Youth Sports Alliance, sharing the impact they have had with local kids since 2002. “And they just—they love that,” says Fisher. With the 2034 Winter Games returning to Utah, she hopes to see the YSA model spread to more communities across Utah, beyond the Wasatch Back. “When I look ahead at the next nine years, I think about how many lives we can change,” she says.

Bodensteiner expects excitement about the Games will only grow the closer we get to 2034. “Now we can really kind of take that to the next level, modernize what we’re doing at these facilities.” At Soldier Hollow, for example, they hope to invest in more efficient snowmaking that will allow for a longer ski season.

Just as the 2002 Winter Games helped grow new skiing events, Parra sees an opportunity for growth in other sports here in Utah. “I don’t feel like we are in a skating state just yet.” In Milwaukee, where he learned to ice skate, at the rink “everybody comes with their own skates,” he says. Utahns pass down skis and snowboards but, “There isn’t that generational passing on of the skates or the love of skating…But we have nine more years until the Games.”

In 2034, the Utah Olympic Park is slated to host events like ski jumping, luge, skeleton and bobsled. Photo courtesy of Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation/Soldier Hollow Nordic Center/Utah Olympic Park/Utah Olympic Oval

On Legacy

When Alma Richards competed in the 1912 Olympics, he was an oddity among the East Coast-bred, Ivy League members of the U.S. Olympic Team. Amateur sport competition was a game for the aristocracy. Richards’ Native American and Hawaiian teammates were also considered “exotic” by the press. The U.S. did not send a single woman to compete that year, even though women could participate. When Richards’ hopes for another Olympics dwindled, he turned his focus to the next generation, perhaps unknowingly establishing an Olympic tradition. Biographer Larry Gerlach observes, “As an athlete, he gained enduring recognition…[but] clearly, as an educator he made his most important and lasting contributions to his fellow humans.”

By 2002, 90 years later, the demographics of the Games had changed. Derek Parra became the first Mexican-American to win an Olympic gold medal, but, in Parra’s own words, he spent every coin he had to make the Olympic team. Former Olympians, like Parra, Bodensteiner and many others, turn their focus to the next generation and make these once restricted spaces—expensive club sports, elite competition, world-class venues—as accessible as possible.

If there is an Olympic legacy that Utah could carry into the best version of the 2034 Games, it would be the tradition of becoming more inclusive, more accessible, and leaving things better than we found them for the next generation.

Read more about Utah’s Olympic legacy here!

Jan 06

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Building a Legacy: Utah’s First Olympian

By Christie Porter Community

It’s official. Salt Lake City, Utah will host the 2034 Winter Olympics, with a staggering 80% of Utahns in favor of hosting another Winter Games. Much of the success of 2002 still lingers, quietly permeating everyday life with reminders that look like everything from shining steel arenas and monuments to our light rail public transportation. But, there is more to the legacy of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games. The seeds of Utah’s love for the Olympics date back to 1912 and a young man from the town of Parowan.

Utah’s First Olympian

In May 1912, a gangly, 22-year-old from Parowan, Utah rode the train from Provo to Chicago—his first time leaving the Beehive State—to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team. Two years prior, at BYU, Alma Richards had told his soon-to-be coach Eugene Roberts that he hadn’t even a concept of what the Olympics were, but Roberts saw potential in young Richards and put him on the path to competing in the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games.

In his book, Alma Richards: Olympian, former University of Utah professor, Dr. Larry Gerlach, describes the meteoric ascension of Richards as an athlete. The local press called Richards “the Mormon Giant.” Gerlach says, “After only a year of collegiate competition, Coach Roberts ranked Alma as one of the seven best high jumpers in the United States and among the 15 best in the world.”

At the Central Olympic tryouts in Illinois, the athlete from Parowan was a virtual unknown, competing against high jumpers from major collegiate programs and prominent amateur athletic clubs. Richards ignored officials when they told him he could not compete in what would become his signature floppy hat (which Richards dubbed his “mascot”). He cleared 6-feet-3-inches, the highest he had ever jumped, to qualify.

With his large physique, “farmer boy” appearance and unconventional technique, he was underestimated. Still, Richards told anyone who asked that he would win the gold medal and clear 6-feet-4-inches. When a teammate challenged him, pointing out that he’d never jumped that high, Alma agreed. “But I will,” he said.

The world expected Americans to dominate in “Athletics” (the original name for the track and field events), but Stanford University’s George Horine was the favorite to win the high jump, with his record jump of 6-feet-8½-inches.

On July 7, 1912, crowds gathered to watch the 23 athletes competing in the high jump. Richards amused them by wearing his old hat, atop his crisp, white Olympic uniform. He struggled to clear the qualifying height, 6-feet-2-inches, missing his first two attempts before narrowly succeeding on the third. He earned a spot among the 11 finalists, six of them Americans, including Jim Thorpe—a Native American track star and All-American football player who would go on to win gold medals in pentathlon and decathlon.

As one high jumper after another faltered, only fellow American George Horine, Richards and Germany’s Hans Liesche remained. Horine failed to break 6-feet-2½-inches, earning him a bronze medal. Liesche “sailed” over a bar at 6-feet-3-inches (a new Olympic record) while Richards struggled, again needing all three attempts before clearing the bar. With the bar then set to 6-feet-4-inches, Richards jumped first and shocked the world, clearing the height with ease. Liesche missed all three of his attempts.

Alma Richards, the “farmer boy” from Parowan, had won an Olympic gold medal in high jump.

His Olympic success marked an early moment of triumph in a life filled with athletic achievement, both as a competitor at BYU and Cornell University and later as an educator. “Alma Richards was more than an Olympic hero. He was a public relations ambassador for his state and church…that had previously received little sports recognition in the national press.” But, according to Gerlach, “What cemented Alma’s celebrity, primarily to Mormons,” was the portrayal of him in the LDS Church’s cultural contribution to the 2002 Winter Games, a 90-minute dance, musical and theatrical spectacular called “Light of the World: A Celebration of Life.”

Alma was not the only Olympian portrayed in the massive show, but he took center stage. As to why, Gerlach quotes BYU’s Richard Kimball: “Whether it was 1912 or 2002, recreation and athletics remained viable ways for the church to inculcate values and model proper social behavior.” The show took liberties and perpetuated inaccuracies, but why would they let the truth get in the way of a good story?

Utah Olympics Medalists Throughout History

While many Olympians have trained in Utah, some are born here, and others choose to stay

Dorothy Poynton-Hill

Diving

1928: Silver, 3-meter springboard; 1932: Golde, 10-meter platform; 1936: Gold, 10-meter platform and Bronze, 3-meter springboard

Blaine Lindgren

Track

1964: Silver, 10-meter hurdles

L. Jay Silvester

Discus Throw

1972, Silver

Josef Savobčík

Figure Skating

1984: Bronze, Singles

Joe Pack

Freestyle Skiing

2002: Silver, Aerials

Derek Parra

Speedskating

2002: Gold, 1,500 meters and Silver, 5,000 meters

Cael Sanderson

Wrestling

2004: Gold, Freestyle wrestling

Shauna Rohbock and Valerie Fleming

Bobsled

2006: Silver, Two-person

Ted Ligety

Alpine Skiing

2006: Gold, Combined Event

Billy Demong

Nordic Skiing

2010: Gold, 10-km large hill and Silver, team

Steven Holcomb

Bobsled

2010: Gold, Four-person

Steven Holcomb

Bobsled

2014: Silver, Two-person and Silver, Four-person (with Christ Fogt)

Ted Ligety

Alpine Skiing

2014: Gold, Giant Slalom

Chris Fogt

Bobsled

2014: Silver, Two-person (with Steven Holcomb)

Noelle Pikus-Pace

Skeleton

2014: Silver

Isabel Atkin

Freestyle Skiing

2018: Bronze, Slopestyle

Brittany Bowe

Speed Skating

2018: Bronze, Team pursuit

Jessie Diggins

Cross-Country Skiing

Gold, Team sprint

Nathan Chen

Figure Skating

2018: Bronze, Team

Mykayla Skinner

Gymnastics

2020: Silver, Vault

Grace McCallum

Gymnastics

2020: Silver, Team

Amelie Morgan

Gymnastics

2020: Bronze, Team

Alex Hall

Freestyle Skiing

2022: Gold, Slopestyle

Casey Dawson and Ethan Cepuran

Speed Skating

2022: Bronze, Team pursuit

Jesse Diggins

Cross-Country Skiing

2022: Silver, 30-km freestyle and Bronze, individual spring

Colby Stevenson

Freestyle Skiing

2022: Silver, Big Air

Ashley Caldwell

Freestyle Skiing

2022: Gold, Mixed team aerials

Christopher Lillis

Freestyle Skiing

2022: Gold, Mixed team aerials

Megan Nick

Freestyle Skiing

2022: Bronze, Aerials

Jaelin Kauf

Freestyle Skiing

2022: Silver, Moguls

Brittany Bowe

Speed Skating

2022: Bronze, 1,000 meter

Nathan Chen

Figure Skating

2022: Gold, Singles and Gold, Team

Find even more medalists with Utah connections from the 2024 Paris Olympics here!

Dec 19

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Where to Find Home Holiday Light Displays in Utah

By Christie Porter Community

More than 30 years ago, we laughed at Clark Griswold’s gratuitous display of Christmas cheer in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase’s character decked his home with a Merry Christmas sign, Santa Claus, eight reindeer and 250 strands of lights with 100 bulbs each—packing enough wattage to blind his neighbors. No offense to fans of the ’80s Christmas classic, but that’s nothing compared to some of the homegrown holiday displays in Utah neighborhoods.

In 2020, internet provider CenturyLink compiled data on Google searches, online shopping trends, holiday music streaming and social media posts about Christmas and determined that Utah was the state with more Christmas cheer than any other. As such, Salt Lake is a stocking stuffed full of its very own modern Griswold families finding bigger, better and brighter ways to display their love for the holidays.

Christmas Street in Sugar House

Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood is home to some holiday staples, including the Santa Shack and Salt Lake City’s Christmas Street (which is actually named Glen Arbor Street). Legend has it, the tradition started more than 70 years ago with a single strand of white lights connecting all of the homes. Now, many of the street’s residents decorate their homes individually and the tradition continues in a much grander fashion.

1500 E. 1735 South, Salt Lake City

Christmas Street in Taylorsville

Each home in this Taylorsville neighborhood decorates by using as inspiration a page from the Clement Clarke Moore poem A Visit From St. Nicholas, more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas. Starting from one end of the block and walking to the other, visitors can recite the entire poem. As far as we can tell, this tradition has prevailed for at least two decades.

5400 S. 3200 West, Taylorsville

Frosty’s Winter Wonderland

Another decades-long tradition, this Christmas display in Salt Lake’s Avenues neighborhood claims to be “the best, biggest and brightest Christmas light display in Utah! Visible from space!” The display is certainly visible to a large part of the city as a beaming beacon of cheer on the hillside. The street corner is illuminated by hundreds of glowing plastic nutcrackers, elves, snowmen and wise men (and even a blow-up Clark Griswold).

805 E. 18th Avenue, Salt Lake City

Miracle Cove in Magna

This neighborhood goes all-out for the holidays, and it gets bigger and brighter every year. Some houses erect massive nativity scenes, some synchronize their blinking light displays to popular Christmas songs, but all of them are decked out in thousands and thousands of lights, easily surpassing Griswold’s measly 250 strands.

7325 W. 3100 South, Magna

Read our ideas of how to serve the community this holiday season. Subscribe to Salt Lake.

Dec 12

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Long Eared Owl peaking through a tree_SLM ND24_ Andrew_AdobeStock 710018968

Northern Utah’s Annnual Christmas Bird Count

By Christie Porter Outdoors

On a foggy day in Ogden, Utah, during one of the coldest Decembers on record, Mike Hearell trekked outside to count birds. It wasn’t going well. “It was like four degrees. I think we’d only seen about twelve species by lunch,” recalls Hearell. On a typical Christmas Bird Count in Ogden, they would normally see north of 50 species. At the rate they were going, Hearell thought they would be lucky if they broke 20. “Then, the sun came out,” says Hearell. “And it ended up being the biggest year that we had ever in our section.”

The Ogden Valley CBC has at least one known lek of the Sharp-tailed Grouse, and they have been seen over multiple counts.
Photos BY Johannes/Adobestock, Mike Hearell

They closed out the day having spotted 72 different species of bird. At least four of the species became new additions to the Ogden Christmas Bird Count (CBC) list. “Meaning, that was the first time they were ever seen during the CBC,” he explains.

Hearell first participated in the CBC in Ogden in 2010 and became the lead of the Ogden Valley CBC when it started up in 2022, but that extremely cold, record-setting CBC stands out. “That was probably my favorite year or most memorable year, I would say, just because of how quickly things can turn around in one day.” It was a Christmas Bird Count miracle.

One partridge in a Pear Tree…

The Audubon Society dates the first Christmas Bird Count to the year 1900, but its roots go back much further than that. Before counting birds around Christmas, people were far more likely to shoot them as a part of a holiday tradition known as a “side hunt,” in which people would trek outside with their rifles on Christmas Day, take a position and see which “side” could fell the most fowl. Credit for changing the tradition to counting birds, rather than hunting them, goes to ornithologist Frank M. Chapman and a growing conservation movement.

The Northern Pygmy-owl is one of Hearell’s first “self found” owls early in his birding adventures, and therefore will always occupy a special place when he crosses their path. The winter months are usually the easiest months to stumble upon one.
Photos BY Johannes/Adobestock, Mike Hearell

While the winter tradition evolved into a less lethal event, it still has a competitive element. “I’ll admit, I’m a hunter and I played sports my whole life. I’m a competitive person,” says Hearell, who tracks the birds he spots all year long on platforms like eBird.org. “eBird is what opened my eyes to the actual world of listing—a form of birding. I was seeing the top 100 in my county and these other people seeing more birds than me. That motivated me to get out.”

For the Christmas Bird Count, the rules of the “competition” are simple: count all of the birds both seen and heard within a designated circle with a 7.5-mile radius (15-mile diameter) over the entire day of the count, which must occur sometime between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5. The winner, presumably the one who has the highest count or sees the most bird species, is awarded bragging rights. (Although, friends birding together could probably find a way to make the competition more interesting.)

The CBC serves a greater purpose as well: providing valuable data to track area bird populations over a long period. “In the early years, it started out as just trying to bring attention to birds from a non-consumptive perspective,” says Hearell, “But the data is actually worth something, showing the trends over the years and the decades.”

The Neotropic Cormorant comes to his mind. “15 years ago, it was a review species for the state, and now it’s not even flagged as rare in most counties, as that bird has kind of worked its way further north every year with climate change,” he says. With more than a hundred years of data, it starts to paint a picture of how changing landscapes and climate affect wildlife
and the environment.

Two Turtle Doves…

The Christmas Bird Count also serves as an excellent entry point into birding. As the lead of the Ogden Valley count, Hearell divides volunteers into groups and assigns each group a different parcel of the count circle, making sure there is a seasoned birder assigned to each section. “That way, it can be for somebody who’s a first-day-out birder up to the most experienced.” And, it is an opportunity for even the most experienced birder to involve others in something they’re passionate about. “Taking other people out to show them birds gives me a lot of satisfaction,” says Hearell, and counting with a seasoned birder can give a novice a leg-up on other newbies.

One of the best areas in Utah for viewing the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch is at
Powder Mountain Ski Resort, which is inside the Ogden Valley CBC.
Photos BY Johannes/Adobestock, Mike Hearell

Scrolling through the profiles and contributions of other users on eBird once motivated him as a then-brand-new birder. “I’m looking at their name on the computer screen, like, ‘I don’t even know who that name is. I’ve never met that person. But I guarantee you I can go out and find more birds than they can.” Then he started to notice one name in particular that kept recurring—“Taylor.” “We were kind of the same age and had a lot of the same interests,” says Hearell. They decided to meet in person and bird together. “And so I had somebody to help push me along and teach me and shorten the curve on my learning for field identification.”

Now, Hearell has traveled all over the world to look at birds…and he isn’t going it alone. “He’s the one I’ve gone around the world with looking at birds. He’s been there with me, or I’m there with him.”

The love of birds and birding took them most recently to Lima, Peru. Hearell says, “Here are these things that I’ve enjoyed so much that have taken me to multiple places in the world that I probably wouldn’t have gone to had it not been for birds.”

So, when it comes to participating in counts like the CBC, Hearell says, “I almost feel it’s my chance to give something back to the birds.” Whether it’s providing citizen science data through his contributions to eBird or participating in bird counts, he says, “I just feel like, that’s the very least I could do to pay back for the enjoyment I get from it.”

The first Christmas Bird Count comes to Utah

The first recorded Christmas Bird Count (CBC) happened in 1900 on Christmas Day, with 27 birders taking part in the count in 25 different places throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 1903, Utah hosted its first CBC in Provo. Now, Annual Christmas Bird Counts are held all over Utah and are free to participate. Information on all of the counts is available at utahbirds.org and your local Audubon Society. The Wasatch Audubon runs the Ogden Valley, Bear River, Antelope Island, Ogden and Morgan Christmas Bird Counts (CBC). Find out more at wasatchaudubon.org.

Nov 26

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Joshua Trees Tree Scenery_SLM ND24_Courtesy National Parks Service Brad Sutton

A Winter Trip to the Weird and Wild Joshua Tree National Park

By Christie Porter Travel

Joshua Tree (JT) National Park is best enjoyed in winter when oppressive heat won’t threaten to ruin your good time. While the park offers natural adventure and escape, even isolation, JT and its surrounding environs—Joshua Tree City, Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley—are dusted with a sandblasted dayglow-hued whimsy and weird-in-a-good-way vibe. Why not explore the best of both?

No. 1: Hike, scramble and climb

Inside the National Park, the main draw is the unique geology and fantastical terrain of white-faced monzogranite boulders that date back millions of years. Many visitors enjoy the views while hiking through the park on scenic trails like Ryan Mountain (3 miles, out-and-back). If you want to step it up, bring a pair of gloves and scramble over the grippy granite formations like Spider-Man on Split Rock (2.5 miles, loop) or at Jumbo Rocks and White Tank camp areas. For class-5 terrain, JT is legendary for climbing, with highly sought hotspots like Hidden Valley Campground.

No. 2: Enjoy Eclectic Desert Eateries

Favorite local establishments around JT become an oasis for art, music and community, as well as good food. There’s Kitchen in the Desert, a Caribbean-inspired restaurant that started as a culinary experiment in the back of an old gas station. Also in an old gas station, The Jelly Donut (Yucca Valley) indeed serves up fresh doughnuts, but the main attraction is the not-so-secret menu of Vietnamese comfort food. Whether it’s coffee time or mezcal-o’clock, Más O Menos (Joshua Tree) is your next stop. Linger in the adobe-decorated paradise for the chill vibes under the mesquite tree.

No. 3: See the Milky Way

On clear nights, the glittering spiral of our Milky Way Galaxy is visible from campgrounds inside Joshua Tree National Park, where stargazing can begin as early as 5 p.m. in winter. Look for the constellation of Orion, chasing Taurus across the southern sky, and the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, part of the constellation Canis Major. But a more intense stargazing adventure awaits just outside the park’s boundaries. Sky’s The Limit Observatory houses a 14-foot Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and an Orrery representing a true-to-scale-and-position solar system model. The observatory offers regular night sky programs, typically on Saturdays near the new moon. Reservations are required.

No. 4: Capture the perfect photo

With sweet new duds adorned, leave the Mojave Desert with the best souvenir: a photograph of a moment that encapsulates the entire journey. My favorite strange but artsy backdrop near Joshua Tree is The End of The World (Wonder Valley). Giant chrome-painted letters rise above the dunes, declaring the visitors’ arrival at the end of the world. Artist Jack Pierson made this as a monument to “those who drop off the edge of civilization.”

Nov 22

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The Ultimate Holiday Calendar for Utahns

By Christie Porter Community

When there are so many ways in Utah to experience holiday cheer, winter wonder and goodwill toward all, why should we settle for just 12 days of Christmas? Salt Lake Magazine has curated a calendar of our favorite ways to take in the sights and sounds of the holidays, embrace the generosity and spirit of the season, as well as enjoy the best Utah winters have to offer.

November

25, Monday

Take a cooking class before Thanksgiving Day

At Station Park, Harmons Chef Jake Driffill is offering a “three-Day Thanksgiving Workshop Throw Down” to help you plan and meal-prep. At City Creek, Chef Tara Walker will help you get a head start on Thanksgiving baking. At Traverse Mountain, Chef Freyka Nunez Del Prado will help you learn how to artfully design grazing boards.

Nov. 25| Various Locations harmonsgrocery.com

26, Tuesday

See Three Ghosts

Dicken’s take gets a new life with dazzling staging, and cherished Christmas carols, including “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.”

Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 | Tuacahn Ampitheatre, Ivins. tuacahn.org

27, Wednesday

Volunteer to provide for those in need

This is the last day before Thanksgiving to participate in the Thanksgiving Drives and Food Box Giveaway. this is a several-week activity, in which the Salt Lake City Mission asks the public to volunteer and gather the much-needed food and supplies to host our holiday events that provide thousands of meals to the hungry and homeless. The mission also hosts an event to provide needy families with holiday boxes.

Oct. 1-Thanksgiving Day Salt Lake Mission SLC saltlakemission.org

28, Thanksgiving Day

29, Friday

Recognize Native American Heritage day by donating to a good cause

Donations help support community programs and services of the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake, which supports tribal members in the Greater Salt Lake and Wasatch-front area.

Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake, SLC uicsl.org

30, Saturday

Run with the Santas

The Ogden Santa Run 5K is the first and largest of the Utah Santa Runs. This race runs just before the Ogden Holiday Light Parade and down Washington Blvd. All participants get a Sant Suit to run in and use the Milk and Cookie Aid stations supported by elves who dress as volunteers. Music is played over the entire course of the race.

Nov. 30 Downtown Ogden ogdencity.org

December

1, Sunday

Sing along to your favorite carols

Let the holiday music begin with this cherished tradition. Composed by Handel in 1741, the oratorio Messiah draws inspiration from both the Old and New testaments. Sing along with this famous composition.

Nov. 30-Dec1 Abravanel Hall, SLC utahsymphony.org

2, Monday

Float the Provo River beneath twinkling Christmas lights

Enjoy festive decorations and lights that twinkle above the river with Christmas music playing softly in the background. Santa may make a surprise visit.

NOv. 2-23 CLAS Ropes Course, Provo clasropes.com/christmas-cruise

3, Tuesday

Support the Utah Food Bank on Giving Tuesday

You can help food-insecure Utah families by volunteering with or donating to the Utah Food Bank, which distributes millions of free meals. Donating on Giving Tuesday often means that your gift will be matched in kind Utah Food Bank partners.

Utah food Bank-SLC utahfoodbank.org

4, Wednesday

Immerse yourself in German holiday traditions

Part food festival and part unique holiday shopping experience, ChristKindlmarkt SLC is inspired by traditional German Christmas markets. Enjoy traditional German food and holiday entertainment.

Dec. 4-7 This Is The Place, SLC chriskindlmarkt-slc.com

5, Thursday

Celebrate Christmas the Celtic way

Christmas with the Celts combines ancient Irish Christmas Carols and Irish dance with contemporary songs but with with Irish instrumentation…kind of like Irish ‘bardcore.

Dec. 5-8 Egyptian Theatre, Park City parkcityshows.com

6, Friday

Get inspired by the Holiday Tree Show

Explore the Holiday Tree Show’s dozens of beautifully decorated trees, menorahs and other symbols of the holidays. Each tree is donated, designed and decorated by local businesses, designers, community groups. Hosted by Habitat for Humanity of Summit and Wasatch Counties, the event benefits housing affordability efforts.

7, Saturday

Turn on the lights with Salt Lake City

The city will illuminate the Pioneer Park with thousands of holiday lights. When the night gets chilly, step inside a heated event tent to enjoy live music, a treats form food trucks and seasonal drinks from local cider house. Those 21 and older can enjoy a selection of ciders and beers.

Dec. 7-8 Pioneer Park, SLC slc.gov

8, Sunday

Find a on-of-a-kind handmade gifts

The Holiday Open House and Art Fair features 19 local artists vending their hand-made art including jewelry, pottery fiber art and more, in beautiful Red Butte Gardens.

Dec. 7-8 Red Butte Garden, SLC redbuttegarden.org

9, Monday

Don’t shoot your eye out!

Pause your daytime marathons of A Christmas Story movie to catch the musical based on the classic holiday film. Set in the 1940’s, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas Gifts – an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle.

Dec. 6-12 Scera Center for the Arts , Orem scera.org

10, Tuesday

Revisit a black and white holiday gem

Peery’s Egyptian Theater is screening favorite black and white films.Before holiday movies centered around slapstick adventures, leading men learned lessons from visiting ghosts and angels. (1946), George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) finds out what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all his good deeds. We, the audience, remember the true antagonist to the spirit of the holidays:greed and capitalism.

Dec. 10, 7-8:30 p..m. Egyptian Theater, Ogden ogdenpet.com

11, Wednesday

Experience the new Utah holiday music tradition

The local super group The Lower Lights brings their energetic spirit to classic Christmas tunes, as well as new holiday favorites.

Dec. 11, 13-14 Kingsbury Hall, SLC thelowerlights.com

12, Thursday

Go Wild

Zoolights returns for its 18th year in December 2024! While the animals slumber, immerse yourself in a wonderland of brilliant light displays featuring animal and holiday scenes throughout the zoo. Explore a holiday walk-through event filled with your favorite animals in a nature-focused lighting experience. ZooLights runs through December.

Nov. 29-Jan. 5 (dates vary) Hogle Zoo, SLC hoglezoo.org

13, Friday

Laugh all the way

In God is a Scottish Drag Queen Christmas Special, Comedian Mike Delamont imagines God, dressed in a floral power suit, coming down to skewer everything from fruit cake and Boxing Day to Tiny Tim and EggNog, in a heartwarming and hilarious holiday special.

Dec. 13, 7 p.m. Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, SLC mikedelamont.com

14, Saturday

Shop local markets

Visit the Winter Market at The Gateway Market to find local goodies. Nearby, find a thoughtful gift at Under the Umbrella Bookstore, like the perfect book or colorful crafts for unique centerpieces.

Dec. 14 Under the Umbrella Bookstore, SLC undertheumbrellabookstore.com
Nov. 11-April 20 The Gateway, SLC slcfarmersmarket.org

15, Sunday

Celebrate Christmas in the Cathedral

Celebrate Christmas at the Cathedral of Madeleine with a spectacular holiday performance, which combines the powerful sound of the brass section of the Utah Symphony accompanied by the Eccles Memorial Organ and the wonderful architecture of the Cathedral.

Dec. 16, 8 p.m.The Cathedral of the Madeleine, SLC ecclesorganfestival.weebly.com

16, Monday

Visit the North Pole

The Ogden Christmas Village illuminates historic downtown with NorthPole-inspired cottages, lights, entertainers and fireworks at the Ogden Amphitheatre. The Christmas Village is free to attend.

Nov. 29-Jan 1, 5-10 p.m. christmasvillage.ogdencity.org

17, Tuesday

Discover the long-running holiday music tradition

For more than 35years, the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics has brought music to the holidays with the distinctive “Mannheim” Sounds.

Dec. 16-17 Live At The Eccles Theater, SLC live-at-the-eccles.com

18, Wednesday

Indulge in Christmas nostalgia

At Candlelight Christmas, you’ll feel like you’ve taken a step back in time. Visit with Father Christmas, enjoy the live Nativity in the quiet of the Village, and feel the glow of a warm fire Heritage Village Carolers sing.

Dec. 10-23 This Is The Place, SLC thisistheplace.org

19, Thursday

Serve a meal at the Road Home

Help the Road Home provide lifesaving shelter and services by donating or serving a meal. Individuals and small community groups are invited to help with meal prep and service. volunteers are needed 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Pamela Atkinson Resource Center & Gail Miller Resource Center, SLC theroadhome.org

20, Friday

Learn why we all love Muppets

Bring lawn chairs, and pillows, and get cozy for The Muppets Christmas Carol. The community center will provide treats for all.Dec. 20, 7 p.m. Lindon Community Center lindon.gov

21, Saturday

Find out about the Winter Solstice

Before Christmas, there were festivals like Yule, which marked the shortest days of year: the winter solstice. Celebrate Solstice with the Natural History Museum by creating sun catchers and intricate paper snowflakes and exploring the magic of polymers by making “InstaSnow.”

Dec. 21 Natural History Museum of Utah, SLC nhmu.utah.edu

22, Sunday

See downtown on display

Strap on skates and sip hot cocoa at the at Gallivan Center Ice Rink. Before you leave downtown, visit the Grand America to view the holiday window gingerbread displays.

Ice Rink – Gallivan Center, Holiday Window Stroll,, The Grand America, SLC grandamerica.com

23, Monday

Make the pilgrimage

A Kurt Bestor Christmas has, for 28 years, become a holiday tradition for thousands of Utahns. For many it is the “must-see”show of the Christmas season. You can’t escape it. Might as well lean in.

Dec. 23-25 Egyptian Theatre, Park City parkcityshows.com

24, Tuesday

Ski Christmas Eve

Snowbasin Resort’s annual Christmas Eve celebration includes a skiing Santa, a torchlight parade and a fireworks show.Head inside Earl’s Lodge for Christmas Eve dinner and photos with Santa.

Dec. 24 Snowbasin Resort, Huntsville snowbasin.com

25, Christmas Day | Fist Day of Hanukkah

26, Thursday

Ride the Polar Express

This 90-minute round trip journey includes hot cocoa and cookies. Sing along to Christmas favorites the along the way. At the ‘North Pole,’ Santa comes aboard.

Nov. 20-Dec. 26 Heber Valley hebertrain.com

27, Friday

Catch a hockey match

Break out of your holiday stupor by showing up to root the longtime home team, the Utah Grizzlies against the team from Rapid City.

Dec. 27, 7 p.m. Maverik Center, West Valley City utahgrizzlies.com

28, Saturday

See Ballet West’s Nutcracker

Last year more than 42,000 attended the hottest ticket in town. The first and longest-running in America, Ballet West’s annual production is a legacy that brings families and friends back year after year.

Dec. 6-28 Ballet West, Capitol Theatre, SLC balletwest.org

29, Sunday

Take a winter art gallery stroll

Sometimes the best gifts come in small packages. This day is your last chance to check out Urban Arts Gallery’s tiniest show yet. With size restrictions of 12 inches and under, “Bite-Sized” showcases the miniature side of creation just in time for the holiday season. Come explore the vast universe of artistic expression that can exist in limited space.

Dec. 3-29 Urban Arts Gallery, SLC urbanartsgallery.org

30, Thursday

Explore Heber Valley’s winter wonderland

Soldier Hollow Nordic Center is home to a 1,200-foot-long snow-tubing hill. On the same day, you can explore the nearby Ice Castles- an architectural marvel and the work of dozens of artists, featuring ice caverns, slides tunnels. and sculptures, weighing more than 25 million pounds.

Solder Hollow Nordic Center and Utah Ice Castles, Midway utaholympiclegacy.org icecastles.com

31, Friday

Countdown to the New year

Say “good riddance” to 2024. The ball drop at the Mountain American Expo Center is the largest midnight celebration in Utah with a balloon drop and a laser show.

Dec. 31 Mountain America Expo, Sandy thepartytix.com

Nov 21

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Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, in A24's "Heretic" (2024) Credit: Kimberley French; Courtesy: A24 Films

HERETIC, the Mormon missionary horror movie, is a box office and critical success (and we can’t stop talking about it)

By Christie Porter Arts & Culture

A24’s new horror film Heretic was bound to spark big reactions in Utah. The film follows two missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who get caught in both the rhetorical and literal traps set by Mr. Reed, played by Hugh Grant. Having never gone on a Mormon mission myself, I jumped at the chance to attend a screening with a group of people who had.

The premise of the A24 film is straightforward, even if the way out of Mr. Reed’s clutches is not. Mr. Reed lures Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, respectively, into his home under false pretenses. He gives them the impression that he’s interested in learning more about The Book of Mormon and tells them his wife is in the other room. He does the latter to satisfy a real-life LDS mission rule that forbids missionaries from being alone in the home with someone of a different gender.

Hugh Grant, Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher in A24's "Heretic" (2024). (Photo credit: Kimberley French; courtesy: A24 Films) — Hugh Grant, Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher in A24’s “Heretic” (2024). (Photo credit: Kimberley French; courtesy: A24 Films)

Once the missionaries begin their first discussion with Reed, it becomes obvious that he has done his research on the Mormon faith and the church’s history. He asks increasingly more challenging questions and confronts the Barnes and Paxton about polygamy and church founder Joseph Smith’s seducing his teenaged, live-in servant Fanny Alger. But, these missionaries are prepared and quick-witted enough to mount a defense of their beliefs and confront Reed’s thin philosophies. The stakes and rhetoric only heighten from there as Barnes and Paxton realize the extent of Reed’s trap. They become, in a very literal sense, a “captive audience” for Reed’s anti-religion tirades and board game-related object lessons.

The film challenges the ideas of both believers and nonbelievers and delivers on this tension, ramping up to a bloody climax and thrilling conclusion (that I will not spoil here).

The moment the lights rose in the theater after our screening, the group of former missionaries exploded with stories from their own missions, brought to mind by the events of the film or lines delivered by Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton.

Heretic converts critics and audiences

Chloe East, Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher in A24's "Heretic" (2024). (Photo credit: Kimberley French; courtesy: A24 Films) — Chloe East, Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher in A24’s “Heretic” (2024). (Photo credit: Kimberley French; courtesy: A24 Films)

The reactions from Utahns, members of the LDS Church, former missionaries, and Ex-mormons alike all seem to be divided on the representation of Mormon missionaries and religious belief in the film, but the overall critical response is positive across the board. Heretic has an almost perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, which aggregates critical reviews of films and gives them a score based on the percentage of favorable reviews.

Heretic also surpassed a box office milestone this week. The horror/thriller film hit $20 million domestically and $25 million worldwide in its second weekend, and it’s on track to become the 10th highest grossing horror film of the year, even out-earning some more commercial, big-budget movies. A24’s Heretic made back its reported budget of $10 million in its first weekend.

Suffice to say, nationally, Heretic is converting both audiences and critics. On the local level, we can’t seem to stop talking about it—or talking around it—whether you loved it or hated it or even saw it at all.

Responses to Heretic

Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher, Hugh Grant in A24’s “Heretic” (2024). (Photo credit: Kimberley French; courtesy: A24 Films)

Commenting on the film, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints released a statement well before Heretic even opened in theaters (regardless, the Brethren probably would not see the R-rated Heretic anyway).

The statement reads in part, “A number of recent productions depict lifestyles and practices blatantly inconsistent with the teachings of the Church. Others irresponsibly mischaracterize the safety and conduct of our volunteer missionaries. We understand the fascination some in the media have with the Church, but regret that portrayals often rely on sensationalism and inaccuracies that do not fairly and fully reflect the lives of our Church members or the sacred beliefs that they hold dear.”

From the reactions of people who have been Mormon missionaries (at least in my screening), and the missionary handbook, there are indeed rules to help keep missionaries safe, and they did not appear to be egregiously misrepresented in Heretic. Missionaries, some as young as 18 years old, are instructed to rely on their faith, intuition, and promptings from the holy spirit to know when a situation is dangerous. Their handbook tells them to pray to god daily for protection. Both Barnes and Paxton demonstrate reliance on their faith and prayer in the film.

“Heretic” (2024) co-writer-director Scott Beck, actor Chloe East, co-writer-director Bryan Woods. (Photo credit: Kimberley French; courtesy A24 Films)

Thatcher and East, both actors who were raised in Mormonism, have stood by their work in the film. East describes her character, Sister Paxton, as “more than what you see on surface level with her bubbly outward personality…but as the movie progresses, you see she is much smarter than meets the eye. She thinks deeply about religion and trusts her own faith.”

The film’s creators Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place) said they wanted to create characters in the mold of the missionaries they met when they were researching the script. “Sometimes you could perceive this almost surface-level naiveté in the missionaries we spent time with,” says Woods. “But we found them to be super smart and cool and even badass in their views on religion, society and culture. We wove that into our characters, because what we wanted most from Paxton and Barnes was for
Reed to underestimate them.”

For a more comprehensive breakdown on how well Thatcher and East and the film’s writers portray missionaries, author and former missionary Alyssa Grenfell provides one perspective. For another perspective, horror author, church member, and return missionary Michaelbrent Collings writes about what the film gets wrong based on his experience. The LDS Church also released a summary of what it does to keep safe its thousands of young, volunteer missionaries, whose church still instructs them to go door-to-door and enter the homes of prospective converts.

Hugh Grant in A24’s “Heretic” (2024). (Photo credit: Kimberley French; courtesy A24 Films)

Another line of criticism directed at Heretic is its choice to show religious characters as victims of violence at all. (A bit ironic, considering evangelical Americans cast themselves frequently as the victims of a secular, godless, and heretical society.)

A follow-up statement from an LDS Church representative, reported by the St. George News, reads in part, “Any narrative that promotes violence against women because of their faith…runs counter to the safety and wellbeing of our communities.”

It feels a bit unfair to accuse Heretic of promoting violence given that, in Heretic, the missionaries are the heroes of the film and Reed is the villain. Should not the agnostic folks be offended for being portrayed as a tedious, arrogant, and violent maniac? (And by that logic, would not all artwork of Christ at the crucifixion be seen as promotion for crucifying religious leaders? Would not the stories and illustrations depicting the harm done against early Mormon migrants be considered an endorsement of violence against Mormons?)

If I may posit another theory as to why Heretic has made some members of the faith feel upset? I believe it is difficult to not have control over how you are perceived by others and it is hard to be confronted with that perception, even if there is truth in it.

I also believe it is terrifying to be confronted with the possibility that, no matter how strictly you follow doctrine, how earnestly you pray, or how generously you volunteer—you could still get hurt.

Or, as Heretic co-writer-director Bryan Woods put it, “All horror movies in one way or another are about death—it’s the thing we fear most in life, and we use religion to try and make sense of what happens when we die so we can feel safe. But when we delve too deep into the subject, sometimes we’re left feeling less safe.”

Oct 14

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GhostAdventures NewSeasonPremiere Skinwalker Invasion_SLm SO24_Discovery Channel

Why are Paranormal Investigators so Drawn to Utah?

By Christie Porter Utah Lore

Skinwalker Ranch is a 512-acre property at the center of the Uintah Basin, which has long been home to tales of the paranormal—including hundreds of recorded firsthand accounts dating back to the 1950s. After decades of study, the source of the strangeness in the basin remains a mystery. The area, and other supernatural hotspots in Utah, continue to lure new investigations to document and discover the cause of these unexplained events.

The ongoing History Channel series The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch is in its fifth season and follows Skinwalker Ranch owner Brandon Fugal and his team as they attempt to uncover the ranch’s mysteries—from UFO sightings to cattle mutilations—experimenting with any and all technology at their disposal, like lasers and ground-penetrating radar.

The “skinwalker” and Utah are also at the center of the premiere episode of the latest season of Ghost Adventures, the popular paranormal investigation series on Discovery+. Zak Bagans and his team travel to Torrey, Utah, where a family reports sightings of a “skinwalker,” a reference to a magical figure that appears in Navajo Nation traditions. It is not Ghost Adventures’ first investigation in Utah, either. Their team has visited a dozen other spots in the Beehive State over the years, including the Fear Factory.

Paranormal investigators, like Bagans and his team, typically use a variety of handheld tools and worn equipment to document these events, such as electromagnetic field meters (EMF), portable radio scanners (AKA “spirit boxes”), thermal imaging and infrared cameras.

The U.S. Government had an interest in Utah’s paranormal activity as well. According to a 2024 report by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, a former Department of Defense program (Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Application Program, 2009–2012) investigated an “alleged hotspot of paranormal activity at a property in Utah,” examining reports of “shadow figures,” “creatures” and “inter-dimensional phenomena” believed to frequently appear at the unnamed property.

Exmormon Author, Alyssa Grenfell Discusses her New Book: How to Leave The Mormon Church

By Christie Porter Arts & Culture

For two self-identified “Exmormons,” our conservation nevertheless begins in a way that feels entrenched in Mormonism. “We might be cousins,” says Alyssa Grenfell, author of How to Leave the Mormon Church. We both descend from the same Mormon polygamist stock. 170 years after our Mormon pioneer family arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, Grenfell disavowed the faith of her forebears. In her book, she contemplates if those ancestors would be disappointed in her or respect her conviction for leaving the Mormon church.

“I like to think the same wild conviction that drove my ancestors to convert to Mormonism and then risk death by crossing to Utah is the same wild conviction that drove me to leave the church,” she writes. “The same recklessness compelled me to write a book that may mean certain family members will never speak to me again.”

How to Leave the Mormon Church is for those whose convictions have also led them away from the Mormon Church. Whatever the reasons, extricating oneself from a high-demand religion risks severing relationships with family, friends and community.

Leaving the mormon church — Photo courtesy Alyssa Grenfell

Even before writing the book, Grenfell had become an “Exmormon guru” for her friends. “I was very public about leaving, and a lot of people stopped talking to me in the wake of that,” she says. Then, during and after the pandemic, Mormon Church attendance declined, and friends who had once stopped speaking to Grenfell now sought her guidance. To field the questions and consternations of prospective Exmormons, Grenfell offers compassion and understanding as well as practical advice to navigate the process.

She tells personal stories “because I think that’s what a lot of people need…to feel less lonely and have a friend to confide in, to make you feel like you’re not crazy.”

The second half of the book is a how-to for engaging in aspects of life discouraged by Mormon doctrine and culture (e.g.: ordering a cup of coffee, reexamining political beliefs or deconstructing religious shame). The key piece of knowledge Grenfell hopes readers glean from the book is avoiding the temptation to swap one dogma for another. “You have an answer for everything when you’re in the church, from how to dress, who to marry, how many kids to have,” she says. And, even after they stopped believing in the church, “People would come to me almost looking for someone to tell them how or what to be.”

“There’s such a craving for certainty that people are willing to just jump on whatever the next train is because they just want the certainty back,” says Grenfell. “With the book, I’m trying to help people develop their own voice, autonomy and self-confidence.”

Get the Book

How to leave The Mormon Church: An Exmormon’s Guide to Rebuilding
After Religion. By Alyssa Grenfell