Robert Kirby: Making Utah your own ‘this is the place’

The Mormon pioneers got their first look at the Great Salt Lake Valley 173 years ago. Reactions were mixed. I’ve collected some of the better ones from pioneer journals I’ve perused.“All those good places we passed and this is it?”“Hallelujah!”“Finally. Can we get out of the wagon now?”“Look! Sea gulls. We must be close to the beach.”“Are you #$&@! kidding me?”“It’s not so bad. … Wait, is that salt wat