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This was a difficult decision for Brigham Young, but it was also an opportunity to plant the Mormon Church in the heartland of the Ute Territory He had envisioned a chain of cities from Salt Lake to the West Coast, but he had never dreamed of an invitation to do so. If this colony succeeded, it would be a step in that direction. And so it was on November 19, 1849, forty covered wagons with two hundred twenty-four men, women and children arrived at the present site of Manti to begin a new settlement in Zion To commemorate this historical event a monument was unveiled in Manti, Sanpete County, on June 28, 1997, during Utah's Sesquicentennial Celebration. This monument can be viewed on Highway 89, near the north entrance of Manti, just below Temple Hill Three bronze seven-foot figures are mounted on a stone four-foot base An Indian with outstretched arm is inviting a pioneer couple to come and settle Sanpete Valley. This monument was created by Jerry Anderson, a former Manti citizen, now living in Leeds, Utah. Mr. Anderson is recognized as an outstanding sculptor throughout the West and has been acclaimed from coast to coast Much of his work is on display in Saint George and Cedar City. 13: |