Salt Lake County, Utah Utah Territory after traveling what settlers later called Emigration Canyon. Brigham Young, their leader, declared "This is the place" after seeing the valley. Compared to eastern regions, it seemed arid and unpromising to some of the migrants. Settlers used extensive irrigation to develop agriculture and the flourishing, self-sufficient city, known then as Great Salt Lake City. Thousands of Mormons joined them in the next several decades. The county was officially organized on January 31, 1850, with slightly more than 11,000 residents recorded. Mormon settlements were scattered across the valley and beyond. They relocated the territorial capital to Great Salt Lake
George Reynolds (Mormon) Twelve Apostles. Reynolds continued in this position and as the secretary to the First Presidency until his death in 1909. Reynolds was a gifted writer and after his release from prison he became active in writing church literature. His most famous works are his "Story of the Book of Mormon" (1888), which was intended for children; "Complete Concordance to the Book of Mormon" (1900); and "Dictionary of the Book of Mormon" (1910). Reynolds suffered a nervous breakdown in 1907 as a result of stress incident from overwork. He died from meningitis at Salt Lake City on August 9, 1909, at