The Reason Utah is Called ‘The Beehive State’

Have you ever wondered why Utah is the “Beehive State?” Sure, we have a lot of native nectar-producing plants, and thus, a lot of bees. But as of 2019, the state ranked 24th in the country in honey production. Like many things in Utah, the state name has to do with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Spirit of the Bee

When the pioneers ventured into the territory that would later become a state named after the Ute tribes that preceded European settlers, they were met with a terrain that required perseverance and an industrious disposition. These are two qualities embodied in honeybees, communal and hard-working pollinators that work in unison.

Bees in the Book of Mormon

Brigham Young, who was president of the church when they arrived in the valley in the late 1840s, wanted to call the area “Deseret.” It's the term for a honeybee in the Book of Mormon, a scripture of the church.

On March 4, 1959, Utah officially became the Beehive State and “industry” its state motto. The beehive is emblazoned on the state flag, harkening back to the spirit of Utah’s dominant religion.