List of Mormon place names explained

This is a List of Mormon place names, meaning towns and other places named, in modern times, after places and people in the Book of Mormon, after Mormon leaders during the settlement of Utah, or after other elements of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' history. See List of Book of Mormon places for a reference list of locations mentioned in the Book of Mormon, and List of Book of Mormon people for persons mentioned therein. The intention is to list all places named (usually by Mormons) for specifically Mormon places and people, where those names are not otherwise generally known as Biblical (meaning from the Old and New Testaments) to non-Mormons.[1]

According to John W. Van Cott in his 1990 work Utah Place Names, the Mormons named more places in Utah than any other group or individual in the state.[2] Salt Lake City Tribune author Davidson noted, in 2018, that "Utah cities and towns were named for at least five church presidents, 10 apostles, 11 stake presidents, nine bishops, two biblical figures and three Book of Mormon prophets, among other things."[2] Similar general works for other regions, such as Idaho Place Names, identify numerous other Mormon place names.

Place names

The intention is to list all modern usages of place names that are clearly Mormon, to exclusion of other Christian place names. Those starred are from the Book of Mormon, or modern revelation.

Adam-ondi-Ahman*

Ammon*

Ballard

Bountiful

Brigham

Cannonville

Cardston

Clawson

Colonia LeBaron

Colonia Mormones

Cumorah*

Cutler's Park

Deseret*

Deseret (Book of Mormon) is the word for "honeybees" in land of the Jaredites, in the Book of Mormon. "Brigham Young wanted pioneers to be as industrious as honeybees and used the name in many places and ways. When Latter-day Saints first sought statehood, they applied using the name 'State of Deseret.'"[2]

Draper

Enoch*

Ephraim*

Far West

Far West, Missouri, in Caldwell County, Missouri, was a Mormon settlement, which grew as Mormons were expelled from the Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri area. Settlement there, too, was challenged, and many Mormons moved on to Nauvoo, Illinois.

Farr West

Fayette

Fielding

Francis

Grantsville

Georgetown

Hamblin

Harmony

Hawkins

Heber City

Henrieville

Hinckley

Hooper

Hyde Park

Hyrum

Iona

Iosepa

Ivins

Jacob Lake

Joseph

Kaysville

Kimball

Kingston

Kirtland

Kolob*

Lamoni*

Layton

Leavitt

Lehi*

Lewiston

Lund

Lyman

Maeser

Manti*

Manti is the name of a city in the Book of Mormon and also of Manti, a soldier

Martin's Cove

Milo

Morgan

Mormon*

Mormon is a prophet who gave his name to the Book of Mormon, which in turn produced the nickname of Latter-day Saints.

Moroni*

Mount Pisgah

Nauvoo*

The original Nauvoo is in Illinois, named by Joseph Smith and was founded by church members. The name is derived from the traditional Hebrew language with an anglicized spelling. The word comes from Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains...” (; etymology:)

Nephi*

Nephi is the name of two Book of Mormon prophets

Nibley

Orderville

Parley

Perry

Preston

Ramah*

Randolph

Raymond

Rich

Rigby

St. George

St James

Schuler

Smithfield

Snowflake

Snowville

Talmage

Taylor

Veyo

Voree

Wellsville

Widstoe

Wilford

Willard

Winter Quarters

Woodruff

Generally after Wilford Woodruff, president of the church.

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. So this will include places named after Lehi (Book of Mormon prophet), but should not include places, if there are any, named after Lehi (Bible), a somewhat obscure place in the Book of Judges in the Old Testament. This does not include places generally known to be Biblical/Christian, such as most listed as biblical place names in North America. For example Goshen, is notably the name of a bible place, and was used as name for Goshen, Utah in Utah County, by the first LDS bishop of that area, Phineas Cook, but he named it after his birthplace, Goshen, Connecticut, according to Davidson. Which is named after Land of Goshen in Egypt, mentioned in the Old Testament, so Goshen, Utah is only indirectly named for a biblical place, and the biblical place is not specifically Mormon, so it is doubly not the type of place covered in this list.
  2. News: This is the place for Mormon references in city names, but did you know Brigham City first was called Youngsville, and Goshen was Sodom? . Lee Davidson . October 4, 2018 . Salt Lake City Tribune. (sourced mainly to Utah Place Names, by John W. Van Cott, 1990 edition)
  3. Web site: Selected Quotes and Instructional Pictures . Adam-ondi-Ahman . compiled by Bruce Satterfield, BYU-Idaho Professor of Religion
  4. [Richard E. Bennett]
  5. A. P. Kesler, "Mormon Hill", Young Woman's Journal, 9:73 (February 1898).
  6. "Thomas Cook History, 1930", in Dan Vogel ed. (2000). Early Mormon Documents, vol. 3 (Salt Lake City: Signature Books) pp. 243–50.
  7. [Andrew Jenson]
  8. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1888/02/26/103163415.pdf "A Looked-for Exposure: Secrets of the Original Mormon Bible"
  9. Bruce E. Dana (2003). Glad Tidings Near Cumorah (CFI,) pp. 58–60.
  10. Book: The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Volumes 9-10 . 1918 . 124.
  11. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hre27 Handbook of Texas Online - ENOCH, TX
  12. http://www.kelseytx.com/stories/a3enochhistory.htm Enoch History
  13. Web site: 总决赛-广东5人上双胜新疆2-0-陕西博纳会展文化传媒有限公司.
  14. Jenson, Andrew. Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1941) p. 130
  15. Book: Van Cott, John W.. Utah Place Names: A Comprehensive Guide to the Origins of Geographic Names: A Compilation. University of Utah Press. Salt Lake City. 136. 1990. 29 July 2019. 978-0-87480-345-7. 797284427.)
  16. Web site: Origins of Idaho place names . 9 October 2017 . . July 29, 2019. (Credit partly to Idaho Place Names: A Geographic Dictionary, by Lalia Boone)
  17. News: You name it, there's a town for it . . Dale Van Atta . January 22, 1977 . July 29, 2019 . Salt Lake City. 15 . Google News.
  18. Book: Shaw, Keith. Chief mountain country : a history of Cardston and district. Volume I. 1978. Cardston and District Historical Society. Cardston. 0-919213-89-8. 64.
  19. News: Kingston Incorporated as a Town . Piute County News . July 26, 1935 . 4 . 14 . 32 .
  20. https://books.google.com/books?id=D8b4dEcUENsC&dq=%22thomas+rowell+leavitt%22+alberta&pg=PA233 Thomas Rowell Leavitt, Once Upon a Wedding: Stories of Weddings in Western Canada, Nancy Millar, 2000
  21. Jenson, Andrew. Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1941) p. 452
  22. Web site: Martin's Cove . Alliance for Historic Wyoming . 2010-01-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091228005750/http://historicwyoming.org/index.php?id=118 . 2009-12-28 .
  23. Web site: Martin's Cove . Mormon Historic Sites Registry . 2010-01-14 . dead . https://archive.today/20060720174847/http://www.mormonhistoricsitesregistry.org/USA/wyoming/natrona/martinsCove/history.htm . 2006-07-20 .
  24. Web site: WalkerWeb - Nauvoo, Alabama . www.walkerweb.net . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060224193543/http://www.walkerweb.net/towns/nauvoo.htm . 2006-02-24.
  25. Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Hancock County, Vol. II, Munsell Publishing Company, Chicago, 1921
  26. News: Davew Akers and Tom Purcell . Lethbridge Herald, Golden Jubilee Edition . 11 July 1935 . 64 .
  27. Web site: Strang. www.beaverislandhistory.org. 2016-01-14.
  28. http://www.jerrystewart.org/snowflakeaz/history.html History of Snowflake, AZ
  29. Linda S. Godfey. Strange Wisconsin. p. 10.
  30. Book: The Crooked Trail to Holbrook . Hanchett, Jr. Leland J.. 1993 . Pine Rim Pub . 0963778501 .
  31. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=74001933}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Willard Historic District ]. National Park Service. Kent Powell . May 1, 1974 . August 16, 2019. With
  32. 1911 Encyclopædia Nebraska" (Available at Google Books).
  33. Book: Lund, Anthon Henrik . The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine . Geneal. Society of Utah . 1922 . 43.