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Did you know that for twenty years Utah had a secret government?
In the late 1850s federal troops occupied Utah. . .and a series of outside politicians were appointed to serve as governor of the territory. It stemmed from reports of alleged disloyalty among the Mormon population of Utah. In the face of the intervention, Brigham Young created the Shadow Government of Deseret.
With himself as governor, Young would wait for the territorial legislature to finish its official business under the watchful eye of federal authorities. . .then he would call them back in secret session to re-pass the same laws, only this time without the taint of federal involvement.
Young said it ensured that such laws would be consistent with his vision of Utah as a gathering spot for a chosen people. The Shadow Government of Deseret would eventually fade in the face of an increasingly diverse population.
It's a chapter from Utah's political history. . .and in 2000 your vote can help write the next chapter.
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Through the 1860s the Utah Territorial Legislature also sat as the "Shadow Government of Deseret."