This is the Right Place?

It's Mormon legend that when Brigham Young arrived in the Salt Lake valley he sat up in his wagon box and proclaimed, "This is the right place". Or, as the quote is more commonly known, "This is the place".

I've often wondered if he was just sick of traveling, sick of losing his followers to death and exposure, sick of wagons and oxen, and just (as Mormon history suggests) plain sick. I've also wondered what the faithful pioneers thought when they looked at the Salt Lake valley. Did any of them say, "Seriously? This is the right place?". Did any of them wonder how long it would take to clear the sage brush, why there weren't any trees to be seen, and how they were going to get...I don't know perhaps.....water? Could they really have come all the way across a country for this?

These are just some of the things I've thought about "the right place" now that I've lived here for almost 9 years. Couldn't they have just gone a little farther and proclaimed "the right place" somewhere with a less harsh climate? Somewhere where on April 24rd it ISN'T snowing?

I obviously don't have all (or any) the answers to these questions. However, I do have a picture that I took of this lovely valley from the top of the Huntsman Cancer Institute's Pointe Restaurant.

Pay no attention to the crane in the foreground. There's always a construction project or 20 happening on campus.