Utah (1983: Doomsday)

Following the nuclear strike of Salt Lake City, Utah and much of the former United States was decimated.

History of Utah, Pre-Doomsday
Settled initially by Mormons, Utah gradually became a population center often serving as a mid-point rest between the population centers of the Great Plains and the west coast. Vying for statehood initially as the State of Deseret, Utah was consistently declined statehood by the US government until January 4, 1896.

History of Utah, Post-Doomsday
Because of its relative isolation from other population centers to the west and east, Utah was saved from much of the marauding bands who would attempt to reach it, protected in the north by the nuclear slag heap that Salt Lake City had become, from the south and west by large tracts of desert and from the East by desert and mountains.

Doomsday
The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on September 25, 1983 was as follows:


 * First Presidency
 * President Spencer W. Kimball, 1st Counselor Marion G. Romney, and 2nd Counselor Gordon B. Hinckley
 * Quorum of the Twelve
 * Ezra Taft Benson, Mark E. Petersen, Howard W. Hunter, Thomas S. Monson, Boyd K. Packer, Marvin J. Ashton, Bruce R. McConkie, L. Tom Perry, David B. Haight, James E. Faust, Neal A. Maxwell

Spencer W. Kimball, Marion G. Romney, Ezra Taft Benson, Mark E. Petersen, Howard W. Hunter, Marvin J. Ashton and Bruce R. McConkie were all in Salt Lake and perished in the blast.

The state legislature was not in session, but Governor Bangerter and Lt. Governor Val Oveson were also victims.

Gordon B. Hinckley's flight returning him to Salt Lake City had been re-routed and had been forced to land in Phoenix on September 24th. He was returning via car when news of the strike came. Given that the government of the state, and likely the church had devolved to his hands, President Hinckley began orchestrating protective measures for the state from Fillmore, Utah, where he had stopped.

Fallout - January, 1984
Much of the radiation that was released by the bomb that struck Salt Lake City was mitigated by the following factors:


 * 1) The explosion was an air-burst. While it destroyed much of the city, including the Salt Lake Temple, the resulting fall out was greatly reduced.
 * 2) The mountains to the east contained much of the fallout.
 * 3) Heavy rainstorms on the 26th, 27th and 28th washed much of the airborne matter into local rivers and streams which rendered much of the fallout into the Great Salt Lake.

While the Salt Lake Valley has remained a no-man's land due to fallout, the surrounding valleys are gradually being repopulated after verification of minimal radiation levels.

1984 - Reconstitution of the LDS Church and the State of Deseret
In April the calling of 8 new apostles was announced, as was the temporary calling of a governor for the State. Bill Orton was called upon to serve as Governor pro tempore by President Hinckley.
 * {| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"

! Name ! Date Called
 * - bgcolor=#DCDCFF
 * Dallin H. Oaks
 * 1/3/1984
 * Joseph B. Wirthlin
 * 1/3/1984
 * Richard G. Scott
 * 1/4/1984
 * Robert D. Hales
 * 1/15/1984
 * Jeffrey R. Holland
 * 1/20/1984
 * Henry B. Eyring
 * 1/27/1984
 * Joseph C. Nielsen
 * 2/15/1984
 * Wilbur W. Cox
 * 2/20/1984
 * }
 * 1/27/1984
 * Joseph C. Nielsen
 * 2/15/1984
 * Wilbur W. Cox
 * 2/20/1984
 * }
 * 2/20/1984
 * }

It was announced that the capital of the state would be relocated to Fillmore, while Manti would serve as the religious capital of the state. A mandatory enlistment procedure was instated with militarized foraging parties began ranging throughout the decimated region to gather together goods and weapons to help defend against invaders. Martial law was declared for the duration of the crisis.