Our guest speaker at the May dinner meeting was Will Bagley, noted historian, author and speaker. Mr. Bagley is a native of Utah, attended Brigham Young University and holds a degree in history from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He has authored or edited over a dozen books. He has made numerous presentations throughout the state of Utah, and has served as a historical consultant for National Geographic Magazine, the National Park Service, Frontline, and for more than a dozen documentary films that have appeared on A&E Television, The History Channel, and PBS.
Mr. Bagley began his remarks by declaring that “in Utah, history really does matter.” He then proceeded to draw parallels between the story of the Pilgrim Fathers and the Mormon pioneers who settled the west in 1847 and 1848. “You are descended from crazy people,” he chided, meaning that both groups were willing to sacrifice everything for their beliefs and religious freedom. Referring specifically to the Pilgrims, he said that “these people were willing to stand up to power.” By the spring following their arrival at Plymouth, nearly half of their party had perished. Mr. Bagley asserted, “It was never inevitable that either group was going to succeed, but they were tough.” The severity of the pilgrims’ suffering was not even matched by the suffering of the early Mormon pioneers, but both groups had three main things in common.
“The Pilgrims and Mormons had integrity, a strong sense of community, and were willing to risk everything,” he said.
Thank you for a wonderful presentation, Will!