The story of Lehi’s name begins long before Utah was settled.

Early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to the American West only after extraordinary sacrifice. Called by prophets Joseph Smith and later Brigham Young, converts left homes and families from across the United States and overseas to follow the Lord and gather with fellow believers in Zion. Their journey took them from places such as Kirtland, Ohio; Far West, Missouri; and Nauvoo, Illinois—each settlement marked by hope, hardship and opposition.

One belief that set these pioneers apart was their faith in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In that sacred record, the prophet Lehi was commanded by God to leave his home in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. with his wife, Sariah, and their children. He abandoned comfort, property and security to follow the Lord and journey into the wilderness and eventually to a promised land.

The pioneers who settled this area in 1850 understood that kind of sacrifice.

For a time, the area was called Evansville, named for David Evans, the area’s first bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ. But local tradition says Evans himself rejected the name. In 1852, when Evans petitioned the Territorial Legislature to incorporate the settlement, he proposed “Lehi,” writing that “this Book of Mormon appellation” was suggested because “the people had moved so frequently.”

The name was fitting. Like the Book of Mormon prophet Lehi, these early settlers had repeatedly left homes behind in search of a promised land.

On Feb. 5, 1852, Lehi became the sixth city incorporated in the Territory of Utah, more than four decades before Utah achieved statehood in 1896. In January 1853, Silas Barnes was elected Lehi’s first mayor. From 1854-1861, Evans served as Lehi’s second mayor, helping guide the young city into its next chapter. He served as bishop for 28 years.

Today, Lehi’s name remains a lasting reminder of faith, perseverance and the hope of a new beginning.