A new flag for Utah

It was not the case that the current flag of the State of Utah was old and decrepit, but let’s be frank, it wasn’t exciting. So our Governor is expected to sign a new flag design into law and replace the old with something new. 

The new design is allegedly the result of a lengthy design process that involved a special committee, the public and several iterations of the design. It features a prominent gold hexagon containing a beehive and a five-pointed star representing Utah’s five traditional indigenous tribes. 

It’s fair to wonder how the beehive design is so iconic to Utah. According to Mormon history, the Bible refers to the Promised Land’ as “land of milk and honey”. Christians and Freemasons also used the bee and beehive as symbols of cooperative work. Many of America’s founding fathers were Masons, and the new country a promised land. 

Further, many early Mormons were also Masons, including Joseph Smith who invented the religion. According to Mormonism, the Jaredites, a tribe from the Tower of Babel’s time, made a 344-day magic voyage across the ocean to North America, bringing with them the “Deseret” which means “Honey bee” in the Book of Mormon’s jargon.

The new flag's fields of blue and white create the outline of five mountain peaks. A red field at the bottom represents Southern Utah's famed red rock. But the old flag isn’t quite dead yet, both flags will be flown together on state holidays and during the legislative session and other special occasions.

According to the bill, citizens may also use the historic flag upon any occasion deemed appropriate. Do I like the new design? Not really. I find it a little simplistic and a repository of everything the designer thought of putting into. Perhaps its a result of involving a “special committee” with its design. 

What about you; do you like it? 

On the plus side, I find it more colorful and can live with it since it’s unlikely to change my life!