The Utah state seal, designed by Harry Edwards, was adopted in 1896 and features a beehive with the motto “Industry.” Other elements include an American bald eagle, golden arrows, and tallow lilies. The seal is surrounded by two gold braids with the text “THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF UTAH” and “1896.” The design was codified in 1953, and the lieutenant governor is its official custodian. The Utah state flag incorporates a modified version of the seal.
The design for the Utah state seal was created by Harry Edwards and was adopted as the official seal during Utah’s first state legislative session on April 3, 1896. The design of the seal pays homage to the values and loyalty of the early settlers of the Utah through the use of symbolic design elements and text. It was only in 1953 that the design of the seal was codified together with the rules on its use and custody. The Utah state flag incorporates a modified version of the Utah state seal into its design. Certain design elements of the seal, particularly a beehive, are found on motor vehicle license plates, traffic signs, and other official state government materials.
The circular state seal of Utah is surrounded by two gold braids that contain the text “THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF UTAH” and “1896,” its year of entry as the 45th state into the United States. Within the shield in the center of the seal is a beehive with the motto “INDUSTRY” appearing above and the year 1847 appearing below the beehive. Both the use of the beehive as a symbol and the industry motto preceded the creation of Utah’s official state seal. They were adopted as the official emblem and motto of the provisional state of Deseret in 1847, the year Mormons first arrived in Utah.
Several other symbolic elements can be found on the Utah state seal. An American bald eagle is depicted in flight above the shield containing the hive. Below the eagle, a cluster of six golden arrows symbolizing protection and defense pierce the top of the shield. There are two US flags flanking the sides of the shield symbolizing Utah’s membership in the United States and the mutual defense and protection afforded by this association. Two clusters of white tallow lilies, Utah’s state flower, represent the state’s aspirations for peace.
In 1953, the Utah State Legislature enacted the Great Seal Rule, which legally established the design, use, and keeping of the Utah state seal. Aside from the design elements stipulated in the Annotated Utah Code, 1953, the Great Seal Rule specifies that the state seal of Utah shall be 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) in diameter and that the lieutenant governor shall be its official custodian. It also establishes the mandatory use of the seal on all official documents and instruments to be signed by the governor, and specifies that the lieutenant governor is the only authorized agent authorized to affix the seal to documents.
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