RadioWest

When Brigham Young and the Mormons arrived in Utah in the mid-1800s, they encountered a Native American leader who already dominated the region. Wakara, a Timpanogos Ute, was a fierce warrior, prolific horse thief and merciless slave trader. In a new biography, the historian Max Perry Mueller argues Wakara should be considered one of the founding figures of the American West.

In 1954, photographers Ansel Adams and Dorothea Lange traveled to southern Utah to capture life in three Mormon towns — Gunlock, Toquerville and St. George. We’ll talk with art historian James Swensen about what their images reveal and how these communities have evolved since then.

New Age spirituality is everywhere these days, from tarot cards and crystals, astrology and energy healing. A new book traces the history of New Age movements.

Dennis Peron came back from the Vietnam War with three pounds of marijuana. Later, he’d become one of the preeminent figures in the movement to legalize weed.

Benjamin Park, an associate professor of history and expert on Mormon history, discusses Dallin H. Oaks, the new president of the LDS Church. They explore how Oaks's upbringing and legal career influenced his conservative approach to church leadership. Park notes Oaks's emphasis on religious liberty has evolved, particularly in context to LGBTQ issues. He highlights Oaks's desire for continuity with previous leadership while also navigating modern family dynamics. Overall, listeners gain insight into Oaks's potential impact on the church's future.

The Wild West has been the subject of much mythologizing in American culture. But for all the fantasy, at least one figure was real: the gunfighter.

Here’s how many debates about contentious societal issues stall out: someone declares, “because the Bible says so.” End of story. But what does the Bible say?

You’d think that certain bonds couldn’t be broken by different beliefs, even strongly opposed convictions. But some conspiracies are just that powerful.

A 2001 rule crafted by the U.S. Forest Service banned road construction and most commercial logging on nearly 45 million acres of public lands. Now the Trump administration wants to rescind that rule, which it deems overly restrictive.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died at his home. He was 101 years old.