Bountiful

Bountiful TabernacleThe Bountiful (Mormon) Tabernacle, Bountiful, Utah.

Bountiful, city, Davis county, northern Utah, U.S., between the Wasatch Range and Great Salt Lake, just north of Salt Lake City. The second Mormon settlement (after Salt Lake City) in Utah, the city was originally called Sessions’ Settlement (for Perrigrine Sessions, a Mormon pioneer who arrived in 1847). It was renamed Bountiful in 1855 after a legendary city described in the Book of Mormon. As a precaution against hostile Indians, an adobe wall 3 miles (5 km) long, 8 feet (2 metres) high, and 4 feet (1 metre) thick was built around the settlement. The Bountiful (Mormon) Tabernacle, established in 1857, is Utah’s oldest church; it is still in use.

Originally an agricultural community, Bountiful became a suburban extension of Salt Lake City in the 1950s; it grew rapidly in the next five decades. The present city is mainly residential, with some nursery and mixed farming activities. Bountiful Peak (9,482 feet [2,890 metres]) is 5 miles (8 km) northeast. Inc. town, 1855; city, 1890. Pop. (2000) 41,301; 45,552.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.