Utah Pie And Beer Day

To: Abbottsville Fourth Ward
From: Donna Banta
Subject: Ex-Mormon Pioneers

I logged onto Facebook this morning to discover that I have five -- count them -- five friends who were born today! Wow, that's unusual, I thought to myself. Maybe there is something to this astrology stuff. Then I remembered that today is Utah Pioneer Day, the day that Brigham Young led the saints into the Salt Lake Valley, the "Fourth of July" for Mormons.

I immediately became suspicious. One of the birthday boys was my good friend, Elder Price! Another was a guy named Paternoster -- a likely relation to everyone's favorite stake president.

But then another was my friend Marilyn, who really was born on July 24. Only she lives in worldly Park City, where they call it "Utah Pie and Beer Day."

That's the holiday the San Francisco Ex-Mormons celebrate every year too.

Tonight at the Hotel Utah Saloon in San Francisco

It was way better than that cheesy parade.

Eat your heart out Abbottsville Fourth!