Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox presented the Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a token of gratitude on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, recognizing the Church’s recent efforts to help preserve the Great Salt Lake.
“We want to thank you and know how incredibly lucky we are to have you as friends and neighbors,” Gov. Cox said during a brief afternoon visit in his office at the Utah State Capitol. “Having your leadership has helped us get other people involved who may have been hesitant otherwise. [Your efforts] have made a huge difference, and we’re really proud of it. With your help, we have much better outcomes.”
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| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Those efforts include significant water donations. Since 2023, the Church has donated many thousands of acre-feet of water shares to the lake. An additional lease of about 6,800 acre-feet of water for the Great Salt Lake will be completed this year.
The Church’s water conservation efforts align with recently updated guidance in its “General Handbook” about caring for the earth. The brief section encourages members to care for and respect the earth as part of their stewardship to God.
“Please know that we feel the same way,” Presiding Bishop W. Christopher Waddell told the governor. “How fortunate we are as a Church to have you leading us as citizens of this state and to be able to collaborate and work together closely on things that impact all of us.”
The Church’s water conservation efforts extend to its chapels and Temple Square. The Church has installed some 3,000 smart irrigation controllers at meetinghouses throughout the Intermountain West and has implemented water-wise landscaping on Temple Square and at some chapels in Utah.
Joel Ferry, executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, praised Bishop Waddell for his 2023 speech at the University of Utah on water conservation. The Church leader’s remarks came two days after the Church announced its first donation of water shares for the Great Salt Lake.
Ferry echoed Governor Cox’s comment that the Church’s decision to help the Great Salt Lake has been a strong encouragement for others to get involved.
“That was really a watershed moment,” Ferry said. “We need to recognize that we have stewardship over this precious resource. The Church leading out and setting that example does more good. And it makes our job so much easier. It’s more ingrained in the culture to help people recognize and say ‘Yes, if they can do it, we can do it.’”