In Utah, the 24th of July (Pioneer Day) is treated almost as a second "4th of July" because it serves as a sort of Independence Day for the pioneers fleeing from the United States territories to the Mexico territory that would later become Utah. It was persecution from both local communities as well as the government itself that drove the pioneers to leave the U.S.

Connor Boyack is the founder and president of the Libertas Institute, a Utah based think-tank; author of the Tuttle Twins children's book series; and an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is also a fan of history and loves to learn from the ideas behind historical events — not just the names and dates associated with them.

His work is centered on spreading the ideas of liberty and defending individual rights. What I've found unique about Connor however is that his political beliefs and religious beliefs are very much based on the same underlying principles. As he puts it, you won't find that his faith is placed in one bucket and his politics in another.

I invited Connor on to the podcast to talk about some of the important ideas and principles that should be highlighted during the 24thof July (Pioneer Day), yet today it seems that the LDS church culture has moved away from being one of distrust of the government to one of worshipping its false idols and utilizing its coercive powers. We also talk about his experience working in Utah politics which has led to instances of standing off against the very religious institution he is a part of.

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Check out Connor's work:

Connor's website

Libertas Institute

Tuttle Twins

Sunday Musings podcast

Christ Versus Caesar