Saints Church could not favor either national party because the Latter-day Saints majority in the state would make the preferred party into a new de facto People's Party. Two years later Liberals, also eager for statehood, followed suit, and Utah became the 45th state in the Union on January 4, 1896. References Walker, Ronald W. (1998). Wayward Saints: The Godbeites and Brigham Young. Chicago: University of Illinois Press. Erickson, Velt G. (1948). The Liberal Party of Utah. University of Utah Master's Thesis. External links 1891 Platform of the People's Party 1870 establishments in Utah Territory 1891 disestablishments in Utah Territory Defunct state and local conservative parties in the United States Political parties established in 1870 Politics of Utah Territory The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah Utah Territory Regional and state political parties in Utah Political parties disestablished in the 1890s Mormonism and politics