This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law Monday a bill that makes "In God We Trust" license plates one of three standard-option plates, along with designs featuring skier and Delicate Arch.
The "In God We Trust" plates had been offered the past two years as specialty plates, which required an additional $25 fee with proceeds going to help fund community Fourth of July celebrations.
Herbert said it is the state's most popular specialty plate — with more than 5,000 sold last year — so lawmakers decided to make it a standard option that requires no additional fees. Utah becomes the 20th state to do so.
"This state was founded by people who came here believing that God was leading them to a place where they could have refuge from persecution and worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience," Herbert said as he signed the bill.
"In God we do trust," Herbert added, before throwing in a reference from the Bible and the LDS Church's signature scripture, the Book of Mormon. "That is where we should put our trust, not in the arm of flesh. I think that will help us guide this state and guide this nation in the pathway we should follow."
The Legislature passed three other bills this year creating more specialty license plates — requiring an extra $25 fee that goes to charities — but Herbert has not yet signed them. Those specialty plates honor the Real Salt Lake soccer team, children with cancer and the Utah Law Enforcement Memorial.
Lee Davidson