Mahonri Young had a unique relationship with the LDS Church.
Since his teenage years, he did not attend church, follow the Word of Wisdom, or pay tithing to the LDS Church.
However, he did admire several LDS Church leaders and was proud of his pioneer heritage.
Despite his lack of activity in the LDS Church, he lobbied heavily to work on several projects for the church.
Largely considered to be his most important artistic work, Young was especially proud of This Is The Place Monument located at This Is the Place Heritage Park in the foothills of Salt Lake City.
The most artistically significant relief on the monument depicts the Donner Party.
The monument was intended to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Brigham Young and the Mormons' arrival in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.
As early as 1935, a committee had been chosen to consider artists' proposals of the monument.
Young did extensive research and sketching for the project, confident he would be awarded the chance to create the monument.
After lobbying the committee for almost five months, he returned to New York, frustrated that he had not yet secured the project.
He decided to lobby U.S. Senators from Utah to gained federal funding for the project which offended committee member John D. Giles.
Giles told Young that he could not give him a contract because they were waiting on funding from the LDS Church; however, Giles was actually stalling time to find a different artist to complete the project.
The committee decided to make the monument proposal a competition, which worried Young because of his experience with the Pioneer Woman Competition.
John Fairbanks, a younger artist, had already completed prominent statues and memorials for the LDS Church; he was Young's fiercest competition.
LDS President Heber J. Grant chose Young's design in 1939, because it highlighted prominent figures Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Wilford Woodruff rather than  a covered wagon, as in the Fairbanks design.

Young was awarded $50,000 to build the monument in 1939 when he was 62 years old.
After he was granted the contract, many of the artistic qualities sought by Young were vetoed by representatives from Utah state government, the LDS Church, and descendants of pioneers.
For example, Young wanted pioneer leaders in realistic clothing like they would have worn when entering the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847.
However, Young's vision of leaders like Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball in suspenders and bloomers was deemed undignified.
Instead, pioneer leaders were portrayed in heavy formal overcoats.
Young worked on the statues at Weir farm, assisted by Spero Anargyros.
The monument was dedicated on July 24, 1947, on the one-hundredth anniversary of Brigham Young's party reaching the Great Salt Lake Valley.
It is the largest sculpted monument in Utah.
Even though Young was paid $50,000 for the monument, he believed that he was owed $11,000 extra according to the terms of the contract.
He was angry when he was denied the money and eventually became frustrated enough to write to the president of the LDS Church George A. Smith directly.
George Q. Morris of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles severely reprimanded Young for contacting Smith and Young was never paid the extra $11,000.
Young resented this alleged contract breach for the rest of his life.

In 1947, Young was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Dorothy Weir died on May 28, 1947.
Young continued to live there after her death.
His last major work was for the State of Utah.
He created a six-foot monument of Brigham Young seated for the Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol Building.
The work was unveiled in Washington D.C. in 1950.
He carved this work at the American Academy in Rome, Italy.
During a visit to Utah in the same year, he was made an honorary member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers Club.
In 1955, Young participated in the Armory Show Commemorative Exhibition in New York City.
In January 1957, Young had a serious stroke and in October 1957, he had an ulcer attack.
Young died in Norwalk, Con
Mahonri Young had a unique relationship with the LDS Church. Since his teenage years, he did not attend church, follow the Word of Wisdom, or pay tithing to the LDS Church. However, he did admire several LDS Church leaders and was proud of his pioneer heritage. Despite his lack of activity in the LDS Church, he lobbied heavily to work on several projects for the church. Largely considered to be his most important artistic work, Young was especially proud of This Is The Place Monument located at This Is the Place Heritage Park in the foothills of Salt Lake City. The most artistically significant relief on the monument depicts the Donner Party. The monument was intended to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Brigham Young and the Mormons' arrival in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. As early as 1935, a committee had been chosen to consider artists' proposals of the monument. Young did extensive research and sketching for the project, confident he would be awarded the chance to create the monument. After lobbying the committee for almost five months, he returned to New York, frustrated that he had not yet secured the project. He decided to lobby U.S. Senators from Utah to gained federal funding for the project which offended committee member John D. Giles. Giles told Young that he could not give him a contract because they were waiting on funding from the LDS Church; however, Giles was actually stalling time to find a different artist to complete the project. The committee decided to make the monument proposal a competition, which worried Young because of his experience with the Pioneer Woman Competition. John Fairbanks, a younger artist, had already completed prominent statues and memorials for the LDS Church; he was Young's fiercest competition. LDS President Heber J. Grant chose Young's design in 1939, because it highlighted prominent figures Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Wilford Woodruff rather than  a covered wagon, as in the Fairbanks design.
Young was awarded $50,000 to build the monument in 1939 when he was 62 years old. After he was granted the contract, many of the artistic qualities sought by Young were vetoed by representatives from Utah state government, the LDS Church, and descendants of pioneers. For example, Young wanted pioneer leaders in realistic clothing like they would have worn when entering the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. However, Young's vision of leaders like Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball in suspenders and bloomers was deemed undignified. Instead, pioneer leaders were portrayed in heavy formal overcoats. Young worked on the statues at Weir farm, assisted by Spero Anargyros. The monument was dedicated on July 24, 1947, on the one-hundredth anniversary of Brigham Young's party reaching the Great Salt Lake Valley. It is the largest sculpted monument in Utah. Even though Young was paid $50,000 for the monument, he believed that he was owed $11,000 extra according to the terms of the contract. He was angry when he was denied the money and eventually became frustrated enough to write to the president of the LDS Church George A. Smith directly. George Q. Morris of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles severely reprimanded Young for contacting Smith and Young was never paid the extra $11,000. Young resented this alleged contract breach for the rest of his life.
In 1947, Young was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Dorothy Weir died on May 28, 1947. Young continued to live there after her death. His last major work was for the State of Utah. He created a six-foot monument of Brigham Young seated for the Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol Building. The work was unveiled in Washington D.C. in 1950. He carved this work at the American Academy in Rome, Italy. During a visit to Utah in the same year, he was made an honorary member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers Club. In 1955, Young participated in the Armory Show Commemorative Exhibition in New York City. In January 1957, Young had a serious stroke and in October 1957, he had an ulcer attack. Young died in Norwalk, Con
Mahonri Young