The Bingham Canyon Mine
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” [Matthew 13:44]
The Bingham Canyon Mine is the largest manmade excavation on Earth. The sprawling open pit mine, located about 14 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, has a colossal crater that is more than 2.5 miles wide, three quarters of a mile deep and covers over 1,900 acres. Because of its breathtaking and awesome magnitude the Bingham Canyon Mine is one of only two manmade objects on Earth that can be seen by astronauts from outer space – the other is the Great Wall of China!
Employing 1,400 people, Bingham Canyon Mine has been in constant use since 1906, and has also proven to be one of the world’s most productive mines, removing 450,000 tons of material from the mine daily. As of 2009, ore from the mine has yielded more than 18 million tons of copper, 24 million ounces of gold, 195 million ounces of silver, and 850 million pounds of molybdenum. The gold and silver are impurities removed from the copper during refining. The value of the resources extracted from the Bingham Canyon Mine is greater than the Comstock Lode, Klondike bonanza, and California gold rush mining all combined.
The mountain of minerals and copper ore were first discovered in 1848 by pioneering Mormon brothers, Sanford and Thomas Bingham, who grazed cattle and horses there. But sadly they never received a penny for the amazing discovery that bears their name. When they reported their find to Mormon leader Brigham Young, he advised them against staking a claim and urged them to focus instead on the ranch settlements.
Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven with a treasure found in a field. Some people have treasure right beneath their feet but don’t do anything about it! But when the gospel treasure is presented to us, the precious truths of God’s plan of salvation for our lives, we should do everything within our power to take hold of that fortune. We should “stake a claim” and not settle for anything less.
