Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, spoke about Pioneer Day on the Senate floor, acknowledging that July 24 "probably means not very much to most people in this chamber" but in Utah "is close to the biggest day of the year."

In his six-minute speech, Bennett reminisced about past Pioneer Day parades he watched over the years and explained the meaning behind the day.

"Those people came to Utah because they had no other choice," Bennett said, as he described how Mormons were driven out of Ohio, Missouri and Illinois.

"They faced enormous adversity to do what they did, to demonstrate their commitment to their religion and their convictions," Bennett said.

He noted that President Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack quoted an unknown source saying "adversity introduces us to ourselves." Bennett said it is important to think about this once a year.

"I am grateful to them for what they did," Bennett said.