The Mormons Come West

1. The Mormons Come West Why did they go west?

2. Where did they go? • They followed what is today known as the Mormon Trail • The trail passes through Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah • The trail later extended to California

3. Where did they come from? • Many Mormons actually started in New York • They moved to Ohio and Missouri • Because of persecution, they went to Illinois and built the city of Nauvoo on the Mississippi River

4. Why leave Nauvoo then? • Nauvoo was a great city • The Mormons worked together to build homes,businesses, and a temple • Many people didn’t like the Mormons’ success and were afraid • They persecuted the Mormons • They killed the Mormon leader, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith in June of 1844 • The Mormons were forced to leave their homes again

5. What did they do then? • Brigham Young and other leaders decided to go west • They felt that the Rocky Mountains might provide a safe place • They gathered all the provisions they could and began leaving Nauvoo in 1846 • They only got to around Council Bluffs, Iowa before they stopped for the winter • They named their camp Winter Quarters

6. Hardships • There was a hard winter • Many people died • Also, 500 men said good bye to their families and were enlisted to fight in the War with Mexico • This group became known as the Mormon Battalion

7. Moving out again • In the Spring of 1847, Brigham Young and a group of mostly men left Winter Quarters heading west • After a long journey, they arrived in the valley of the Great Salt Lake • Brigham Young said, “This is the right place.”

8. Summary • Mormons were pushed from place to place by persecution • They went through many hardships • They found a sanctuary in Utah where no one would bother them • They felt they were doing the right thing