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