The Mormons

Revision

Who were the Mormons?

• A religious group founded by Joseph Smith

• Claimed to have seen a vision of an angel which led to discovery of gold plates

• Translated into Book of Mormon

• It told that Jesus visited America after the Resurrection and that 3 lost tribes of Israel came to America

What did the Mormons believe?

• That they should convert others to their faith

• Their leaders should have political power over Mormons and others

• The church held property - there was no right to individual ownership

• Obedience would make Mormons God’s chosen people in heaven and on earth

Polygamy

• Brigham Young had 27 wives

• Set Mormons apart as immoral outcasts

• Enabled every woman to be taken care of

• Larger populationHaving more than one wife.

Why were they persecuted for their faith?

• Polygamy was seen as scandalous• Their success at converting people raised fears of

rapid expansion • Smith’s political ambitions made none believers

fear a Mormon state• The Danites used violence • Claims to be God’s chosen offended• Working as a community made them wealthy and

this threatened American culture

Why were they driven from place to place?

• Kirtland Ohio - Smith was tarred and feathered in 1832. Driven out after collapse of Mormon bank in 1837

• Missouri - their anti-slavery views offended and Danites were suspected of plotting with Indians

• Nauvoo, Illinois - Smith announced he would run for President. He and his brother were arrested after trouble over a printing press. Murdered.

Why did they settle in Salt Lake Valley?

• They left Nauvoo after violence

• In 1847 Brigham Young led them across the Plains like an army

• Young chose Salt Lake because of its harsh conditions (similar to Israel)

• When they set off it was in Mexico not the USA

The Mormons Come West

Why did they go west?

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

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

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

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.”

Why did the Mormons Manage to survive Salt Lake City?

The Geographical Position of Utah

Brigham Young

• Prior Planning• Mormons had faith in their

leader• Organisational Skills• Setting up supply depots and

workshops• No land ownership• Persuaded the U.S.

Government to elect him Governor of Utah territory

How did they build Salt Lake City?

• Irrigation

• Strict discipline and team work

• Land allocated on a need basis

• Perpetual Emigration Fund brought across new Mormons

• Deseret

Self Sufficiency and the Railway

• Mormons were farmers

• Irrigation system • Wheat production

triplede between 1850-1860

• Everyone contributed

• Railway ran through Utah

• Made travelling easier• Made trade a

possibility – especially as a way of increasing income

Perpetual Emigrating Fund

• Set up by Brigham Young

• Helped Mormons travel from anywhere to Utah

• Money to be paid back once settled

• 4225 Mormons had reached Utah using thi

What problems did they have with the US Government?

• Young wanted to create a Mormon state called Deseret

• In 1848 Salt Lake Valley was handed over to the USA by Mexico

• Young was Governor and he ignore US laws

• The Danites suppressed opposition and attacked US officials

Conflict continued

• In 1857 the US appointed a non-Mormon governor who arrived with 2500 troops

• The Mountain Meadow incident in which some non-Mormon settlers were massacred, probably by Danites. Indians were blamed

• Young died in 1877• Pressure was put on Mormons to give up

polygamy, agreed to do so in 1890• Utah became a state in 1896

Brigham Young and some of his wives!