The Mormons

1830. There were witnesses which went to see the plates and confirmed they exist. The Mormons believed in no individual ownership of property, and in return for there good deeds, Mormons would be gods the chosen people from heaven. There were no limits to converting Mormonism. Any man who followed the Mormon race could have more than one wife (polygamy). The leaders of the Mormons could make knew laws and have total authority over everyone. The first objective smith was to accomplish was to build the HOLY CITY (city of god). This was not going to be an easy task, Catholics attacked the Mormons because of there different beliefs. Joseph smith plotted there first temple, after smith founded a bank for Mormons and non-Mormons but through a financial crisis the bank collapsed. The Mormons were driven out by the non-Mormons to Kirtland; Joseph smith led the Mormons to Missouri where missionaries had already created a small village. At first the Mormons wasn’t accepted for there religious differences, the people in the community were suspicious of the Mormon leaders which they believed in communal ownership of there property. Most Mormons came from the north so they didn’t like slavery, and the farmers in Missouri owned slaves so there were a lot of problems in the community. Violence increased in the area and fights broke out, so the Mormons created a police force called the Danites, they believed they were going to win the support of the Indian tribes. When the Mormons left Missouri they went to Nauvoo Illinois led by smith. In 1842 the Mormons army was at the size of 2,000. Some rumours were spread that the Mormons would take over the United States of America because Joseph smith made a run for president. In the month June 1844 smith and his brother, Hyrum were sent to prison. From then on the race was run by Brigham Young. When Joseph smith died it worried the Mormons they didn’t carry on there massive move across America, most of the Mormons left the areas and broke up into separate groups which lowered there population. Brigham young set a plan to trail to Salt Lake City, but it was a long journey they needed plenty of supplies and a team of leaders to hold them together. They started at the Nauvoo Carthage and made a settlement at the winter quarters, then past through the Platte r. slowly then went through the Rocky Mountains, then to there surprise they were at the Salt Lake City , but some carried on to make settlements in the pacific area like san Diego. Brigham young’s organisation, determination and discipline had got the Mormons to the Great Salt Lake. Finally Brigham young could fulfil Joseph smith’s dream to build the holy city so the Mormons could live in a good community. The first months of living at the salt lake was very hard, people died of cold and not enough food, in winter the grass hoppers ate all the crops so there was no food all winter, some winters. The population grew steady and they lived through struggles, and pulled through them. Brigham young’s 23 recorded wife had 49 children.