Utah for Kids – Mormons in Utah

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are often referred to as the Mormons.

The Mormons were a new religious group that was started in the eastern United States. As the Mormon religion grew larger, many people began to worry about the new religion. The leader, Joseph Smith, was killed in Illinois and members of the new church were told to leave the state.

In the winter of 1846 thousands of Mormons, led by Brigham Young, loaded wagons and handcarts and started a difficult trek to the west of the United States where they could be free from the unfair treatment of the people around them.

The first group of Mormons arrived in what is now Salt Lake City in 1847.

The Mormons were the major settlers in Utah. The Mormon Pioneers struggled to make the desert land productive and safe. Once they established a safe area in Salt Lake, the Mormons spread out to settle all over the state.

Utah was a place that the Mormons felt they could practice their religion in safety.

Today, Mormons still make up the largest religion in the State.