What happened to the Mormons in Missouri?

Answer 1

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the "Mormon" Church) was founded near Palmyra, New York. A short while later, a large majority of Church members in New York moved to Ohio at the request of Joseph Smith. This was because a large number of converts had be baptized in Ohio and he wanted to keep the members of the Church together.

A few members stayed behind and other converts were baptized in New York over the years. Many of this group sailed on the ship Brooklyn around South America to get to California, and then traveled to Salt Lake City. Converts from Europe also often arrived in New York by boat, and some settled there rather than continuing on to Salt Lake City.

Missionary work has continued in New York, and now the state has nearly 76 thousand members.

Answer 2

Beginning at about mid-year of 1831, Missouri became a particular focus of the church who were by that time centered in Kirtland, Ohio. Revelations were received calling for Latter-day Saints to "gather" to Missouri, even while the church struggled to build the temple at Kirtland.

Missouri had also been designated by the Lord as the eventual location of Zion, and it was to become a second headquarters of the church for a time.

However, the presence of large Mormon communities throughout the Missouri began to cause problems for many of the original settlers, most of whom did not appreciate the church's stance against slavery. Persecutions and, later, an "extermination order" against the Latter-day Saints forced them to flee across the Mississippi River into Illinois, where they eventually settled what would come to be called "Nauvoo."

Any success of the Mormons in Missouri was due more or less to the industrious nature of the Latter-day Saints. They demonstrated an ability to organize swiftly and efficiently and create well-planned communities in a relatively short amount of time. Their farms were, for the most part, profitable until they were driven from them by the mobs. It was at this time, however, that some members found it difficult to live certain of the revelations that had been received; most particularly the United Order which holds all things in common among the Church. At least partially due to their disobedience, many Latter-day Saints suffered tremendously prior to being forced out of Missouri.

Answer 3

I don't think they "stopped" in Missouri. They settled there until they were forced out by those that were not sympathetic to their way of life.