Why did the Mormons move west in the 1830?

Answer 1

The Mormons first moved from New York to Ohio in 1831. This was mostly for practicality, as there were a large number of new converts in Ohio. Shortly after the move to Ohio, it was revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith that the Church would eventually build the city of Zion in Missouri. Small groups of people began to move to Missouri in order to establish Zion.

Before the city of Zion could be completed, the persecution and violence against Mormons in both Ohio and Missouri became so intense that they were forced to leave (in Missouri, the governor even issued an 'extermination order' against the Mormons - making it legal to kill a Mormon or drive them from the state by force). They moved to the western border of Illinois in the city of Nauvoo. The persecution and violence grew in Illinois as well, until 1844 when the prophet Joseph Smith was murdered. The local government then asked the Mormons to leave in order to maintain peace, and they began to leave the state in the early spring of 1845.

After wintering over and preparing supplies in Nebraska, the Mormons headed further west and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in the Great Basin in July 1847. At the time, it was Mexican territory, but the area was soon acquired by the United States in the Mexican-American war.

Answer 2

They didn't. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormon" church) was founded in 1830. The first move of the church was to Ohio in 1831, due to a large number of converts in Ohio. Mormons left Ohio both because they believed that Zion was in Missouri and because of persecution in Ohio. The Mormons were kicked out of Missouri by a government order after severe persecution. They then moved to Illinois where they again faced persecution and the government asked them to leave. Finally, in 1847, they arrived in what is now Utah (then part of Mexico) where they had more freedom to practice their religion without persecution.