You forget, in the U.S.A. it has always been open season on Mormons. They were driven from New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. Nauvoo Illinois was second only to Chicago in size when Joseph Smith was murdered and they were driven out in February. Many died on the trek. 1000 men in this group volunteered to serve the U.S. in The Mexican war, They marched 2000 miles to Southern California. The longest march in U.S. Army history. They chose a land nobody wanted, Utah. Despite this we Mormons still revere the Constitution. Go figure.
Salt Lake City and all other Utah towns were laid out according to Joseph Smiths plan.
If they were driven from NY, pray tell, who were the drivers? Who was taking open pot shots upon Mormons then? What about Ohio? Who were the culprits there? Wasn't it actually the case that Smith opened a bank that failed & he skipped town in the middle of the night?
As for Missouri, only one county was involved in the 1833 acts of abuse vs. the Mormons (Jackson County). Within that county, one judge later blamed it on less than 50 "roughians" who were the instigators...though obviously a couple hundred others reinforced their activities. What they did lasted about 3.5 months during an otherwise previous 3-year residency of peaceful co-existence in that county.
Now, a few more MO counties & their residents got involved in the 1838 conflicts. That, too, was of a short duration (about 2.5 months). So, Mormons were enduring these things in about a 6-month window over 8 years -- and were involved in provoking some of those things in 1838.
[The actions of three counties in MO & a few in IL is hardly reason to blame all Missourians & "Illinoisians" for the past 165-175 years as Mormons have tended to do]
Bad decision on the Living Prophets®; woundn't you say?
How the ones who STAYED BEHIND and thrived as the Rlds surprises me!
After the EXTERMINATION Order and all...
Hmm Hmm <tsk> Hmm.
How could it happen that people you think are wee poor lambs could be hated and reviled.
Let's think about it a minute.
Help me out here, we were wondering what?