Coming from all walks of life and all points around the world, the pioneers who established and expanded the Mormon religion-known today as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-made a lasting contribution to the world in which we live today.
When tracing your Mormon ancestry, it is important to first have a basic understanding of Mormon History; when the church was first established and the geographical areas in which the first Mormons lived and settled. While the church was originally established in New York; throughout the first years, early Mormons settled in a number of different Geographical Areas in order to escape persecution. Today, Utah is recognized as having one of the largest Mormon populations in the word; however, before the Mormons reached Utah they first settled in a number of other locations. In addition, from almost the very beginning, the church was quite active in missionary pursuits, sending missionaries around the world. The Scandinavians became one of the largest groups to accept the call from the Mormon missionaries and make their way to Utah during the mid-19th century. As a result there has been a tremendous Scandinavian influence in Mormon communities.
Due to the early missionary efforts of the Mormon church, converts from around the world flocked to the United States in order to gather with likeminded believers. As a result, a number of Common Family Names are quite prevalent in some of the more heavily populated Mormon, or LDS, geographic locations. This is partially due to the influx of so many converts from other areas as well as the fact that at least during the early days, Mormons tended to have rather large Family Sizes.
When Tracing your Mormon Pioneer Ancestors, it is important to keep several tips in mind. The LDS church provides a number of resources that can be beneficial, including their popular FamilySearch ™ website. Between the years 1846 and 1869, an estimated 70,000 Mormons made their way over the Mormon Pioneer Trail, migrating westward toward Utah. Many of these Mormon pioneers were born in the Unites States; however, a large number had been converted in their homeland before making the voyage across the ocean and then across the prairies and plaints to gather in Utah. Most traveled by wagon; however, some of the most well known traveled by handcart.
Today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is an expansive global religion; however, it all began with just a handful of believers. Some of them may have been your ancestors.