<P> According to church belief , God inspired Brigham Young , Joseph Smith 's successor as President of the Church , to call for the Saints ( as church members call themselves ) to organize and head West , beyond the western frontier of the United States ( into what was then Mexico , though the U.S. Army had already captured New Mexico and California in late 1846 ) . During the winter of 1846 - 47 , Latter - day Saint leaders in Winter Quarters and Iowa laid plans for the migration of the large number of Saints , their equipment , and their livestock . It was here that Brigham Young first met Thomas L. Kane , a non-Mormon from Philadelphia with deep personal connections to the Polk administration . Kane obtained permission for the Mormons to winter on Indian territory , and the site was originally called Kanesville . Brigham Young continued to trust Kane throughout his own lifetime , particularly as an intermediary with the often hostile Federal government . This major undertaking was a significant test of leadership capability and the existing administrative network of the recently restructured Church . For his role in the migration , Brigham Young is sometimes referred to as the `` American Moses . '' </P>
<P> According to church belief , God inspired Brigham Young , Joseph Smith 's successor as President of the Church , to call for the Saints ( as church members call themselves ) to organize and head West , beyond the western frontier of the United States ( into what was then Mexico , though the U.S. Army had already captured New Mexico and California in late 1846 ) . During the winter of 1846 - 47 , Latter - day Saint leaders in Winter Quarters and Iowa laid plans for the migration of the large number of Saints , their equipment , and their livestock . It was here that Brigham Young first met Thomas L. Kane , a non-Mormon from Philadelphia with deep personal connections to the Polk administration . Kane obtained permission for the Mormons to winter on Indian territory , and the site was originally called Kanesville . Brigham Young continued to trust Kane throughout his own lifetime , particularly as an intermediary with the often hostile Federal government . This major undertaking was a significant test of leadership capability and the existing administrative network of the recently restructured Church . For his role in the migration , Brigham Young is sometimes referred to as the `` American Moses . '' </P>
who took over the mormon leadership and began the westward trek
who took over the mormon leadership and began the westward trek
Brigham Young
Brigham Young