<P> The origins of another distinctive religious group, the Latter Day Saint movement--also widely known as Mormon--arose in the early 19th century in an intensely religious area of western New York called the burned - over district, because it had been "scorched" by so many revivals. Smith said he had a series of visions, revelations from God and visitations from angelic messengers, providing him with ongoing instructions as prophet, seer, and revelator and a restorer of the original and primary doctrines of early Christianity . After publishing the Book of Mormon--which he said he translated by divine power from a record of ancient American prophets recorded on golden plates--Smith organized the "his new Mormon church" in 1830 . He set up a theocracy at Nauvoo Illinois, and ran for president of the United States in 1844 . His top aide Brigham Young campaigned for Smith saying, "He it is that God of Heaven designs to save this nation from destruction and preserve the Constitution ." </P> <P> Mormon beliefs in theocracy and polygamy bitterly alienated many; violent attacks were common and the Mormons were driven out of state after state . Smith was assassinated in 1844 and Brigham Young led the Mormon Exodus from the United States to Mexican territory in Utah in 1847 . They settled the Mormon Corridor . The United States acquired permanent control of this area in 1848 and rejected the Mormons' 1849 State of Deseret proposal for self - governance, and instead established the Utah Territory in 1850 . Conflicts between Mormons and territorial federal appointees flared, included the Runaway Officials of 1851; this eventually led to the small - scale Utah War of 1857 - 1858, after which Utah remained occupied by Federal troops until 1861 . </P> <P> Congress passed the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862 to curb the Mormon practice of polygamy in the territory, but President Abraham Lincoln did not enforce this law; instead Lincoln gave Brigham Young tacit permission to ignore the act in exchange for not becoming involved with the American Civil War . </P> <P> Postwar efforts to enforce polygamy restrictions were limited until the 1882 Edmunds Act, which allowed for convictions of unlawful cohabitation, which was much easier to prosecute . This law also revoked polygamists' right to vote, made them ineligible for jury service, and prohibited them from holding political office . The subsequent 1887 Edmunds--Tucker Act disincorporated the LDS Church and confiscated church assets . It also: required an anti-polygamy oath for prospective voters, jurors and public officials; mandated civil marriage licenses; disallowed spousal privilege to not testify in polygamy cases; disenfranchised women; replaced local judges with federally appointed judges; and removed local control of schools . After a 1890 Supreme Court ruling found the Edmunds--Tucker Act constitutional, and with most church leadership either in hiding or imprisoned, the church released the 1890 Manifesto which advised church members against entering legally prohibited marriages . Dissenters moved to Canada or Mormon colonies in Mexico, or into hiding in remote areas . With the polygamy issue resolved, church leaders were pardoned or had their sentences reduced, assets were restored to the church, and Utah was eventually granted statehood in 1896 . After the Reed Smoot hearings began in 1904, a Second Manifesto was issued which specified that anyone entering into or solemnizing polygamous marriages would be excommunicated, and clarified that polygamy restrictions applied everywhere, and not just in the United States . </P>

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