Lincoln and the Mormons

[Gene C]

I think Lincoln had very little contact with the Mormons, they were further west in IL than the area he normally traveled. There was some concern about them in the area, as there were rumors of young women being kidnapped to become wives of the Mormon religious leaders. Their leader, Joseph Smith (who had multiple wives) was killed around 1844, and the village was all but abandoned as the Mormons in the area migrated further west.

The reconstructed Mormon village Nauvoo, where Joseph Smith lived for a few years before his death, is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. It's an interesting visit. I have visited there over 10 years ago.

There is an excellent video I remember watching on PBS several years ago about their travels west
http://www.grobergfilms.com/servlet/Detail?no=4