Final answer:
Mormons, led by Joseph Smith and later Brigham Young, sought refuge in the Great Salt Lake region due to persecution during the religious fervor of the Second Great Awakening. Their westward migration, known as the Mormon Trek, signified a search for religious freedom and the creation of a new community based on their beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The religious revivals of the 1830s and 1840s, particularly the Second Great Awakening, led to various new religious movements and social reforms. Among these was the founding of the Mormon community by Joseph Smith, Jr., which took shape with the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830 and the subsequent establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Following persecution and hostility in the East, and driven by a desire for autonomy and safe haven, Mormons led by Brigham Young trekked to the Great Salt Lake in the 1840s, seeking to establish a "pure kingdom of Christ" far from outside interference.
Smith's death in 1844 catalyzed the migration, as Young led an exodus to the west, where the sparse population and isolation offered a chance to practice their religion without persecution. The migration, known as the Mormon Trek, was a significant undertaking, marked by the use of handcarts and the creation of a new base in what is now Utah. This move reflected their search for religious freedom and exemplified the wider pattern of American westward expansion.