Destination Salt Lake City

Above is an imaginary view of Salt Lake City from about 1850

From 1855 and 1864, more than 400 missionaries left Salt Lake City for the mission field. In 1950, the population of the valley was approximately 6,000. By 1890, the population approached 45,000 mostly due to emigration that was a result of missionary work.

In an effort to encourage and enable emigration, the church established the Perpetual Emigrating Fund Company in 1849. The fund was considered a debt to be repaid with cash, labor or in-kind. More than 30,000 emigrants used the fund and many paid it back. Those who did not repay were considered part of the "worthy poor" and their debt was forgiven during the year of Jubilee.