Why did the Mormons move?

Answer 1

In pretty much all cases leading up to the consolidation of the Church of Latter Day Saints in Utah, the Mormons moved to avoid violence or when they were asked to move by process of law (whether or not due process was correctly followed remains an issue of contention to this day). From the very start, Joseph Smith tried to create a tightly knit group who acted as a bloc and wielded both economic and political power together. Other groups in the areas where the Mormon migration paused, resented this. LDS tend to explain the resentment as a natural reaction of the unholy, and they also note that they follow God's laws and not necessarily the law of Man (which tended to raise havoc with the local authorities). Local non-Mormon groups give reasons that lean towards the perceived Mormon tendency (intentional or otherwise) to effectively exert economic and political control over the area -- and in some cases forced the Mormons to move, sometimes by act of law; sometimes by grass roots reactions (legal and otherwise). A sociologist might add that, when groups don't integrate and yet live in close proximity, violence tends to erupt. Whichever view you prefer, it's accurate to say that violence followed the Mormons on their journey out west and likely was the primary motivating factor in their moves.

Answer 2

They didn't move from Nevada, they moved to Nevada! Mormon pioneers settled many cities in Nevada that are still thriving (and full of Mormons) today, including Las Vegas!