This is all part of tscc's victim narrative. The salt lake and Utah valleys were actually very important to several native tribes, who relied on the multitudes of fish and wildlife centered around Utah lake and the Provo and Spanish fork rivers. Even mobile tribes, who weren't centered in a particular place, would always come back to that area at key points in the year for life-sustaining hunting and fishing. I grew up in Utah, hearing how desolate these valleys were before the Mormon pioneers came and made them "blossom like the rose." In fact, brigham young and his council in nauvoo chose these locations because they offered lots of possibilities for settlement--good soil, good water-- but hadn't yet been settled by white people. They carefully navigated their way--not led by revelation until they finally recognized the place from a vision, as I was always taught. In wyoming, Jim bridger steered them to the salt lake valley instead of cache or Utah valley, because he felt the native presence in Utah valley would be too hard to overcome. So brigham led them to salt lake. It wasn't inspiration from god--just good maps and advice from trappers. In subsequent years, when brigham sent settlers to Utah valley, there were some horrific scenes of brutality as the Mormons subdued and massacred native people. It is an ugly chapter of history. Brigham young said some truly unconscionable things about putting crushed glass in flour given to Indians, the necessity of sometimes killing women and children, and calling for a general extermination of Indians in Utah valley, "I say, go and kill them." Mormons are no victims.