The Mormon religion was a movement that took its followers from east to west in the middle of the 19th century, including a strong presence in Illinois before ending up in the Utah territory. But a power vacuum caused a split, leaving two men leading two groups. One built his movement into a major force. The other has seemingly disappeared from history. Was its leader a holy man or a con artist? Larry Potash digs deep in this Backstory segment.

Backstory airs Saturday nights at 7 and Sunday nights at 11 on WGN-TV and on the WGN+ app, available on Amazon, Roku, Apple TV, and any smart TV. Check out the Backstory podcast at WGNtv.com/Backstory via Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcast

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