Many people leave their places of origin voluntarily. They seek a new home where they can live according to their values, lifestyle, and faith alongside like-minded individuals. Some join already existing communities, while others must first establish them.

In the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith claimed in 1830 that early Israelite settlers had lived in America. He said that Jesus himself had later appeared there to their descendants. Christians strongly rejected this addition to the Bible. Due to numerous conflicts, the Mormons finally moved to the area of the present-day US state of Utah in 1847. They violently expelled the indigenous inhabitants in order to build their utopian society called Zion. Wars with the US government over Mormon polygamy and the quest for independence strengthened the cohesion of the community.