Hey Brian, thanks for reading the piece! A couple of things: Brigham Young wanted to settle southern Utah, so he sent an apostle to create St. George. Originally called "Dixie", they thought that it was going to be a good cotton growing area. That didn't work out. Young also wanted to create settlements in Arizona, and because of the Canyon, the only route south skirted the Colorado River. So the Mormons spread south from the St George area and west from what is now Page. They also founded cities like Mesa, Phoenix, Tempe, and Prescott. The church outlawed polygamy in the late 1800's. I am assuming Jeffs and others saw the Strip as a relatively safe place to create their own sect that allowed polygamy: The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Residents were afraid to say anything to the outside world for fear of retribution. That's probably why it took awhile for the authorities to catch on. Sorry this is so long winded!