Mormon converts migrated west seeking a place to gather as a people and find refuge from religious persecution, and as they established settlements in Central Utah they faced harsh conditions in Sanpete Valley, very few supplies, and communities made up of people from varied socioeconomic backgrounds who spoke different languages. Rather than being overwhelmed, they united under the direction of their religious leaders and carefully planned their communities. Manti became a supply hub for smaller satellite communities such as Mt. Pleasant and Ephraim, and together the pioneers transformed the arid desert into a thriving string of communities. Unlike traditional western homesteading centered on individual families, pioneers in Central Utah colonized more effectively by sharing resources and working together to build irrigation systems, canals, roads, and fences, then established local governments and erected public buildings with donated labor, time, and materials.