Each circle is a Latter-day Saint gathering place, sized by its approximate population. Press Play or drag the slider to watch the centers rise and empty as the church moves from New York to Ohio to Missouri to Illinois, ending with the martyrdom of Joseph Smith in 1844. Note the two simultaneous gathering places in the early 1830s — Kirtland, Ohio and Zion in Jackson County, Missouri (the map opens on 1832, when both are full). Hover a circle for detail.