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There are huge swaths of the west (particularly the intermountain west) that never would have been settled without LDS pioneers.

Say what you may about their religion (though in a vacuum, I'd argue its no stranger than any other faith, it just has less history between founding and now, to loose details to the sands of time) - they had a huge effect on the west overall.

Very much so, beginning with this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_pioneers

Sam Brannon who started the first paper in SF and hyped the Gold Rush was a mormon and did quite well for himself (considered the first gold rush millionaire).

Mormons also were amongst the early workers at Sutter's Mill.

They were out there early, as Anglos go. It was a Mormon worker who first discovered gold at Sutter's mill.