what are the three things that the Mormons did to turn the wild, dry terrain into a prosperous place?

The Mormon pioneers were known as very hard working and industrious people. They were very well organized and had great faith that God was on their side and therefore they could succeed. From their struggles, they learned to work together to survive. Immediately after they arrived, they plotted out a city and began digging irrigation lines from mountain streams to the valleys below. Crops were planted before homes were built.

People were organized into companies to settle various areas which would produce different items based on the climate - those sent to southern Utah grew cotton and raised silkworms; Northern Utah was ideal for dairy farming; Central Utah had areas for mining and timber. They worked together to build homes, often many families would share a small cabin until more could be built. Because timber was hard to find and nails were extremely rare, they made do with what they had, making adobe homes and lashing wood frames together with hides.

Rather than become dependent on expensive shipments from the East, they made their own materials (including yarn and fabric!) and sold the excess to those traveling further west to California and Oregon. It took a lot of faith and hard work, but the Mormon pioneers turned what was practically a barren wasteland into a thriving and prosperous place.