A Question just occured to me?

Deserts are amazing places.

A desert represents escaping/leaving the luxuries of living among other men.

A desert is cruel, and hot and it tests your patience and power of will and fortitude.

Its wide, and when youre alone in a desert, you realize how small, how insignificant you really are. You see yourself for yourself. Weak and in need of something larger, something greater than yourself.

That is why, a desert has always been the best place to go on an inward journey, or to ask for forgiveness, or to simply run away from the world of men, into the world of humble reverance to God.

You are heading in the right direction with your question,although religion is not directly based on deserts,there is a strong symbolism here in that the desert is seen as that harse barren place were the body endures suffering and the soul is free to connect to God, it is also seen as the symbol of utter loneliness that comes with having no relationship with the Creator.

I n Christian history it is seen as that place were one goes to find a strong connection between God and the soul,by suffering and endurance, and also it can mean abandonment and loss of God.

I don't know about the rest, just Moses. Moses started his talks with God before He ever went into the desert with the Israelites. May God Bless U.

There is certainly a connection between wilderness, loneliness and religion. Buddha meditated in a forest before finding enlightenment, for instance. One could say loneliness is just not good for you. One could also say that loneliness leads to new insight. I'd go with the second, though not everyone can handle loneliness, that's for sure.

Howard K, you might have something there. Any thoughts on Scientology? Didn't LA use to be a desert?

You've nailed the greatest mystery God had for Mankind, well done!

Mormons didn't start in Utah. They came there from Illinois.

the mormons did not originate in salt lake, they moved there.

how did buddhism and hinduism originate in deserts?

Hence, the Lord of the Desert? Where were you when this was talked about? Shaitan decrees it!

That's because where it all started, were ended up back there again.