Mormon War

Mormon War. This term broadly refers to a series of violent conflicts during the 1830s and 1840s between members of the Latter Day Saint movement and other settlers, culminating in the expulsion of the Saints from the state of Missouri and the assassination of their leader, Joseph Smith, in Illinois. The hostilities were fueled by deep religious, political, and economic tensions, involving state militias and local vigilante groups. These events were pivotal in the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, directly leading to the great exodus to the Salt Lake Valley under Brigham Young.

Background and causes

Rapid growth of the Latter Day Saint movement following its founding by Joseph Smith in Upstate New York created immediate friction with established communities. Doctrinal differences, the Saints' bloc voting in local elections, and their perceived economic cohesion alarmed their neighbors in Ohio and later Missouri. The publication of the Book of Mormon and Smith's claims of new revelation were viewed as heretical. In Missouri, a specific catalyst was the belief that the Saints would assist local Native American tribes in a rebellion, a fear inflamed by rumors and the Saints' own millennialist beliefs about inheriting Jackson County as a Zion. Political power struggles, especially in counties like Caldwell and Davies, where the Saints formed majorities, escalated tensions into open hostility.

Conflict in Missouri

Violence in Missouri erupted in 1833 with the destruction of the Latter Day Saint printing office in Independence and the forced expulsion of Saints from Jackson County. The conflict reached its peak in 1838 following the so-called "Mormon War" within the state. Key incidents included the Battle of Crooked River, a skirmish between the Mormon militia (the Danites) and a Missouri state militia unit, and the Haun's Mill massacre, where a mob killed 17 Latter Day Saints. Missouri's governor, Lilburn Boggs, then issued the infamous Missouri Executive Order 44, known as the "Extermination Order," which directed that Mormons be driven from the state or exterminated. This led to the Siege of Far West and the surrender of the Mormon leadership, including Joseph Smith, who was imprisoned in Liberty Jail.

Conflict in Illinois

Following their expulsion from Missouri, the Saints were granted a charter for the city of Nauvoo in Illinois, where they established a powerful political and economic enclave. Tensions mounted again due to the city's unique autonomy under the Nauvoo Charter, the political aspirations of Joseph Smith (including his presidential campaign), and the practice of plural marriage. Dissent within the church, led by figures like John C. Bennett and the publishers of the Nauvoo Expositor, culminated in Smith ordering the destruction of the Expositor's press. This act prompted Illinois governor Thomas Ford to call out the militia and demand Smith's surrender. Smith was jailed in Carthage, where on June 27, 1844, a mob with blackened faces stormed the jail and assassinated him and his brother Hyrum Smith in what became known as the Carthage Jail murders.

Aftermath and legacy

The assassination of Joseph Smith failed to destroy the movement but triggered a succession crisis and increased persecution in Illinois. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, the majority of Saints organized the epic Mormon exodus westward, ultimately founding Salt Lake City in the Utah Territory. The violence of the preceding years left a deep legacy of mistrust between Latter Day Saints and the federal government, contributing to later conflicts like the Utah War. The events also led to the formation of smaller sects, such as the Community of Christ, which remained in the Midwest. Legal and historical reassessments have occurred over time, including a formal apology from the state of Missouri for the "Extermination Order" in 1976 and its official rescission.