The Missouri Persecutions — Themes and Context

THE FACTS IN WHICH THE CHUCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS HAD ITS ORIGIN.

The Mission to the Lamanites.

The Land and the City.

Settlement of the Saints In Missouri--Their Errors--Reproofs and Warnings.

Threats of the Mob--Appeal of the Saints.

The "Honor" of a Mob.

Scenes on the Banks of the Missouri--Exiled.

Aftermath of the Expulsion.

An "Attempted Vindication" of Law.

The Cause of Expulsion--Future Redemption.

Importuning at the Feet of the Judge--the Governor--the President.

Dissensions in the Camp.

Views Concerning Zion--Mob vs. Storm.

The Threatened Judgment--If--!

Attempt at Arbitration.

The Pros and Cons of Arbitration Proposition.

An Interim--Blighted Hopes.

Peaceful Exodus from Clay County.

The Fall of David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery.

The Apostasy at Kirtland.

The Fourth of July, 1838.

Boggs in Action--Defense Construed into Offense.

Exterminating Order of Governor Boggs.

The Betrayal of Far West.

Sad Scenes at Far West.

"A Strong Point for Treason"

Exodus from Missouri.

Again the Passively Good--Petitions.

The Escape of the Prophet from Missouri.

A Prophecy that did not Fail.

"Mormons" in Jackson County, etc.

THE MISSOURI PERSECUTIONS

THE FACTS IN WHICH THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS HAD ITS ORIGIN.

The story of the persecutions endured by the Latter-day Saints in Missouri, one of the sovereign States of the United States of America, properly begins with the advent of a mission to the Lamanites,[A] at Independence, Missouri, in the winter of 1830. But in order that those not acquainted with the history of The Church may understand how there came to be a mission to the Lamanites in 1830, and how there came to be a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be persecuted, I think it proper to state briefly those facts in which The Church had its origin.

[Footnote A: American Indians]

I know the story has often been told--so often indeed that all novelty in relation to it has long since passed away. But in history there are certain foundation facts that are as essential to the right understanding of some particular phase of history as the employment of the first principles of the science of mathematics is to the solution of some particular problem in algebra; and the historical writer is as much bound to state those foundation facts as the mathematician is to use the first principles of his science in the solution of his problem.

In the present instance, however, though I deem it necessary to tell again such a well known story as the rise of The Church, I shall attempt no embellishment of it; nor shall I deal with the religious condition of the world at the time of the origin of The Church with any view to establish the probability of the story; nor stop to call attention to the reasonableness and strength of it; nor the evidences of its truth, or necessity, although the temptation to do this is always strong whenever the facts of that story are passed before me in review. I shall content myself on this occasion with a mere statement of the facts, such as an annalist might make, without any further consideration of them whatsoever; and this because such a statement will serve my present purpose.

Joseph Smith, the man who, under the direction of God, was the founder of The Church, was born at the little village of Sharon, Windsor County, in the State of Vermont, on the 23rd of December, in the year of our Lord 1805.

When he was ten years of age the Smith family moved from Vermont to the State of New York, settling in Palmyra, Wayne County. Four years later the family moved a few miles south to the town of Manchester, Ontario County.

Here, in the spring of 1820, a great religious revival agitated the community, and Joseph Smith was much affected by it.