The Missouri Persecutions

In Short

B. H. Roberts presents a rigorous, detailed chronicle of the early Latter-day Saints' struggle to establish a community in Missouri between 1830 and 1838. Facing intense religious hostility, land disputes, and escalating mob violence, the Saints were repeatedly forced from their homes in Jackson, Clay, Daviess, and Caldwell counties. The book details the failure of local and federal authorities to protect the Saints' constitutional rights, culminating in military intervention and forced expulsion. It endures as a primary historical record written to document the sacrifices of early Church members against political oppression and religious intolerance.

The Story

The narrative begins with high spiritual ambitions as the early Latter-day Saints send missionaries westward into Ohio and Missouri. Accepting the Book of Mormon, early leaders identify Jackson County, Missouri, as the site for Zion, dedicating a specific tract near Independence for a future temple. Pioneers clear land, build homes, and establish printing operations, expecting to build an enduring community. However, rapid immigration, cultural differences, and distinct religious beliefs quickly alienate the long-time Missouri settlers, who view the newcomers with intense suspicion and hostility.

Escalating tensions soon erupt into open conflict. Local mobs form in Jackson County, demanding that the Saints halt immigration, close their press, and leave the region. When Church leaders resist, mob actions turn violent, leading to the destruction of property and the illegal disarming of Saint militias under false promises of protection. Forced to surrender their weapons, the Saints are driven across the Missouri River into Clay County during the harsh winter.

Seeking redress, Church leaders appeal to both state and national leaders. Governor Daniel Dunklin acknowledges the injustice but ultimately refuses to enforce the law, declaring that public opinion overrides legal protections. President Andrew Jackson’s administration similarly declines federal intervention, citing state sovereignty constraints. In response, Joseph Smith leads "Zion's Camp," an expedition intended to bring relief and reinforce the Saints' position, but the effort disbands following a deadly outbreak of cholera and further political inaction.

Refusing to abandon their faith, the Saints regroup and settle in northern Missouri, founding towns like Far West and De Witt. However, political conflicts at the ballot box in Daviess County trigger renewed violence. Mobs attack outlying settlements, burning homes and driving families into the woods. A tragic climax occurs at Haun's Mill, where an armed mob massacres nineteen men and boys.

Governor Lilburn W. Boggs subsequently issues an order directing the state militia to expel or exterminate the Saints. State forces under General Alexander Doniphan surround Far West. Joseph Smith and other prominent leaders surrender under a truce, only to be arrested, subjected to mock trials, and imprisoned in Richmond and Liberty Jails while their followers are systematically disarmed, stripped of property, and driven from Missouri under threat of death.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Missionaries journey westward to preach to the indigenous peoples, establishing key converts and branches along the way. Arriving in Jackson County, Missouri, leaders dedicate the land and select a specific summit near Independence as the dedicated temple site.

The storm gathers in Jackson As new converts stream into the region, local Missourians form organized mobs demanding an immediate end to Latter-day Saint settlement. The mob forces an agreement requiring the community to vacate the county and shut down their printing establishment.

Disarmed and driven out Under the pretense of restoring order, state militia leaders convince the Saints to surrender their firearms in exchange for protection. Instead of keeping the peace, armed bands attack the defenseless citizens, forcing hundreds of families to flee across the Missouri River.

Appeals to power fail Exiled members petition state and federal authorities for protection and restoration of their lands. Governor Dunklin admits the law has been broken but refuses to act, asserting that public sentiment holds ultimate authority over legal rights.

The march of Zion's Camp Joseph Smith organizes a relief expedition from Ohio to assist the displaced Saints in Missouri. The arduous journey faces internal division, logistical hurdles, and a devastating cholera epidemic before disbanding without restoring the exiles to their homes.

Rising violence in the north After re-establishing settlements in Caldwell and Daviess counties, conflict erupts anew during a local election. Mobs burn homes, steal livestock, and besiege outlying towns, forcing the Saints to take up arms in self-defense.

Tragedy at Haun's Mill An armed mob surprises a small community at a local mill, opening fire on defenseless men and boys. Nineteen victims are killed and buried in an abandoned well, marking the deadliest single massacre of the conflict.

Surrender and final exile State militia forces surround Far West, forcing the Saints to surrender their leaders and agree to complete expulsion from Missouri. Joseph Smith and his companions are imprisoned while thousands of refugees march east toward Illinois.

The People

• Joseph Smith, Jr. wants to establish the city of Zion, gather the converts of the restored gospel, and protect his community from illegal violence. Standing in his way are aggressive local mobs, indifferent political figures, and internal betrayals. Through years of betrayal, military siege, and long imprisonment in state jails, he evolves from a dynamic young religious leader into a tested, unyielding figurehead willing to face execution for his followers.

• Governor Daniel Dunklin wants to maintain political stability and uphold the law without alienating his local Missouri constituency. Standing in his way is the fierce, unlawful mob violence of his voters, which demands the removal of the Saints. Ultimately, he compromises his constitutional duty, admitting the injustice while refusing to exert executive power to stop it.

• Lyman Wight wants to defend his people's homes and constitutional liberties against lawless aggressors. Standing in his way are superior numbers of armed mobbers and hostile state militias. He steps forward as a decisive military leader who commands local defensive forces, survives intense manhunts, and maintains fierce loyalty to his faith under extreme pressure.

• Alexander W. Doniphan wants to uphold legal justice, maintain constitutional order, and protect citizens from unlawful violence regardless of religious prejudice. Standing in his way are illegal executive orders and bloodthirsty mob commanders. As a militia officer and lawyer, he consistently defends the Saints' legal rights and directly refuses orders to execute Church leaders.

In Its Own Voice

"I indulge the hope that by becoming acquainted with the story of the suffering of the early saints, the faith of the Gospel will become all the more dear to the hearts of their immediate posterity."

In the preface, the author outlines his primary motivation for recording these historical events for future generations.

"A public sentiment may become paramount law, and when one man, or society of men become so obnoxious to that sentiment, as to determine the people to be rid of him or them, it is useless to run counter to it."

Governor Dunklin encapsulates the tragic political stance that left the Saints entirely without state protection.

"Dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains, at midnight in a dungeon, in an obscure village in Missouri."

An observer reflects on the quiet resolve displayed by church leadership during their captivity following the fall of Far West.

What It's Really About

At its core, the work examines the fragile nature of civil liberties when minority rights clash with overwhelming local prejudice. It addresses the dangerous doctrine of mobocracy—where popular sentiment overrides constitutional guarantees—and explores how political authorities fail when they prioritize electoral expediency over rule of law. Beyond political critique, the book argues that religious sacrifice forms the bedrock of spiritual identity. It asks whether a democratic republic can truly guarantee religious freedom when public opinion turns hostile, framing the Missouri trials as both a tragic national failure and a sacred test of endurance for a persecuted people.

Why Read It Today

This history appeals directly to readers interested in early American religion, 19th-century frontier dynamics, and the limits of constitutional law. Reading it feels like sitting with an early 20th-century historian who writes with passionate conviction, combining formal legal documentation, personal letters, and vivid eyewitness testimony. The narrative carries a somber, urgent gravity, moving rapidly from detailed legislative petitions to harrowing accounts of frontier survival.

Modern readers must navigate period difficulties, including extensive block quotations of legal correspondence, archaic language, and straightforward partisan framing. The text does not pretend to be an detached neutral observer; it is an explicit defense of a persecuted community written by a prominent Church historian. Yet, what stays with you is the sheer scale of the displacement and the utter failure of executive power to protect unpopular citizens. It serves as a stark historical warning about the ease with which democratic protections can crumble under the weight of prejudice and unchecked mob rule.