Missouri Mormon History

The Tragic Story of Mormons in Missouri

Cold Missouri Night
A painting by Joseph Brickey depicting the Mormon Extermination Order in Missouri

The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (often referred to as the “Mormon Church”) in Missouri is more tragic than most people realize. The Mormon church has a large presence in Missouri today, with tens of thousands of members scattered throughout the state. But at one point in Missouri history, there was a war between the religion, the residents, and the state.

Mormons Come to Missouri

1868 drawing of Mormon pioneers by Adrien-Emmanuel Marie
Public Domain

Many followers of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, began moving to the area near Independence, not far from Kansas City, around 1831. That was the year Smith proclaimed that God had designated western Missouri as Zion and the New Jerusalem. Smith also explained that the area was where the second coming of Christ would occur (in addition to Jerusalem) and that it was the place where the Garden of Eden had been located in ancient times.

But the new settlers’ beliefs, their northeastern backgrounds, along with friendly relationships with Native Americans and an opposition to slavery proved to be a volatile combination with other residents who were primarily slave owners and immigrants from Kentucky and Tennessee. Fearing that they would soon be politically and economically overcome by the continued migration of additional Mormons to the area, the non-Mormon residents of Jackson County forcefully ejected all Mormons from the county in 1833.

The Original Handwritten Mormon Extermination Order
Public Domain

The Extermination Order

Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs

The Mormon War erupted in 1838 with clashes between residents. It culminated in the Extermination Order by Governor Lilburn Boggs, which declared that all Mormons were to be driven out of the state or exterminated. It became known as Missouri Executive Order 44.

The group’s approximately fifteen thousand followers were expelled from the state and forced to move, first to Illinois and finally west to Utah as Mormon leaders were jailed and their properties were confiscated. Among those who left was a young man named Brigham Young, who founded Salt Lake City and served as the first territorial governor of Utah after being forced out of Missouri.