The Mormon Extermination Order in Missouri: A Tragic History

The history 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 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 around 1831. This area is not far from Kansas City. That same 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. This was in addition to Jerusalem. He said it was the place where the Garden of Eden had been located in ancient times.

But the new settlers’ ran into many issues. Their religious beliefs, outside status, and an opposition to slavery, proved to be a volatile combination with the locals. The non-Mormon residents of Jackson County feared political and economic domination. They worried about the continued migration of additional Mormons to the area. As a result, in 1833, they forcefully ejected all Mormons from the county.

The Original Handwritten Mormon Extermination Order
Public Domain

The Extermination Order

Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs

The Mormon War erupted in 1838 when Governor Lilburn Boggs issued the Extermination Order. The order declared that all Mormons had to leave the state or be exterminated. It became known as Missouri Executive Order 44.

The group’s approximately 15,000 followers were expelled from the state and forced to move. They first traveled to Illinois and finally west to Utah as Mormon leaders were jailed and their properties were confiscated. Among those who left Missouri was a young man named Brigham Young. He founded Salt Lake City and served as the first territorial governor of Utah after being forced out of Missouri.