Editing History of Missouri (section)

===Mormons===
The earliest "Mormons" (members of the new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) arrived in 1830 near [[Independence, Missouri]]. [[Joseph Smith]], the leader of the church, and a group of his followers moved to Independence in 1831.<ref name="meyer 1982 200"/> Smith announced that, by revelation, he had been told that the area around Independence was to become [[Zion (Mormonism)|Zion]] and a place of gathering.<ref name="meyer 1982 200"/> By 1833, one-third of the population of [[Jackson County, Missouri|Jackson County]] were Mormons, totaling some 1,200 followers.<ref name="meyer 1982 201">Meyer (1982), 201.</ref>

Within two years relations between Mormons and non-Mormons had become hostile.<ref name="meyer 1982 201"/> Much of this was derived from the Mormon practice of purchasing large tracts of land and openly intending to dominate the area, which aroused suspicion from nonbelievers (open claims by the Mormons that the area was given to them by God only worsened the situation).<ref name="meyer 1982 201"/> In addition, the Mormon population would vote in blocks and typically trade only among themselves, and they espoused abolitionist views.<ref name="meyer 1982 201"/> In July 1833, a community meeting of non-Mormons was held at the Independence courthouse to describe the grievances against the Mormons; at the meeting, the group agreed to a declaration that all Mormons were banned from the county.<ref name="meyer 1982 202">Meyer (1982), 202.</ref> When the Mormon community refused to accept the declaration, mobs attacked the local Mormon press and two Mormon leaders, [[Edward Partridge]] and Charles Allen, were tarred and feathered.<ref name="meyer 1982 202"/>

Initially the Mormon group responded to the violence with a hasty agreement to depart; however, after receiving reassurances from Missouri Governor [[Daniel Dunklin]] to provide protection, the Mormons brought a larger group of settlers to the area and reneged on their forced agreement.<ref name="meyer 1982 202"/> Enraged at the decision, anti-Mormon groups attacked the Mormon community again in October 1833; when the state courts and militia refused to provide the protection, most Mormons departed the Independence area by early 1834.<ref name="meyer 1982 202"/> For the next three years, most Mormons lived in nearby [[Clay County, Missouri|Clay County]]; however, in 1836, the local people again demanded the Mormons leave.<ref name="meyer 1982 203">Meyer (1982), 203.</ref> This time, Mormon lobbyists arranged for the state to create [[Caldwell County, Missouri|Caldwell County]] to the north as a Mormon refuge, where the Mormons established the town of [[Far West, Missouri|Far West]].<ref name="meyer 1982 203"/> Far West and Caldwell County quickly became a destination for Mormon settlers, along with neighboring [[Carroll County, Missouri|Carroll]] and [[Daviess County, Missouri|Daviess]] counties.<ref name="meyer 1982 202"/>

In 1838 hostility erupted again between the Mormons and non-Mormons, in what became known as the [[1838 Mormon War]].<ref name="meyer 1982 204">Meyer (1982), 204.</ref> Beginning from an election dispute in which non-Mormons attempted to suppress the Mormon vote in Daviess County, open fighting broke out, in which a number of people, including civilians, were killed.<ref name="meyer 1982 204"/> Missouri Governor [[Lilburn Boggs]] raised a state militia unit to attack the Mormons, and he issued [[Missouri Executive Order 44]], which read in part:

{{Blockquote|The Mormons must be treated as enemies and must be exterminated or driven from the state if necessary for public peace.|Governor Lilburn Boggs<ref name="meyer 1982 204"/><ref name="exterminationordernote">In 1976 Missouri officially revoked the extermination order.</ref>}}

After learning of the involvement of the state militia, the Mormon forces surrendered and many Mormon religious leaders, including [[Joseph Smith]], were jailed.<ref name="meyer 1982 204"/> After several trials, Smith and the other leaders were allowed to escape, and he and his church moved to Illinois to form the city of [[Nauvoo, Illinois|Nauvoo]] in 1839.<ref name="meyer 1982 205">Meyer (1982), 205.</ref> The treatment received by the Mormons from Missourians was particularly intolerant, and is considered by historian Duane G. Meyer as "one of the sorriest episodes in the history of the state."<ref name="meyer 1982 205"/> Despite their poor treatment, Missouri still holds many sites considered significant by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the related [[Community of Christ]].{{citation needed|date=December 2012}}