{"id":5140,"date":"2014-12-09T16:44:25","date_gmt":"2014-12-09T21:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/guidedhistory\/?page_id=5140"},"modified":"2015-01-03T10:05:43","modified_gmt":"2015-01-03T15:05:43","slug":"mormon-conflict-and-controversy-at-nauvoo-1839-1846","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/guidedhistory\/historians-craft\/mormon-conflict-and-controversy-at-nauvoo-1839-1846\/","title":{"rendered":"Mormon Conflict and Controversy at Nauvoo, 1839-1846"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h1>\n

Rachel Daigle<\/h5>\n
\"An<\/a>

An early map of Jackson County, Illinois<\/p><\/div>\n

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Introduction<\/span><\/h2>\n

In 1839, a beleaguered, exiled group known as the Church of Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ\u2014also known as the Mormons\u2014crossed the Missouri border into Jackson County, Illinois. Fleeing from years of violent persecution by non-Mormons, the Mormons set up the city of Nauvoo under the aegis of their prophet, Joseph Smith, the founder and first prophet of the Church. The Mormon community was initially welcomed and expanded rapidly into a permanent, thriving center of Mormon religion, but over the course of five years, the Mormons rapidly lost favor with authorities and neighboring towns. Violence and persecution sprang anew among the citizens of Illinois, and in 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered during an anti-Mormon raid at a Carthage jail. Shortly after, under new leadership and duress, the Mormons left Nauvoo for a new home in the West. The rapid rise and decline of Nauvoo, once intended as a paradise in preparation for the millennium, is surrounded in bias and conflict, and it is often seen as an enduring example of religious persecution in America.<\/p>\n

This research guide is intended to explore Mormon Nauvoo in its historical context. Its primary focus rests on the controversies arising from and surrounding the Mormon settlement in Illinois; it is by no means a thorough explanation of Mormon theology or society, but \u00a0it is rather an exploration of Nauvoo\u2019s many roles and interactions on the Illinois frontier. The guide is divided into some of the primary controversies involving the Nauvoo Mormons. It is primarily composed of critical articles and books, though primary sources are represented as well through collections and digital databases. The following sources will provide a close study of Nauvoo in context as one of the most important, controversial religious settlements in American history, as well as provide a stepping stone for further inquiry into religious migrations, persecutions, and histories.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Nauvoo house of Mormon leader and prophet Joseph Smith<\/p><\/div>\n

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General Sources<\/span><\/h2>\n

The following sources provide broad, comprehensive perspectives on the Mormons and Nauvoo.<\/p>\n

Nauvoo: Kingdom on the Mississippi<\/em> \u2013 Robert Bruce Flanders<\/strong><\/p>\n

Flanders\u2019 work explores Nauvoo as a settlement in its entirety. Flanders delves deeply into Nauvoo as both a political and a theological site, led by Smith, who acted as religious, political, and economic leader of the city. Ample consideration is given to Nauvoo as both a city of the earth, with a government, military, and industry, and as Smith\u2019s projected Zion for his people. Flanders analyzes the arrival, the lives, and the transformations of the Mormons, as well as the consequences of the city\u2019s growth and the subsequent conflicts that arose. Flanders provides a holistic view of Nauvoo from a variety of perspectives that provide a thorough exploration of Nauvoo society and its relationship with the non-Mormons of Illinois. This work is very thorough and contains a wealth of vital information.<\/p>\n