Danite

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This article is about the Mormon group. "Danite" can also refer to a member of the Tribe of Dan.

The Danites were a fraternal organization founded by Latter Day Saints in June of 1838, at Far West in Caldwell County, Missouri. During their brief period of formal organization in Missouri, the Danites operated as a vigilante group and took a central role in the events of the Mormon War. The exact nature and scope of the organization, and its connection to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a matter of some dispute among historians.

In 1834, during the march of Zion's Camp, Joseph Smith created a militia known as the "Armies of Israel" to protect his community; this group was also called the Danites. After the Mormon War of 1838, the term "Danite" was often connected with any Latter Day Saint militantism, including the Nauvoo police, the body guards of Joseph Smith, Jr., the "Whistling and Whittling Brigades," and Brigham Young's so-called "Destroying Angels" or "Avenging Angels." Although some members of these later groups had been Danites in the Missouri period, the leadership of the 1838 secret society, particularly Sampson Avard, was not associated with the leadership of the peace-keeping militias using the same name.

(For more information and discussion on the Danites (and comparison of the different historical accounts' integrity), see Jeff Lindsay's analysis.

Contents

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Background

Prior to 1838, the Latter Day Saint movement had two centers — one in Kirtland, Ohio and the other in northwestern Missouri. The headquarters and First Presidency of the church were in Kirtland, while the Missouri church was led by a Stake Presidency made up of David Whitmer, W.W. Phelps, and John Whitmer. In 1836, John Whitmer and Phelps founded the town of Far West, Missouri, which became the headquarters of the church in Missouri. Throughout 1837, the church in Kirtland was torn apart due to conflicts over the failure of the church's Kirtland Safety Society Bank. Ultimately, Joseph Smith, Jr. and Sidney Rigdon of the First Presidency lost control of the headquarters, including the Kirtland Temple, to dissenters led by Warren Parish, who had once stormed the temple armed with pistols and knives. Relocating to Far West in April of 1838, Smith and Rigdon were determined not to similarly lose Far West to dissenters.

In Missouri, financial disagreements had likewise created a dissenting group. The Missouri presidency stood accused of mismanaging church funds intended for the purchase of Missouri lands on which Latter Day Saints could settle. Thomas B. Marsh led a series of church courts, which released from office and ultimately disfellowshipped the presidency and their key supporters. However, these men and their families — who became known as dissenters — continued to live in Caldwell County but refused to do anything to help the saints protect themselves against the attacking mobs. The legal situation concerning the property they had purchased in their names — some of it on behalf of the church, some for their own use — was unclear. When leaders of the community at Far West attempted to claim some of the property for use by the onslaught of incoming converts, the dissenters filed lawsuits to retain possession of all the land and spoke out against the First Presidency (Anderson, pp. 61-64).

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Early Organization

In June of 1838, a group of zealous Mormons began meeting together in Far West under the leadership of Sampson Avard, Jared Carter, and George W. Robinson to discuss the problem of the dissenters (Baugh, p. 36). The group organized under the name "The Daughters of Zion," but they soon became known as the "Sons of Dan," after the warrior tribe of Israel, or the "Danites," a reference to a Biblical prophecy found in the Book of Daniel (7:18). According to Albert P. Rockwood, a loyal Mormon writing in October of 1838:

"The Companies are called Danites because the Prophet Daniel has said that the Saints shall take the kingdom and possess it forever" (Jesse and Whittaker, p. 23).

Thomas B. Marsh, former President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was excommunicated when he continued to support false claims made by him and his wife. As a bitter dissenter, he sought to persecute the growing church. He used the fact that he had been present at many Danite meetings to attempt to bring validity to his questionable claim that the Danites swore oaths "to support the heads of the church in all things that they say or do, whether right or wrong" (Document, p. 58). The newly formed band disagreed initially on what steps to take against the dissenters. Reed Peck, another bitter ex-Mormon, alleged that Jared Carter and Dimick B. Huntington proposed that the group "kill these men that they would not be capable of injuring the church" (Peck, p. 22). John Corrill and Thomas B. Marsh (while still a practicing Mormon), however, were able to argue strongly against the proposal.

John Corrill recalled that "the first presidency did not seem to have much to do with [the Danites] at first," some of the Danites clearly saw this sermon as a sign of approval (Corrill, p. 31). The matter was tabled until the following Sunday when Sidney Rigdon preached his Salt Sermon, in which he likened the dissenters to "salt that had lost its savor." He went on to state that the dissenters would be "trodden under the foot of men" (Van Wagoner, p. 218). Ironically, Sidney Rigdon soon after left the church and began persecuting the Mormons himself.

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The Danite Manifesto

Ebenezer Robinson (who remained with the church after 1838), recalled that the next day a letter was "gotten up in the office of the First Presidency" (Quinn, p. 94), which Danite leader Sampson Avard, a man of questionable integrity, later charged was written by Sidney Rigdon (Document, p. 102). The letter was addressed specifically to the principal dissenters: Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, John Whitmer, W.W. Phelps, and Lyman E. Johnson. It made several accusations concerning the actions and character of these dissenters and then stated:

"We have solemnly warned you, and that in the most determined manner, that if you do not cease that course of wanton abuse of the citizens of this county, that vengeance would overtake you sooner or later, and that when it did come it would be as furious as the mountain torrent, and as terrible as the beating tempest; but you have affected to dispise our warnings, and pass them off with a sneer, or a grin, or a threat, and pursued your former course; and vengeance sleepeth not, neither does it slumber; and unless you heed us this time, and attend to our request, it will overtake you at an hour when you do not expect, and at a day when you do not look for it; and for you there shall be no escape; for there is but one decree for you, which is depart, depart, or a more fatal calamity shall befall you" (Document, pp. 103-106).

The letter — the so-called "Danite Manifesto" — displayed the signatures of eighty-three Mormons, including that of Joseph Smith's brother, and fellow member of the First Presidency, Hyrum. Hyrum's personal involvement with the Danites, however, is questionable. Robinson later claimed that all of the signers were Danites (Quinn, p. 94).

The letter had the desired effect and the few named dissenters quickly fled the county, relocating to Liberty and Richmond in neighboring Clay and Ray counties. Despite the harsh treatment of the few vocal dissidents, a dozen others, who were not involved in feeding lies to the Missouri mobs, were permitted to peacefully remain in the community. One of the expelled dissenters, John Whitmer, claimed that they had been "driven from their homes" and robbed "of all their goods save clothing & bedding &c." (John Whitmer, p. 184). Reed Peck agreed, asserting that "the claims by which this property was taken from these men were unjust and perhaps without foundation cannot be doubted by any unprejudiced person acquainted with all parties and circumstances" (Peck, p. 28).

Joseph Smith (who denied any direct involvement with the Danites) noted in his journal that the dissenters "took warning and soon they were seen bounding over the prairie like the scape Goat to carry of[f] their own sins" (Faulring, p. 187). According to the critic Peck, Sidney Rigdon likewise approved, even asserting that the Mormons were within their rights to expel an undesirable minority from their midst, saying that:

"When a country, or body of people have individuals among them with whom they do not wish to associate and a public expression is taken against their remaining among them and such individuals do not remove it is the principle of republicanism itself that gives that community a right to expel them forcibly and no law will prevent it" (Peck, p. 33). Nevertheless, dissenters whose actions did not threaten the lives of the Latter-day Saints were permitted to stay.
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Joseph Smith's response to Avard, the Danites, and other dissenters

Joseph Smith and the other leaders of the church, such as Hyrum and Heber C. Kimball, were quick to forgive those who had betrayed them and the saints. Orson Hyde, W.W. Phelps, Oliver Cowdery, and Martin Harris were all once again extended the hand of fellowship and welcomed back to the church with open arms. Joseph's letter to W.W. Phelps, in particular, is a touching and telling sign of the compassion of the nature of the man the saints called prophet:

"Dear Brother Phelps. - I must say that it is with no ordinary feelings I endeavor to write a few lines to you in answer to yours of the 29th ultimo; at the same time I am rejoiced at the privilege granted me.
"You may in some measure realize what my feelings, as well as Elder Rigdon's and Brother Hyrum's were, when we read your letter - truly our hearts were melted into tenderness and compassion when we ascertained your resolves. I can assure you I feel a disposition to act on your case in a manner that will meet the approbation of Jehovah, (whose servant I am), and agreeable to the principles of truth and righteousness which have been revealed; and inasmuch as long-suffering, patience, and mercy have ever characterized the dealings of our heavenly Father towards the humble and patient, I feel disposed to copy the example, cherish the same principles, and by so doing be a savior of my fellow men.
"It is true, that we have suffered much in consequence of your behavior - the cup of gall, already full enough for mortals to drink, was indeed filled to overflowing when you turned against us. One with whom we had oft taken sweet counsel together, and enjoyed many refreshing seasons from the Lord - "had it been an enemy, we could have borne it. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day when strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Far West, even thou wast as one of them; but thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother, in the day that he became a stranger, neither shouldst thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress."
"However, the cup has been drunk, the will of our Father has been done, and we are yet alive, for which we thank the Lord. And having been delivered from the hands of wicked men by the mercy of our God, we say it is your privilege to be delivered from the powers of the adversary, be brought into the liberty of God's dear children, and again take your stand among the Saints of the Most High, and by diligence, humility, and love unfeigned, commend yourself to our God, and your God, and to the Church of Jesus Christ.
"Believing your confession to be real, and your repentance genuine, I shall be happy once again to give you the right hand of fellowship, and rejoice over the returning prodigal.
"Your letter was read to the Saints last Sunday, and an expression of their feeling was taken, when it was unanimously Resolved, That W. W. Phelps should be received into fellowship.
"'Come on, dear brother, since the war is past, for friends at first, are friends again at last.'
"Yours as ever, JOSEPH SMITH, JUN." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Four 1839-42, p.165-166).

Despite his compassionate heart, Joseph Smith was firm in his criticism of Sampson Avard's character, motivation, and actions. At one point, Avard, Joseph, and others went to Justice Black for help defending the saints from the Missouri mobs. Mentioning that Avard threatened him with bloodthirsty language at the meeting, Black wrote:

"Witness said to Avard, you must be of a savage nature, and he replied he was, that he was an old Virginian, that it was his disposition and he could not help it. Witness then asked Mr. Smith if he protected Dr. Avard in his savage disposition, or if he possessed such a heart. He replied no" (Adam Black, testimony 18 Sep 1838, Document, p. 162, as cited by Anderson, p. 67).

Referring to the surrender of Mormon troops and the captuer of Avard, on November 2, 1838, Joseph Smith wrote:

"About this time Sampson Avard was found by the mob secreted in the hazel brush some miles from Far West, and brought into camp, where he and they were 'hail fellows well met;' for Avard told them that Daniteism was an order of the Church, and by his lying tried to make the Church a scape-goat for his sins" (History of the Church, 3:192).

While in Liberty Jail (imprisoned on false testimony), Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, and others wrote a letter dated March 25, 1839, to the saints who had been driven from the state. Among their words was this warning:

"And again, I would further suggest the impropriety of the organization of bands or companies, by covenant or oaths, by penalties or secrecies; but let the time past of our experience and sufferings by the wickedness of Doctor Avard suffice and let our covenant be that of the Everlasting Covenant, as is contained in the Holy Writ and the things that God hath revealed unto us. Pure friendship always becomes weakened the very moment you undertake to make it stronger by penal oaths and secrecy.
"Your humble servant or servants, intend from henceforth to disapprobate everything that is not in accordance with the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and is not of a bold, and frank, and upright nature. They will not hold their peace--as in times past when they see iniquity beginning to rear its head--for fear of traitors, or the consequences that shall follow by reproving those who creep in unawares, that they may get something with which to destroy the flock.... It is expedient that we should be aware of such things; and we ought always to be aware of those prejudices which sometimes so strangely present themselves, and are so congenial to human nature, against our friends, neighbors, and brethren of the world, who choose to differ from us in opinion and in matters of faith. Our religion is between us and our God. Their religion is between them and their God" ((History of the Church, 3:303).
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Expanded Roles of the Armies of Israel, and the Mormon War

Joseph Smith soon took action against Avard for his violent and secretive tactics in the name of the church, removing him from all military duties and establishing him as a surgeon to help with the wounded; Avard mentions this demotion himself (Document, p. 99). With the bloodthirsty leaders ousted and the mob violence increasing, the sanctioned Danite group took on three additional primary functions, (1) enforcement of the Law of Consecration, (2) political activities, and (3) militia activities (see Anderson, pp. 28-30, 34-35, 61-64, Johnson pp. 42, Baugh, pp. 37-40).

Joseph Smith outlined some of the expanded roles in his journal on July 27, 1838:

"Thus far, according to the order of the Danites. We have a company of Danites in these times, to put to right physically that which is not right, and to cleanse the Church of every great evil which has hitherto existed among us inasmuch as they cannot be put to right by teachings and persuasyons [sic]. This company or a part of them exhibited on the fourth day of July [—] They come up to consecrate, by companies of tens, commanded by their captains over ten" (Faulring, p. 198).
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Danites as Enforcers

The Law of Consecration was a commandment given to the church to establish a kind of communitarian program, similar to that order established in the Book of Acts ch. 5, whereby the saints was to give or "consecrate all their money and property to the Church" and lease it back, so that the church could purchase lands for settlement by the destitute converts continually pouring into northwestern Missouri. Corrill recalled that "shortly after the Danites became organized, they set out to enforce the Law of Consecration, but this did not amount to much" (Corrill, p. 46, see also Lee, pp. 64-66).

In the realm of politics, the Danites were called upon to distribute tickets containing the names of candidates approved by the Presidency for the election which was held on August 6. Church leader John Corrill was the approved candidate and consequently won election to the Missouri House of Representatives, but he conceded, "Many saw that it was taking unfair advantage of the election and were extremely dissatisfied" (Corrill, p. 33). A second outpost of Danites had been organized in Daviess County under the leadership of Lyman Wight, who was also a colonel in the state militia. The Danites in Daviess County took part in the Gallatin Election Day Battle, when a group of non-Mormons attempted to prevent any Mormons from voting (Lee, pp. 60-63).

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Danites as a Militia

On July 4, 1838, the Latter Day Saints in Far West held a large Independence Day celebration. As part of the celebration, a military review was held in which both the Mormons of the legal Caldwell County militia (led by Colonel George M. Hinkle), and the bloodthirsty sect of the Danites (led by Jared Carter, Sampson Avard and Cornelius P. Lott) paraded (Baugh, p. 45, see Elders' Journal Aug. 1838). The key-note address came from church spokesman, Sidney Rigdon, who gave an oration, sometimes referred to as the Mormons' "Declaration of Independence" from the "persecution of mobs." In it, Rigdon controversially announced:

"And that mob that comes on us to disturb us, it shall be between us and them a war of extermination; for we will follow them until the last drop of their blood is spilled; or else they will have to exterminate us, for we will carry the seat of war to their own houses and their own families, and one party or the other shall be utterly destroyed..." (Van Wagoner, p. )

Although the First Presidency was generally pleased with the speech and had copies printed and distributed, Brigham Young later recalled that it was "the prime cause of our troubles in Missouri" (Times and Seasons, Oct. 1844).

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Danites and the Daviess Expedition

The new policy of an "aggressive defense against mobs" was put into practice in Daviess County when a group of non-Mormon vigilantes, primarily from Clinton and Platte counties, began to harass Mormons in outlying areas. The vigilantes hoped to drive the Mormons from the county through a policy of intimidation, the burning of isolated homes, and the plundering of property. Seeing the mob violence as a repeat of the nightmares they went through in Independence, Missouri a half-dozen years earlier, the Latter Day Saints requested assistance from state authorities, with little success. On October 18, Joseph Smith called for the assistance of all men who could participate; elements of the Caldwell militia, as well as some of the Danites and their secret oaths of vengeance, gathered at Adam-ondi-Ahman, the saints' headquarters in Daviess County. From there, Apostle David W. Patten led raiding parties against the mobs at the settlements of Gallatin, Millport, and Grindstone Forks. The cannon with which the mob had promised to attack Far West was found buried in the ground, and the towns were basically deserted; remaining non-Mormons were expelled, and some stores and homes were burned. Additionally, the property left by the fleeing mobs was "consecrated" by the raiding parties and brought back to the bishop's store house in Adam-ondi-Ahman (see Mormon War). These actions caused Apostles Thomas B. Marsh and Orson Hyde dissented after this incident. They travelled to Richmond and swore out an affidavit replete with falsehoods concerning the existence of the Danites, and spread rumors that a Danite "destroying company" had been set up with instructions to burn Richmond and Liberty (Document, pp. 57-59).

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Danites and the Battle of Crooked River

The Marsh and Hyde affidavit was a factor leading to the last major military engagement involving the Danites, the Battle of Crooked River. When rumors reached Far West that a mob from Ray County had been raiding southern Caldwell County and was holding Latter Day Saint prisoners, a rescue party was immediately formed. Although Colonel Hinkle of the militia was available, Joseph Smith trusted his senior apostle, David W. Patten, to lead the Latter Day Saints against the mob. The rescue party discovered and attacked the mob along the Crooked River in the extreme north of Ray County. A battle ensued in the darkness of the early morning; one man from the Missouri unit and 3 men from the rescue party were killed, including David W. Patten (a captain in the legitimate Danite faction, also known as the Armies of Israel) and Gideon Carter (brother of Jared Carter, one of Avard's conspirators in the secret Danite brotherhood).

Although the "Armies of Israel" had won the battle, the deaths were an enormous blow to morale. John D. Lee, a member of the Danites, recalled that Patten's death:

"Spread a mantle of gloom over the whole community. It robbed many of their fond hope that they were invincible. If 'Fear Not' [Patten] could be killed, who could claim immunity from the missiles of death, hurled by Gentile [non-Mormon] weapons?" (Lee, p. 79).

Nevertheless, Patten's death did not come as a complete surprise to the Far West community; not long before the Battle of Crooked River, Patten had proclaimed that he wished to die a martyr's death in defense of the Latter Day Saints.

Unfortunately for the saints, the unit they attacked happened to be authorized Missouri state militia. When exaggerated reports of the battle reached Missouri's governor, he responded by calling out 2,500 state troops to fight the Mormons (see Extermination Order). This Extermination Order, combined with the betrayal of men such as Thomas B. Marsh, Orson Hyde, Sampson Avery, and (particularly in this case) Colonel Hinkle, led to the quick arrest of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and other church leaders; soon after their unconstitutional and inhumane incarceration, during the freezing winter of 1838-39, the Latter Day Saints were completely expelled from the state.

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Aftermath

Thousands of Latter Day Saints had flowed into Missouri in just a few years; they were against slavery and voted as a bloc. This led to the unease and the mob action against the saints; Sidney Rigdon fueled the fire with his July 4 speech. But most of all, it was the underhanded tactics and slander of traitorous and scheming men such as Avard, Hyde, Marsh, and Hinkle, that led to the conflict. The state of Missouri considered the Mormons to be the aggressors in the war, and after the destitute saints were forced to flee to Illinois, their homes in Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman were occupied by the mob. A large number of church leaders, including Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, Parley P. Pratt, and George W. Robinson were charged with many crimes including treason. It was during a preliminary hearing that Smith and the other defendants learned that Danite leader Sampson Avard had testified against them. As a result of the testimony, Judge Austin A. King of the Fifth Circuit of Missouri, ruled that there was sufficient evidence to hold Smith, Rigdon, and other leaders for trial; this ruling, however, is questionable. Nevertheless, after waiting for six months in Liberty Jail for their trial, Smith and the others were allowed to escape and soon made their way to join the Latter Day Saints in Quincy, Illinois.

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Scholarly Controversies concerning the Danites

There are many primary accounts of the Danites and their activities — from the recorded court testimony to numerous eye-witness and personal accounts — but these sources are often highly partisan and are occasionally contradictory. The existence of the Danites from June 1838 until the end of the Mormon War, and their participation in key events is well attested. However, scholars have some points of dispute, mainly concerning: (1) The extent of Danite membership among the Mormons, (2) the legitimacy of Avard's testimony concerning the Danites, and (3) Joseph's Smith and the church's relationship to the Danites.

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Number of Danites

The two primary views concerning the extent of the Danite organization are expressed by D. Michael Quinn and Alexander L. Baugh.

Quinn follows the affidavit of self-professed Danite John N. Sapp, who stated on Sept. 4, 1838, that the number of Danites was "betwixt eight and ten hundred men, well armed and equipped..." He also credits the testimony of another Danite, Anson Call, who claimed that "the whole of the Military Force" at Far West belonged to the Danite organization. Based on these and other statements, Quinn concludes that nearly the entire fighting force of some 900 Mormon men in Caldwell and Daviess counties had become Danites, and that by end of summer 1838, to be a member in full standing a Mormon must also have been a Danite (Quinn, 102-03).

Baugh disagrees and argues that the Danites were always "a select group." He finds the testimony of John Corrill, who gave the total number of Danites at 300, more reliable than that of Sapp or Call.

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Avard's Testimony

Sampson Avard became the star witness for the prosecution in the trial of Joseph Smith and other Mormon leaders. Avard testified that he considered "Joseph Smith, jr., as the prime mover and organizer of the Danite band" (Document, p. 97). He went on to record several pages of testimony in which he implicated Smith as the overall commander of the Daviess Expedition and other Danite vigilante activities. He also included a recitation of a Danite Constitution with 8 articles, specifying that the "executive power" of the Danite society would be "vested in the president of the whole church" (Document, p. 102).

Many historians question the accuracy of much of Avard's testimony. Some have pointed out that to avoid prosecution himself, he may have promised prosecutors that he could implicate Smith in the Danite organization. As such, he might have deliberately over-emphasized or evenly falsely implicated Smith in some of the events. Some of the details Avard relates are unattested to or contradicted by other sources. For example, no one else makes any reference to the elaborate Danite constitution outlined by Avard.

It should also be noted that Smith condemned Avard publicly and in the official "History of the Church" (volume 3, pp. 179-181). According to Smith's account, Avard, then a new member to the church, formed a "secret combination," an allusion to nefarious alliances in the Book of Mormon. Smith further stated that Avard's prideful leadership and zeal prompted him to organize the group and that this occurred contrary to the will of Smith and the other heads of the LDS Church. According to this view, Avard illegitimately claimed to be the Lord's agent, and according to a quote Smith attributed to Avard, he wanted to profit from vigilantism by taking "spoils of the goods of ungodly Gentiles [non-Mormons]."

Smith also condemned Avard harshly, saying:

"When a knowledge of Avard's rascality came to the Presidency of the Church, he was cut off from the Church, and every means proper used to destroy his influence, at which he was highly incensed and went about whispering his evil insinuations, but finding every effort unavailing, he again turned conspirator, and sought to make friends with the mob."

Therefore, Joseph Smith, Jr. at least publicly condemned the organization and its founder, discouraging Latter-day saints from making any more vigilante groups, exhorting them to instead have groups strictly for "self defense, in case of an attack from the mob." Mob violence was an ongoing problem for the Latter Day Saints during this period, and in all likelihood the problem was enhanced by rumors about the Danites.

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Relationship to Joseph Smith and the church

There are conflicting views concerning the connection between the Danites, the church, and Joseph Smith, Jr.. At the one extreme is the view that Smith was the prime mover in every aspect of the group's activities and at the other is the view that he had no connection whatsoever, save to condemn it. There are good reasons to discount both extreme positions, but the identifying an accurate middle view remains a point of conflict among scholars.

As mentioned above, Sampson Avard claimed that Smith was the leader of the group and Smith claimed that Avard was the leader. Both views are backed up by additional testimony in the trial and also by first hand recollections of the participants.

Moses Clawson, John Corrill, Reed Peck, and others all named Avard at the head of the organization and George M. Hinkle testified that Joseph and Hyrum Smith never commanded any Danites in the field (Baugh, p. 41). Statements from other participants including Ebinezer Robinson (Quinn, p. 93), Morris Phelps (Document, pp. 109-110), and John D. Lee (Lee, p. 73), however, place Smith in a commanding role.

While it is clear that Smith was aware of the existence of the Danites and initially approved of certain Danite activities, his role in the creation of Avard's secret society (if any) and his involvement in its later actions depend on the emphasis given to different sources. It does seem clear, however, that after Avard's betrayal (and subsequent excommunication), Smith publicly condemned both Avard and the organization, which ceased to operate as a society.

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Later Danite Connections and Folklore

While numerous rumors followed the Latter Day Saints in their later centers of settlement, there is little (if any) evidence for the continuing existence of the Danite society after 1838. However, even if they no longer acted as Danites, many prominent former Danites continued to occupy prominent roles in the church. For example, Lyman Wight who was expelled from Far West along with other dissenters, returned to the church and was ordained an Apostle of the Church three years after the events of the Mormon War in Missouri.

Other prominent former Danites continued to fulfill militant roles associated with the church. Hosea Stout, for example, became the chief of police in the new church headquarters of Nauvoo, Illinois. Under Brigham Young, Stout was made the head of the "Whistling and Whittling Brigade" — an extralegal group of young boys that peacefully followed strangers who would visit Nauvoo and made them nervous until they left. Another former Danite, Orrin Porter Rockwell, became a body guard to Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, and later to Brigham Young. In Utah, Rockwell gained fame as one of Young's so-called "Destroying Angels."

Former Danite John D. Lee was one of the leaders of the Mormon militia in southern Utah that participated in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Lee's lengthy confessional autobiography describes the operations of the Danites in Missouri, but makes no indication of any continuing existence of the organization (see John Doyle Lee, Mormonism Unveiled: The Life & Confessions of John D. Lee).

Although many former Danites may have continued to perform in militia capacity during the years following 1838, nothing indicates that they did so as members of a continuing or reorganized Danite society like the one set up by Avard. Nevertheless, numerous accounts of the "Danites" and their supposed atrocities continued to be a part of Mormon and general folklore. A particularly famous example is Arthur Conan Doyle's fictionalization of the Danites in "A Study In Scarlet," the first Sherlock Holmes story, published in 1887.

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References

  • Baugh, Alexander L. , A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri, BYU Studies, 2000.
  • Cannon, Donald Q., and Lyndon W. Cook, eds., The Far West Record: Minutes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1844, Salt Lake City, 1983.
  • Corril, John, A Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Commonly Called Mormons), St. Louis, 1839.
  • Document Containing the Correspondence, Orders &c. in Relation to the Disturbances with the Mormons; And the Evidence Given Before the Hon. Austin A. King, Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of Missouri, at the Court-House in Richmond, in a Criminal Court of Inquiry, Begun November 12, 1838, on the Trial of Joseph Smith, Jr., and Others, for High Treason and Other Crimes Against the State. Fayette, Missouri, 1841, complete text.
  • Faulring, Scott, An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, Utah.
  • Jesse, Dean, The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1984.
  • Jesse, Dean and David Whittaker, "The Last Months of Mormonism in Missouri: The Albert Perry Rockwood Journal," BYU Studies 28, Winter 1998.
  • Lee, John D., Mormonism Unveiled: The Life and Confessions of John D. Lee and the Life of Brigham Young, 1877.
  • LeSueur, Stephen C., The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, University of Missouri Press, 1990.
  • Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Salt Lake City, 1994.
  • Peck, Reed, The Reed Peck Manuscript, complete text.
  • Van Wagoner, Richard S., Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess, Salt Lake City, 1994.
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External links

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