by Reed C. Durham Jr. In his book, “Origins of Power,” Dr. Michael Quinn makes the… After two days of consultation, Smith and the Nauvoo city council voted on June 10, 1844 to declare the paper a public nuisance, and ordered the paper's printing press destroyed. Events leading to the June 27, 1844, martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith included the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor, as described in History of the Church, with Joseph writing: "Monday, June 10, 1844. This was done because of the libelous and slanderous character of the paper, its … You need to place yourself in that Nauvoo Council room with the Mayor and Aldermen. Indeed, the "substance" to which Mormonism's "Encyclopedia" blandly refers was broadly outlined in the "Nauvoo Expositor" (that is, before Smith destroyed the press in a futile attempt to cover up the illegal and immoral acts of himself and his associates), and which was subsequently followed by the destruction of other private property owned by those who had published the newspaper. . The Nauvoo Expositor was a newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois, that published only one issue, on June 7, 1844.Its destruction set off a chain of events that led to the death of Joseph Smith.. The Expositor building in Nauvoo, where the press was destroyed on the order of Joseph Smith in 1844. Its publication, and the destruction of the printing press ordered by Joseph Smith, set off a chain of events that led to Smith's death. It was not until 1931 (Near v. Minnesota) that the Supreme Court narrowly ruled for a freer interpretation. Answer . 9 (Winter 1965), pp. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. As Mayor of Nauvoo, Smith directed the city council to destroy the Expositor press. When they took their case to the Government they were told in essence that it was not politically expedient to help them redress the wrongs committed against them. >Nauvoo Expositor was a conspirators' tool to destroy Joseph Smith > >Events leading to the June 27, 1844, martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith >included the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor, as described in >History of the Church, with Joseph writing: "Monday, June 10, 1844. The Council passed an ordinance declaring the Nauvoo Expositor a nuisance, and also issued an order to me to abate the said nuisance. The Nauvoo Expositor was a newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois, that published only one issue, on June 7, 1844.Its publication, and the destruction of the printing press ordered by Joseph Smith, set off a chain of events that led to Smith's death.. (Dec. 3, 1994, Church News.). The Expositor was founded by several seceders from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and some non-Mormons in the Nauvoo area. How will it be heaven if our family members aren’t with us. Specifically, Smith was criticize . Nauvoo Expositor. Mayor Joseph Smith ordered the City Council to destroy the presses. > >Nauvoo Expositor was a conspirators' tool to destroy Joseph Smith > > > >Events leading to the June 27, 1844, martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith > >included the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor, as described in > >History of the Church, with Joseph writing: "Monday, June 10, 1844. Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor - 1879. Hence, the opposition newspaper offered a view of the community which the Mormon prophet could not tolerate. Copyright © 2020 Deseret News Publishing Company. That is, they were too heavy-handed in destroying the press. The Nauvoo Expositor building, where the press was destroyed on the order of Joseph Smith. Tempers escalate, pride get hurt, and the next thing you know uncontrolled violence ensues. “The Council passed an ordinance declaring the Nauvoo Expositor a nuisance, and also issued an order to me to abate the said nuisance. The Nauvoo Expositor was a newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois, that published only one issue, on June 7, 1844.Its publication set off a chain of events that led to the death of Latter Day Saint prophet Joseph Smith.. Events leading to the June 27, 1844, martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith included the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor. Here let me pause and address some thoughts that you may be having at this point. pp. The Expositor printed its first and only edition describing three grievances against Church leadership generally, and against Joseph and Hyrum Smith specifically (the President and Assistant President of the Church): 1) The Church/city leaders mixed religion and politics together (Joseph Smith was Mayor, and he was running for President of the US with Sidney Rigdon (first counselor in the First Presidency) as his running mate); 2) New doctrines and practices introduced in the Church, including polygamy and the recent sermon in the grove; and 3) the city leaders abused governmental powers past their bounds, specifically with the writ of habeas corpus. They also declared the "Nauvoo Expositor," a "nuisance," and directed the police of the city to proceed immediately to the office of the Expositor and DESTROY THE PRESS and also the MATERIALS, ... By the stage driver we learn, that the press, &c., were destroyed a little after sun down, last evening. Joseph Smith's destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor presses was an indefensible, illegal and unconstitutional act- members have been excommunicated for lesser offenses. Resolved, By the City Council of the city of Nauvoo that the printing office from whence issues the Nauvoo Expositor is a public nuisance, and also all of said Expositors (inspired grammar) brought upon us the displeasure of the unprincipled and the uninformed, and which may be, or exist in said establishment, and the Mayor is instructed to cause said printing establishment and papers to be … So the Council deliberated on what action they could take. Wiki User Answered . It is intended to be the organ of the Reformed Mormon Church, which has lately been organized in that place, and to oppose the power of 'the self-constituted Monarch,' who has assumed the government of the Holy City. Smith’s order, by the way, led directly to … The Council then adjourned until Monday, June 10, when it met for an additional seven and a half hours.” The Council’s concern was two-fold: 1) the inflammatory nature of the paper would cause Nauvoo citizens to form a mob and create a riot; and 2) the inflammatory nature of the paper would cause the neighbors to increase persecutions on the citizens of Nauvoo. The Nauvoo Expositor was a newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois, that published only one issue, on June 7, 1844. Aside from damages for unnecessary destruction of the press, for which the Nauvoo authorities were unquestionably liable, the remaining actions of the council, including its interpretation of the constitutional guarantee of a free press, can be supported by reference to the law of their day.” The Council could have been sued for the price of the press (not the Expositor issues) because Blackstone and the case law around that time established that only the nuisance could be destroyed, not those things being used to produce the nuisance. On June 10, 1844, Smith held a meeting of the city council which, after two full days of meeting, condemned the Expositor as "a public nuisance" and empowered him to order the press destroyed. It never resumed publication. Why didn’t the Joseph Smith translation of the bible replace the King James version? CES Letter says “Joseph Smith’s destruction” of the newspaper occurred because they had “exposed his polygamy.” After a long and patient investigation, of the Expositor and the character and design of its proprietors, the constitution, the charter, (see Addenda to Nauvoo Charter from the Springfield Charter, sec. The Expositor was founded by several seceders from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and some non-Mormons in the Nauvoo area. Later life Its publication set off a chain of events that led to the death of Joseph Smith. The Nauvoo Expositor exposed Joseph Smith’s polygamy and was the lightning rod that led to Joseph Smith’s death. The city council therefore ordered the press and the paper destroyed. — I was in the City Council from 10 a.m., to 1:20 p.m., and from 2:20 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. investigating the merits of the Nauvoo Expositor, and also the conduct of the Laws, Higbees, Fosters, and others, who have formed a conspiracy for the purpose of destroying my life, and scattering the Saints or driving them from the state. The newspaper was published by apostates determined to destroy The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Joseph Smith. We await the final result with anxiety. As Mayor of Nauvoo, Smith directed the city council to destroy the Expositor press. The events surrounding its publication lead to the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Summary: The Nauvoo Expositorhad a single issue published. The publication was libelous against Church leaders, Brother Porter said, and quoted John Taylor as saying the people rose up against it. In Mormonism--Shadow or Reality? The Nauvoo Expositor was a newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois that published only one issue, which was dated June 7, 1844. In order to understand the destruction of Nauvoo Expositor press and why things happened the way they did, you need to understand the context. If the Council was concerned that a mob would form and destroy the press, why did they decide to achieve the same outcome under a legal aegis? (Published by William Law) Historical Note: This was the newspaper published by dissident Mormons which was declared a "public nuisance" by the Nauvoo City Council on June 8, 1844. Events leading to the June 27, 1844, martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith included the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor, as described in History of the Church, with Joseph writing: "Monday, June 10, 1844. The single edition of the newspaper was critical of Smith and other church leaders. ", The reason for the destruction of the press was discussed during the 1994 Sons of Utah Pioneers Mormon History Symposium by Larry Porter, a BYU religion professor with specialties in Church history and doctrine. How were the temple property and artifacts disposed of when the Mormon saints left Nauvoo? newsletter, ‘Political football’? What is telling is that the Nauvoo City Council did not discuss these claims, and they deliberated quite some time on the matter. Its publication set off a chain of events that led to the death of Joseph Smith. He surrendered to the law and he was martyred while in prison. All Rights Reserved, Nauvoo Expositor was a conspirators' tool to destroy Joseph Smith. Smith had to act, and he did. The bulk of the Expositor's single issue was devoted to criticism of Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement and the mayor of Nauvoo. This is a 30" by 20" fold-out reproduction of the first and only issue of the Nauvoo Expositor, a newspaper started in Nauvoo, Illinois, during the time that Joseph Smith was the Mayor of Nauvoo, in addition to being President of the Church. By sending the Marshall to destroy the press, the Council was seeing to it that the nuisance was handled without a riot (more on riots later). Its publication set off a chain of events that led to the death of Joseph Smith. As Mayor of Nauvoo, Smith directed the city council to destroy the Expositor press. All were acquitted.”, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. building where the Nauvoo Expositor's one edition, June 7, 1844, was printed by disgruntled, former Mormon church members. They also declared the "Nauvoo Expositor," a "nuisance," and directed the police of the city to proceed immediately to the office of the Expositor and DESTROY THE PRESS and also the MATERIALS, by THROWING them into the STREET!!!! Well that’s what’s so interesting. 0 1 2. Subsequent quotes and summaries come from this source. Why did Joseph Smith have the offices of the Nauvoo Expositor ransacked and the printing press destroyed and thrown into the middle of the street? The quicker it is stopped the better.”. Biden wants review of Bears Ears, Grand Staircase boundaries, Utah school districts could lose $ if they don’t offer ‘broad-based in-person learning’, Utah Senate approves $43 million in tax cuts for retired military, Social Security, 7-year-old girl critically injured after being hit by truck in Layton, Check out rare mirabilite mounds at the Great Salt Lake on Saturday or Sunday, A Wyoming GOP chairman mentioned seceding from the union. The right to print was not separated from the responsibility on the writer not to “shout ‘fire’ in a crowded theater”, if you will. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. During the last few months of Joseph Smith”s life, an opposition party of disgruntled members, apostates, and excommunicants coalesced into a dissenting church. Start your day with the top stories you missed while you were sleeping. (Lot and building were owned by Robert Foster, one of the publishers as well as owner of the Foster Hotel, second largest building in Nauvoo to the Temple.) While polygamy was an explosive issue, it wasn’t the only reason Joseph wanted the press destroyed. Nauvoo Expositor (part 2) First and only issue: June 7, 1844 (Published by William Law) ... By authority of the Council's order the Expositor press was destroyed that same day and the newspaper was immediately shut down. For starters, even the prosecution’s witnesses testified to the restraint, that damage was only done to those items relating to the press. While polygamy was an explosive issue, it wasn’t the only reason Joseph wanted the press destroyed. 257-259, we pointed out that Joseph Smith, as Mayor of Nauvoo, ordered the press of the Nauvoo Expositor destroyed because it revealed his political aspirations and the secret practice of polygamy among the Mormons. They concluded that they would float a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor." Growing up in the LDS church, I knew nothing of the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor. The Nauvoo City Council declared the Expositor a public nuisance and directed that it be removed. Passed June 10th, 1944. Its publication set off a chain of events that led to the death of Latter Day Saint prophet Joseph Smith. In retrospect, this very fact confirms the fears held by the Council and validates their decision to declare the paper a nuisance. Nauvoo Expositor 1844 Replica Item Preview remove-circle ... which can be said led to Joseph Smith’s death in that he demanded the printing press and newspaper office be destroyed after the paper’s inaugural issue, upon which Smith was arrested and subsequently assassinated in nearby Carthage Jail. With the sanction of the city council, Joseph Smith ordered a marshal, with the assistance of the Nauvoo Legion, to destroy the printing press. Growing up in the LDS church, I knew nothing of the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor. As Mayor of Nauvoo, Smith directed the city council to destroy the Expositor press. The Expositor was founded by several seceders from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and some non-Mormons in the Nauvoo area. While polygamy was an explosive issue, it wasn’t the only reason Joseph wanted the press destroyed. "An ordinance was passed concerning libels. History of the Churchalso describes this event : I [Joseph Smith] immediately ordered the Marshal to destroy it [the Nauvoo Expositor] without delay, and at the same The full text is provided below for study. When was Nauvoo Expositor created? On June 8, 1844 the Nauvoo City Council declared the Nauvoo Expositor a "public nuisance"and order it “shut down” The destruction of the press was the event which triggered a series of events culminating in the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith at Carthage jail 20 days later. By authority of the Council's order the Expositorpress was destroyed that same day and the newspaper was immediately shut down. The Council read over both and finally declared the Expositor a public nuisance and authorized the City Marshall to destroy the papers and the press. Did some members of the Mormon Church of African descent hold the priesthood prior to 1978? For instance, the power of habeas corpus provided Church leaders (or any citizen for that matter) extradited or jailed on specious charges could appeal to a local judge that the evidence was simply insufficient. The decision to suppress the Expositor, while legal for the day, worsened a tense situation (in the years following the Expositor suppression, similar tactics would be used in 1862, 1893, 1918, and 1927). Fortunately, a certain Dallin H. Oaks (Professor of Law, University of Chicago; A.B., 1954 Brigham Young University; J.D., 1957 University of Chicago; Member of the Illinois State Bar) wrote about this event (largely to discuss the legality, but he also gives it context and investigates the claims of the Expositor and the Council) almost 50 years ago in Suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor. Why did Joseph Smith have the offices of the Nauvoo Expositor ransacked and the printing press destroyed and thrown into the middle of the street? 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