Mormonism thrived despite this opposition, missions in Canada as well as in the States contribut ing many converts. The failure of the Kirtland Bank, an un chartered institution, in 1837, however, nearly wrecked the Church. Doubts of its soundness were present almost from the first. When Rigdon and Smith, respectively secretary and treas urer, were charged with violating the State law against unchartered banks, they appealed on the ground that it was not a bank but an association. The institution however suspended payment and closed its doors in November, 1837, as did many other banks throughout the country at this particular time. The failure created a bitter feeling against the Prophet on the part of many of his followers and a number of leading Elders fell away. Those who remained Smith's followers soon removed to Missouri, whither Smith and Rigdon had already gone, settling chiefly in Caldwell county where the Jackson county refugees had pre viously settled and where there were few inhabitants other than of Mormon faith. There they founded the City of Far West (now Kerr). They also projected a temple and laid out other towns.
Mormon missionary work in England helped to save the Church at this critical stage. Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde, two of the twelve Apostles, together with other elders, in 1837 began preaching in Lancashire and neighbouring parts of England and after about eight months had baptized nearly 2,000 persons. This was but the first of many missions in European countries, which countries were to furnish from their peasant classes a large pro portion of the converts to Mormonism.
Movements by Mormon settlers beyond Clay county into surrounding counties again led to clashes with the Missourians, who were now thoroughly aroused against the Mormons who were coming in such numbers as to seem to the gentiles a menace to the State. An election riot in Gallatin, where an attempt was made to prevent the Mormons from voting, was the spark that kindled a general conflagration. Armed bands of both parties were soon abroad in the country shedding blood and instituting a reign of lawlessness. Numbers were killed on both sides. Finally the governor ordered out the State militia against the Mormons. Their town of Far West was surrounded and their leaders captured. On their way to trial the leaders escaped and made their way to Illinois. The action of the State in support of the local Missourians gave the latter courage for further terrori zation acts against the Mormons until they were forced to move.
The mid-winter exodus of the Mormons from Missouri (1838-39) led to the founding of the city of Nauvoo on the east bank of the Mississippi, in Hancock county, Ill. In Missouri the Saints had numbered twelve to fifteen thou sand; in Illinois this figure increased to about twenty thousand, most of them citizens of Nauvoo. There the Prophet resided and continued to direct the spiritual and temporal activities of the Church.
Under his direction Brigham Young, President of the Twelve Apostles, was sent with a majority of that council to England, to enlarge the work already begun there. The missionaries pene trating to all parts of the United Kingdom, converted 5,000 people, founded a periodical known as the Millennial Star, pub lished a British edition of the Book of Mormon, printed and dis tributed thousands of tracts, and established a permanent shipping agency to carry forward the work of "gathering Israel to the Land of Zion." The first company migrating from Europe under these
auspices, was a small group of 41, which sailed from Liverpool in June 184o, for Nauvoo via New York. Subsequently Mormon immigration from Europe passed up the Mississippi. The first half of the decade of the '4os witnessed the rapid growth of the Mormon community in Illinois and in Iowa. At Nauvoo a temple was built, a university projected, the city chartered and extended, and the Nauvoo Legion organized, under Legislative sanction, as a part of the State militia.
The Mormons had enemies in Illinois, however, and trouble was brewing. The Mormons at the time held the balance of political power in the State and were courted by both Whigs and Democrats. The Whigs had granted the Nauvoo charter, but their friendship was lost when Smith sup ported the Democrats in the gubernatorial campaign of 1842. Advising his people on other occasions to vote for the Whigs alienated the Democrats in turn. Political opposition was intensi fied when Smith in 1844 announced himself as a candidate for President of the United States. Meanwhile serious dissension oc curred within the Church. Though not officially announced until 1852 it was in 1843 that Smith claimed to have received the revelation proclaiming the doctrine of plural marriages, which the Prophet acted upon by soon taking additional wives. The doctrine was also made known to some of the Elders who did likewise, though at first in secret. This practice led to the seces sion of William and Wilson Law, with others, from the church. They set up a paper called the Nauvoo Expositor. Smith as mayor of the city condemned the Expositor as a public nuisance and ordered its printing press and type to be destroyed. The order was carried out by the city marshal and police. The revelations of the Expositor and Smith's act in suppressing it aroused the entire country about Nauvoo to mob fury. Inflammatory speeches and exaggerated rumours of Mormon practices added fuel and gathered crowds. Smith proclaimed martial law in Nauvoo and allowed no one to enter the city. Governor Ford pacified the mob in Car thage by promising the Prophet should be made to answer the charges against him and at the same time he sent Smith notice to appear at Carthage. Smith hesitated to comply with the order, and even considered flight to the Rocky mountains, but was persuaded to surrender to the law. With his brother Hyrum and several other leaders he proceeded to Carthage, and, pending the trial, was placed with the others in the visitors' room of the Carthage jail, Governor Ford pledging the honour of the State for his protection. This pledge was violated by a mob of about 200 men who, with blackened faces, on the afternoon of June 27, assaulted the jail, and with the connivance of the guards shot to death Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and all but fatally wounded John Taylor; Willard Richards, their fellow prisoner, escaping unhurt.