Difference between revisions of "Far West"

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Far West Mormon Temple Site—Intellectual Reserve © 2008

Far West is located about 30 miles north of Liberty, Missouri. In 1835, when there began to be tension between the Mormons and non-Mormons in Independence, Missouri, the Church started looking for a place in the state where there were few settlers. They found some land in Ray County. It was very sparsely populated, because it was prairie land, which was considered unfit for settling by most settlers at the time. The Church purchased 1600 acres of this land. Shortly after purchasing the land, a large meeting was held by the old settlers of Missouri. During that meeting the anti-Mormons gave five reasons why they disliked the Saints. The reasons were:

1. They are poor
2. Their religious differences stir up prejudice
3. Their Eastern customs and dialects are alien to the Missiourians
4. They oppose slavery
5. They believe that the Indians are God’s chosen people destined to inherit the land of Missouri with them.

After stating their reasons, it was then decided that the Mormons must live somewhere away from other Missouri settlements. Because the Church had already bought the land in Ray County, they agreed that this was the best solution.

The Church leaders told the Missourians that they would settle away from other Missourians, ask the State government to make their area a new county, and even have a six mile buffer—three miles on each side of the dividing line between the two counties, and that neither Mormon or non-Mormon would settle in that land. On December 29th, 1836, Governor Lilburn Boggs signed a bill that made Ray County two counties: Caldwell and Davies. Caldwell was the Mormon's County.

A site was chosen for a city, and it was named Far West. The area was quickly settled, starting in 1836. In March of 1838, Joseph Smith, the Church’s prophet, officially moved to Far West from Kirtland, Ohio, because of persecution in Kirtland. That April, Joseph Smith received a number of important revelations which are recorded in Doctrine and Covenants sections 113-15; 117-20. These revelations included the correct name of the Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), a command to build a temple[1] in Far West (Doctrine and Covenants 115:7), and the law of tithing.

By the summer of 1838, the population of Caldwell County reached five thousand, and more than half lived in Far West. By this time in Far West, the Saints had built many homes and a thriving town. However, tension had begun to increase again between the Mormons and their Missouri neighbors. Parley P. Pratt a resident of Far West said,

War clouds began again to lower with dark and threatening aspect. Those who had combined against the laws in the adjoining counties had long watched our increasing power and prosperity with jealousy and with greedy and avaricious eyes. It was a common boast that, as soon as we had completed our extensive improvements, and made a plentiful crop, they would drive us from the State, and once more enrich themselves with the spoils (Parley P. Pratt, Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, edited by his son Parley P. Pratt, 1938, p.150).

By October, the tension erupted. Governor Boggs signed an order that stated, “the Mormons must be exterminated or driven from the State.” He based his order solely on rumors that the Mormons were planning an insurrection, but he never visited Caldwell County. That same day, a Missiouri army laid siege on Far West. For weeks before this, mobs had been attacking smaller outlying communities, forcing the Mormons to try and take refuge in Far West. By October 31st, the Missouri army outnumbered the Saints 5 to 1. Leaders of the Church agreed to talk with militia leaders to end the siege, but instead of talking, the militia leaders arrested them and held an illegal court-marshal that sentenced the men to death in the morning. The sentence was never carried out, but Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Parley P. Pratt, and George W. Robinson were held as prisoners for five months. After the leaders were taken as prisoners, the militia entered Far West and took arms, robbed, raped, and arrested others. The Saints were harassed so much that they eventually left Missouri and took refuge in Illinois, even though it was the middle of winter.

Today The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns property where Far West once was located.