Casus Belli

On 27 October 1838, Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs ordered his militia to "exterminate" members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as "Mormons," or drive them from the state. This terrible order came as the culmination of a three-month conflict known simply as the "1838 Mormon War." To this day Missouri lists it among the wars fought in by its troops, right alongside the Civil War, World War II and Vietnam. State pensions were later paid to injured militiamen, but for the hapless Mormons, there was only expulsion, robbery, or death. How did the Mormons, known today for their missionaries and world-famous choir, become victims of such a draconian directive? Author Jim Jenkins explores ten basic causes of the conflict, seeking to uncover the reasons behind one of the most heinous decrees ever issued by an American executive.