Governor Boggs's Extermination Order: The Text and Legacy of Missouri's Infamous Decree

How an 1838 Missouri governor's order to kill or expel Mormons became one of America's darkest official acts and shaped a religious community for generations.

By Garret Merkley · Explainer · Jun 6, 2026

Branched from The 1838 Mormon Conflict in Missouri: Why the Church Was Forced to Flee

Quick take

Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs issued Executive Order No. 44 on October 27, 1838, authorizing the state militia to kill or drive out Mormons as a military necessity.
The order's language—'exterminated or driven from the state'—was legally vague but operationally clear, leading to violence, property destruction, and forced displacement.
Though officially rescinded in 1976, the decree remains a watershed moment in American religious persecution and Mormon collective memory.

On October 27, 1838, Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued Executive Order No. 44, declaring that Mormons (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) must be 'exterminated or driven from the state' as a military necessity. The order authorized the state militia to use force against Mormon communities, effectively making religious membership grounds for state-sanctioned violence. It was not a casual pronouncement—it came after months of escalating conflict between Mormon settlers and non-Mormon Missourians, but its language and scope made it one of the most extreme official acts of persecution in American history.

What the Order Actually Said

Boggs's order, issued to Major General John B. Clark, used deliberately broad language. It instructed the militia that 'the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the state if necessary for the public peace.' The phrase 'if necessary for the public peace' gave commanders discretion to interpret when violence was justified. The order did not specify methods, targets, or timelines. This vagueness was partly strategic—it allowed the governor plausible deniability while empowering militia units to act aggressively. In practice, 'exterminated or driven from the state' meant either death or forced expulsion.

The order was not published in newspapers or formally proclaimed to the public. Instead, it circulated through military channels and word of mouth, reaching militia captains and local officials. This informal distribution meant that some Missourians learned of it indirectly, and its exact wording was sometimes garbled in retelling. However, its intent was unmistakable: Mormons were to be removed by any necessary means.

How the Order Was Carried Out

The order catalyzed immediate violence. Militia units and armed mobs attacked Mormon settlements, burned homes and stores, and drove families from their land. In Far West, the main Mormon stronghold in Missouri, armed men surrounded the town and forced Mormon leaders to sign a deed giving up all Mormon property. Families fled in winter conditions with minimal supplies. The Haun's Mill massacre—where militia killed at least 17 Mormon men and boys in a single attack—occurred just days after the order, though whether Clark's men directly carried out this atrocity or local mobs acted independently remains debated by historians.

By early 1839, nearly all Mormons had been forced out of Missouri. Some fled to Illinois, others scattered. Property losses were enormous, and the psychological impact on the Mormon community was profound. Survivors reported rape, assault, and the destruction of crops and livestock. The violence was not centrally coordinated through military command—instead, the order gave cover to local militias and vigilante groups to act on their own anti-Mormon sentiment.

Why Boggs Issued the Order

Boggs did not act in a vacuum. By 1838, tensions between Mormons and non-Mormons in Missouri had been building for years. Mormon settlers had arrived in large numbers starting in 1831, purchasing land and establishing communities. Non-Mormon Missourians resented their rapid growth, their religious separatism, their political bloc voting, and rumors about Mormon militia strength and apocalyptic beliefs. Earlier conflicts in Jackson County (1833) and Daviess County (1838) had already resulted in violence and property destruction on both sides.

In October 1838, the Battle of Crooked River—a skirmish between Mormon militia and non-Mormon forces—gave Boggs the immediate pretext he needed. He framed the conflict not as a local dispute but as a threat to state order. By declaring Mormons 'enemies' and ordering their removal, he transformed a regional conflict into a state-level military operation. This allowed him to position himself as defending Missouri's stability, even as he authorized ethnic and religious cleansing.

Why This Order Matters and When It's Remembered

The Extermination Order stands as a stark example of how official state power can be weaponized against a religious minority. It was never formally repealed during Boggs's lifetime or for over a century afterward. The order remained on Missouri's books as valid law, meaning that technically, any Mormon in the state could have been arrested or expelled based on its authority. This legal limbo—where a state's own citizens remained officially 'enemies'—was extraordinary and shameful.

For the Mormon community, the order became a foundational trauma. It reinforced a sense of persecution that shaped Mormon theology, community cohesion, and westward migration. The forced exodus from Missouri contributed directly to the church's later move to Illinois, then Utah, and deepened the Mormon conviction that they were a persecuted people with a divine mission. The order is commemorated in Mormon historical sites, taught in church schools, and cited as evidence of the church's suffering and resilience.

The order was officially rescinded only in 1976, when Missouri Governor Christopher Bond signed legislation formally apologizing and nullifying it. This 138-year delay underscores how long the stain of the order persisted. Today, it is studied by historians of American religious liberty, American violence, and frontier conflict as a cautionary example of how democratic governments can authorize persecution.

Key Facts About the Order

Issued October 27, 1838, by Governor Lilburn W. Boggs
Authorized militia to 'exterminate or drive from the state' all Mormons
Led to immediate violence, property destruction, and forced displacement of nearly all Mormons from Missouri
Remained technically valid law until rescinded in 1976
Became a defining trauma in Mormon collective memory and theology

Did Governor Boggs face any legal consequences for issuing the order?

No. Boggs left office in 1841 and faced no criminal charges. He lived until 1860. In 1842, an attempt was made on his life by a Mormon named Orrin Porter Rockwell, which some Mormons believed was justified retaliation, but Boggs was not prosecuted for the order itself. The order was considered a legitimate exercise of executive power at the time, even by those who later regretted it.

Did any non-Mormons in Missouri oppose the order?

Some did, though their voices were muted. A few non-Mormon Missourians privately objected to the violence and displacement, but public opposition was rare. The political and social climate favored the order, and speaking against it risked being labeled a Mormon sympathizer. Most Missourians either supported the expulsion or stayed silent.

How did the order affect Mormon theology and identity?

Profoundly. The persecution validated Mormon teachings about a 'wicked world' opposing God's chosen people. It strengthened the church's emphasis on community self-sufficiency, internal loyalty, and the belief that Mormons were uniquely persecuted. The order also reinforced the narrative that Mormons must migrate westward to find safety, which directly influenced the 1846 exodus to Utah.

Could Mormons legally return to Missouri after the order was rescinded in 1976?

Yes. The 1976 rescission removed the legal basis for expulsion or persecution. However, by then, Mormons had been absent from Missouri for over 130 years and had built their main communities in Utah. The rescission was primarily symbolic—an official apology and correction of a historical wrong. Few Mormons relocated back to Missouri as a result.

Are there other examples of U.S. governors issuing similar orders against religious groups?

The Extermination Order is extreme but not entirely unique in American history. Anti-Catholic violence in the 19th century sometimes had tacit official support. However, a formal executive order explicitly authorizing the killing or expulsion of a religious group is exceptionally rare in U.S. history. The order stands out for its explicitness and official sanction.

Sources

Boggs, Lilburn W. Executive Order No. 44, October 27, 1838. Missouri State Archives.
LeSueur, Stephen C. The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. University of Missouri Press, 1987.
Gentry, Leland H., and Mark K. Esplin. 'Building the City of God: Community and Cooperation among the Mormons.' BYU Studies, Vol. 51, No. 2, 2012.
Missouri Governor Christopher Bond. Formal Apology and Rescission of Executive Order No. 44, 1976.