The Danites: Early Mormon Armed Resistance in 1830s Missouri

A secretive militia formed by Mormons to protect settlements and resist persecution—and how it escalated frontier conflict.

By Garret Merkley · Explainer · Aug 8, 2026

Branched from Joseph Smith's Role in Early Mormon Political and Military Strategy

Quick take

The Danites were an organized armed group created by Mormons in Missouri (1838) to defend communities against mob violence and land disputes.
They used intimidation, property destruction, and armed confrontation, operating under secrecy and loyalty oaths that alarmed neighbors and authorities.
The group's actions intensified anti-Mormon sentiment, contributed to the 1838–39 Mormon War, and forced the church's exodus from Missouri.

The Danites were a paramilitary organization formed by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Missouri during 1838. Named after the biblical tribe of Dan, they functioned as a defensive—and sometimes offensive—militia meant to protect Mormon settlements from hostile mobs and land seizures. Unlike an official church army, the Danites operated in secrecy, with members bound by oaths of loyalty and silence. Their existence and tactics became a flashpoint in frontier conflict and a major factor in the expulsion of Mormons from Missouri.

Why the Danites Formed

By the late 1830s, Mormons in Missouri faced mounting hostility. Non-Mormon settlers resented the rapid influx of church members buying land, their economic clannishness, and theological claims of exclusive truth. Mob violence erupted repeatedly—homes were burned, livestock killed, and church members beaten. Local authorities often sided with or ignored the mobs. Church leaders, particularly Sidney Rigdon and others in Joseph Smith's inner circle, concluded that conventional legal remedies had failed. The Danites emerged as a response: an organized force to deter attacks, recover stolen property, and assert Mormon territorial control in counties like Caldwell and Davies.

How the Danites Operated

The Danites maintained a hierarchical, military-style structure with a commander (often David W. Patten), captains, and ranks. Members took binding oaths swearing obedience and secrecy under penalty of death. This clandestine organization allowed them to act without public accountability or clear church sanction. Their tactics ranged from armed patrols and property seizures to intimidation of non-Mormon settlers. They destroyed fences, drove off livestock, and threatened those they deemed enemies of the faith. Some Danites also conducted vigilante 'justice'—confronting and sometimes assaulting individuals accused of crimes against Mormons.

The group's secrecy and oath-bound loyalty created an internal enforcement mechanism. Members who questioned orders or threatened to expose the organization faced social ostracism or worse. This made the Danites appear both powerful and sinister to outsiders, fueling rumors of a 'secret army' operating beyond normal law.

Escalation and Conflict

Danite actions, intended as defensive, often provoked the opposite effect. Armed Mormon patrols and property seizures convinced non-Mormons that the church was preparing for conquest. Skirmishes erupted—most notably the Battle of Crooked River (October 1838), where Danites and other Mormon militia clashed with Missouri militia. As violence spread, Governor Lilburn Boggs issued his infamous 'extermination order' (October 27, 1838), declaring Mormons enemies of the state and authorizing their removal by force. The Danites, rather than protecting the community, had become a symbol and catalyst for the very persecution they sought to prevent.

Why This Matters

The Danites reveal the tensions inherent in a religious minority's self-defense strategy on the American frontier. Their formation reflected genuine persecution—Mormons did face real mob violence. Yet their secretive, oath-bound structure and aggressive tactics undermined their credibility and legitimacy. To outsiders, they looked like a hostile militia; to church members, they represented protection. This perception gap widened the divide between Mormons and their neighbors, making peaceful coexistence impossible. The group's existence also highlighted Joseph Smith's willingness to deploy force as a political tool, a pattern that would recur in later conflicts. Ultimately, the Danites contributed directly to the 1838–39 Mormon War and the forced Mormon exodus from Missouri—outcomes that shaped the church's trajectory westward and its relationship with American law and authority for decades.

Key Timeline

1837–1838: Anti-Mormon mob violence escalates in Missouri
Spring 1838: Danites formally organized in Far West, Missouri
October 1838: Battle of Crooked River; Governor's extermination order issued
November 1838: Mormon surrender at Far West; Danite organization collapses
1839: Mormons flee Missouri for Illinois

Did Joseph Smith directly command the Danites?

Smith's exact role remains disputed by historians. He likely knew of their existence and may have tacitly approved their formation, but maintained plausible deniability. Sidney Rigdon and David W. Patten appear to have been more directly involved in day-to-day operations. This ambiguity allowed Smith to distance himself from their actions when convenient.

Were the Danites a militia or a mob?

They functioned as both—a structured organization with military discipline, but one that operated outside legal authority and used intimidation and violence against civilians. To Mormons, they were defenders; to non-Mormons, they were vigilantes. The distinction depends partly on perspective and partly on which actions you examine.

Did the Danites continue after Missouri?

The formal Danite organization dissolved after the 1838–39 conflict. However, similar oath-bound, secretive groups emerged later in Utah, most notably the Danite Band of the 1850s–1870s, which operated under Brigham Young's direction and targeted apostates and federal officials.

How did non-Mormons view the Danites?

With fear and anger. Their secrecy, oaths, and armed activities confirmed widespread suspicions that Mormons were a hostile, un-American force plotting to seize territory and establish a theocratic state. These perceptions, whether fully accurate or exaggerated, drove much of the anti-Mormon violence and political action.

What happened to Danite leaders?

David W. Patten died in the Battle of Crooked River. Others, including Sidney Rigdon, were arrested and faced trial, though most were eventually released. Some fled Missouri; others integrated into the broader Mormon community in Illinois and later Utah.

Sources

Bushman, Richard L. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (2005)—comprehensive biography covering Missouri period and Danite emergence.
LeSueur, Stephen C. The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri (1987)—detailed account of conflict with primary source analysis of Danite activities.
Givens, Terryl L. The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (1997)—examines anti-Mormon perceptions and their basis in fact.
Extermination Order (October 27, 1838)—Governor Lilburn Boggs' official proclamation, primary source.