What is this book about?
Eldridge's work meticulously documents the events surrounding the persecution of Mormons in Missouri. It details the origins of the conflict, the actions taken by Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs (issuing his infamous 'Extermination Order'), the brutal suppression of Mormon self-defense forces, the burning of towns like Haun's Mill, and the eventual, brutal expulsion of the Mormons from the state. The book aims to provide a comprehensive historical account, analyzing the legal basis for the actions taken, the societal pressures that enabled them, and the profound impact this experience had on the Mormon Church, its members, and the broader narrative of American religious freedom and westward expansion.
