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Liberty, Missouri

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Liberty, Missouri

Summary

Located in western Missouri, thirteen miles north of Independence.

Berrett, Sacred Places, 4:212.

Berrett, LaMar C., ed. Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites. 6 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999–2007.

Settled 1820.

History of Clay and Platte Counties, Missouri, 280.

Comprehensive Works Cited

History of Clay and Platte Counties, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources. . . . St. Louis: National Historical Co., 1885.

Clay Co. seat, 1822.

Darby and Dwight, New Gazetteer of the United States, 256; Berrett, Sacred Places, 4:212.

Comprehensive Works Cited

Darby, William, and Theodore Dwight, Jr. A New Gazetteer of the United States of America; Containing a Copious Description of the States, Territories, Counties, Parishes, Districts, Cities and Towns. . . . Hartford, CT: Edward Hopkins, 1833.

Berrett, LaMar C., ed. Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites. 6 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999–2007.

Incorporated as town, May 1829.

History of Clay and Platte Counties, Missouri, 283.

Comprehensive Works Cited

History of Clay and Platte Counties, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources. . . . St. Louis: National Historical Co., 1885.

Following expulsion from Jackson Co., 1833, many Latter-day Saints found refuge in Clay Co., with church leaders and other Saints taking up residence in and near Liberty.

Jenson, Encyclopedic History of the Church, 432; Berrett, Sacred Places, 4:163.

Comprehensive Works Cited

Jenson, Andrew. Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1941.

Berrett, LaMar C., ed. Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites. 6 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999–2007.

Camp of Israel disbanded six miles from Liberty, 22 June 1834.

Jenson, Encyclopedic History of the Church, 432; Revelation, 22 June 1834 [D&C 105]; JS History, vol. A-1, 505.

Comprehensive Works Cited

Jenson, Andrew. Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1941.

JS History / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1838–1856. Vols. A-1–F-1 (original), A-2–E-2 (fair copy). Historian’s Office, History of the Church, 1839–ca. 1882. CHL. CR 100 102, boxes 1–7. The history for the period after 5 Aug. 1838 was composed after the death of Joseph Smith.

Under threat of violence, most Saints left area, 1836.

Brown et al., Historical Atlas, 42; JS History, vol. B-1, 741; “Public Meeting,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Aug. 1836, 2:353–355.

Comprehensive Works Cited

Brown, S. Kent, Donald Q. Cannon, and Richard H. Jackson, eds. Historical Atlas of Mormonism. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994.

Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

Described in 1837 as having “fourteen stores and four groceries” and large brick courthouse.

Wetmore, Gazetteer of the State of Missouri, 59.

Comprehensive Works Cited

Wetmore, Alphonso, comp. Gazetteer of the State of Missouri. With a Map of the State, from the Office of the Surveyor-General, Including the Latest Additions and Surveys . . . . St. Louis: C. Keemle, 1837.

Residents in Liberty acquired printing press damaged during mob destruction of Saints’ printing office (1833) in Independence, Missouri, and used press to print The Upper Missouri Enquirer.

JS History, vol. A-1, 412; Berrett, Sacred Places, 4:213, 219.

Comprehensive Works Cited

Berrett, LaMar C., ed. Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites. 6 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999–2007.

During eventual expulsion of all Latter-day Saints from Missouri, JS and other leaders were imprisoned in Liberty, Dec. 1838–Apr. 1839.

Letter to Emma Smith, 1 December 1838.

While incarcerated, JS wrote or coauthored twelve letters, portions of two of which were later canonized, to family members and church leaders regarding legal proceedings and plans for Saints’ settlement in western Illinois.

Letter to the Church and Edward Partridge, 20 March 1839, [D&C 123:1, 6]; Doctrine and Covenants 121, 122, 123; Jackson, Places of Worship, 20; Brown et al., Historical Atlas, 42; Letter from Emma Smith, 7 March 1839; Letter to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young, 16 January 1839.

Comprehensive Works Cited

The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Containing Revelations Given to Joseph Smith, the Prophet, with Some Additions by His Successors in the Presidency of the Church. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Containing Revelations Given to Joseph Smith, the Prophet, with Some Additions by His Successors in the Presidency of the Church. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2013.

Jackson, Richard W. Places of Worship: 150 Years of Latter-day Saint Architecture. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2003.

Brown, S. Kent, Donald Q. Cannon, and Richard H. Jackson, eds. Historical Atlas of Mormonism. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994.

Liberty, Missouri

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