Expulsion from Eden Summary and Analysis

The time in Missouri was one of the most difficult for the Mormons. It was in Independence that persecution began in earnest. The old settlers of the area were unhappy with the way things began to unfold as the Members of the Church began to proselyte and to move into their little town in large numbers. The problems were caused both by the old settlers and the new, for there were many differences.

There were three basic causes for this persecution. First, and probably foremost, the old settlers were for the most part uneducated, men who moved to the frontier for whatever reasons men leave settled, civilized locations, including search for better land, escaping the law, and men seeking their fortunes through luck. The Mormons by and large were more educated, bringing families and industry, planning to...