When the Mormons established their theocratic city of Nauvoo on the banks of the Mississippi in 1839, they made self-defense a priority, having encountered persecution, violence, and forcible expulsion elsewhere. Organized under Illinois law, the Nauvoo Legion was a city militia made up primarily of Latter-day Saints. This comprehensive work on the history, structure, and purpose of the Nauvoo Legion traces its unique story from its founding to the Mormon exodus in 1846.

An American construct in design, appearance, and function, the Nauvoo Legion quickly became one of America's largest--and most feared--militias. The authors describe its origins, daily activities, and general conduct, including parades, sham battles, uniforms, and military operations. And they also present a new interpretation of the Legion's essential purpose and character. Drawing upon overlooked state militia records and recently discovered archival material, they identify the thousands of citizen soldiers who served.

Despite the nominal authority of the Illinois governor, the Nauvoo Legion was led by Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith. As the militia grew in strength and military prowess, neighboring non-Mormons grew wary. Soon, local fears led to violence and the killing of Smith and his brother, Hyrum, in 1844. When the Nauvoo Charter was revoked, the militia no longer enjoyed legal status and assumed a distinctly different role in Mormon affairs until it was reconstituted after the Mormon emigration to Utah.

Impeccably researched and honestly told, this groundbreaking study fills a major gap in Latter-day Saint church history and adds a significant chapter to the annals of American militias.

The Mormon trek westward from Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley was an enduring accomplishment of American overland trail migration; however, their wintering at the Missouri River near present-day Omaha was a feat of faith and perseverance. Richard E. Bennett presents new facts and ideas that challenge old assumptions--particularly that life on the frontier encouraged American individualism.

With an excellent command of primary sources, Bennett assesses the role of women in a pioneer society and the Mormon strategies for survival in a harsh environment as they planned their emigration, coped with internal dissension and Indian agents, and dealt with tribes of the region. This was, says Bennett, "Mormonism in the raw on the way to what it would be later." Now available in paperback for the first time, with a new introduction by the author, "Mormons at the Missouri" received the Francis M. and Emily Chipman Award from the Mormon History Association and was honored as a "Choice" Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association.

We'll Find the Place tells the fascinating story of the Mormons' exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois, to their New Zion in the West - a story of a people's deliverance that has never before been completely told.Following the journey of the original pioneer camp of 1847 to the Salt Lake Valley and concluding with the first conference of the church there in 1848, Richard E. Bennett shows the inner workings of the Mormon exodus by probing the minds and hearts of those who suffered and triumphed through this remarkably difficult hour in Latter-day Saint history. A work many years in the making, We'll Find the Place looks behind the scenes to reveal Mormonism on the move, its believers sacrificing home, comfort, and sometimes life itself as they sought a safe refuge beyond the Rocky Mountains. It is faithful both to the convictions of the early pioneers and to the records they kept.