In 1836 the Missouri Legislature created Caldwell County as a place for the Saints to settle
The Saints began building a city called Far West, which the Lord told Joseph Smith would be “a holy and consecrated land” (D&C 115:7)
From late 1836 to 1839, as many as 5,000 saints established homes in and around the area, and they laid cornerstones for a temple 4 July 1838
In revelations given in Far West, the Lord revealed the full name of the church and established the law of tithing
Mob violence in the area in 1838 soon grew into an armed conflict, and Governor Lilburn Boggs ordered the Missouri militia to drive the saints from the state
On 30 October 1838 General Samuel D. Lucas, commander of the militia, took Joseph and other church leaders from Far West and imprisoned them
In the wake of Boggs' extermination order, during fall and winter 1838-1839 the saints were forced to leave the area
On 26 April 1839 the Twelve Apostles left from the temple grounds for a mission to England as instructed by a revelation given to Joseph. They left under cover of darkness to avoid enemies of the church who were trying to prevent the revelation from being fulfilled
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