"We are earnestly seeking to explode the vicious principles of Joseph Smith, and those who practice the same abominations and whoredoms; which we verily know are not accordant and consonant with the principles of Jesus Christ and the Apostles." — Nauvoo Expositor¹

On May 10, 1844, William Law and his followers announced plans to publish the Nauvoo Expositor, a newspaper aimed at exposing what they saw as the dangerous principles introduced by Joseph Smith. In June, the first and only issue of the Expositor accused Smith of straying from the gospel by practicing plural marriage, introducing new doctrines, and blending church and state. Concerned that the paper would incite violence, Joseph and the Nauvoo City Council declared the newspaper a public nuisance and ordered the press destroyed. While Joseph understood destroying the press would be controversial, he believed he had a right to defend himself against libel and remove a threat to the peace of the community. The day after, Thomas C. Sharp called for violent retaliation against the Saints in an extra addition of his own newspaper.²

1. Nauvoo Expositor, June 7th 1844, archive.org

2. Saints, Chapter 43, page 533-536.