180 years ago today - (Wed) Jul 4, 1838

Sidney Rigdon, in his infamous public speech, threatened a "war of extermination" upon the non-Mormon Missourians, saying: "...that mob that comes in us to disturb us, it shall be between us and them a war of extermination; for we will follow them til the last drop of their blood is spilled, or else they will have to exterminate us; for we will cary the seat of war to their own houses and their own families, and one party or the other shall be utterly destroyed..." After Rigdon ended this speech, Joseph Smith shouted "Hosannah!" [This would later become known as the "Mormon Declaration of Independence".]

The cornerstones were laid for Mormon Temple at Far West. Smith said that a divine manifestation informed him that the building of the structure would be underway within a year, and that it must be completed quickly. It wasn't.

[Source: Broadhurst, Dale R., Mormon Chronology, http://olivercowdery.com/history/morchrn2.htm]

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