180 years ago today - Mar 4, 1843

Joseph Smith gives his plans for increasing Mormon control over the area surrounding Nauvoo, "There is a wheel. This is the Hub. We will drive the first spoke in Rome [Ramus], 2d Laharpe, 3rd Shokokon [and] 4[th] Lima; that is 1/2 of the wheel. The other half is over the river. We will let that alone at present. We will call the Saints from Iowa to these spokes then send Elders over and convert the whole. It is like a bank they will not discount because they have plenty of specie. We will draw this specie. Then they will discount our paper. (Call for our address)."

Joseph also comments on execution of condemned murderers saying he was "opposed to hanging. If a man kill another shoot him or cut his throat spilling his blood on the ground and let the smoke thereof ascent up to God. If I ever have the privilege of making a law on this point I will have it so." This is later expanded by Brigham Young and called "blood atonement."

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