Danites

Danites, Mormon paramilitary organization founded in June 1838 in Far West, Missouri, by Sampson Avard during escalating tensions between Latter-day Saints and local non-Mormon residents, officially disbanded by Joseph Smith later that year but persistently alleged by critics to have continued operating as a secret enforcement organization in Utah Territory.

The organization was established as tensions in Caldwell County, Missouri, approached armed conflict during what became known as the 1838 Mormon War. Avard recruited members through secret oaths and rituals, naming the group after the biblical tribe of Dan, which was prophesied to be “a serpent by the way” that would “judge his people.” The Danites were organized with military ranks and charged with protecting Mormon settlements and enforcing religious discipline within the community.

Contemporary accounts describe Danite activities including the burning of non-Mormon properties, threatening apostates and critics, and participating in armed conflicts with Missouri militia units. The organization’s existence was initially kept secret from regular church members, with members bound by oaths of silence regarding their activities and membership.

Joseph Smith publicly dissolved the organization in October 1838 during his arrest and trial in connection with the Missouri conflicts, testifying that Avard had operated beyond his authorization and that the Danites had been disbanded. However, former members and critics subsequently claimed that similar organizations continued operating in Nauvoo, Illinois, and later in Utah Territory under Brigham Young’s leadership.

In Utah, allegations of Danite involvement surfaced in connection with various incidents including the Mountain Meadows Massacre, attacks on federal officials, and the deaths of apostates and critics of church leadership. While no organizational continuity from the 1838 Missouri Danites has been definitively established, the term “Destroying Angels” became associated with alleged Mormon vigilante activities throughout the territorial period, contributing to enduring conspiracy theories about secret Mormon enforcement organizations.