Since the first Latter-day Saints arrived in Jackson County, Missouri, in 1831, there were tensions between Latter-day Saints and the people of Missouri because of religious, political, and social differences.
Early in 1831, the Latter-day Saint missionaries passed through Independence for the first time, hoping to preach to Native Americans living on land west of Missouri. Joseph Smith visited Independence shortly thereafter and received a revelation that established that area as "the central place" of Sion, the seat of a holy city where righteousness would prevail and the saints would prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, growing discontent was emerging among the first settlers in the region because of the presence of Latter-day Saints in Missouri. The escalation of tensions between the saints and their neighbors reached a climax for the summer of 1833, and resulted in the expulsion of the entire Latter-day Saint population of the county.
