Sampson Avard (October 23, 1800 – April 15, 1869) was one of the founders and leaders of the Mormon vigilantes known as the Danites, which existed in Missouri during the Missouri Mormon War in 1838.

Early life

Sampson Avard was born at St. Peter,

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. As an immigrant in the United States, he worked as a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and later became a Campbellite minister in

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Mormon convert

In 1835 in Freedom, Pennsylvania, Orson Pratt baptized him a member of Church of the Latter Day Saints.

Church elder

Pratt ordained him an Elder and leader of the local branch of the church. After serving a mission near his home with Erastus Snow, he moved to the Latter Day Saint community at Kirtland, Ohio in 1836. He was ordained a High Priest in 1837, though his position as a High Priest was also revoked that same year for unclear reasons.

Danites

In 1838, while living in Far West, Missouri and serving in the church's High Council there, Avard witnessed the heated conflict between the growing Mormon population and the established non-Mormon Missourians. He was the founding organizer and leader of the Danites, a secret

paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

vigilante militia, bound by oaths and intent on retaliating for Mormon injuries and losses. It remains unclear the extent to which Joseph Smith was aware or in favor of Avard's activities, although he recognized the Danites and encouraged them to be lawful. Danite militaristic activities intensified the 1838 Mormon War and drew the attention of state government and militia.

Arrest and excommunication

After the Mormons were expelled from Missouri and

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...

was arrested, Avard was the chief witness against Smith, testifying that Smith was the mastermind behind the Danites. Smith denounced the group as "frauds and secret abominations" and excommunicated Avard in March 1839. Avard never attempted to return to the Latter Day Saints.

Post-Mormon years

In 1850 Sampson Avard was practicing medicine in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Death

Sampson Avard died in 1869 in Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois.

Notes

References

* .

External links

Biography
a
The Joseph Smith Papers Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avard, Sampson 1800 births 1838 Mormon War 1869 deaths American Latter Day Saints American vigilantes British Latter Day Saints Converts to Mormonism from Restoration Movement denominations Danites Guernsey Latter Day Saints Guernsey Mormon missionaries Guernsey emigrants to the United States People from the Bailiwick of Guernsey History of the Latter Day Saint movement Mormon missionaries in the United States People excommunicated by the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) People from Edwardsville, Illinois Religious leaders from Missouri