Who are the Danites in Latter-day Saint history? Ep. 95 

In this episode, Dave talks about a controversial vigilante group from Latter-day Saint history: the Danites.
See video transcript here: bit.ly/3p0xq22
“The Danite Band of 1838,” by Leland H. Gentry (BYU Studies): bit.ly/3flDyvQ
From the Church’s website: bit.ly/33x4fvo
More from the Church’s website: bit.ly/39Zw5S5
Record of the testimonies given by Avard and others that are often used as sources regarding Danite practices (see relevant note below): bit.ly/33xqgdr
Scholar Hugh Nibley commenting on the legendary “Danites” and how the legends are used by antagonists of the Church: bit.ly/30f8pGg
From the Encyclopedia of Mormonism: bit.ly/30pqBx0
Valuable description of Danites from contemporary source: bit.ly/2PooZNE
Perspective of Danites from another knowledgeable Latter-day Saint: bit.ly/39ZUTcX
Some example of how Danite myths were perpetuated in fictional literature: bit.ly/30rzUMP
Biography of Jared Carter: bit.ly/3iieoA9
Notes:
-Is Sampson Avard’s testimony trustworthy? Probably not. To read about why that is, go to the following link and read page 8. bit.ly/3flDyvQ Based on what others said about him, and based on how quick he was to break his oath of secrecy in court, it seems Avard was willing to lie as much as necessary to protect himself.
-At one point, Avard presented the court with the Danite “Constitution,” which made the First Presidency look very bad. Strangely enough, no other Danite seemed to be aware that this Constitution had ever existed. bit.ly/3flDyvQ (page 11-12).
-“The chief difference would be that Avard asserted that the First Presidency directed the Danites, while nearly everyone else--including the dissenters--considered Avard to be the group’s leading agent.” -Stephen LeSueur in “The Danites Reconsidered…,” The John Whitmer Historical Association Journal bit.ly/3a4Wg9W
-An account of what Joseph said at a Danite meeting he reportedly attended: "After this, President Smith got up and made general remarks, about, in substance, as follows: relating the oppressions the society had suffered, and they wanted to be prepared for further events; but said he wished to do nothing unlawful, and, if the people would let him alone, they would preach the gospel and live in peace." -Testimony of John Corrill, via Richard Bushman's "Rough Stone Rolling," pg. 352.
-I have heard/read stuff that seemingly suggests that Danites may have burned some outlying Missourian homes during the War, but I haven’t found any specifics to substantiate those claims.
-Some important dates:
--Oct. 31, 1838: Joseph Smith arrested outside of Far West
--Nov. 1, 1838: Far West surrenders
--Nov. 1838: Avard testifies against First Presidency
--Dec. 1, 1838-April 6, 1839: Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail
-Joseph Smith was present during Sidney Rigdon’s “salt sermon,” and was likely in favor of the removal of apostates (the fact that apostate actions had forced Joseph out of Kirtland probably influenced his opinion on the matter). That said, Reed Peck (once a Danite) recalled that in Joseph’s short speech at the same meeting, he’d mentioned, “I don’t want the brethren to act unlawfully.” See Richard Bushman’s “Rough Stone Rolling,” pg 350.
-Relevant note concerning the testimonies given against Joseph Smith after the Missouri War: “That the testimony in the Document [see link above] is generally unfavorable to Joseph Smith derives from its being drawn in more part from prejudiced witnesses, and from the fact that favorable testimony was an act of courage, being given largely ‘at the point of a bayonet.’ Also, whenever additional witnesses were found who could testify for Joseph, they were quickly placed in prison, thus preventing their testimony from being given.” Source: bit.ly/3flDyvQ
-Was anyone ever killed for spilling the beans about the Danites? Leland Gentry writes, “No evidence whatever has been found to show that it was, although Sidney Rigdon is quoted as having said in a Danite meeting ‘that one man had “slipped his wind” yesterday, and had been thrown aside into the brush for the buzzards to pick, and the first man who lisped it should die.’” bit.ly/3flDyvQ (Testimony of Benjamin Slade). Again, one must decide what to believe.
-The very first Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle was about solving a murder committed by a Danite.
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