Danites

Anyone have information about the Mormon Danites?

I think TBS had a movie awhile back with I think Charlton Heston (as Brigham Young) and Tom Berenger as a Danite. From what I saw of the TV movie, the Danites were portrayed as scouts and the Mormon "secret service".

I've heard others claim that the Danites are more akin to a hit-squad to avenge the death of Joseph Smith.

Are the Danites still around?..

Are there any current/former Mormons who could give us some information?..

I thought there was a secretive almost Freemasonic lull to the founding of Mormonism what with the chap finding his Angel's - almost Occulturual.

I was Attracted to this Station because I thought it was the Tribe of Dan, as from the 12 tribes of Israel, but yes very Christian Identity.

Joseph Smith - hmm, victim of Psychadelic Poisoning or Fasting?!

I thought Joseph Smith was lynched by an angry mob for calling all other religions "apostate"?..

quoted from www.wikipedia.com
Several of Smith's disaffected associates in Nauvoo joined together to publish a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor. Its first and only issue was published 7 June 1844. The paper was highly antagonistic towards Smith, expounding many beliefs critical of him, and outlining several grievances against him.

The publication of this material disturbed many of Nauvoo's citizens, and the city council, headed by Joseph Smith as a mayor, responded by passing an ordinance declaring the newspaper a public nuisance designed to promote violence against Smith and his followers [14]. Under the council's new ordinance, Smith, as Nauvoo's mayor, in conjunction with the city council, ordered the city marshal to destroy the paper and the press on June 10, 1844.[15]

This action was seen by many non-Mormons as illegal and Smith was accused of violating freedom of the press. Violent threats were made against Smith and the Mormon community. Charges were brought against Smith and he submitted to incarceration in Carthage, the Hancock County seat. Smith's brother, Hyrum, and eight of his associates including John Taylor and Willard Richards, accompanied him to the jail.[16] The Governor of the state, Thomas Ford, had promised protection and a fair trial.[17] All of Smith's associates left the jail, except Richards and Taylor. Those in jail were not held in the 1st floor jail cell because the jailer felt that that was unsafe, instead, they were held in the jailer's room on the 2nd floor.

Shortly after 5:00 p.m. on 27 June 1844, a mob of about 200 men stormed the jail, and went to where Joseph and his associates were imprisoned. Although they attempted to hold the doorway against the mob, the mobbers opened fire through the still-closed door. Joseph Smith had a six shooter and reportedly released a few rounds. Hyrum Smith died immediately, shot in the face. Taylor was shot several times, but survived. Richards was unharmed. Smith ran to the open window, where he was shot multiple times simultaneously, and fell from the window, dead. Upon falling to the ground, he was shot several more times.[18]

I can tell you a bit. (I'm a Mormon)

The Danites did in fact exist (very briefly) for a year or two, back in 1838. They formed in response to the persecution that was then being leveled against the Mormons, some of it quite severe. Basically, the Danites were a small group that were tired of 'turning the other cheek' to their oppressors, and fought back, without the sanction of the church leaders at the time. The Danites were led by a guy named Sampson Avard, who, if I recall correctly, was kicked out of the Church (excommunicated) once the leaders figured out what he was doing.

The Danites no longer exist, and have not existed since Joseph Smith was alive. The claim that they were a 'hit squad' to avenge Smith's death is false, since the Danites did not exist by that time.

There isn't a lot of good documentation about the Danites, at least that I have ever seen, so some of the details I don't know, but basically they existed to harass the persecutors of Mormons, but in doing so, they exhibited rather unMormonlike behaviour. I'm not sure if the Danites killed people, but I wouldn't be surprised. They were not very nice people at all, and while they were ostensibly members of the Mormon church, they didn't follow its teachings at all.

Also, PennKen2009s quote in response to Zhenyghi is exactly right. While Smith did in fact say that other religions were not the true church of God, the 'final straw' was the incident Penn describes.