why me wrote:We need to see the context of what happened in Nauvoo. Once we see the context, we can understand the reaction of the nauvoo citizens against the Expositor. First, the LDS came to Nauvoo for peace and quiet after being persecuted by other communities. They begin to build a wonderful city complete with temple to worship freely. In the neighboring community we have a yellow paper in Warsaw printing inciteful language against the LDS and Joseph Smith. We need to try to imagine just what the reaction of the Mormons to this paper. Were they concerned with mobs? I think so. Were they concerned with the mobs coming to burn them out once again? I think so.
And now William Law decides with some help to set up a similiar paper in the heart of mormonland. What should the Mormons do? And we know that the paper was founded by a man who desired vengence against Joseph Smith and the Mormon leadership. To close down such a paper was just. But it was how it was done that became the problem. And to my understanding, Joseph Smith offered to pay for any damages. But it was refused. Why?
What you need to understand is that
the Nauvoo Expositor was a pro-Mormon newspaper. As the paper itself said,
As for our acquaintance with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we know, no man or set of men can be more thoroughly acquainted with its rise, its organization, and its history, than we have every reason to believe we are. We all verily believe, and many of us know of a surety, that the religion of the Latter Day Saints, as originally taught by Joseph Smith, which is contained in the Old and New Testaments, Book of Covenants, and Book of Mormon, is verily true; and that the pure principles set forth in those books, are the immutable and eternal principles of Heaven, and speaks a language which, when spoken in truth and virtue, sinks deep into the heart of every honest man.--Its precepts are invigorating, and in every sense of the word, tend to dignify and ennoble man's conceptions of God and his atributes [sic]. It speaks a language which is heard amidst the roar of Artillery, as well as in the silence of midnight: it speaks a language understood by the incarcerated spirit, as well as he who is unfettered and free; yet to those who will not see, it is dark, mysterious, and secret as the grave.
Again, the
Nauvoo Expositor was a pro-Mormon paper. It was in favor of Mormon doctrine, and it was in favor of the Mormon people.
Joseph Smith destroyed the paper because he didn't want his own people to know the truth about how he was abusing his authority. It's as simple as that.