Boggs’ Assassination Attempt True Story: What Under The Banner Leaves Out
WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Under the Banner of Heaven episode 4.
When recalling the political history of Joseph Smith, Under the Banner of Heaven episode 4 mentions the assassination attempt of Missouri Governor Boggs, but much of the true story is left out. Under the Banner of Heaven has already discussed much of the Mormon history in the 1800s associated with acts of violence, including the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, the 1938 Haun’s Mill Massacre, and Joseph Smith’s own death at the hands of a mob. Before all those events, the tension between the Latter-day Saints in the American South and Midwest was well-established when a mysterious figure attempted to assassinate Governor Lilburn Boggs in 1842.
While Detective Jeb Pyre is interviewing Robin about Dan’s political pursuits, the younger Lafferty brother recalls how Joseph Smith launched his presidential campaign in 1844 after Missouri’s Governor Boggs blamed his assassination attempt on the Latter-day Saints. Under the Banner of Heaven then sees a quick flashback to Governor Boggs sitting at his desk and being shot in the head, which he miraculously survived. As Under the Banner of Heaven's Robin Lafferty tells the story, he suggests that Smith launched his own presidential campaign in response to such accusations.
Related: Haun’s Mill Massacre 1838: Everything Under The Banner Of Heaven Leaves Out
The true story of the assassination attempt on Governor Boggs in 1842 was another instance of the Latter-day Saints’ feuds with Missouri officials. In the real story, Boggs truly was home when an unknown attacker fired buckshot through his window, with four balls hitting the former governor twice in the skull, once in the neck, and one time in the throat — which the
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