Tickets now available for presentation of extradition hearings of
Mormon Church founder
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[August 13, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- Several state
agencies are partnering for a September presentation to highlight
Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, and his legal issues
in Illinois. Participating are the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library and Museum, a division of the Illinois Historic Preservation
Agency; the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission;
and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.
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Two days of events will begin in Nauvoo, one of the key settlements
in the early years of the Mormon faith, on Sept. 23, followed by a
Sept. 24 afternoon re-enactment in Springfield of Smith's
extradition hearings. Tickets are now available through
www.josephsmithcaptured.com.
Missouri Gov. Lilburn Boggs's attempt to "eradicate" the Mormons
caused legal problems for Smith, the Mormon prophet who founded The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He employed the writ of
habeas corpus while an Illinois resident to free himself from
extradition to face charges in Missouri.
In Nauvoo on Sept. 23, the events include tours of historic sites
in the town, with expert interpretation to give the visitor an
inside look at life in Nauvoo in the 1840s. In the evening, a dinner
at the Hotel Nauvoo will precede a presentation by Dallin H. Oaks,
entitled "Behind the Extraditions: Joseph Smith, the Man and the
Prophet." Oaks is a member of the LDS Quorum of Twelve. Reservation
information for the dinner will be forthcoming on
www.josephsmithcaptured.com. The Oaks presentation will be at
the Nauvoo Historical Visitors Center.
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In Springfield on Sept. 24, the events include a theatrical
presentation of Smith's three habeas corpus hearings in Illinois,
followed by a panel discussion on the use of habeas corpus from
Smith's time to the present day.
An encore presentation and discussion will occur on Oct. 14 at
the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of
Chicago. Tickets for the Chicago event will be forthcoming.
"The preparation for these events has been meticulous,
representing the efforts of scores of attorneys and judges
throughout Illinois," said Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne
Burke, who serves on the committee putting together this series of
programs. "Every person in Illinois should want to see this
interesting part of the history of our state as well as that of a
faith that took its roots right here. From Nauvoo to Springfield to
Chicago, everyone who wants to be a part of this wonderful
experience certainly will have a chance."
[Text from file received] |