Porter Rockwell – Destroying Angel of Mormondom

Orrin Porter Rockwell, a figure shrouded in both admiration and notoriety, occupies a unique space in the history of the Mormon Church and the American West. Serving as a personal bodyguard to Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith, Jr., Rockwell’s life was a tapestry woven with threads of unwavering loyalty, remarkable generosity, and a reputation for tenacity and ruthlessness that earned him the moniker "Destroying Angel of Mormondom." His role as a lawman in the burgeoning territory of Utah further cemented his place in frontier lore.

The life of Porter Rockwell is not easily pieced together. Unlike many historical figures, Rockwell left behind no personal diary, leaving historians to rely on conflicting accounts and fragmented recollections. While the exact date of his birth remains uncertain – some records suggest June 28, 1813, others June 25, 1815 – what is clear is that he forged a deep and lasting friendship with Joseph Smith, Jr. from a young age. The Rockwell family resided as neighbors to the Smiths in Massachusetts, fostering a bond that would shape the course of young Orrin’s life. Demonstrating early devotion to Smith, Rockwell contributed to the publication of The Book of Mormon by selling berries and wood to raise funds.

Following Smith’s movement to New York, the Rockwells became some of the earliest adherents to the Latter Day Saint movement. Porter was baptized into the church on its very first day, April 1830, making him, at the age of sixteen, its youngest member. This early commitment marked the beginning of a life inextricably linked to the fate of the Mormon community.

As the New York branch of the church relocated westward to Ohio, Porter Rockwell was dispatched further on to Jackson County, Missouri, a location envisioned as the central gathering place for the faithful. It was in the turbulent environment of Missouri that Rockwell honed his skills with firearms, a talent that would later define much of his public persona. He married his first wife in 1832, establishing a family amidst the growing tensions between the Mormon settlers and their established neighbors. It was also during this period that Rockwell first found himself embroiled in controversy, becoming a suspect in the attempted assassination of former Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs.

The conflict between the Mormons and their neighbors in Missouri reached a fever pitch, culminating in Governor Boggs’ infamous Executive Order 44, issued on October 27, 1838. This order, known as the "Extermination Order," effectively sanctioned the expulsion of Mormons from Missouri by any means necessary, including violence. Boggs justified this drastic measure by citing what he perceived as the Mormons’ "open and avowed defiance of the laws" during the so-called Missouri Mormon War. The underlying causes of this conflict were complex, rooted in the rapid economic and electoral growth of the Mormon community, as well as Joseph Smith’s outspoken opposition to slavery. These factors ignited resentment and fear among the established population.

Prior to the Extermination Order, animosity towards the Mormons had been brewing for years. In 1833, public officials in Independence, Missouri, published a manifesto expressing their determination to rid their society of the Mormons, "peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must." This declaration highlighted the deep-seated antipathy and the perceived threat posed by the growing Mormon presence.

In response to the escalating violence, church elders frequently convened at Porter Rockwell’s home to strategize ways to protect their members from the increasingly hostile Missouri mobs. Despite their efforts, the Mormons were eventually driven from Jackson County, forced to seek refuge in Illinois. Rockwell, however, remained behind in Missouri, tasked with ensuring the safe passage of other Latter-Day Saints out of the state, a testament to his dedication and courage.

In May 1842, the attempted assassination of Lilburn Boggs reignited the controversy surrounding Rockwell. He was swiftly accused of the crime, the motive being revenge for the Extermination Order he had issued years prior. Rockwell endured eight months of imprisonment while awaiting trial. Ultimately, he was acquitted due to a lack of conclusive evidence, but the stigma of the accusation would forever cling to his name.

Upon his release, Porter Rockwell journeyed to Nauvoo, Illinois, to reunite with the main body of the church. His arrival at Joseph Smith’s home on Christmas Day, 1843, was unexpected. With his hair grown long and unkempt during his imprisonment, Smith initially mistook him for a hostile Missourian and ordered his removal. However, upon closer inspection, he recognized his loyal friend. According to church accounts, it was on this occasion that Smith made a remarkable promise to Rockwell: if he remained faithful to the church and never cut his hair, he would be immune to death by bullet. From that day forward, it is said that Rockwell wore his long hair braided and tucked into a bob at the back of his neck, a symbolic gesture of his unwavering faith. Although, contradicting this account, some church sources claim he later cut his hair to aid a widow suffering from hair loss due to typhoid fever.

Following the assassination of Joseph Smith in June 1844, Porter Rockwell found himself once again at the center of controversy. In September 1845, he was accused of shooting and killing Frank Worrell, allegedly the leader of the group responsible for Smith’s murder. The church maintained that Rockwell acted in self-defense, and some accounts suggest that he was acting under the orders of Brigham Young, the new leader of the Saints, who sought to deflect persecution away from the remaining members in Nauvoo. Once again, Rockwell was acquitted of the charges the following spring.

Rockwell followed Brigham Young and the Mormon pioneers westward to Utah. In 1849, he was appointed Deputy Marshal of Great Salt Lake City, a position that solidified his reputation as a relentless and formidable lawman. An article published in the Reno Evening Gazette in February 1891, reflecting on the changes in Salt Lake City over two decades, described the tense relationship between prospectors and the church. The article characterized Rockwell, with his "long, wild locks flowing over his shoulders," and his associate, Brig Hampton, as "the two leading destroying angels of the Mormon Church."

Despite his involvement in numerous violent incidents and the widespread belief that he killed many men in his various roles, Rockwell famously declared in 1869, "I never killed anyone who didn’t need killing." However, many considered him an outlaw, suspecting him in several murders committed in service to the church. One notable case was the "Aiken affair," an incident involving the murder of six professional gamblers from California who were allegedly being escorted out of Utah Territory in 1857 by Rockwell. He was indicted for the incident some 20 years later but died before he could stand trial.

Porter Rockwell’s legacy extends beyond his reputation as a lawman and gunfighter. He was also a skilled guide and mountain man, familiar with the vast and unforgiving terrain of the West. At one point, he operated the Hot Springs Hotel and Brewery in the southern Salt Lake Valley, demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit.

Author Fitz Hugh Ludlow offered a compelling description of Rockwell in 1870, painting a portrait of a complex and contradictory figure: "But he was that most terrible instrument that can be handled by fanaticism; a powerful physical nature welded to a mind of very narrow perceptions, intense convictions, and changeless tenacity. In his build, he was a gladiator; in his humor, a Yankee lumberman; in his memory, a Bourbon; in his vengeance, an Indian. A strange mixture, only to be found on the American Continent."

Rockwell died of natural causes on June 9, 1878, and was laid to rest in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. At his funeral, future church leader Joseph F. Smith delivered a eulogy that acknowledged the controversies surrounding Rockwell’s life while emphasizing his unwavering loyalty to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young: "They say he was a murderer; if he was, he was the friend of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and he was faithful to them, and to his covenants, and he has gone to Heaven and apostates can go to Hell."

The life of Porter Rockwell remains a subject of fascination and debate. Was he a ruthless killer, a dedicated lawman, or a loyal protector of his faith? The answer, perhaps, lies somewhere in between, reflecting the complex and often brutal realities of the American frontier and the turbulent early years of the Mormon Church.