Former Missouri Governor and Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond, who rescinded the notorious Missouri Extermination Order of 1838, passed away May 13, 2025, in St. Louis. He was 86 years old.

Bond, a Republican, served two terms as governor. He was the youngest Missouri governor elected at 33 years old. During his first term in 1976, he issued an executive order rescinding the 1838 “extermination order” issued by then-Governor Lilburn Boggs, which stated that Mormons “must be exterminated or driven from the state.”

“Former Governor Kit Bond will go down in the annals of Church history as one who gave relief and mercy to the Saints,” said Elder Jeremiah Morgan. “Although more than a century had passed since the ‘extermination order’ was issued, the repeal of that order was a tender moment for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as other restoration groups. It is a gesture on behalf of the State of Missouri that will not soon be forgotten.”

He was a skilled statesman, public servant, and a man who truly loved Missouri, wrote Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe in a statement. “Kit kept Missouri’s interests at heart, both in office and out, making our state a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Whenever he was thanked for his service, Kit’s response was always, ‘Serving the people of Missouri was the honor of my life.’”

Bond served two non-consecutive terms as governor, two years as state auditor, and four terms as U.S. Senator for Missouri.

Bond’s successor as governor, John Ashcroft, praised Bond at a memorial service held in the Missouri Capitol Rotunda, saying, “Talk is cheap, but doing takes the devotion of one’s lifetime,” Ashcroft said. “Bond was a doer.”

“As Latter-day Saints, we honor the service and legacy of former Governor Kit Bond; first, for his steady leadership in many capacities for the State of Missouri, and second, importantly for his gift to the saints of rescinding the ‘extermination order,'” said Elder Morgan.