In this capacity, he published a single edition of the Nauvoo Expositor, the destruction of which set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to Smith's death.

Law eventually ended up in Churchville, Upper Canada, and at the age of 24 married Jane Silverthorn, who was 19 years old.

[2] Law and his wife joined the Church of Christ in 1836 in Canada,[2] through the proselyting efforts of John Taylor and Almon W.

[3] In 1839, Law led a group of Canadian saints to Nauvoo, Illinois, and in 1841, Joseph Smith chose him to be a member of the First Presidency.

He felt Smith was confusing church and state roles in Nauvoo, by evading extradition to be tried for crimes in Missouri.

[citation needed] Law met privately after his excommunication with other opponents of Smith and formed a group.

Shortly thereafter, Law created the True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and became its President.

The reaction to the newspaper was not what Law expected,[citation needed] and after two days of consultation, the printing press was ordered destroyed by Smith and the Nauvoo city council.

[13] However, Law's diary states that he was not in Carthage at the time of the murder, though he had been present there earlier in the day.

His later years were marked by a return to private life, distancing himself from the religious controversies that had once defined his public persona.