Oliver Cowdery was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints on April 12, 1838, primarily due to a complex mix of charges that reflected dissent and conflict with church leadership. The nine charges against him included selling lands in Jackson County without authorization, attempting to destroy the character of Joseph Smith, neglecting his ecclesiastical duties by practicing law, failing to attend church meetings, and accusing Joseph Smith of adultery. Cowdery refused to be governed by ecclesiastical authority and chose to withdraw from the church rather than reconcile. His objections were deeply tied to his belief that church leaders were overstepping their bounds, especially in temporal matters such as property management. Despite his excommunication, Cowdery never wavered in his testimony of the Book of Mormon and returned to the church about ten years later, being rebaptized.