his category focuses on the historical, religious, and cultural context surrounding Joseph Smith and the origins of the Restoration movement.
Joseph Smith’s Literacy and the Growth of His Intellectual World Joseph Smith’s early life was marked by limited formal schooling. Neighbors and contemporaries such as Jonathan Hadley described him in 1829 as “very illiterate,” and the earliest surviving letters in Joseph’s own handwriting reveal inconsistent spelling and grammar—even misspelling his brother Hyrum’s name. Yet this … Read more
The Main Issue: The “Happiness Letter” The episode centers on a very well-known quote often attributed to Joseph Smith: “Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the … Read more
Introduction This episode addresses several historical and doctrinal questions posed by participants on a Church history tour. The focus is on clarifying early Church history events, priesthood restoration timelines, Latter-day Saint marriage norms in the 19th century, offshoot movements after Joseph Smith’s death, and how faithful historians process difficult or unfamiliar historical information. Joseph and … Read more
Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith & the “Resignation” Rumor Introduction A listener asked about a story taught by a political philosophy professor claiming that Joseph Smith became frustrated with the institutionalization of the Church, wished to step down as prophet, and wanted Hyrum Smith to replace him so Joseph could “simply be a priest.” This section … Read more
The Nauvoo Expositor: Expulsion from Missouri and the Rise of Nauvoo After the expulsion of the Latter-day Saints from Missouri in 1838–1839, thousands of refugees crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois. The citizens of Quincy offered critical early support, and the Saints eventually purchased land upriver in Commerce, which would later be renamed Nauvoo. The … Read more
Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith After the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor press on June 10, 1844, public outrage spread rapidly through Hancock County and surrounding Illinois communities. Anti-Mormon newspapers such as the Warsaw Signal and the Quincy Whig condemned Joseph Smith and urged decisive action against Nauvoo. Although press destruction had precedent in … Read more
Carthage Conspiracy – Historical Overview This reconstruction presents only historical information, source analysis, and documentary context regarding the deaths of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith in 1844, the reliability of associated sources, and the methodology used by historians in evaluating alternative theories. Claims of New Interpretations of the Martyrdom A recent video has circulated claiming … Read more
D&C 135 How Historians Examine the Past Historians study the past through written and spoken sources, seeking to understand what most likely occurred. This task becomes significantly more complex when sources involve oral traditions or accounts of miraculous events. Because miracles fall outside natural probability, historians cannot confirm or deny them using standard historical tools. … Read more
Introduction On June 27, 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered at Carthage Jail by an armed mob. One hundred eighty years later, the episode reflects upon the historical testimonies preserved by those who were present with the Prophet in his final days. Among the most valuable preserved documents are the accounts collected … Read more
A Church in Turmoil After the Martyrdom The deaths of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in the summer of 1844 plunged Nauvoo into fear, uncertainty, and grief. Without the Prophet, the Saints faced a new and unsettling question: Who now held the authority to guide the Church? The city trembled under the threat of … Read more