Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Welcome to Part 33 of our series with historian John G. Turner, based on his landmark biography Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.
In this episode, we dive into Chapter 26 (titled “David”) and explore one of the most controversial patterns in Joseph Smith’s leadership: how he responded when trusted insiders became vocal critics.
As pressure mounted from Missouri over the attempted assassination of Lilburn Boggs, Joseph faced internal dissent from figures like John C. Bennett and Orson Pratt. We examine the fallout surrounding Sarah Pratt, the publication of the so-called “Happiness Letter,” and the devastating public denunciation that followed.
Was Joseph defending himself from slander? Or was he fighting dirty in the press?
Today we discuss the allegations surrounding Nancy Rigdon and Sarah Pratt, Joseph’s public rebukes and “Judas” comparisons, the (embarrassing) re-baptism of the Pratts, the role of Brigham Young in publicly acknowledging plural marriage, the publication of John C. Bennett, Joseph’s legal maneuvers to avoid extradition, his complicated and evolving stance on slavery, and the larger pattern of character assassination within early Mormonism.
We also explore Joseph’s interaction with Illinois Governor Thomas Ford, the power of the Nauvoo Charter, and the increasingly emboldened posture of the church leadership as dissent intensified.
This is a complex and uncomfortable chapter –one that forces us to wrestle with competing testimonies, public smears, loyalty under pressure, and the high cost of dissent.
If you’d like to help keep this project going, please consider donating to support this series. Your support makes long-form, in-depth historical discussion like this possible! donorbox.org/josephsmith.
Purchase John Turner’s book here: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300255164/joseph-smith/
Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: mormonstories.org/how-joseph-smith-smeared-honest-critics
Timecodes:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:06:52 - Orson Pratt penned a suicide note
00:13:33 - Allegations of Sarah Pratt
00:23:29 - Rebaptism of the Pratts
00:33:03 - Post Office affairs in Nauvoo
00:41;36 - Being on the run
00:48:22 - Slavery
00:57:34 - Moving forward in Nauvoo
00:59:15 - “David”
01:06:10 - Assassinating characters
01:09:09 - Closing Remarks
___________________
At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.
Our overall mission is to:
1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology
2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis
3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions
🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today
One-time or recurring donations: donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m
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Join this channel to get access to perks:
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Our Platforms:
🌐Mormon Stories Blog: mormonstories.org/episodes
🎙️Patreon: patreon.com/mormonstories
✳️Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1
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🎮Discord: discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF
Contact us:
📧 MormonStories@gmail.com
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117
Welcome to Part 33 of our series with historian John G. Turner, based on his landmark biography Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.
In this episode, we dive into Chapter 26 (titled “David”) and explore one of the most controversial patterns in Joseph Smith’s leadership: how he responded when trusted insiders became vocal critics.
As pressure mounted from Missouri over the attempted assassination of Lilburn Boggs, Joseph faced internal dissent from figures like John C. Bennett and Orson Pratt. We examine the fallout surrounding Sarah Pratt, the publication of the so-called “Happiness Letter,” and the devastating public denunciation that followed.
Was Joseph defending himself from slander? Or was he fighting dirty in the press?
Today we discuss the allegations surrounding Nancy Rigdon and Sarah Pratt, Joseph’s public rebukes and “Judas” comparisons, the (embarrassing) re-baptism of the Pratts, the role of Brigham Young in publicly acknowledging plural marriage, the publication of John C. Bennett, Joseph’s legal maneuvers to avoid extradition, his complicated and evolving stance on slavery, and the larger pattern of character assassination within early Mormonism.
We also explore Joseph’s interaction with Illinois Governor Thomas Ford, the power of the Nauvoo Charter, and the increasingly emboldened posture of the church leadership as dissent intensified.
This is a complex and uncomfortable chapter –one that forces us to wrestle with competing testimonies, public smears, loyalty under pressure, and the high cost of dissent.
If you’d like to help keep this project going, please consider donating to support this series. Your support makes long-form, in-depth historical discussion like this possible! donorbox.org/josephsmith.
Purchase John Turner’s book here: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300255164/joseph-smith/
Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: mormonstories.org/how-joseph-smith-smeared-honest-critics
Timecodes:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:06:52 - Orson Pratt penned a suicide note
00:13:33 - Allegations of Sarah Pratt
00:23:29 - Rebaptism of the Pratts
00:33:03 - Post Office affairs in Nauvoo
00:41;36 - Being on the run
00:48:22 - Slavery
00:57:34 - Moving forward in Nauvoo
00:59:15 - “David”
01:06:10 - Assassinating characters
01:09:09 - Closing Remarks
___________________
At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.
Our overall mission is to:
1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology
2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis
3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions
🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today
One-time or recurring donations: donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m
Patreon: patreon.com/mormonstories
Venmo: account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories
Paypal: paypal.me/mormonstories
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join
Our Platforms:
🌐Mormon Stories Blog: mormonstories.org/episodes
🎙️Patreon: patreon.com/mormonstories
✳️Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1
🍎Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772
🖼️Instagram: instagram.com/mormstories
📱TikTok: tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast
🎮Discord: discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF
Contact us:
📧 MormonStories@gmail.com
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117
