Joseph Smith
Film examines disputed daguerreotype claimed to depict Joseph Smith
A new film titled "Brother Joseph Again" investigates whether a daguerreotype inherited by Dan Larson, Joseph Smith's great-great-grandson, actually depicts the church founder.
September 25, 2026 at 9:03 PM MT · via Meridian Magazine · 4 sources
Which Porter Rockwell stories are actually true?
Church History Matters Podcast examines which legendary stories about Orrin Porter Rockwell—Joseph Smith's bodyguard and enforcer—are historically supported and which are myth. The September 22 video covers accusations around the Boggs assassination attempt, the "modern-day Samson" blessing, Rockwell's relationship with Joseph Smith, events at Carthage Jail, and Rockwell's life after the martyrdom.
September 23, 2026 at 3:15 AM MT · via YouTube / Church History Matters Podcast
George A. Smith: the larger-than-life apostle St. George was named for
St. George, Utah, is named not for George Washington or LDS President George Albert Smith, but for an earlier George Albert Smith — a colorful apostle who never actually lived in the southern Utah city. The Salt Lake Tribune profiles the 19th-century church leader whose name was given to the settlement.
September 22, 2026 at 7:03 AM MT · via The Salt Lake Tribune
Historians debunk Carthage Jail conspiracy theories at FAIR Conference
Brian Stutzman and Dan Peterson discussed Joseph Smith's 1844 death at Carthage Jail and addressed conspiracy theories about the martyrdom in a backstage conversation at the FAIR Conference, published by FAIR.
September 21, 2026 at 3:02 PM MT · via FAIR · 2 sources
Historian traces Joseph Smith's temple concept from Bible to Independence
Historian John Hamer, in a conversation published by Gospel Tangents and discussed on Wheat and Tares, explores the origins of Joseph Smith's temple concept. Hamer's analysis traces influences from biblical sources to a domed assembly hall planned for Independence, Missouri, and includes discussion of a temple called for by revelation but never constructed.
September 21, 2026 at 3:02 PM MT · via Wheat and Tares · 2 sources
Did Joseph Smith's brother learn about Native American seer stones at Dartmouth?
A Wheat and Tares post explores whether the roots of the Book of Mormon's narrative trace back to Hyrum Smith's education at Dartmouth's Moor's Indian Charity School, where he studied alongside Haudenosaunee students. The article asks whether Native American traditions about seer stones influenced Joseph Smith's later use of them.
September 19, 2026 at 8:03 PM MT · via Wheat and Tares
Documentary claims to identify Joseph Smith in newly discovered daguerreotype
A new documentary claims to have identified Joseph Smith in a previously unknown daguerreotype photograph, which would be the first authenticated photographic image of the Latter-day Saint founder. Smith died in 1844, during the early years of photography, and no confirmed photograph of him has ever been found—leaving artists' renderings as the only visual representations. The documentary presents forensic analysis and historical evidence supporting the identification, though the claim has not yet been independently verified by Mormon history scholars. If authenticated, the image would be among the most significant artifacts in Latter-day Saint history.
September 19, 2026 at 6:03 PM MT · via YouTube · 4 sources
Historian: Joseph Smith may have found objects beyond gold plates
Historian Don Bradley argues in a YouTube interview that Joseph Smith may have found objects beyond the gold plates traditionally described in Latter-day Saint history. Bradley examines the artifacts associated with the Book of Mormon's coming forth and suggests the historical record has been misunderstood.
September 18, 2026 at 5:03 PM MT · via YouTube / Let's Get Real with Stephen Jones · 3 sources
Historian examines disputed evidence of Joseph Smith's relationship with Fanny Alger
Historian Benjamin Park examines the surviving historical evidence about Joseph Smith's relationship with Fanny Alger in a new YouTube video, questioning whether it constituted plural marriage, an affair, or something less certain. The 1,707-view video uploaded today represents a deep dive into one of early Mormon history's most disputed episodes.
September 18, 2026 at 1:03 PM MT · via YouTube / Benjamin Park, Historian · 4 sources
Joseph Smith's personal vs. theological motives for polygamy debated in new video
A YouTube video from Analyzing Mormonism argues that Joseph Smith may have claimed polygamy was being restored for theological reasons while living it for personal ones. The 3,572-view video responds to commentary from another creator, focusing on Smith's marriages to women who were already married to other men.
September 18, 2026 at 1:03 PM MT · via YouTube / Analyzing Mormonism · 3 sources
Did Porter Rockwell try to kill Missouri Governor Boggs?
The Church History Matters podcast examines whether Porter Rockwell — Joseph Smith's bodyguard and a legendary figure in Mormon history — attempted to assassinate Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs in 1842. The video episode drew 16,745 views in 33 hours.
September 16, 2026 at 3:03 PM MT · via YouTube / Church History Matters Podcast
'Brother Joseph Again' art project restores visual image of Joseph Smith
An art project titled "Brother Joseph Again" aims to restore and reimagine the visual representation of Joseph Smith, according to the BYU Daily Universe. The project addresses how the LDS Church founder has been depicted in paintings, sculptures, and media over nearly two centuries.
September 15, 2026 at 3:02 PM MT · via BYU Daily Universe