Joseph Smith
Utah historian traces ghostly legends to pioneer anxieties in LDS heritage narratives
A Utah historian has examined folklore and ghost stories tied to This Is The Place Heritage Park and Great Salt Lake—including accounts of a grave robber's restless spirit and a vengeful ex-wife's haunting—as reflections of unresolved tensions in LDS pioneer history. The analysis reveals how Latter-day Saint communities encode anxiety about ethical compromises and family trauma into supernatural narratives that persist today.
October 23, 2026 at 6:01 AM MT · via KUER · 2 sources
Scholar examines Joseph Smith's polygamy doctrine in new historical framework
A scholar at Times and Seasons lays out a new framework for understanding Joseph Smith's theology of plural marriage, arguing Smith was developing a doctrine of "shared marriage" that predated the 1843 revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 132. The argument places Smith's polygamy within his broader restoration theology—claiming he saw the Bible as incomplete and sought to restore practices he believed were missing from scripture. This adds nuance to long-debated questions about when Smith first conceived of plural marriage and whether it was always part of his restorationist vision.
October 22, 2026 at 9:01 AM MT · via Times and Seasons · 5 sources
Church releases Joseph Smith Papers Financial Records e-book
The Church Historian's Press has released the Joseph Smith Papers Financial Records series as an e-book, making the financial documents and analysis of the LDS founder's early economic life accessible to a wider audience. The series provides primary-source records of Smith's transactions, property holdings, and financial relationships during his lifetime. The digital release continues the multi-decade Joseph Smith Papers project, which has systematized and published thousands of documents related to Smith's life and writings.
October 21, 2026 at 12:01 PM MT · via Church Newsroom · 5 sources
Essay explores forgotten temples in Mormon history: pyramid, Nevada site, Texas structure, Wisconsin fortress
A new essay at Wheat and Tares examines the overlooked history of early Latter-day Saint temples, including a pyramid structure in southern Utah, a remote Nevada temple, an abandoned Texas site, and an unfinished fortress-like building in Wisconsin. The piece traces how temple worship evolved in the movement and highlights structures most modern members have never encountered. The essay reveals lesser-known chapters in Mormon architectural and religious history.
October 20, 2026 at 3:21 AM MT · via Wheat and Tares
Historian examines succession crisis after Joseph Smith's death
Historian John Turner examines the complicated succession crisis that followed Joseph Smith's 1844 martyrdom in Part Four of his Mormon Stories interview series. Drawing from his book *Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet*, Turner discusses what happened to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after its founder was killed.
October 14, 2026 at 1:03 PM MT · via YouTube / Mormon Stories Podcast
Blog post explores infinite regress and chain of creator Gods in LDS theology
A Times and Seasons blog post examines the Latter-day Saint theological concept of an infinite chain of creator Gods—each God having been created by a prior God—linking the idea to Gödel's incompleteness theorem and philosophical questions about ultimate grounds of existence.
October 13, 2026 at 11:02 AM MT · via Times and Seasons
Dialogue publishes research on newly available Joseph Smith polygamy documents
The Fall 2026 issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought features research by Todd M. Compton on newly available documents concerning Joseph Smith's plural wives. The documents provide additional historical detail about the founder's practice of polygamy.
October 10, 2026 at 3:29 AM MT · via Dialogue · 3 sources
Half of Mormonism's original Twelve Apostles left the Church
A new video from Mormon Discussion Inc. examines why six of the twelve men called to the original Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1835 eventually left the LDS Church. The apostles were not fringe figures—they served missions, preached, and worked directly with Joseph Smith during the movement's formative years.
October 8, 2026 at 7:02 PM MT · via YouTube / Mormon Discussion Inc.
Researchers present evidence 1844 photograph shows Joseph Smith
A documentary opening in theaters this week uses forensic research to argue that an 1844 daguerreotype depicts Joseph Smith, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Salt Lake Tribune reports the film examines technical evidence and historical documentation that researchers say proves the image's authenticity.
October 8, 2026 at 6:03 PM MT · via The Salt Lake Tribune · 8 sources
BYU-Idaho highlights film exploring Joseph Smith's disputed photograph
BYU-Idaho publicized "Brother Joseph Again," a documentary examining whether a disputed daguerreotype actually shows Joseph Smith, calling it a film that "brings Joseph Smith's likeness to the big screen."
October 5, 2026 at 2:03 PM MT · via BYU-Idaho
University of Illinois Press publishes biography of Richard Lyman Bushman
University of Illinois Press published "Richard Lyman Bushman: A Mormon Ambassador" by J.B. Haws as part of its Introductions to Mormon Thought series. The 157-page volume examines Bushman's career as Columbia University's Gouverneur Morris Professor of History Emeritus and his role as Joseph Smith's preeminent biographer.
October 2, 2026 at 8:03 PM MT · via Times and Seasons · 2 sources
Church History Matters examines Porter Rockwell legend versus reality
The Church History Matters Podcast released an episode investigating the life of Porter Rockwell, examining whether popular stories about Joseph Smith's bodyguard and enforcer match historical evidence. The episode covers Rockwell's hair blessing, killing claims, possible involvement in the Aiken murders, and his relationship with Brigham Young. The 45-hour-old video has drawn 15,271 views and 33 comments.
October 1, 2026 at 3:19 AM MT · via YouTube / Church History Matters Podcast