Joseph Smith
Protestant scholar defends Joseph Smith against fraud claims
A Protestant scholar argued that Joseph Smith should not be dismissed as a con man, in a video conversation with Luke Hanson and Dr. Kyle Beshears posted 29 August. Beshears, who is not Latter-day Saint, said Smith's religious sincerity deserves serious consideration even for those who reject his theological claims.
September 5, 2026 at 4:03 PM MT · via YouTube
New Joseph Smith Papers volume to document prophet's plural marriages
The Joseph Smith Papers project will soon publish additional documentary evidence of the Latter-day Saint founder's plural marriages, according to AOL. The forthcoming volume will include primary-source materials documenting Smith's practice of polygamy during the Nauvoo period.
September 3, 2026 at 1:03 AM MT · via AOL.com · 4 sources
Podcast traces Fort Douglas history as federal check on Mormon theocracy
A new Sunstone podcast episode examines why the U.S. Army built Fort Douglas above Salt Lake City with cannons aimed at the Mormon capital. Hosts Lindsay Hansen Park and Bryan Buchanan trace the installation's role from the Utah War through Patrick Connor's campaign to contain Brigham Young's theocratic power and encourage non-Mormon settlement through mining.
September 2, 2026 at 5:02 AM MT · via Sunstone
New evidence of Joseph Smith's polygamy to be published
New documentary evidence of Joseph Smith's plural marriages will soon be published, according to knoxradio.com. The forthcoming release promises additional historical documentation of the LDS Church founder's practice of polygamy in the 1840s.
August 30, 2026 at 12:03 PM MT · via knoxradio.com · 5 sources
Before they were famous: Orson Hyde's contradictory life
Lindsay Hansen Park and Bryan Buchanan trace the astonishing and contradictory life of Apostle Orson Hyde for Sunstone. Hyde dedicated Jerusalem for the return of the Jews, renamed Nevada's oldest town, nearly became church president, and may have helped create one of Mormonism's most enduring succession myths. The episode examines Hyde's orphaned childhood, his rise to apostolic authority, his temporary excommunication and return, and his complex legacy. The hosts explore how Hyde's life illuminates early Mormon leadership dynamics and the fluid nature of apostolic succession in the 19th century.
August 21, 2026 at 10:05 PM MT · via Sunstone
Mormon Discussion examines Joseph Smith's Zelph story from Zion's Camp
Mormon Discussion Inc. posted a video examining the Zelph incident from Joseph Smith's 1834 Zion's Camp march, drawing 5,001 views in 35 hours. The video explores Smith's claimed revelation about a skeleton found in an Illinois burial mound, which he identified as a "white Lamanite" warrior named Zelph.
August 21, 2026 at 7:07 AM MT · via YouTube / Mormon Discussion Inc.
The Mormon sect that had their own plates: examining the Strangites
The "All Those In Favor" YouTube channel examines the Strangite branch of Mormonism, a splinter group that claimed to possess their own set of ancient metal plates translated by James Strang after Joseph Smith's death. The video, which has drawn over 5,600 views in 38 hours, explores how the Strangites' claim to gold plates affects belief in Joseph Smith's translated plates. The channel acknowledges the work of another creator who produced a "fantastic and charitable" account of Strangite history.
August 19, 2026 at 2:07 AM MT · via YouTube / All Those In Favor
1841 letter from Sarah Crooks to Brigham Young examined for implications
StillMormon examines a March 14, 1841 letter from Sarah Crooks to Brigham Young in a video exploring what the correspondence might reveal about early Mormon leadership relationships.
August 18, 2026 at 3:03 PM MT · via YouTube / StillMormon
Joseph Smith's Bible translation shaped Restoration theology
Meridian Magazine examines how Joseph Smith's work on the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the Bible helped shape early LDS theology and doctrine. The article traces connections between Smith's translation work and many of the revelations recorded in the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants, arguing the JST was foundational to the theological development of the Restoration. The piece demonstrates that doctrines about priesthood, the nature of God, and the plan of salvation emerged in part from Smith's engagement with biblical texts during the translation process. Scholars have long studied the JST's influence, but the article synthesizes that research for a general audience.
August 18, 2026 at 12:07 AM MT · via Meridian Magazine · 3 sources
Historians examine Nauvoo's lost restoration sites in documentary video
The Stick of Joseph channel released a 743-views-per-hour documentary featuring Mike Day and Brian Christensen exploring historical sites in Nauvoo connected to early LDS Church history. The video, which has drawn 9,705 views and 78 comments in 13 hours, examines lesser-known restoration-era locations and promotes a Nauvoo Discovery Program scholarship.
August 17, 2026 at 4:01 AM MT · via YouTube / The Stick of Joseph
Alyssa Grenfell examines nine accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision
Ex-Mormon author Alyssa Grenfell's video (8,398 views in 3 hours, strong 2,735/hour velocity) examines the nine surviving accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision, arguing the version most members know is only one of multiple conflicting narratives. Grenfell explores how the accounts differ in key details—who appeared, what was said, when it happened—and what those discrepancies reveal about the story's evolution. The video, generating 150 comments, represents critical scholarship on Mormonism's founding story reaching a popular audience.
August 14, 2026 at 5:06 PM MT · via YouTube / Alyssa Grenfell
Historian unpacks Joseph Smith estate, Emma's financial survival fight
A new interview at the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk features historian Jeffrey Mahas examining the complex financial entanglement of Joseph Smith's personal assets with Church property following his 1844 death. Mahas explains how the Prophet's failure to separate personal from institutional holdings left widow Emma Smith in a desperate struggle for her family's financial survival, a reality often overshadowed by narratives focusing solely on theological disputes with Brigham Young.
August 14, 2026 at 6:09 AM MT · via Times and Seasons · 3 sources