Road to Carthage: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast

Episode 0: “Series Introduction”

This introductory episode previews the limited-series podcast on the history of the 1844 assassination of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage, Illinois.

Episode 0 Transcript

Episode 1: “Mobs, Elections, and Kidnappings”

This episode reveals how the violence Latter-day Saints experienced in Missouri during the 1830s informed the way they designed safeguards for their rights and lives in Illinois, and how the implementation of those safeguards led to the formation of the Anti-Mormon Party.

Guests: Matthew Godfrey, Alex Smith, Jeffrey Mahas, Brent Rogers, Elizabeth Kuehn, Christian Heimburger, Adam Petty

Episode 1 Transcript

Episode 2: “Appeals for Help”

This episode reveals the various avenues to protection that church and civic leaders in Nauvoo explored, including Joseph Smith’s presidential campaign and the Saints’ petitions to the United States Congress. The episode also considers Joseph Smith’s religious teachings in 1844.

Guests: Christian Heimburger, Jessica Nelson, Matt Grow, Adam Petty, Chase Kirkham

Episode 2 Transcript

Episode 3: “Leaving Nauvoo”

This episode explains the origins of dissent in Nauvoo, rising tensions in the region following the Nauvoo City Council’s suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor, and the events that led Joseph and Hyrum Smith to travel to Carthage, Illinois.

Guests: David Grua, Alex Smith, Richard E. Turley Jr., Brett Dowdle, Elizabeth Kuehn, Matthew Godfrey, Brent Rogers, Jenny Reeder

Episode 3 Transcript

Episode 4: “The Martyrdom”

This episode describes the legal proceedings in Carthage, Illinois, on June 25, 1844, and the mob’s attack on Carthage Jail and murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith two days later.

Guests: David Grua, Richard E. Turley Jr., Alex Smith, Brett Dowdle, Elizabeth Kuehn

Episode 4 Transcript

Episode 5: “Mourning Joseph and Hyrum”

This episode details the return of Joseph and Hyrum Smith’s bodies to Nauvoo, the mourning of the Saints and their efforts to memorialize their fallen leaders, questions of succession in church leadership, and the settling of Joseph Smith’s estate.

Guests: Sharalyn Howcroft, Jenny Reeder, Jeffrey Mahas, Matt Grow, Elizabeth Kuehn, Richard E. Turley Jr., Hillary Kirkham

Episode 5 Transcript

Episode 6: “Knowing Brother Joseph Again”

This episode explores the history of Carthage Jail, how the building became a historic site and how its meaning has changed to visitors over time. The episode also describes ongoing efforts to preserve and share Joseph Smith’s history.

Guests: Emily Utt, Hillary Kirkham, Matt Grow, Elder Kyle S. McKay

Episode 6 Transcript

Episode 7: “A Conversation with M. Russell Ballard”

In this episode, President M. Russell Ballard discusses the historic and spiritual legacy of Joseph and Hyrum Smith from his perspective as an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a descendant of Hyrum.

Guest: President M. Russell Ballard

Episode 7 Transcript

Episode 8: “A Conversation with Dallin H. Oaks and Richard E. Turley Jr.”

In this episode, President Dallin H. Oaks recounts his experiences and discoveries researching the legal history of the events surrounding the martyrdom. President Oaks and Richard E. Turley Jr. also reflect on the historical and spiritual legacy of Joseph Smith.

Guests: President Dallin H. Oaks, Richard E. Turley Jr.

Episode 8 Transcript