Mormon Stories Podcast
@mormonstories·310K subscribers·2.7K videos
Joseph Smith's World on Fire in Nauvoo - John Turner pt 31 | Ep. 2112
Posted
February 13, 2026
Views
12,638
Likes
379
Comments
84
Engagement
February 13, 2026
12,638
379
84
3.66%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
2:25:40Now PlayingWelcome to Part 31 in our ongoing series with Dr. John Turner, based on his new book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.
Today we are diving into Chapter 31, “World on Fire,” and the explosive years 1842-1843 in Nauvoo –a period marked by scandal, secrecy, political pressure, and deep internal crisis.
In this episode we cover the rise and fall of John C. Bennett and the “Spiritual Wifery” scandal. We also discuss the attempted assassination of Lilburn Boggs and the role of Porter Rockwell. We also cover aspects of polygamy, namely the Nancy Rigdon controversy and Joseph Smith’s failed proposal, the stories of Sarah Pratt and Sarah Ann Whitney (including the letter sent to the Whitneys in Joseph Smith’s own handwriting with specific instructions to burn the letter), and Emma Smith and the growing concerns in the Relief Society as well as Nauvoo at large.
We also examine how Nauvoo struggled to manage these crises, how accusations and denials shaped public perception, and why John Turner calls this moment a true “world on fire.”
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!
Purchase John Turner’s book here
Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here
Timecodes:
___________________
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
Onetime or recurring donations
Join this channel to get access to perks:
Our Platforms:
🌐Mormon Stories Blog
🍎Apple Podcasts
🖼️Instagram
Contact us:
📧 MormonStories@gmail.com
📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
