Why Leaders Smear Critics in Crisis

Welcome to Part 33 of our series with historian John G. Turner, based on his landmark biography Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.

In this episode, we dive into Chapter 26 (titled “David”) and explore one of the most controversial patterns in Joseph Smith’s leadership: how he responded when trusted insiders became vocal critics.

As pressure mounted from Missouri over the attempted assassination of Lilburn Boggs, Joseph faced internal dissent from figures like John C. Bennett and Orson Pratt. We examine the fallout surrounding Sarah Pratt, the publication of the so-called “Happiness Letter,” and the devastating public denunciation that followed.

Was Joseph defending himself from slander? Or was he fighting dirty in the press?

Today we discuss the allegations surrounding Nancy Rigdon and Sarah Pratt, Joseph’s public rebukes and “Judas” comparisons, the (embarrassing) re-baptism of the Pratts, the role of Brigham Young in publicly acknowledging plural marriage, the publication of John C. Bennett, Joseph’s legal maneuvers to avoid extradition, his complicated and evolving stance on slavery, and the larger pattern of character assassination within early Mormonism.

We also explore Joseph’s interaction with Illinois Governor Thomas Ford, the power of the Nauvoo Charter, and the increasingly emboldened posture of the church leadership as dissent intensified.

This is a complex and uncomfortable chapter –one that forces us to wrestle with competing testimonies, public smears, loyalty under pressure, and the high cost of dissent.

If you’d like to help keep this project going, please consider donating to support this series here. Your support makes long-form, in-depth historical discussion like this possible!

Purchase John Turner’s book here.

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Show Notes

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