How Joseph Smith Smeared Honest Critics - John Turner Pt. 33 | Ep. 2118

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Feb 27, 2026

John G. Turner, historian and author of a landmark Joseph Smith biography, guides a deep dive into Chapter 26. He unpacks how Smith responded to insider dissent, the public smears against Sarah Pratt and Nancy Rigdon, the Bennett and Pratt scandals, legal pressures from Missouri, and the leadership’s efforts to defend authority under crisis.

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INSIGHT

Joseph's Public Smears As A Crisis Tactic

Joseph Smith responded to insider dissent by publicly smearing accused women and discrediting opponents rather than just denying allegations.
John G. Turner details Joseph publishing affidavits attacking Sarah Pratt's character and calling her a whore to counter John C. Bennett's claims.

ANECDOTE

Orson Pratt's Breakdown And Humiliating Reprimand

Orson Pratt reacted to allegations by attempting suicide and later sat through public denunciations by Joseph Smith before ultimately reconciling.
Turner recounts Pratt penning a note and Joseph publicly calling Pratt a Judas-like figure at a meeting.

INSIGHT

Stick And Carrot Strategy To Preserve Leadership

Joseph combined harsh public attacks with incentives to retain leaders, using both a 'stick' of character assassination and a 'carrot' of restoration.
Turner explains Joseph recruited loyal members to counterattack in speeches and print while later rebaptizing and restoring Pratt.

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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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