Episode 1 describes in more depth the organization and significance of The Joseph Smith Papers. Ronald K. Esplin, managing editor of the Papers, discusses the different types of documents - journals, histories, revelations, and administrative and legal documents - that will be included.
Joseph Smith's New England ancestry - from the Mayflower immigrants to the Revolutionary War soldiers to the ordinary farmers - instilled in him many of the qualities that came to define his character. This episode offers and in-depth look at the family heritage that helped shape Joseph Smith, including profiles of his parents and grandparents.
In 1805 - the year of Joseph Smith's birth - America was still a young nation. Thomas Jefferson was president, and the Constitution had been ratified only eighteen years before. This episode explores the historical context into which Joseph Smith was born.
Joseph Smith came of age in Palmyra, a small upstate New York town on the edge of the Erie Canal. This episode provides a window into the lives of the Smith family during their time in Palmyra.
This episode sets the stage for the first event in what would become the Restoration of the gospel: the appearance of God the Father and Jesus Christ to the fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith.
Joseph Smith's 1820 vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ was extraordinary by any measure. This episode explores that vision by examining the Prophet's different accounts of the experience.
Joseph Smith called the Book of Mormon the "keystone" of the religion he founded. This episode looks specifically at the story of the records from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon - how he obtained them and how he set about translating them.
The town of Harmony, Pennsylvania, was a significant place in the life of Joseph Smith. There he met his wife, there he experienced the birth and death of his first child, there he translated a significant portion of the Book of Mormon. This episode discusses the significance of Harmony and the events that took place there.
The restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods enabled the restoration of all other gospel ordinances. This episode examines how, when, where, and by whom these powers were restored to the earth.
This roundtable discussion, chaired by Ronald K. Esplin, managing editor of The Joseph Smith Papers, features members of the Papers staff explaining why this project has significance for people with the LDS Church and without.
In this second roundtable, members of the Joseph Smith Papers Project staff describe the day-to-day work of producing the Papers - from acquisition of documents to transcription to editorial policies - and share things they've learned.
The translation of the Book of Mormon was at the heart of Joseph Smith's prophetic calling. In this episode, scholars present textual evidence that helps give an idea of what the actual process of translation may have been like.
Printing the first five thousand copies of the Book of Mormon was a huge task, undertaken by printer Egbert G. Grandin in 1830. In this episode, scholars discuss the publication of the first edition, including the process of printing and the local reaction to the book's publication.
Lucy Mack Smith began writing about the life of her son Joseph in 1844, not long after his death. This episode discusses the resulting biography, one of the first and most valuable works of LDS history.
Pioneering Joseph Smith scholar, Dean C. Jessee discusses the early instruction to the Prophet that "there shall be a record kept" and Joseph's effort to obey that command.
Joseph Smith's journals provide an unprecedented look into his character and personality. In this episode, scholars discuss these journals and the human side of the Prophet that they reveal.
Oliver Cowdery was at the center of the early Church, from his beginnings as a scribe for the Book of Mormon translation to his role as second elder of the Church until his disaffection, excommunication, and rebaptism. In this episode, scholars discuss Cowdrey, his relationship to Joseph Smith, and his place in Church history.
This episode offers descriptions of Joseph Smith from his contemporaries - within the Church and without - as well as perspectives on his influence from several modern scholars.
Doctor Nathan Smith was perhaps the only doctor in the United States who could have saved young Joseph Smith's leg when he contracted osteomyelitis in 1813. This episode explores Joseph's childhood illness and the remarkable physician who treated it.
In July 1833, Joseph Smith completed his inspired revision of the Bible. That text, which was never published in his lifetime, was lost to the Church form more than a century. In this episode, Robert J. Matthews discusses the Joseph Smith Translation and his role in bringing it to light.
Joseph Smith's translation of the Bible was one of the most significant endeavors of his life. This episode explores the divine instruction to revise the Bible, the process of translation, and the storied history of the JST manuscript.
Joseph and Emma spent much of their seventeen-year marriage apart, writing letters to each other while Joseph was traveling or imprisoned. This episode delves into the surviving letters of this remarkable couple.
The belief in continuing revelation espoused by Joseph Smith set him apart from other Christians in his day, and it continues to distinguish the Church he founded. This episode discusses these diving communications and how they came to be in their present form in the Doctrine and Covenants.
The Church of Christ was officially organized in a meeting on April 6, 1830. This episode revisits that meeting - the meeting that provided the organizational foundation upon which the Church has built ever since.
Kirtland, Ohio, was the first designated gathering place for members of the fledgling Church of Christ. This episode focuses on Kirtland - its history, its problems, and its importance in Church history.
The Kirtland Temple, the first temple constructed in this dispensation, was built through the sacrifices of countless Church members. This episode explores some of the hardships of the Kirtland period, as well as the purpose of and plans for the house of the Lord.
The site of remarkable sermons, visions, and pentecostal experiences, the Kirtland Temple was the focal point of the Church through much of the 1830s. This episode looks at the events that took place in the temple and how those events shaped the Church.
Jackson County, Missouri, was on the edge of the American frontier when Joseph Smith arrived there in 1831 and received a revelation that it was to be the location of Zion, the New Jerusalem. This episode focuses on Zion, both as a concept and as a physical place.
After the Latter-day Saints were expelled from Jackson County, Missouri, in the winter of 1833, Joseph Smith was directed by revelation to gather a band of men to restore the Jackson County Saints to their lands. This episode focuses on that expeditionary force, later known as Zion's Camp.
Between building the Kirland Temple, providing lands for immigrant Saints, and many other endeavors, the Church was deeply in debt by 1837. This episode discusses how economic woes and the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society helped precipitate a crisis in Kirtland.
Joseph Smith once wrote that he believed in "obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." During his lifetime, however, numerous lawsuits were brought against him. This episode discusses a few of those encounters with the law, focusing on the Prophet's time in New York and Ohio.
After their expulsion from Jackson County, Missouri, the Latter-day Saints found themselves unwelcome in other Missouri counties as well. Eventually, they were given exclusive permission to settle in Caldwell County, where they built the city of Far West. This episode discusses the experiences of the Saints in northern Missouri.
Tensions between the Latter-day Saints and the other citizens of Missouri were already mounting in 1838. After conflicts and aggression from both sides, Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued the infamous Extermination Order, directing that the Saints be "exterminated or driven from the state." This episode looks at the causes and the events of what became known as the Mormon War.
Arrested and charged with treason, Joseph Smith was incarcerated in a series of Missouri jails to await trial. This episode explores Joseph's experience in Liberty Jail - how he came to be there, what he endured while there, and how his time there changed him.
In late 1838, members of the Missouri state militia arrived in Far West to execute Governor Bogg's Extermination Order. They drove the Saints from their homes and from the state. This episode examines the Saints' winter exodus and their arrival in Quincy, Illinois.
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles arrived in England in early 1840 to preach the gospel to the people of that country. England was to be the proving ground for the young quorum. This episode discusses that mission, which not only swelled the ranks of Church membership with thousands of British converts but also refined the leadership of the Twelve.
In addition to intimidation and armed conflicts, Joseph Smith and other Saints faced significant legal challenges during their time in Missouri. This episode examines these challenges.
After taking temporary refuge in Quincy, Illinois, Church leaders authorized the purchase of land in Commerce, Illinois, which would serve as a new gathering place and later be renamed Nauvoo. This episode examines how the swampy land of Commerce was transformed into the City Beautiful.
Believing that the Constitutional rights of the Latter-day Saints had been violated when they were driven from their lands in Missouri, Joseph Smith traveled to the nation's capital to seek redress from the federal government. This episode focuses on that effort and on Joseph's experience with Martin Van Buren, president of the United States.
Unlike many Christian ministers of his day, Joseph Smith delivered his sermons extemporaneously, not from prepared texts. Partly as a result of this, few records of Joseph's public sermons exist today. This episode discusses some of the few extant accounts of sermons, as well as other reasons for the scarcity of such texts.
In 1840 and 1841, Joseph Smith gave direction that the Saints should build a temple in Nauvoo. But, by revelation, he also mandated that a second edifice - the Nauvoo House - be built to the Lord. This episode explores the purpose and construction of those two buildings.
Having heard of Joseph Smith as a man rumored to be able to translate ancient texts, Michael Chandler arrived in Kirtland in 1835 with four mummies and some Egyptian papyri for display and sale. Joseph purchased Chandler's wares and translated the text of the Book of Abraham from the papyri. This episode discusses the processes of acquisition, translation, and publication of the text.
For many reasons, the Nauvoo period was crucial to the development of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as we know it today. This episode explores the evolution of doctrines, beliefs, revelations, and ordinances in Nauvoo.
What began as a women's sewing society to provide clothing for the men working on the Nauvoo Temple evolved into a multifaceted organization, founded on the principle of charity. This episode explores the foundation and early history of the Relief Society.
The charge of treason that had been brought against Joseph Smith in Missouri was officially dismissed in August 1840. Despite this, Governor Boggs and his successor, Thomas Reynolds, petitioned the state of Illinois for the extradition of Joseph Smith to Missouri. This episode explores the ensuing legal battle.
From early on, Joseph Smith envisioned the preaching of the restored gospel as an international endeavor. He called missionaries to preach in Great Britain, Canada, the South Pacific, and elsewhere. This episode looks at the first efforts to create an international church.
Joseph Smith's continued legal troubles and the introduction of the doctrine of plural marriage bred dissent inside and outside the Church in Nauvoo. This episode explores the mounting tension surrounding these issues, with emphasis on the reaction to plural marriage.
In the months before his death, Joseph Smith sent a missionary force throughout the United States to promote him as a candidate for president of the United States. In Nauvoo, he gave final instructions on priesthood organization and temple ordinances. This episode discusses the last months of the Prophet's life - the capstone of his ministry.
On June 27, 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were shot and killed in an attack on the jailhouse in Carthage, Illinois. This episode discusses the martyrdom and the events leading up to it, including the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor.
The death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith was met by the Saints with confusion, disbelief, and profound grief. The loss of their founder and leader precipitated a crisis of leadership among the Saints, with several parties claiming the right and authority to lead the Church. This episode discusses the unfolding of this crisis in the days, weeks, and months after the martyrdom.
In August 1844, most of the Latter-day Saints voted for the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, led by Brigham Young, to take over leadership of the Church. This final episode explores the crisis of succession after the death of Joseph Smith and the eventual exodus from Nauvoo.
Joseph Smith, no ordinary figure, has been largely ignored or remains elusive by modern observers. In the first episode of the second season, the image, personality, character, and physicality of Joseph Smith are presented, with discussion of his appearance, influence, and the culture in which he lived.
The influence of Joseph Smith has provoked much discussion through the years. This episode introduces some of the historical impressions of Joseph Smith and discusses the continued interest in his life by describing the major historical works that have been produced about him from the early nineteenth century to the present.
Episode three describes the historical importance of Joseph Smith and the scholarship, both secular and religious, that has been produced about him. It concludes by introducing the role of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this scholarship through the Joseph Smith Papers Project.
In this episode we begin our Joseph Smith tour by following the Smith family's settling and travels in New England, guided by LDS Scholars of this period.
The second leg of the Joseph Smith Tour - guided by LDS Scholars, this episode describes Church historic sites in New York and Pennsylvania and the events involving Joseph Smith that happened there.
The third leg of the Joseph Smith tour, this episode describes Church historic sites associated with Joseph Smith in Ohio and the events that occurred there, including receiving Doctrine and Covenants 76 ("The Vision"), and the promise of the Endowment of Power from on High.
The fourth leg of the Joseph Smith tour, the journey is continued in this episode through the Missouri period and chronicles some of the most acute persecutions and apostasies in Church history, while also showing the development of Church leadership and Joseph Smith's vision of the building of Zion.
The final leg of the Joseph Smith tour visits sites associated with the Prophet Joseph's - and the Church's - maturation in Illinois. Joseph Smith's work of building cities, temples and the Church's women's organization, as well as his domestic life, are described as the prelude to his martyrdom in Carthage, Illinois.
This episode begins a three-part series about the family of Joseph Smith by taking a closer look at his parents, Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith.
In this episode, the second in the series on Joseph Smith's family, Church scholars describe Lucy Mack Smith's reaction to the martyrdom of her sons, Joseph and Hyrum. The episode concludes with a description of Joseph Smith's brothers and sisters in relation to the LDS Church.
This episode concludes the series on the family of Joseph Smith by discussing what happened to Emma Smith and her and Joseph's children after Joseph's death.
This episode begins a two-part series on the teachings of Joseph Smith, beginning with late nineteenth and early twentieth century compilations of his teachings, and concluding with a discussion of the process of gathering material for the LDS Church's manual about the Prophet, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith.
This episode concludes the two-part series on the teachings of Joseph Smith by examining the production of the LDS Church's manual aboout Joseph Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, including commentary from the editors of the manual about how they see Joseph Smith.
This episode begins a two-part series on the music of the Church at its beginnings, from Emma Smith's calling to produce a hymnal to discussions about the differences in hymn singing from those early days to now.
This episode concludes the two-part series on the early music of the LDS Church, discussing collections of hymns in the early Church, the role of music in the Prophet's life, and the beginnings of LDS-specific hymn writing.
This episode begins a five-part series on Joseph Smith's First Vision, focusing here on the importance of the First Vision theologically and historically.
This episode, the second in a five-part series on Joseph Smith's First Vision, examines the first account of the vision from 1832.
This episode, the third in a five-part series on Joseph Smith's First Vision, describes other accounts of the vision.
This episode, the fourth in a five-part series on Joseph Smith's First Vision, discusses the basic elements of the first part of the account, up to Joseph Smith's prayer, including variations in the account and what they mean.
This episode is the final episode of the five-part series on Joseph Smith's First Vision, and takes up the story where part four left off, with Joseph's visitation by God the Father and Jesus Christ, and discusses what Joseph learned, and what the First Vision set in motion.
This episode begins a six-part series on the revelations received and translations made by Joseph Smith. This episode begins the story of the translation of the Book of Mormon, from Moroni's first visit to Joseph receiving the golden plates.
This episode is the second in a six-part series on the revelations received and translations made by Joseph Smith, and continues the story of the translation of the Book of Mormon, from the initial work on translation, through the loss of 116 pages of manuscript, to the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830.
This episode is the third in a six-part series on the revelations received and translations made by Joseph Smith, focusing on the composition of the Book of Mormon, including literary criticism and discoveries in the text.
This episode, part four in a six-part series on the revelations received and translations made by Joseph Smith, begins the story of the Doctrine and Covenants by talking about early revelations received by Joseph Smith and how they were collected and published.
This episode is part five of a six-part series on the revelations received and translations made by Joseph Smith, and picks up where part four left off, examining how the Book of Commandments became the Doctrine and Covenants, including discussion of non-canonized revelations.
This episode concludes the six-part series on the revelations received and translations made by Joseph Smith by discussing the collection of scripture known as the Pearl of Great Price, including its original publication in England and subsequent publications and its canonization as LDS scripture.
This episode begins a three-part series on the Joseph Smith Papers project, discussing what the project is, what importance it holds for LDS scholarship and historical scholarship in general, and how the first volume in the series, Joseph Smith Papers, Journals, Volume 1: 1832-1839, can by used by interested readers.
This episode, the second in a three part series on the Joseph Smith Papers project, discusses the role and historical context of the project, the Web site created for the project, and how scholars and other interested readers can use the first volume of the Revelations and Translations series, Manuscript Revelation Books, Facsimile Edition.
This episode concludes the three-part series on the Joseph Smith Papers project by continuing the discussion of the new Revelations and Translations series, including recent scholarship that came from the project.
This episode discusses Doctrine and Covenants 89, Joseph Smith's revelation titled the "Word of Wisdom," including how it came about, how it has been interpreted, and scholarship about the original text.
The world that Joseph Smith lived in was, politically speaking, rough-and-tumble, and it would have been impossible to do what he did without consequences in the larger political world. This episode looks at how Joseph Smith and Mormonism intersected with local and national politics and what religious liberty meant at the time.
Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon's 1832 vision, canonized in LDS Scripture as Doctrine and Covenants section 76, is recounted in this episode, which discusses the theological shift that "The Vision" represents.
This episode chronicles the letter that Joseph Smith wrote from Liberty Jail, some parts of which are canonized as sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants, including discussion of the content of the epistle and the doctrinal clarifications and comfort it gave to Joseph Smith and the Church at the time.
James 1:27 says that "pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." This episode examines Joseph Smith's life in the light of this scripture: Did he exemplify Jame's definition of one living "pure religion"?
This episode begins a five-part series on prominent early members of the LDS Church, focusing here on Hyrum Smith, Joseph's brother, confidant, and fellow martyr.
This episode is the second in a five-part series on prominent early members of the LDS Church, centered here on the Pratt brothers, Parley P. and Orson, important contributors to the theology and intellectual underpinnings of the Church.
This episode is the third in a five-part series on prominent early members of the LDS Church, discussing here William Clayton, one of Joseph's scribes and writer of the pioneer hymn "Come, Come, Ye Saints," and the Knight family, early supporters both financially and personally.
This is the fourth episode in a five-part series on prominent early members of the LDS Church, focusing here on Martin Harris, whose patronage allowed the Book of Mormon to be printed, and who also became one of the Three Witnesses, and also on the John and Elsa Johnson family, whose home hosted "The Vision" (D&C 76), Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon's revelation concerning the three degrees of glory.
This episode concludes the five-part series on prominent early members of the LDS Church by discussing the contribution of Lorenzo Snow and his sister, Eliza R. Snow. Lorenzo, who had early success in the Church as a missionary in England, would become the fifth president of the Church; his sister, Eliza, would become known for presiding over the Relief Society, for her hymn writing, and for her contribution to the theology of the Latter-day Saints.
This episode begins a two-part series of questions and answers from scholars involved in the Joseph Smith Papers project.
This episode concludes a two-part series of questions and answers from scholars involved in the Joseph Smith Papers project.
This episode, the final episode of Season Two, pays tribute to the late Larry H. Miller, businessman and sponsor of the Joseph Smith Papers project, who passed away in 2009.