1844: The Murdered Mormons - Part Two

You were listening to one nation under crime, historical chronological, true crime podcast. Each week we go through our nation's history and discuss one case from each year, starting in 1800. I'm Kayla And I'm Leah. And we are diving back into the case this week, where we have been discussing the book of Mormon and the eventual murders of both Joseph and Hiram Smith. Double murder. If you are a patron, hi, we just saw you welcome back. Hi. And if you're one of our normal listeners, you much like all the other peasants had to wait one week, We are our new listeners normal. 

00:00:47

I mean, I think they're pink Starbursts. I Mean, They could be, they could be The bag of all reds, But Right now they're Like those bags. That's you man. Oh, me. I was very, very harsh. Okay. So Here Are patrons are A bag of <inaudible>. Yup. Starburst pink jelly beans, And our other listeners. They're just this, they're just the regular Starburst. It's fine though. 

00:01:27

They're all Good. They're All wonderful in their own way. There you go. I'm Just not the extra Special. We don't have the glitter. We can't all be. You could be. You could be maybe it's it's up to you. It's your choice. It's up to you do this. So it's your choice to wear glitter or not? At the end of last week's episode, we talked about Joseph Smith going to court For Treasure hunting. Interesting. So after All Of this, Joseph went to stay in a boarding house in harmony, Pennsylvania, where he met a woman named Emma Hale. 

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Why are you looking at me like that? He fell in the, Oh, I mean, well, for now when Joseph proposed marriage And was Twitter paid ed For now. Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. When Joseph proposed marriage Emma's father Isaac refused Because he believed Joseph had no means to support Emma. And he Was a treasure hunter. In fact, in a sworn testimony By Isaac Isaac wrote that. In addition, he had other reasons for not giving consent to Joseph, to marry his daughter. One of which was that Joseph's quote appearance at this time was that of a careless young man. 

00:03:00

Not very well educated and very saucy and Insulet to his fault. I mean, up in, well, describe the saucy. Yeah. It doesn't mean that you had sauce on your shirt Look, And he did turn it down missing ma'am I'm not a man. Anyways, this USAM, I'm aware. Joseph and Emma eloped and married on January 18th, 1827. 

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This would only be the first of Joseph's many wives. He would go on to be a polygamist and marry women who were also married to other women, other men already. And I don't share Some of those were under age. I'm sorry. After the couples wedding, they began boarding with Joseph's parents in Manchester. Also go ahead and put in here that Emma, later on, refuse to admit that her husband was a polygamist and also refuse to believe that her husband had other Wives. I'm a giving person. 

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And I do, I may be giving, I'm not sharing. I share a lot of things, but my husband is my husband and one Child I don't share, Huh? Nope. Nope. You're not really good at that. You, you put up with me Giving You, you tolerate me and you, you do share with me because you love me and I make you that. Yeah. I mean I'm giving and I will share, but my husband is my husband and my husband owned mean backup off All. He is mine. The boy You need to Thank. 

00:05:02

Thank You. Thank you. Thank you for understanding Monica and Brandy's. I mean, you have to love Monica and Brandy absolute. I'm Such a shame. We don't have them anymore all the time in our ears, but it's fine. It's fine. So Later that year, when Joseph promised to abandon treasure seeking Emma's father offered to let the couple live on his property in harmony and helped Joseph get started in business. Joseph made his last visit to hill Kimora on September 22nd, 1872. 

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And this time he took Emma with him. So remember I said that there was a four year difference. From the first time he saw the plates to the time he took the plates out of the woods. This is when he's about to the plates out of the woods. So he took Emma with him this last time. So This time he said he successfully retrieved the plates. He said that the angel commanded him to not show the plates to anyone else, but to translate them and publish their translation. Joseph said the translation was a religious record of middle Eastern indigenous Americans and were engraved in an unknown language called reformed Egypt. 

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He also told others that he was capable of reading and translating them. Although Joseph had left his treasure hunting company, his former associates believed he had double crossed them and taken the golden plates for himself, which they believed should be joint property. After they ransacked places where they believe the plates could be hidden. Joseph decided to leave Palmyra, Joseph and Emma moved from Palmyra to Oakland, Pennsylvania with some help from a wealthy neighbor named Martin Harris, Joseph transcribed. Some of the characters that he said were engraved on the plates and then dictated a translation to Emma in February of 1828. 

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Harris, who was the wealthy neighbor, arrived to assist Joseph by transcribing his dictation here is also took a sample of the characters to a few prominent scholars, including a man named Charles Anthony here is said that Anthony initially authenticated the characters and their translation, but then retracted his opinion. After learning that Joseph had claimed to have received the plates from an angel And then denied Harris's account of the meeting claiming and said that he had tried to convince Harris that he was a victim Of fraud. You know, I could see it, But in any event, Harris returned to harmony in 1828, seemingly convinced and continued as Joseph's scribe. 

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However, a few months later Harris began having doubts about the project. Mostly just due to his wife's opinions on the project. Wife didn't believe so, Nick. Yeah, Exactly. You know, and so that's how that went. Here's persuaded Joseph to let him take the existing 116 pages of manuscripts of Palmyra to show a few family members, including his wife, Harris Lost The main new script Was that was quotations. It didn't say Okay, Jeremy, because Sometimes Things are, I mean, you know, Lost, I'm doing air quotes. 

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Guys. Joseph was devastated by the loss of the main new script, but it was also further exacerbated by the loss of his first son who had died shortly after birth. Oh, that is right at the same time. That is Very sad As punishment for losing the manuscript. Joseph said that the angel returned and took away the plates and revoked Joseph's ability to translate Joseph briefly attended Methodist meetings with his wife until One of his wife's cousins objected to including a quote practitioning neck romancer Oh, no. 

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On the Methodist class role. Oh yeah. You know, I think there could be worse things to be called than a practitioning neck necromancer Know you, you know my feelings. I mean, come on now, you know me at this time, I would, they would be, they'll go. She always wears Black to church. Always. Do you think she's a practitioner? She can hear you. She's a witch. She turned me into a car, Which say too loud. 

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I'm sorry. No don't necromancy. Thank you. Thank you. No, no, No. Joseph said that the angel returned the plates to him in September of 1828. And the following April, he met Oliver Cowdery this name will be a very important later on. Okay. And he replaced Harris as a scribe. They worked full-time on the meanies fruits between April and June and then moved to Fayette New York where they continue to work at the home of cow Calories. It's a very into it. To be honest with you the first time I've first few times I typed his last name. 

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I thought it was like Crowley Cow, Cow. Cowdery I don't know. It's very weird. Last name. I kept typing it as Crowley. It's not. So anyway. Yeah, they worked full-time on the manuscripts and then they moved to Fayette New York where they continue to work at the home of Calgary's friend. Peter Whitmer when the narrative described an institutional church and a requirement for baptism Joseph and Cowdery baptized each other. Although Joseph had previously refused to show the plates to anyone. He told Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer that they would be allowed to see them. 

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These men are now known collectively as the three witnesses and they signed a statement stating that they had been shown the golden plates by an angel. And that the voice of God had confirmed the truth of their translation later, a group of eight witnesses, composed of male members of the Whitmer and Smith families issued a statement that they had been shown the golden plates by Joseph, according to Joseph, the angel Merona took back the plates. Once he was finished using them. The book of Mormon was published in Palmyra on March 26th, 1830 by printer E B Grandon a couple of weeks later, Joseph and his followers formally organized the church of Christ and small branches were established in Palmyra Fayette, and Colesville New York. 

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The book of Mormon brought Joseph regional notoriety and opposition from those who remembered the 1826 trial, where he was referred to as the glass Looker. I mean, cause really how could the glass Looker, right. Really can't say that I cannot see it. Zion after Cowdery baptized several new church members, the Mormons received threats of mob violence before Joseph Cookman from the newly baptized members, he was arrested and brought to a trial as a disorderly person. 

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He was acquitted, but soon both he and Cowdery fled to Colesville to escape a gathering mob. Soon after this bit of persecution, Joseph said that Peter James and John had appeared to him and had ordained him and calorie to a higher priesthood Joseph's authority was undermined when Oliver Cowdery Hiram page and other church members also claimed to receive revelations. I mean, I guess when you start to say that you can see them and then other people start to say they can see them. You think Maybe I shouldn't say that I can see them. 

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I mean, just saying which, you know, Joseph decided to dictate a revelation, which clarified his office as a prophet and an apostle and declared that only he was held the ability to give doctrine and scripture for the entire church. Oh. So none of, no one else can see visions six to me, you know, just, just in case, just so y'all know, just in case you try and one was wondering. Yeah. Kay bye. 

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So nice. I mean, it's very interesting. Anyways, shortly after the conference, Joseph dispatched, counterparty, Peter Whitmer and others on a mission to convert native Americans to Mormonism. Cause that's going to go really well really well. I mean, I can see it. I can see it. Cowdery was also assigned the task of locating the site of the new Jerusalem on the way to Missouri Cowdery part, cow cow told you this word Calgary's party pass through Northeastern Ohio where Sidney Rigdon and over a hundred followers of his variety converted to Mormonism, which then more than doubled the size of the Mormon church. 

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Sidney Rigdon soon visited New York and quickly became Joseph's primary assistant with growing opposition in New York. Joseph gave a revelation stating that Kirtland Ohio was the Eastern boundary of new Jerusalem and that all of his followers should gather there. Oh, I'll just pick up and let's go. You know, so I've introduced a few names here that are important and now is a good time to go into them and see where they eventually end up several of the early leaders of Mormonism made major docturnal and leadership contributions to the movement. These included our friend Oliver Cowdery and Sidney, Sidney Rigdon, who we just discussed. 

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But then there's one more by the name of Brigham young Oliver Cowdery is an important member of the early period of the LDS movement between 1829 and 1836. Just as a reminder, he was the first person baptized as a latter day Saint. He was one of the three witnesses of the book of Mormons golden plates and one of the first latter day, Saint apostles and the second elder of the church, then we have Sidney Rigdon. He was a fiery preacher and was immediately called by Joseph to be the spokesman for the church. Rick didn't claim to have read the entire book of Mormon in only 14 days and immediately joined the movement. 

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And he was baptized right thereafter. This is the guy that ran into all of our Cowdery and converted his hundreds of followers to Mormonism, which then doubled the size of the church. The last of the three men is Brigham young and his name probably sounds familiar. We will likely get into him more. We do a little bit, but his name is pretty notable in the church. So it's kind of good to put them in here. He was the second president of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints for 30 years. He also founded salt lake city, just the city as a whole, Just sit the whole thing, just, you know, the city that, And he served as the first governor of the Utah territory. 

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He also worked to establish several colleges in the area, which would later become the university of Utah and Brigham young university. We know That one, He was a polygamist who had at least 55. Why? Oh my goodness. And 56 children. Okay. How do you keep them straight with the names and all You don't, you don't women are only there to be of service to you, Leanna. They're not there for you to be of service to them. Do you not? I'm sorry. I'm No, no. 

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I may. Pink Starburst people. I do not share. He also put in place a band prohibiting the LDS faith to preach to black men. I put seems period, like period, a period gem Period. So now we're in Kirtland, Ohio in 1831 where Joseph Smith encounter a pretty large religious culture already in full swing. They were very enthusiastic about their demonstrations of spiritual gifts as he put it, which included falling into trances, exhibiting fits rolling on the ground. 

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And speaking in tongues, Joseph thought it was his job to take the Kirtland congregation under his wing and quote Tame. These outbursts Sidney Rigdon, his followers that had just joined had also been practicing communalism. And Joseph took this practice as well and called it the United order, which was basically communism and his innocence. So Roman hippies did that to Joseph also promised the church elders that once they arrived in Kirtland, they were going to receive an endowment of heavenly power. And he introduced the greeted authority of high priesthood to the church hierarchy. 

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I just put TBH. All of this is really hard to follow. Yeah, Basically you should know that Joseph was creeping in on other people's processes that they had in place promising people, high positions in the church, and then creating new rules as he went along And putting himself in pretty advantageous positions. He did that. It seems to me as I'm following this, I mean, I'm just, just, just calling it last time, seeing it as it's. I mean, I'm Sure More and more converts to Mormonism started pouring into Kirtland and there ended up being 1500 to 2000 Mormons in the area. 

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Oliver Cowdery reported that he had found the official site of the new Jerusalem in Jackson county, Missouri weird, but okay. After Joseph visited in July of 1831, he agreed pronouncing the frontier Hamlet of independence, the center place of Zion, Alright, Sidney Rigdon disapproved. And for most of the 1830s, the church remained divided between Ohio and Missouri. Joseph Smith continued to live in Ohio, but visited Missouri again in early 1832 because he needed to prevent a rebellion of prominent church members who believed the church in Missouri was being neglected. 

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I mean, because dad's not paying attention to us. I mean, you know, you got to keep on with weird Where's the lie. I mean, You know, Joseph's trip was also hasten by a mob of Ohio residents who were furious over the United order, which was the communism like living and Smith's political power, the mob beat Joseph and Sidney Rigdon, unconscious Tarred And feathered them. Yeah. That, that is not cool. 

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Yeah. And then left them for dead in Jackson county, existing Missouri residents resented the Mormon newcomers for both political and religious reasons. Tensions increased until July of 1833, when non-Mormons forcibly evicted the Mormons and destroyed their property. Joseph advised them to bear the violence patiently until after they were attacked multiple times after which they would be able to fight back after armed bans, engaged, fire killing one Mormon and two non-Mormons. The old settlers brutally expelled the Mormons from the accounting. 

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Joseph changed the name of the church after his communalism experiment to the church of latter day saints. He then led a small military expedition called Zion's camp to aid the Missouri Mormons, The Expedition, wasn't a word, A failure just in a word. The Zion's camp men were outnumbered and they suffered a cholera outbreak Regardless of the Loss, the Zion's can't transformed, Mormon leadership and many future church leaders came from among the participants. After the camp returned, Joseph drew heavily from its participants to establish five governing bodies in the church All Originally have equal authority to check one another, keep in mind, is that all Originally I caught that originally. 

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And I have to say you probably got leaders from the camp because I mean, you had to be pretty dedicated. Yeah, exactly. Okay. Okay. Yeah. I mean, anyways, in late 1837, a series of internal disputes Led to the collapse Of the Kirtland Mormon community. Joseph was, Glen was blamed for promoting church sponsored. This is actually Super funny. He was blamed for promoting a church sponsored bank that failed. Oh, He was also being accused by assistant president of the church. All of her Cowdery of engaging in a sexual relationship with a teenage servant in his home by the name of Fanny all all-girls Why you just merrier, I'm sorry. 

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Holding the Mormon temple had left the church deeply in debt as well. And Joseph was being hounded by creditors. He heard a large sum of money supposedly hidden in Salem, Massachusetts. So Drew's have traveled there, but after a month he hadn't found anything. So in January of 1837, Joseph and the other leaders created a joint stock company called the Kirtland safety society, anti banking company, The, the, of The company issued bank notes backed by real estate. Joseph encouraged a latter day saints to buy the notes and he invested heavily in them himself, But the bank failed And everybody lost everything Within a month. 

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That's that's best. Doc has a result. Saints and Kirtland suffered intense pressure from debt collectors and severe price volatility. Joseph Was held responsible for the failure and there were widespread defections from the church, including many of Joseph's closest advisers, a warrant was issued for Joseph Smith's arrest. I'm gonna charge of banking, fraud. Yeah. Joseph and Sidney Rigdon flood Kirtland for Missouri in January of 1838. Well, I mean, Things didn't go well in Missouri, either the church also took the name, the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints in Missouri. 

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And they started to build a new temple because that worked out so well in the last place. Thousands of latter day saints followed them from Kirtland to still be with Joseph Smith. And during this time a church council expelled many of the oldest and most prominent leaders of the church, including Oliver Cowdery Hmm. Wonder why. Hmm. Joseph explicitly approved the expulsion of the group of men and they were known as dissenters political and religious differences between old Missourians and newly arriving. Mormon settlers provoked tension between those groups as well. 

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Basically everywhere Joseph is going it's mass chaos. Oh, I mean, I wonder, I Mean, I don't know why, What all these people have, all these problems wherever they go. I mean, it's obviously all these other people's problems and it's not him. It's not me. It can't be him. Maybe he can't be the common denominator. Nope, Nope. Joseph's repeated experiences with mob violence led him to believe that his faith survival required greater militants against anti Mormons around June of 1838, recent converts Samson, Avery formed a convert organization called the Dan nights to intimidate Mormon dissenters and oppose anti-Mormon militia units though. 

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It's unclear how much Joseph knew of the day night's activities. He clearly approved of those that he did know after Sidney Rigdon delivered a sermon that implied dissenters centers had no place in the Warman community. The day nights, forcibly expelled those dissenters from the county in a speech given at the town's 4th of July celebration, Sidney Rigdon cleared that Mormons would no longer tolerate persecution by the Missourians and spoke of a quote war of extermination. If Mormons were attacked, Hmm, Joseph implicitly endorsed this speech and many non-Mormons understood it to be a threat. 

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You Think they unleashed a flood of anti-Mormon rhetoric and newspapers on August 6th, 1838 non-Mormons in Gatlin, tried to prevent Mormons from voting. And the election day scuffles began the 1838 Mormon war Election day, scuffles Non-Mormon vigilantes, raided and burned Mormon farms while day nights and other Mormons pillage non-Mormon towns in the battle of crooked river, a group of Mormons attacked the Missouri state militia mistakenly believing them to be anti-Mormon vigilantes. 

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Governor Llewelyn bergs then ordered that the Mormons be exterminated or driven from the state, which was the premise of the Mormon extermination order that we discussed before. Nice on October 30th, a party of Missouri and surprised and killed 17 Mormons in the horns mill massacre. The following day, the latter day saints surrendered to a 2,500 or army of state troops and agreed to forfeit their property to leave the state. Wow. Joseph was immediately brought before a military court and accused of treason. 

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He was then sentenced to be executed the next morning, Alexander Doniphan, who was Joseph's former attorney and a Brigadier general in the Missouri militia refused to carry out the order. Joseph was then sent to a state court for preliminary hearing where several of his former allies testified against him. Hmm. That's going to hurt. Yeah, I really mean that. That would that be that sucks. Yeah. I mean, I hate Joseph and the five others, including Sidney Rigdon were charged with overt acts of treason and transferred to the jail at Liberty Missouri to await trial Joseph's months in prison with an ill. 

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I love how they put this in there and ill and whining. Sidney Rigdon strained, their relationship tremendously. Meanwhile, Brigham young, the president of the QRM and 12 apostles rose to prominence when he organized the move of about 14,000 Mormon refugees to Illinois and Eastern Iowa. Wow. Joseph took his imprisonment and understood that he was effectively on trial before his own people. Many of whom considered him a fallen prophet. He wrote a personal defense and an apology for the activities of the day and nights. He wrote quote, the keys of the kingdom have not been taken away from us though. 

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He directed his followers to collect and publish their stories of persecution. He also urged them to moderate their entire organism towards non-Mormons on April 6th, 1839 after a grand jury hearing in Davis county, Joseph and his companions escaped custody, many American newspapers criticized Missouri for the Hahn's mill massacre and the state's expulsion of latter day saints, Illinois accepted Mormon refugees who gathered along the banks of the Mississippi river, where Joseph purchased high priced swampy Woodlands in the Hamlet of commerce, Illinois. 

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Joseph also attempted to portray the latter day saints as an oppressed minority and unsuccessfully petitioned the federal government for help in retaining reparations for their suffering. Joseph Smith attracted a new wealthy and influential convert, including John C. Bennett, the Illinois quartermaster in general, Bennett used his connections in the Illinois legislature to obtain an unusually liberal charter for the new city, which Joseph Smith renamed now VU, which is Hebrew, meaning to be beautiful. 

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The charter granted the city virtual autonomy authorized a university and granted now VU habeas Corpus power, which allowed Joseph to successfully fight extradition to Missouri though. Mormon authorities controlled novice civil government. The city promised an unusually liberal degree of religious freedom. The charter also authorized the Navu Legion and autonomous militia whose actions were limited only by the state and federal constitutions in 1841. Joseph began revealing the doctrine of plural marriage to a few of his closest male associates, including John C. Bennett, plural marriage, John C. Bennett used it as an excuse to, to use it as an excuse to seduce numerous women wed and unwed when embarrassing rumors of spiritual wifery got abroad, Joseph forced Bennett's resignation as novice mayor. 

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Then in retaliation Bennett left Joseph's following and wrote quote, Laura <inaudible> of life and Nava. The early Nauvoo years were a period of docturnal innovation. Joseph introduced baptism for the dead in 1841. And in 1841, a revelation promised the restoration of quote, the fullness of priesthood. Then in may of 1842, Joseph inaugurated, a revised endowment, which resembled rights of free masonry. The Smith observed two months earlier when he had been initiated into the Navu Masonic lodge, huh? 

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At first, the endowment was open to only men who were initiated into a special group called the anointed quorum for women. Joseph introduced the relief society, which was a service club and a sorority within which Joseph predicted women would receive quotes the Kings of the kingdom in the summer of 1842 Smith revealed a plan to establish the millennial kingdom of God, which would eventually established the theocratic rule over the entire earth. At this time, popular opinion had turned against the Mormons after an unknown assailant shot and wounded, Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs, and may of 1842 anti-Mormon circulated rumors that Joseph's bodyguard was actually the shooter though. 

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The evidence was circumstantial bogs ordered Joseph's extradition. Certain he would be killed if he ever returned to Missouri. Joseph went into hiding twice during the next five months before the U S district attorney for Illinois argued that Joseph's extradition would be unconstitutional In 1843 enemies of Joseph convicted over reluctant Illinois, governor Thomas Ford to extradite Joseph to Missouri on an old charge of treason To law officers arrested Joseph, but were intercepted by a party of Mormons before they could reach Missouri. Joseph was then released on a writ of habeas Corpus under the Navu municipal court. 

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While this ended, the Missourians attempts that an extradition, it caused significant political fallout in Illinois in December of 1843. Joseph's significant political fallout in Illinois Led to Joseph's petition to Congress to make Navu an independent territory with the right to call out federal troops and its defense basically kind of like what Texas tried to do when they tried to make themselves independent. So basically this one town would just not be a part of the United States, But smack dab in the middle of it. Exactly. Okay. Okay. Just making sure He then wrote to Enjoy all its freedoms. 

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He then wrote to the leading presidential candidates and ask them what they would do to protect the Mormons after receiving non-committal or negative responses. Joseph announced his own independent candidacy for president of the United States. Oh, Joseph organized the secret council of 50 Joseph said the council had authority to decide which national or state laws Mormons should obey. Oh, we can pick a choose yet. You didn't know that. That is interesting. The council was also able to select a site for a large Mormon settlement in Texas, California, or Oregon, where Mormons could live under theocratic law beyond other governmental control In the spring of 1844. 

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Tensions finally overflowed in a group of about 300 descending Mormons headed by former Mormon counselor, William Wall started holding meetings to voice their outrage over the practice of polygamy and Joseph's ever growing power in Nauvoo On June 7th, William lawn is six associates published. What would be the first and only issue of the Navu expositor. A newspaper created to expose the abominations and whoredoms of Joseph and other high church officials Publication of the novel expositor prompted an emergency meeting of the Nabu city council to consider what, if any actions should be taken against what most city council members considered to be libelous and incendiary words on June 10th, the council adopted an ordinance that declared that the expositor be a public nuisance immediately following the council's action Navu mayor Joseph Smith issued an order authorizing the destruction of the papers, publications, press equipment, and type Quote. 

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You are hereby commanded to destroy the printing press from once issues of the Nabu expositor and to pie. The type said printing establishment in the street and burn all the expositors in libelous. Handbills found within set establishment Once again. What's that the sec, second amendment freedom term at first. Oh first amendment sentence. It was still a thing at this time. Yes. Still is now, by the way, I just wanted to make sure you are, you are correct. Okay. I knew it was one of those amendments. I just It's one of those. 

00:40:08

I just, I just wanted to make sure. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Eight o'clock that evening Joseph's order was carried out the destruction of the Navajo expositor whipped anti-Mormon feelings in Hancock county into a frenzy in Carthage citizens met and adopted a resolution expressing outrage with Joseph's order and with the decision of the Navu municipal court dismissing an arrest warrant for Joseph on the charge of inciting a riot that had been issued by the day before a Hancock county judge, the resolution when after quote, the wicked and abominable Mormon leaders who were behind the destruction of the paper and warranted quote, a war of extermination in response to the resolution issuing from Carthage. 

00:41:00

Joseph wrote to governor Thomas Ford, which I'm sure went well, inviting him to come to Nauvoo to help resolve the growing controversy and meet with NAVIO Legion, instructing them to resist if a mob of anti-Mormon attacks the town four days after giving a final speech to the NAVIO Legion, in which Joseph declared quote, I am willing to sacrifice my life for your preservation. He and his brother Hiram, and a small band of followers crossed the Mississippi river into Iowa and their first stop on a planned journey that would take them safely to the Rocky mountains the next day. 

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However, Joseph aborted his journey in return to Nauvoo after becoming convinced that his surrender was the only hope for preventing an anti-Mormon mob. According to the account of William Richards, Joseph said to his companions quote, I am going like a lamb to slaughter, but as I am comb, as a summoner is morning. I am, I have a conscience of void of an offense towards God and toward all men. If they take my life, I shall die in innocent man on June 25th, after a meeting with governor Ford and Carthage, Joseph and Hiram agreed to voluntarily submit to arrest on the charge of inciting a riot at the building house on the Navu expositor. 

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Later in the day, his second charge of treason was added and the justice of the peace ordered Joseph and Hiram Smith to be held without bail until a hearing that was going to be scheduled for June 29th. But on the afternoon of June 27th, Joseph's fears were realized one of his Mormon soulmates, John Taylor provided an eye witness account Quote, done, done. I was sitting at one of the front windows of the jail. When I saw a number of men with painted faces, coming around the corner to the jail and aiming towards the stairs. The other brother, and had seen the name for his island to the door. 

00:43:06

I found brother Hiram Smith and Dr. Richards already leaning against it. They both pressed against the door with their shoulders to prevent being opened. As the lock-in latch were comparatively useless. While in this position, the mob who had come upstairs and tried to open the door, probably thought it was locked and fired a ball through the key hole at this Dr. Richards and brother Hiram leaps back from the door with their faces towards it almost instantly. Another ball pass through the panel of the door, instruct brother Hiram on the left side of the nose out, entering his face and head at the same instant. Another ball from the outside, entered his back, passing through his body and striking his watch. 

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Immediately. When the ball struck him, he fell flat on his back crying as he fell. I am a dead man. He never moved afterwards. Brother Joseph, as he drew nigh to hire him in leaning over him, exclaiming, oh my poor dear brother Hiram. He however, instantly arose and with a firm quick step and a determined expression of countenance approached the door and pulling the six shooter left by brother Wheelock from his pocket, opened the door slightly and snaps the pistol six consecutive times only three of the barrels, however, were discharged. I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges. 

00:44:32

Two of whom I am informed died. The firing of the brother, Joseph made our assailants pause for a moment very soon. However, they push the door, some distance open and protruded and discharged their guns into the room. When I paired them off with my stick, giving another direction to the balls, I certainly was. It certainly was a terrible scene. Streams of fire, as thick as my arm passed by me as these men fired and an unarmed as they were, it looked like certain death. I remember feeling as though my time had come, but I did not know when in any critical position, I was more calm, unruffled, energetic and acted with more promptness and decision is certainly was far more from pleasant to be so near to the muscles of those firearms, who they built forth with their liquid flames and Dudley balls. 

00:45:28

While I was engaged in pairing the gun brother, Joseph, I said, that's right, brother Taylor Parry them off as well as you can. These were the last words ever heard him speak on earth. The first thing I noticed was a cry that he had leaped out of the window. A cessation of firing followed the mob rush downstairs. And Dr. Richards went to the window. The Carthage graves, the local militia arrived at the Dale, just as members of the mob with their black and faces fled the scene. No attempt was made to apprehend any of the fleeting men. And Navu the street seemed to mourn according to one Mormon resident, the town leaders called for calm on June 1st and obviously council adopted a resolution urging private citizens, not to seek private revenge on the assassinations of general, Joseph Smith and Hiram Smith news of the death of Joseph Smith race through the country. 

00:46:25

His close acquaintances, including most of the members of his church were away on missions at other assignments. Brigham young rushed home from the east and said that he had heard of the deaths saying it has been a time of morning. The day that Joseph and higher and were brought to the Carthage to Nauvoo. It was judged by many, both and out on church that there was more than five barrels of tears shed. I cannot bear to think anything about it. Not everyone was saddened by Joseph's death. However, Alexander Campbell, whose congregations had been raided by Mormon missionaries and who had been vilifying Joseph since his New York days boldly announced in his millennial harbinger that the murder was actually an act of God, quote, the money Digger, the juggler and the founder of the golden Bible delusion has been hurried away in the midst of his madness to his final account. 

00:47:28

He died as a righteous man. Dieth the hand of the Lord was heavy upon him, an outlaw himself, God cut him off by Outlaws. It was the outrageous of the Mormons that brought upon the head of their leader to the arm of justice, religion, neurologists opinions had nothing to do with it. It was neither more nor less than the assassination of those whose career was an open rebellion against God. Five men were later tried for Joseph and Hiram murders, but they were all acquitted. Joseph and Hiram Smith were buried in Nauvoo and are interred there at the Smith family cemetery. 

00:48:11

After his death, non-Mormon newspapers were almost unanimous in portraying Joseph Smith as a religious fanatic, but within Mormonism, Joseph is remembered first and foremost as a prophet martyred to seal the testimony of his faith. Two years later, Joseph success for Joseph's successor, Brigham young led an Exodus of persecuted latter day saints from Nauvoo along the Western wagon trails in search of religious and political freedom in July of 1847, the 148 initial pioneers reached to Utah's valley of the great salt lake upon viewing the valley young declared. 

00:48:53

This is the place and the pioneers began preparations for the tens of thousands of migrants who would follow them to settle there among Mormons. Joseph Smith is regarded as a prophet on par with Moses and Elijah later in, later in 2015, later in a 2015 compilation of the hundred, most significant Americans of all time Smithsonian magazine ranked Joseph Smith. First in the category of religious figures, memorials to Joseph include the Joseph Smith Memorial building in salt lake city, Utah, the Joseph Smith building on the campus of Brigham young university and a granite obelisk that marks his birthplace. 

00:49:42

And that is the story of the murder of Joseph and Hiram Smith. Wow. The Mormon church. Wow. Scandalous. So he never, he never made it to salt Lake. No, never did. That's why Brigham young is such a, a well-known person in the, Well, yeah, I mean, Because he's the one that, that, that actually made it there and considered it like Mormon, I guess like quote Mormon country. Yeah. So that is that we didn't find salt lake, but we did find a website And you can find any <inaudible> information you're looking for. There. It is one nation under crime. 

00:50:23

We are also one nation under crime on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and at OEC pod on Twitter. Guys, just go and give us a five-star review. We know that you want to, so go ahead and go do that. Now we do have a Patrion where you can go and just, you know, show us all of your love, all of your love. Yes. Become a pink Starburst jelly bean. And she now knows about these. My sweet husband went to Sam's with my daddy and he got a big container of Starburst jelly beans. And he said, I saw these in a thought of UNK. I mean, they're so good. So, so, so, so good. 

00:51:05

So you can go do that. It's patrion.com/one nation under crime. Thank you guys for listening to this week's episode of one nation under crime, we will see you here. Same time, Different crime Next week. And remember there isn't always Liberty and justice for all, regardless of whether you started the Mormon faith or not Cole red Goodbye.