Category Archives: Nauvoo

This is a Test: Joseph Smith and Deuteronomy 13

It had been a long forty years of wandering in the wilderness. God’s people Israel were finally nearing their Promised Land. Moses’ life was drawing to a close and the people were about to enter a new way of life … Continue reading

Posted in Authority and Doctrine, Early Mormonism, General Conference, God the Father, Joseph Smith, King Follett Discourse, LDS Church, Mormon History, Mormon Leaders, Nature of God, Nature of Man, Nauvoo, Prophets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Joseph Smith’s Powerful Influence

It’s Throwback Thursday! Last week (15 October 2015) Deseret News announced the recent discovery of Emma Smith’s 1841 Book of Mormon. Apparently, Joseph Smith gave the book to John Quincy Adams’s grandson, Charles Francis Adams, when Charles visited the Prophet in … Continue reading

Posted in Joseph Smith, Nauvoo | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Nauvoo’s Bloody Autumn of 1845

Nauvoo, Illinois, the city the Mormons built, was thriving and growing in the 1840s. The population was such that Nauvoo rivaled Chicago for “biggest city in Illinois.” Most visitors to today’s restoration of historic Nauvoo will learn that fact, perhaps … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Mormon History, Nauvoo | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Sexual Morality in Old Mormon Nauvoo

Sexual morality in early 1840s Nauvoo, Illinois, the City of Joseph [Smith], was enough to make most people blush. John C. Bennett, who had for 18 months been a member of Joseph Smith’s inner circle and close confidante, left the … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, Mormon History, Nauvoo | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration

It’s Throwback Thursday! The following blog article originally posted at Mormon Coffee on May 3, 2006. This year, 2015, marks the 10th anniversary of the original release of the Mormon Church-produced film discussed in this post. Please note: the original film … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, LDS Church, Mormon Culture, Mormon History, Mormon Missionaries, Nauvoo, Prophets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

What I Learned on My Visit to Old Mormon Nauvoo

A few weeks ago I visited The City of Joseph: Nauvoo, Illinois. It was quick trip; I was only able to spend two days in the area, hurrying from place to place in an effort to do some primary source … Continue reading

Posted in LDS Church, Mormon History, Mormon Missionaries, Nauvoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Joseph Smith’s Grandiloquent Assertion

In 1844, while the Mormon Church was in the middle of a crisis involving dissention in the Church, The Prophet Joseph Smith preached a Sunday morning sermon in which he exclaimed, “In all these affidavits, indictments, it is all of … Continue reading

Posted in Joseph Smith, Mormon History, Nauvoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

What About Those Essays?

When asked by the New York Times why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decided to post several “Gospel Topics” essays on its official web site, church historian Steven E. Snow said, “There is so much out there … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, LDS Church, Mormon History, Nauvoo, Polygamy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Mormon Church Posts Essays on Joseph Smith’s Polygamy

It’s all over the news. The Mormon Church has finally “admitted” long-buried facts about Joseph Smith’s polygamy. The new Church essays were actually posted at lds.org sometime around October 22nd (2014), but for some reason the news only hit the … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Family, Joseph Smith, LDS Church, Mormon History, Nauvoo, Polygamy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

Joseph Smith wasn’t arrogant or boastful?

In a Deseret News article titled “Defending the Faith: Joseph Smith wasn’t arrogant or boastful” (9/4/14), Mormon BYU Professor Daniel Peterson addressed a common criticism used against Joseph Smith: “Some critics like to use a quotation attributed to Joseph Smith … Continue reading

Posted in Joseph Smith, Mormon History, Nauvoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments