Episode 29: Joseph Smith’s 1843 Trial

An assassination attempt on former Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs leads to Joseph Smith’s arrest. John C. Bennett, the first mayor of Nauvoo and a member of the First Presidency, is excommunicated for immoral conduct. Joseph is taken to Springfield, Illinois, for trial. His appearance fascinates its citizens, including Mary Todd Lincoln. Historian Alex Smith with the Joseph Smith Papers brings background to these events.