In this episode (Part 24), we dive into one of the most dramatic and painful chapters in early Letter-day Saint history: Liberty Jail. Joseph Smith was arrested on December 1, 1838 and eventually taken to Liberty Jail. Today we will cover his imprisonment, the chaotic legal proceedings that followed, and the eventual “escape” that allowed him to reunite with his family as the Saints resettled in Quincy, Illinois. We explore how internal conflicts, political pressures, treason charges, and widespread anti-Mormon hostility shaped Joseph’s experience –and how his letters from Liberty Jail become some of the most cherished passages in Latter-day Saint scripture. We discuss betrayal, leadership crises, the brutality of Missouri’s expulsion, and the Saints’ struggle to survive amidst violence, sickness, and dislocation. This chapter also raises hard questions: Was Joseph Smith’s trial fair? What role did dissenting church leaders play? How much of the Liberty Jail narrative has been “whitewashed”? What does Joseph Smith’s behavior tell us about his character? We conclude by following Joseph’s escape, his emotionally charged reunion with the Saints in Illinois, and the lasting trauma and financial strain the Missouri experience left behind. This is an episode you won’t want to miss! Please purchase the book here: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300255164/joseph-smith/ To support this series please donate here: https://donorbox.org/josephsmith. One half of all donations will go to Dr. Turner for as long as he is participating in the series. Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/escaping-liberty-jail-w-joseph-smith/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:50 How does Joseph Smith end up in Liberty Jail? 00:09:00 Joseph is remanded to jail facing charges of treason, overt war against the state 00:12:16 Why did so many leaders turn against Joseph Smith? 00:15:45 Do any of these men reconcile with Joseph Smith later? 00:25:03 They are taken to Liberty Jail on December 1, 1838 00:31:07 How compliant of prisoners were they? 00:44:26 The Saints resettle in Quincy, Illinois 00:46:26 Some of Joseph’s letters from Liberty Jail become canonized 00:50:07 There is a bit of self-reflection from Joseph Smith during this time 00:53:43 Is it fair for this to be compared to the Native American trail of tears? 00:58:34 The church never depicts Joseph and his comrades trying to break out of the jail multiple times 01:09:46 Joseph is transported to a different place for a Grand Jury 01:12:52 The guards dare Joseph to wrestle the best man in the county 01:18:44 Bogg’s extermination order was not to slaughter the Saints 01:27:07 April 22, 1839 Joseph arrives at Quincy, IL and there is a reunion 01:36:42 What we will cover next episode ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117