Welcome to Part 26 of our Joseph Smith Podcast series! In this episode, we continue our deep dive into Chapter 22 of John Turner’s new biography, Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet, as the story moves to the founding of Nauvoo, Illinois in 1840 –a fresh start for the Latter-day Saints and a turning point in Joseph Smith’s theology and authority. We explore the emergence of baptism for the dead, one of the most distinctive doctrines introduced in Nauvoo, and how Joseph Smith framed proxy ordinances as answers to grief, death, and eternal family bonds. From New Testament passages to Adam Clarke’s biblical commentary, we examine how this doctrine developed, why the Saints embraced it so enthusiastically, and how it eventually became tied to the temple. This episode also covers the doctrine of re-baptism, a ritual that allowed faithful members to recommit repeatedly, and what this reveals about early Mormon ideas of salvation, renewal, and belonging. We also introduce one of the most controversial figures of the Nauvoo period: John C. Bennett –a charismatic leader with a scandalous past whose rise and fall would have lasting consequences for Nauvoo, Joseph Smith, and the Church’s political and legal standing. Along the way, we discuss Nauvoo’s utopian hopes, strange theological ideas, spiritual experimentation, the growing power of the Nauvoo militia (and Joseph Smith), and the seeds of opposition that will eventually lead to Joseph Smith’s death. Join us in the next episode for our discussion on Polygamy! 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/baptisms-for-the-dead-re-baptism-and-john-c-bennett-john-turner/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:33 The saints starting out in the new city of Nauvoo in the summer of 1840 00:14:36 The book moves to a theme of death 00:16:40 Emma gave birth to another son, they now have five children 00:20:52 Joseph was in debt $150,000 (not personal) 00:29:24 Joseph Smith saying that Paul died regularly and came back to life 00:35:40 The emergence of the doctrine of baptism for the dead 00:43:40 What does the New Testament mean when it says “why are they then baptized for the dead?” 00:57:42 The Saints accept this doctrine with great enthusiasm 01:16:24 The death of Joseph Smith’s father 01:21:29 The doctrine of re-baptism 01:26:01 Introducing the most nefarious member of the Church: John C. Bennett 01:33:42 The Nauvoo Militia and the political atmosphere in Nauvoo 01:46:18 Summary of what Joseph Smith has survived 01:48:46 Final remarks ___________________ 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