Joseph Smith: The Prophet
We’re kicking off this brand-new series with special guest John G. Turner , historian and author of the newly released book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet . In this episode, we dive into Turner’s…
A Mormon Stories series · Complete
The Joseph Smith Podcast
A chronological deep-dive into the life of Mormonism's founder, with historian John G. Turner.
41 episodes · 85 hours · 2025–2026 · 41 transcripts
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The series follows Joseph Smith's life in order, one chapter of John Turner's biography at a time. Begin at the beginning, or jump in by theme.
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About the series
The Joseph Smith Podcast is a chronological deep-dive into the life of Mormonism’s founder. Over forty-one conversations, John Dehlin and historian John G. Turner follow Joseph Smith from his family’s treasure-digging years in upstate New York through the First Vision accounts, the Book of Mormon, Kirtland, Missouri, Nauvoo, polygamy, and his violent death at Carthage in 1844.
The series tracks Turner’s 2025 biography Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet (Yale University Press) chapter by chapter, drawing on the best available scholarship and primary sources, including the Joseph Smith Papers. It is meant to be listened to in order, but every episode stands on its own.
The Joseph Smith Podcast is produced by Mormon Stories Podcast and the Open Stories Foundation. Every episode is also published in the main Mormon Stories feed.
Joseph Smith books
Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet
John G. Turner. Yale University Press, 2025. The biography this series follows chapter by chapter.
No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith
Fawn M. Brodie. The classic 1945 biography, as an audiobook read by John Dehlin. Produced by Echo Point Books & Media.
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