Masonic distress sign, 'A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief' song history, and controversies over death masks accuracy

Consider the following Carthage controversy questions: Was Governor Thomas Ford complicit in the murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith? When Joseph fired back at the Carthage attackers, did he kill anyone? Also, does the fact that Joseph fired back at the mob somehow take away his status as a martyr for his religion? Did Joseph and his friends in Carthage Jail drink wine together? Also, were they not wearing their temple garments in jail? Were Joseph Smith’s last words a Masonic Cry for help? Are the death masks of Joseph and Hyrum Smith an accurate representation of them? Is John Taylor’s account of how his pocket watch was damaged during the attack accurate? Who actually wrote Doctrine & Covenants 135?

In this episode of Church History Matters we are tackling these and other “Carthage Controversies.”

For show notes and transcript for this and other episodes go to https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/church-history-matters-podcast/