Welcome back to our Joseph Smith Podcast series with historian Dr. John Turner!

This is Episode 29, where we dive into Chapter 24, titled “Upper Rooms,” from John Turner’s new book Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet.

In this episode, we focus on Nauvoo in 1842 –a pivotal year when Freemasonry, the Relief Society, secrecy, and the earliest forms of the Nauvoo Endowment ceremony all intersect.

The central question we wrestle with is this: To what extent did Freemasonry shape Joseph Smith’s use of secrecy –and was it intended to protect his authority and reputation?

We explore the anti-Masonic climate of early America and the murder of William Morgan, why the Book of Mormon was once read as an “anti-Masonic Bible,” Joseph Smith’s embrace of Freemasonry, the founding of the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge, Parallels between Masonic rituals and the original Nauvoo Endowment, the secret oaths, handshakes, signs, tokens, and penalties, and Joseph Smith’s evolving theology around power and exaltation.

This conversation is historically grounded, candid, and essential for anyone trying to understand how Mormon temple theology developed –and why it still matters today!

Show Notes

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