E29: No Paperwork, No Crime

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (0:05)
When we left you last time, sham husbands were everywhere.
Not this time, oh no, it's time for sham remarriages and happiness letters and dudes getting taken out.
Maybe, maybe gold watches, definitely gold watches. Unrequited love, sure, why not? And women named after Shakespearean characters? Well, of course. Notorious phrases, yes, whatever you want, it's yours. Buckle up, kids, we've got lots more to talk about. Hi, this is Lindsay Hansen Park.

**Bryan Buchanan** (0:42)
And this is Bryan Buchanan.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (0:43)
Bringing you the story of Mormonism from the shadow of the Everlasting Hills, straight out of Zion, this isn't your grandpa's Mormon history.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:11)
This is the tale of Mormon saints and sinners from our roots until present day.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (1:16)
Gird your loins, lock your hearts, and pay your tithing, because we're bringing you the story of Mormonism in all its paradisiacal glory.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:24)
It's the Sunstone History Podcast. We talked about Brigham Young getting shut down by Martha Brotherton earlier.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (1:49)
He has no game.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:50)
He wasn't alone, Joseph Smith. Joseph, yes, even the Prophet Joseph himself also got a thumbs down. As part of the big whistle blowing campaign, John C. Bennett also informed the world that Nancy Rigdon, 19 year old daughter of Joseph Smith's counselor, Sydney Rigdon, had been proposed to by old Joe Smith.
The meeting with Nancy apparently took place two days after Hiram Smith, Joseph Smith's brother, stands up in general conference and told the congregation that the rumors about ladies being shut up in a room to be convinced about polygamy were fake news.
And you remember, Hiram at this point isn't actually in on the secret yet. So for him, as far as we can tell, he was actually being sincere. Unfortunately, the stories, as we discussed, were true. According to Bennett, Joseph Smith asked Marinda Hyde to be his wing lady and have a talk with Nancy. Unfortunately, the result was the same as Brigham.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:47)
Same story over and over. I like you, I had a revelation, yada, yada, yada.
Nope, Nancy was not interested. She apparently threatened to get the neighbor's attention if Joseph didn't let her out of the room. I mean, to do that, you're feeling scared and trapped. It's not cool. She went home and immediately informed Sydney of what happened. According to her brother-in-law, Joseph tried to deny it, but she told the facts with so much earnestness and the fact of a letter being present, which she had caused to be written to her on the same subject.
The day after the attempt made on her virtue, breathing the same spirit and which he fondly hoped was destroyed, all came with such force that he could not withstand the testimony. And he then and there acknowledged that every word of Miss Rigdon's testimony was true. End quote. Yuck, ew, yuck. These are the aspects of polygamy that are just too gross to hear. There's no way to make this better.
And I will say that I know that we have faithful people listening to this. You can be faithful and still think coercion is wrong.

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:53)
Hopefully you do.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:55)
We want you to.

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:57)
That's something commendable.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:58)
Everybody wants your daughters, want you to.

**Bryan Buchanan** (4:01)
Other people's daughters too.
So the other part of this story is that letter that gets mentioned. As part of his grand tornado, John C. Bennett also publishes this letter, claiming it was written by Joseph Smith. And it really includes some of the greatest hits. Like you've heard things from this letter. Quote, happiness is the object and design of our existence and will be the end thereof if we pursue the path that leads to it. That which is wrong under one circumstance, maybe and often is right under another.
Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is. Although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire. I mean, you've probably heard all of these multiple times. You didn't realize they were from this letter probably. And the letter itself has a very interesting existence. On the one hand, parts of it have been quoted by LDS leaders. You've heard this, like we said. It was part of the first presidency message in the ensign once. If you're curious if the context to the statements were mentioned, no, it was not.
On the other hand, Garrett Dirkmaat, a very entertaining person and a Joseph Smith Papers editor, has very strenuously denied that this letter was written by Joseph Smith. It's an interesting one.