E60: Funeral Fit For a Prophet

**Bryan Buchanan** (0:29)
It was the best of times, the worst of crimes.
The crowds dispersed at Carthage, and a martyr was made. Hyrum Smith lay dead, leaving eight children and three wives. His brother Joseph Smith was also dead, leaving four to 13 children, depending on how good of a geneticist that Hugo Perego is, with a baby on the way with Emma, and anywhere from 28 to 49 wives, depending on whose list you pull from.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (0:54)
He only left one wife, Bryan, because William Clayton is a dirty fraud. One pure, virtuous, perfect companion of his youth and not any other.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:05)
We're not joking. Just ask Joseph Smith III, or Richard, or Pamela Price, or the nice filmmakers of that new motion picture, with the cool repurposed praise to the man lyrics. They'd be happy to set you straight.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (1:24)
Hi, this is Lindsay Hansen Park.

**Bryan Buchanan** (1:26)
And this is Bryan Buchanan.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (1:28)
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** (1:55)
This is the tale of Mormon saints and sinners from our roots until present day.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:00)
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** (2:08)
It's the Sunstone History Podcast.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (2:28)
Okay, I know we are sometimes silly on this podcast. We can't help it, because both Bryan and I have grown up under the weight of these stories and Mormonism. So we're very familiar with all the characters, and it's hard not to rib them a little. They do some dumb stuff a lot. And this podcast is basically Bryan and I just gossiping about our ancestors. And Mormonism to me is a village, and we like telling the stories of those who live in our little village.

**Bryan Buchanan** (2:55)
Mormonism is more than just a village, it's a family village. And you know, just like in your own family, if a stranger talks crap about them, you get upset. It's like if someone makes fun of your mom. Yeah, maybe she might drive you crazy sometimes, but some other dude better not be talking about your mom. Now, if it's a sibling or a cousin, that's a little different story. In Mormonism, just making fun of our own big collective family.
And you know, hi mom, whenever you make it to this episode.

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:18)
Your mom listens to our podcast?
Hi Bryan's mom. You've raised a fine lad. Okay, back to business. But today we're going to try to have a more somber tone.

**Bryan Buchanan** (3:28)
Do you hear the somberness?

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (3:29)
Someone's outside beating the somber drum, getting us ready to go. But mostly because we're trying to give dignity to a story that, for better or worse, has impacted millions of people in real ways.
Even though Bryan and I have heard this story so many times, it's hard not to take it seriously sometimes. It really is an important story. That's why we've heard it so much. It's impacted everything. So today we're going to talk about what grief is, how you make a martyr, and the cost of things like passion, faith, zealotry, democracy, love, and even violence.
We're going to talk about the immediate aftermath of the murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

**Bryan Buchanan** (4:09)
You know, sometimes it's hard to be serious when you see your ancestors making bad choices. We, of course, have the benefit of hindsight, but seeing them as real, flawed people helps us see our own world the same, and that's important. And doing this helps us to not repeat the past, hopefully. And in the case of the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, we really don't want to repeat that. But sadly, repeats all the time.
This arc of Joseph Smith's story is often played out within different Mormon communities. And it gives us another perspective of the past, how the same thinking, the same feelings can happen in our present. And our ancestors lived these stories in their present. So let's try and get in that mindset for a minute. Let's pretend like we don't have the knowledge of what happens after Joseph Smith is killed. Let's put ourselves in the headspace of Mormons who are on the ground in Navu 1844

**Lindsay Hansen Park** (5:16)
There are 25 miles between Carthage and Nauvoo.
On the afternoon of June 27, 1844, Samuel Smith, younger brother to Joseph and Hyrum Smith, mounted his horse and braved a hot, sticky summer rain barreling towards Carthage. Sam was determined to reach his brothers before harm befell them. As the Hamilton Hotel came into sight, he heard a musket fire in the distance, but he was too late. He handed his reins to the hotel proprietor and ran full speed towards the jail. He entered the south entrance and there he found Joseph Smith, his older brother, whose body was blocking the stairs, brought inside to avoid further mutilation or harm.