Ep 123 – BM pt 3 Polygamy Pre-Bennett w/Johnny Stephenson

On this episode, we’re joined for part 1 of Johnny Stephenson’s interview on Mormon polygamy. We cover a brief overview of Jo’s sexual escapades prior to 1842 and the evolution of the doctrine of polygamy through Kirtland, Missouri, and into Nauvoo.

Show links:

Website http://nakedmormonismpodcast.com
Twitter @NakedMormonism
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naked-Mormonism/370003839816311
Patreon http://patreon.com/nakedmormonism
Music by Jason Comeau http://aloststateofmind.com/
Show Artwork http://weirdmormonshit.com/
Legal Counsel http://patorrez.com/

Ep 124 – BM pt 4 Polygamy Post-Bennett w/Johnny Stephenson

On this episode, we’re joined for part 2 of Johnny Stephenson’s interview on Mormon polygamy. Bennett’s expose printed in the Sangamo Journal, and later History of the Saints, altered Mormon polygamy from that time forward. Johnny walks us through how the expose affected the doctrine of polygamy and gives us a few insights into the real-world impact of practicing celestial marriage using first-hand accounts.

Show links:

Website http://nakedmormonismpodcast.com
Twitter @NakedMormonism
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naked-Mormonism/370003839816311
Patreon http://patreon.com/nakedmormonism
Music by Jason Comeau http://aloststateofmind.com/
Show Artwork http://weirdmormonshit.com/
Legal Counsel http://patorrez.com/

Johnny Stephenson pt 2

C:

That’s it for the conversation with Johnny Stephenson. I want to thank him again for coming on and bringing so much data to the table, y’all should have seen his nearly 200 pages of notes he compiled in preparation.

On a closing note, long-time listeners will recall when I had Will Bagley on last July, I split the patreon dollars with him for those episodes and introduced a new program I’d like to continue to do as much as possible in the future. If people are willing to come on this show and share research they’re working on or have published, those patreon dollars are up for grabs.

Why am I doing this? Alright folks let’s talk money, often an uncomfortable subject for many. I make a thrifty living from this podcast and it’s by your generous support that I’m able to do so. For that I dearly thank you.

I don’t want those dollars to stop with me. That’s why I use a small portion of those patreon dollars to donate to people and causes I think are worthwhile. I donate to a number of podcasts and bloggers to help keep them alive and support the content creation with more than just hitting the download button. I also support the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Newspapers Archive Project, Wikipedia, the Salt Lake Tribune, and I just signed up to support Sunstone monthly because they lost a significant benefactor after they permanently banned somebody who conducted himself questionably towards another female panelist. Some of you may have received an email stating Sunstone needs donors and I can live without that $10 a month by cutting back from 3 to 2 pots of coffee a day.

The truth is, that tired old adage is true, money makes the world go ‘round, and it can often be a sensitive subject. Another harsh truth, there’s not much money in Mormon history! Almost every single Mormon history professor job ever in the world has been through BYU, and the Mormon history book audience is niche to the point of near asphyxiation, especially for critical works. That means that if you don’t teach American history with a minor in religious history, or don’t work for the Church’s own various history departments, you don’t have a career in Mormon history. Think of how that professional and academic bias has skewed the entire realm of Mormon history and the available books. With only a handful of notable exceptions, and by that, I mean an actual handful, like single digits numbers of historians, almost every historian publishing critical Mormon history does so as a hobby, and many of them only can do that hobby once they’re retired and can devote the time to citizen-history instead of their career. Additionally, pre-internet the Church controlled almost every document ever used to construct models of Mormon history.

That means an institution currently with unlimited resources has controlled the narrative and the documents for almost all of Mormon history, and it’s a complete vacuum of resources for historians who are critical. I write Mormon history in an accessible format, but that’s all based on work historians have done. These people dig through all the documents and come to logically sound conclusions then I bring those conclusions to all of you. That’s how the mechanisms work behind the scenes at Ground Gnomes studios.

This show is hosted by a toddler in Mormon history standing on the shoulders of warriors who’ve been working tirelessly and thanklessly for decades to bring truth to light. This show wouldn’t exist if not for the guests I’ve interviewed and historians who I someday hope to interview, along with organizations that foster academic and open discourse on the subject like Sunstone, Dialogue, and the John Whitmer Historical Association.

That’s a window into the battlefield from where I’m sitting, and I’m only an ensign in the war. Your support on patreon.com/nakedmormonism is one way I can attempt to funnel resources where lacking, and arm independent historians as they rewrite a narrative that’s been so overwhelmingly biased and even dishonestly fabricated for 180 years, all because it’s been almost exclusively controlled by a wealthy institution with vested interests. Nothing will make this sharp divide more stark than when we get into the Utah years.

With all of that said, Johnny Stephensen asked me to donate his cut of the patreon dollars for his two episodes to another historian. BYU and Joseph Smith Papers Project historians will never want for food or raiment. Your patreon dollars are going straight to supporting independent historians who are woefully underfunded in comparison to church historians.

I think it’s important to be transparent about these issues, even if they’re uncomfortable. If you want to help fund more research in Mormon history, and have it accessibly communicated on this podcast, consider pledging, I’ll do my best to stretch your dollars beyond supporting myself to fund people and foundations that actually are making a difference in this niche little field. Also, if you’re a Mormon history researcher of any kind and want to share some relevant research on the show, or if there’s a particular author you’d like to see on the show who would make a great interview or needs recognition, please let me know at nakedmormonism@gmail.com.

With that said, thank you so much for listening and for your support. Also, and a huge thanks to Julie for keeping the social media lights on in my absence. Give her a follow @TheRealEmmaHale.

IHTTAYNTHOTNMP.

Copyright Ground Gnomes LLC subject to fair use. Citation example: "Naked Mormonism Podcast (or NMP), Ep #, original air date 10/11/2018"