The Nauvoo Temple: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast
The Nauvoo Temple: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast is an eight-part miniseries from the Joseph Smith Papers Project. The podcast explores the history and legacy of the temple that Latter-day Saints constructed in Nauvoo, Illinois, in the 1840s. Series host Spencer W. McBride, PhD, interviews historians in a documentary-style podcast about this important building in Latter-day Saint history. The episodes consider what the Nauvoo temple meant to the men and women who constructed it, and the role in played in their religious devotion and worship.
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Episodes
Episode 0: “Series Introduction”
This introductory episode presents the story of the Nauvoo Temple, explaining why Latter-day Saints in the 1840s sacrificed time, labor, and a sizable portion of their meager possessions to bring about the promised blessings of the temple.
Episode 1: “A New City, a New Temple”
This episode explains why the Latter-day Saints came to Nauvoo, established a city, and built a new temple.
Guests: Brent Rogers, Matthew Godfrey, Alex Smith
Episode 2: “Revelations, Designs, and Quarries”
This episode describes the purpose of temples, the inspiration behind the design of the Nauvoo Temple, and the arrangements that Joseph Smith and others made to acquire sufficient building materials.
Guests: Brent Rogers, Matthew McBride, Alex Smith
Episode 3: “A Welding Link”
This episode explores Joseph Smith’s revelations on proxy baptisms for deceased relatives as well as the lasting impact of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles’ mission to Great Britain.
Guests: Alex Baugh, Brett Dowdle
Episode 4: “Obstacles”
This episode explains how the principle of tithing enabled the impoverished Latter-day Saints to build the Nauvoo Temple and overcome external obstacles, including the attempted extraditions of Joseph Smith to Missouri.
Guests: Jeffrey Mahas, Elizabeth Kuehn
Episode 5: “Looking Toward Eternity”
This episode considers the ways that Joseph Smith prepared church members to receive the endowment and sealing ordinances in the temple, including through the founding of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo.
Guests: Sharalyn Howcroft, Alex Smith, Jenny Reeder, Sister Jean B. Bingham
Episode 6: “Martyrdom, Dedication, and Exodus”
This episode explains how the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith coupled with hostility toward the Saints affected the construction and dedication of the Nauvoo Temple and forced the Saints to prepare to leave the city—possibly even the country.
Guests: Jeffrey Mahas, Matthew McBride, Alex Smith, Brent Rogers
Episode 7: “The Return to Nauvoo”
This episode describes the gradual return of the Latter-day Saints to Nauvoo, exploring the various efforts of churches and governments to designate the “City Beautiful” as a historic site.
Guests: Alex Smith, Benjamin Pykles, Lachlan Mackay, Steven Olsen
Episode 8: “An Old City, a New Temple”
On April 4, 1999, President Gordon B. Hinckley stunned Latter-day Saints with an announcement that the Nauvoo Temple would be reconstructed. This episode considers what it means today to know that a temple once again stands in Nauvoo.
Guests: Emily Utt, Steven Olsen, Elder Dale G. Renlund
Additional Resources
About
Host: Spencer McBride
Producer: Curt Dahl
Executive Producer: Ben Ellis Godfrey
Producer: Jenny Rollins
Research Assistants: Nathan Jones, Susan Yungfleisch, Jaxon Washburn
Production Manager: Matthew Mangum
Project Manager: Ammon Collingwood
Editors: Britta Adams, McKinsey Kemeny
Web Team: Christopher Clark, Jim McKenna, Michael Smith, Lonnie McGill, Jeffrey McFarlane, Matt Carson, Kyler Rosquist, Steve Hales, Dave Totten, Ben Cassani, Jon Thorup, Jason Mortensen
Social Media: Madison Parks