200 years later, Joseph Smith, Jr. continues to draw popular and scholarly interest within the American imagination. But how can modern historians navigate diverse and controversial religious perspectives to offer a fair record of such a man's life?

John G. Turner, Professor and Chair of Religious Studies at George Mason University, is the latest historian to undertake such an endeavor in his 2025 biography, Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet (Yale University Press). Dr. Turner sits down with host Nicholas Shrum on today's episode of Scholars and Saints to discuss his methodological approaches to studying Joseph Smith outside of denominational polemics. He also analyzes key moments in Smith's life and the lasting legacies they have left for America's religious and political conscience.

To find out more about Dr. Turner, click here.