In this episode of Come Follow Church History, host Lynne Hilton Wilson sits down with historian Janiece Johnson to explore one of the most pivotal and tragic moments in Latter-day Saint history—the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Together, they uncover the remarkable and turbulent events leading up to June 27, 1844, when Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed at Carthage Jail.

From Joseph Smith’s unprecedented run for President of the United States to the formation of the Council of Fifty, Lynne and Janiece trace how faith, politics, and power collided in Nauvoo. They also examine William Law’s rebellion and infidelity, the publication of the Nauvoo Expositor, and the rising tensions that set the stage for Joseph’s final days.