Ian Brottman

The Unaliving of Joseph Smith

Tensions between early members of the Latter-day Saint movement and local residents in Illinois reached a boiling point when a heavily armed mob stormed the jail in Carthage. Joseph Smith, the controversial founder of the faith, was being held inside under state protection awaiting trial. The mob opened fire through the cell door, killing Smith and his brother Hyrum. Rather than dismantling the young religious movement, this sudden violence created a powerful martyr status that forced a massive western migration to the Utah desert. #americanhistory #religioushistory #mormonhistory #historicalfacts #shorts