TIL: Nauvoo Expositor Is Part of 7th Grade Utah History

[Linked]

My 7th grader learned about the Nauvoo Expositor in his Utah History class at school. I don't remember learning about that in my Utah History class, but maybe I forgot. I guess it's an important part of the mormon pioneers leaving Nauvoo for Utah, but it caught me off guard.

Our conversation started at North Korea --> Why free speech is important --> First amendment --> Exceptions to the First amendment --> Libel. I was impressed when he said he knew what libel was. Then shocked when he said that he had learned about it in Utah history; something about a newspaper and something that the church guy thought was libel.

Maybe I need to have our own lesson about it at home...

[Gatorbait]

Seems to be an interesting nugget of history as it pertains to Mormons, who settled Utah more or less.

It's the thing that landed JS in jail at Carthage together with his brother Hyrum, which I've never sorted out in my mind why Hyrum was there...anyway, it is what lead to Joseph and Hyrum Smith's untimely deaths. Changed the course of Mormonism because, although the saints where thinking they'd head our west sometime soon, it was Brigham Young who got them there and not JS.

Seems to me a good thing to teach in Utah history, on any level. Good thing to know, in my opinion, regardless of whether one is religious or not.

Thanks for sharing Linked

[Bonfire]

There are a couple quick highlights I recall in the Nauvoo Expositor that stand out to me:
1. The courts in a republic change hearing dates without notice to protect the rich or empowered.
2. Property sold higher than the purchase price without an increase in industry causes societal collapse.

[Angel]

JS was a pedophile, is this what was published?
The wicked take the truth to be hard...

I love that Star wars had good guys that looked like an ugly squid, and bad guys who appeared as kind friendly leaders.

Great for kids to learn there are wolves in sheep's clothing, that some church leaders are pedophiles, and great lengths are spent to hide truth.

[deacon blues]

The Nauvoo Expositer incident is an example of the importance of examining all sides of the story. When I read Joseph Smith's History of the Church it said the Nauvoo Expositor was a "slanderous and libelous paper." That was considered an complete explanation in my 1970's Seminary and Ricks College religion classes.
When I actually read the paper, and in the context of Joseph Smith's teachings, especially secret teachings, of the period it was obvious there was a lot of truth to the Expositor.
7th grade Utah history teachers are like LDS bishops- there is a likelihood of "roulette" and biased views to be considered.

[alas]

The Nauvoo Expositer incident is an example of the importance of examining all sides of the story. When I read Joseph Smith's History of the Church it said the Nauvoo Expositor was a "slanderous and libelous paper." That was considered an complete explanation in my 1970's Seminary and Ricks College religion classes.
When I actually read the paper, and in the context of Joseph Smith's teachings, especially secret teachings, of the period it was obvious there was a lot of truth to the Expositor.
7th grade Utah history teachers are like LDS bishops- there is a likelihood of "roulette" and biased views to be considered.

I remember Utah history from Seventh grade and we covered the whole Expositer issue totally from the church’s side. The news paper had libeled Joseph, and therefore he was within his rights to trash the newspaper.

See, I had parents who read “No Man Knows My History” before I was even born, and although they pretended to be good Mormons and made us go to church, once in a while they would say something. Like when Jim Jones did his thing, and my mother commented that he “was just like Joseph Smith with abusing women sexually by telling them God commanded it.” So, anyway, I already knew the newspaper printed the truth and did not tell horrible lies. So, the Utah history lesson hit me as a bunch of propaganda.

So, yes have a real lesson at home and make sure your kid knows that libel means telling lies about someone to ruin their reputation, not blowing the whistle on a con man.

[Linked]

Seems to be an interesting nugget of history as it pertains to Mormons, who settled Utah more or less.

It's the thing that landed JS in jail at Carthage together with his brother Hyrum, which I've never sorted out in my mind why Hyrum was there...anyway, it is what lead to Joseph and Hyrum Smith's untimely deaths. Changed the course of Mormonism because, although the saints where thinking they'd head our west sometime soon, it was Brigham Young who got them there and not JS.

Seems to me a good thing to teach in Utah history, on any level. Good thing to know, in my opinion, regardless of whether one is religious or not.

Thanks for sharing Linked

Agreed, this is an important part of Utah history and should be taught. It's just such a landmine with kids of mormons and exmormons. I noticed that my son said that "the church guy thought it was libel" instead of "it was libel", a pretty big distinction, so maybe they are successfully walking that tightrope.

[Linked]

JS was a pedophile, is this what was published?
The wicked take the truth to be hard...

I love that Star wars had good guys that looked like an ugly squid, and bad guys who appeared as kind friendly leaders.

Great for kids to learn there are wolves in sheep's clothing, that some church leaders are pedophiles, and great lengths are spent to hide truth.

They published about Joseph Smith's "vicious principles", and his "abominations and whoredoms." But it sounds like they taught it in a way to give space for believers. This is Utah after all.

[Hagoth]

There are a couple quick highlights I recall in the Nauvoo Expositor that stand out to me:
1. The courts in a republic change hearing dates without notice to protect the rich or empowered.
2. Property sold higher than the purchase price without an increase in industry causes societal collapse.

Yup, that about covers it. There was also a nice poem in there, if I recall correctly.