Non-Mormon Historian Explores Book of Mormon “Translation” - John Turner | Ep. 2028
Mormon Stories Podcast
Dr. John Dehlin
4.6 • 5.2K Ratings
🗓️ 5 June 2025
⏱️ 174 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to part three of the Joseph Smith Podcast! In this episode, we explore one of the most pivotal and mysterious events in early Mormon history — the story of Martin and Lucy Harris and the infamous loss of the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript. With historian and non-Latter-day Saint scholar John G. Turner, we dive into the complexities of translation, belief, and the relationships that shaped the early Restoration movement.We also examine:- The discovery of the plates- Martin Harris’ background and motives- Lucy Harris’ suspicions and possible involvement- The cultural and religious context of the time- Theories about the Book of Mormon translation process- What the loss of the 116 pages reveals about Joseph Smith’s prophetic developmentThis episode also reflects on broader themes of faith, deception, historical interpretation, and the psychology behind religious movements. Whether you're a believer, skeptic, or historian, this deep-dive provides rich insight from a non-Mormon perspective.___________________
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Mormon Stories podcast, Joseph Smith edition. |
| 0:05.6 | I am your host, Dr. John DeLinn. |
| 0:08.0 | Today we are back for our third episode in a series where we're talking about Joseph Smith and his life in-depth this time with Dr. John G. Turner. |
| 0:20.4 | Hey, Dr. Turner. Hey, Dr. Turner. |
| 0:21.9 | Hey, John. |
| 0:22.6 | Welcome back. |
| 0:23.4 | It's pretty fun to be here in Utah with you. |
| 0:26.1 | Yeah, you're in studio. |
| 0:27.3 | Yeah. |
| 0:28.0 | This is new. |
| 0:29.0 | It's unique. |
| 0:29.6 | You're here for MHA. |
| 0:31.0 | Is that right? |
| 0:31.6 | I'm here for a couple of book events. |
| 0:33.5 | Here for MHA. |
| 0:35.0 | Did an event at Benchmark Book where people can already buy Joseph Smith, |
| 0:40.2 | the rise and fall of an American profit, going to be in Provo on the night of Saturday, |
| 0:47.1 | June 7th at the Compass. And as an added bonus, I get to be here in studio with you, which is super fun. |
| 0:56.0 | Yeah, we're excited. And yeah, let me just plug benchmark books. Benchmark books is probably the number one bookstore in the world dedicated to selling Mormon-themed books. And they're great people. If you want to really promote Mormon studies, Mormon scholarship, and you want to buy this |
| 1:14.4 | amazing book, and we want you all to buy this amazing book, Joseph Smith, the rise and fall |
| 1:19.4 | of an American prophet by John Turner. |
| 1:21.3 | Your first choice might be to just go to benchmark books. |
... |
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