Adventures in Mormon History

 This episode draws on the account of Utah and Latter-day Saint voices who did their best to convey what it was like to fight in the Great War.   

In this episode, we cover the experience of Arthur Guy Empey, a Utah native and grandson of Latter-day Saint pioneers, who left an indelible firsthand account about the horrors of going "over the top."   

Calvin Smith, the son of LDS Church President Joseph F. Smith (and grandson of Hyrum Smith) became known as "Utah's Fighting Chaplain" for his willingness to join his charges in going "over the top."  

This episode draws on the experiences of Thomas Neibar (Idaho), Arthur Guy Empey (Utah) Calvin Smith (Utah), Joseph Ransom (Idaho), William Potts (Utah), and  Wilhelm Stoll (Germany), and Joseph Nielson (Utah).  

 To learn more about the information in this episode, please check out the following (excellent!) sources: 

Robert Freeman & Andrew Skinner, Saints at War: World War I (2018).

James Perry, British Latter-day Saints in the Great War, 1914-1918, 44 J. of Mormon Hist. 70 (July 2018).

Arthur Guy Empey, "Over the Top: by an American Soldier who Went" (1917).

James L. Mangum, The Influence of the First World War on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU Thesus (23 Jan. 2007), https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1839&context=etd.  

G.J. Meyer, A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914-1918 (2006).

Jeffrey L. Anderson, Mormons and Germany, 1914-1933: A History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Germany and its Relationship Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Germany and its Relationship With the German Governments from World War I to the Rise of With the German Governments from World War I to the Rise of Hitler, BYU Thesis and Dissertation (1991), https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5475&context=etd.   

Soldiers who were swept up in the First World War faced a shocking level of interpersonal violence.  How did LDS Soldiers deal with fear?  What was it like for them, living under the shadow of death, violence, and suffering?  And how did they deal with the troubling prospect that their duty as soldiers may require them to kill their fellow Latter-day Saints?   We will explore these questions and more on this episode of Latter-day Saints – Fighting in the Great War.  

This episode draws on the experiences of Archibald Bennett (Alberta) Hugh B. Brown (Canada), Billy Sibley ( Canada ),  Leslie Bigelow (Canada); Alonso Stanton (Utah), George Balif (Utah); Sterling Russell  (Utah); Rosel Jensen (Utah), Chaplain Herbert Maw (Utah), Harold McKnight (UK),  Isaac Humphrey (UT); Wilhelm Stoll (Germany), Wilhelm Kessler (Germany); William Barth (Germany). 


 To learn more about the information in this episode, please check out the following (excellent!) sources: 

Robert Freeman & Andrew Skinner, Saints at War: World War I (2018).

James Perry, British Latter-day Saints in the Great War, 1914-1918, 44 J. of Mormon Hist. 70 (July 2018).

James L. Mangum, The Influence of the First World War on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU Thesus (23 Jan. 2007), https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1839&context=etd.  

G.J. Meyer, A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914-1918 (2006).

Jeffrey L. Anderson, Mormons and Germany, 1914-1933: A History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Germany and its Relationship Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Germany and its Relationship With the German Governments from World War I to the Rise of With the German Governments from World War I to the Rise of Hitler, BYU Thesis and Dissertation (1991), https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5475&context=etd.  

This episode continues the story of Latter-day Saints in the Great War, 1914-1918.  Whether Americans, Germans, Canadians or British, Latter-day Saints either volunteered or were conscripted into their nation's Armed Forces.  Then began the long, grueling process of hammering the one-time citizens into Soldiers.

This episode explores, from the first-hand accounts of US, UK, Canadian and German Latter-day Saints what it was like to train for war.   Key Words: J. Reuben Clark, Archibald Bennett, Hugh B. Brown, Ivan A. Farnsworth, Lester Hubbard,  Elmer Baddley, William Barth, Arthur Guy Empey.  

To learn more about the information in this episode, please check out the following (excellent!) sources: 

Robert Freeman & Andrew Skinner, Saints at War: World War I (2018).

James Perry, British Latter-day Saints in the Great War, 1914-1918, 44 J. of Mormon Hist. 70 (July 2018).

James L. Mangum, The Influence of the First World War on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU Thesus (23 Jan. 2007), https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1839&context=etd.  

G.J. Meyer, A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914-1918 (2006).

Jeffrey L. Anderson, Mormons and Germany, 1914-1933: A History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Germany and its Relationship Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Germany and its Relationship With the German Governments from World War I to the Rise of With the German Governments from World War I to the Rise of Hitler, BYU Thesis and Dissertation (1991), https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5475&context=etd. 

On June 28, 1914, Archduke of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were shot dead by a Serbian assassin.  At the time, nobody suspected that this murder had lit the fuse to a global conflagration, a cataclysm that would sweep up nations, empires, and peoples. 

Among those swept up in the First World War were the Latter-day Saints, whose members made up congregations throughout the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany.  

What was it like for Latter-day Saints in the Great War?  What was it like for the Soldiers of the belligerent nations to enlist, to train, to fight?  How did Latter-day Saints fare in the trenches?   What was it like for the Mormon people on the home front?  And for those who survived, how did they make sense of what they lived through?  We will explore that and more in this, our third season. 

This first episode discusses the causes of the Great War, the desire of Latter-day Saints to prove their loyalty to their countries, and early recruiting efforts in Alberta, Canada among Latter-day Saints, William Kessler's decision to enlist in the German Army and fight for the Kaiser, the early shows of support for Germany from the LDS German community in Salt Lake City.  

To learn more about the information in this episode, please check out the following (excellent!) sources: 

Robert Freeman & Andrew Skinner, Saints at War: World War I (2018).

James Perry, British Latter-day Saints in the Great War, 1914-1918, 44 J. of Mormon Hist. 70 (July 2018).

James L. Mangum, The Influence of the First World War on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU Thesus (23 Jan. 2007), https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1839&context=etd.  

G.J. Meyer, A World Undone: The Story of the Great War 1914-1918 (2006).

Jeffrey L. Anderson, Mormons and Germany, 1914-1933: A History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Germany and its Relationship Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Germany and its Relationship With the German Governments from World War I to the Rise of With the German Governments from World War I to the Rise of Hitler, BYU Thesis and Dissertation (1991), https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5475&context=etd. 

This episode concludes the story of the cascade of bizarre, unintended consequences coming from Abraham Lincoln's decision to appoint John Dawson as Governor of the Utah Territory in 1861, culminating with the discovery of a massive grave robbing operation within the Salt Lake City Cemetery, and - reportedly – a French Ghost haunting the Great Salt Lake.   

Key Words:  Jean Baptiste, Grave Robbery, Ghosts, Haunting, Henry Heath, Albert Dewey, Moses Clawson, Moroni Clawson, George Clawson, Brigham Young, Abraham Lincoln,  John W. Dawson, Utah Territory, #MeToo in Pioneer Utah, Lot Huntington, John P. Smith, Utah War, Deseret News, Orrin Porter Rockwell, Danites.   

To learn more about the information in this episode, please check out Harold Schindler, "The Disappearance of John Baptiste: Grave-Robber's Case is a Lost Page of History", S. L. Trib. (Aug. 27, 1995) at J-1.

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln appointed John W. Dawson as the third Territorial Governor of Utah.  Lincoln’s decision would lead to a cascade of bizarre, unintended consequences – from Utah’s first #MeToo episode involving a governor, to yet another gunfight involving Porter Rockwell, to the discovery of a massive grave robbing operation within Salt Lake City, and - reportedly – a French Ghost haunting the Great Salt Lake.  On today’s episode, we will explore the Governor, the Gunfight, and the Ghost of the Great Salt Lake [Part 1].

Key Words:  Brigham Young, Abraham Lincoln, Albina Williams, Thomas S. Williams, John W. Dawson, Utah Territory, John M. Bernheisal, #MeToo in Pioneer Utah, Wood Reynolds, Moroni Clawson, Jason Luce, Lot Huntington, John P. Smith, Utah War, Deseret News, Orrin Porter Rockwell, Danites.   

To learn more about the information in this episode, please check out

Special thanks to the History Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for making the primary sources available! 

You can find the letter of John M. Bernheisal describing his conversation with Abraham Lincoln here:  Brigham Young office files, 1832-1878 (bulk 1844-1877) > Utah Delegate Files, 1849-1872 > John M. Bernhisel to Brigham Young, 1849- 1866 > 1862 January-March; Call Number CR 1234 1 .

You can find the affidavit of Albina Williams here: 

Brigham Young office files, 1832-1878 (bulk 1844-1877) > Federal and Local Government Files, 1844-1876; Call Number CR 1234 1 .

See also the Deseret News , "Departure of the Governor," Deseret News (Jan. 1, 1861).  

For more information on the beating of Governor Dawson, check out Salt Lake City Archives, "I Found it in the Archives - 1861 Criminal Case" (Oct. 3, 2012), available at https://slcoarchives.wordpress.com/tag/john-w-dawson/. 

Harold Schindler, In Another Time: Sketches of Utah History 81-82 (1998).

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln appointed John W. Dawson as the third Territorial Governor of Utah.  Lincoln’s decision would lead to a cascade of bizarre, unintended consequences – from Utah’s first #MeToo episode involving a governor, to yet another gunfight involving Porter Rockwell, to the discovery of a massive grave robbing operation within Salt Lake City, and - reportedly – a French Ghost haunting the Great Salt Lake.  On today’s episode, we will explore the Governor, the Gunfight, and the Ghost of the Great Salt Lake [Part 1].

Key Words:  Brigham Young, Abraham Lincoln, Albina Williams, Thomas S. Williams, John W. Dawson, Utah Territory, John M. Bernheisal, #MeToo in Pioneer Utah, Wood Reynolds, Moroni Clawson, Jason Luce, Lot Huntington, John P. Smith, Utah War, Deseret News, Orrin Porter Rockwell, Danites.  

To learn more about the information in this episode, please check out

Special thanks to the History Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for making the primary sources available! 

You can find the letter of John M. Bernheisal describing his conversation with Abraham Lincoln here:  Brigham Young office files, 1832-1878 (bulk 1844-1877) > Utah Delegate Files, 1849-1872 > John M. Bernhisel to Brigham Young, 1849- 1866 > 1862 January-March; Call Number CR 1234 1 .

You can find the affidavit of Albina Williams here: 

In 1861, a Missourian named Orion Clemmons became Secretary to James Nye, Governor of the Nevada Territory.  He traveled by stagecoach, passing through the 14-year old Great Salt Lake City and the Mormon settlements.  He brought along his younger brother, 25-year old Sam Clemmons.  Sam would later become famous, writing under the pen name Mark Twain.  

In his 1872 book "Roughing It," Mark Twain gives an account of what it was like to pass through Salt Lake City, including his observations about issues such as polygamy, the literary merits of the Book of Mormon, and how much better the Beehive crest was to the crest of his home state -- the two drunken "dissolute [grizzly] bears" who, for some reason, were depicted precariously balancing an empty whiskey cask  between their paws.  It culminates with the brief meeting Mark Twain had with Brigham Young.

To learn more about the information in this episode, Mark Twain's book, "Roughing It" is available free on Google Play.    

Key words:  Mark Twain, Brigham Young, Polygamy, The Book of Mormon, Utah, and drunken, dissolute Missouri grizzly  bears.  

CORRECTION:  In this episode, I said Brigham Young was the Governor of the Utah Territory.  At the time he met Mark Twain, he was the Former Governor, as he left office in 1858.  

This episode concludes the story of "The Man Who Shot Frank Worrell."

On September 16th, 1844, Frank Worrell was a man on a mission.  Flanked by a group of friends, Worrell  galloped out of Carthage, Illinois on the main road to Nauvoo.   Worrell had enough of the Jack Mormon Backenstos (the term meant a person friendly towards the Mormons though not a Mormon himself).  Worrell believed that, if they were ever going to drive the Mormon people from Illinois, Backenstos had to die.  

Worrell's mission?  Chase down the sheriff and shoot him dead before he could reach the safety Nauvoo.  

On this episode, we discuss the increase of mob violence against non-Mormons who the Anti-Mormons (such as Worrell) viewed as too closely aligned with the Mormon cause.  This began with the assault on Sheriff Minor Deming, who ultimately shot and killed his attacker, Samuel Marshall, on the steps of the Carthage Courthouse.  Deming resigned as sheriff pending his trial, and Jacob Backenstos won election as the Sheriff of Hancock County.  But Backenstos would find himself riding for his life to escape a possee, led by Frank Worrell.  As luck would have it, this 2-mile chase led them both to a small group of Mormon refugees, under the escort of Porter Rockwell.    

To learn more about the information in this episode, please check out Dallin H. Oaks & Marvin S. Hill, Carthage Conspiracy: The Trial of the Accused Assassins of Joseph Smith (1979).   

On September 16th, 1844, Frank Worrell was a man on a mission.  Flanked by a group of friends, Worrell  galloped out of Carthage, Illinois on the main road to Nauvoo.   Worrell had enough of the Jack Mormon Backenstos (the term meant a person friendly towards the Mormons though not a Mormon himself).  Worrell believed that, if they were ever going to drive the Mormon people from Illinois, Backenstos had to die.  

Worrell's mission?  Chase down the sheriff and shoot him dead before he could reach the safety Nauvoo.  

On this episode, we discuss Worrell's background as the commander of the Carthage Greys, the guard force at the Carthage Jail.  We explain Worrell's complicity in the murder and the later cover-up at the trial of the alleged killers.  Then, we review the spree of anti-Mormon burnings that started in September 1845 from the perspective of William Draper, one of the victims of the mob violence. 

To learn more about the information in this episode, please check out Dallin H. Oaks & Marvin S. Hill, Carthage Conspiracy: The Trial of the Accused Assassins of Joseph Smith (1979).   

Key words: Porter Rockwell, Frank Worrell, Mormons, Latter-day Saints, Levi Williams, Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, mobs, Carthage, Warsaw, Nauvoo.