The latest Joseph Smith Papers volume doesn’t read like a John Grisham legal thriller, but there is plenty of courtroom drama, according to historian Jeffrey D. Mahas.
After a failed assassination attempt, Missourians want the Prophet extradited. Joseph Smith is brought before a judge in Illinois. He’s represented by a prominent lawyer. Among the dignitaries in attendance is a future first lady of the United States. Smith receives help from a politician later viewed by many as an enemy. Ultimately, he prevails. Songs and poems are written in tribute to “Joseph’s greatest legal victory.”
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