Can Nauvoo Land Deeds Really Prove Polygamy? - LDS Discussions Pt. 82 | Ep. 2186

From Mormon Stories Podcast by Dr. John Dehlin

August 26, 2026 · 1h 42m

About this episode

The episode explores the implications of Nauvoo land deeds in relation to Joseph Smith's practice of polygamy.

What can Nauvoo land deeds actually tell us about Joseph Smith and the practice of plural marriage? In this episode of LDS Discussions, we take a close look at Nauvoo land records and examine claims that deeds issued to women –including women who were later identified as plural wives of Joseph Smith –provide evidence for Joseph Smith’s practice of polygamy. The records are fascinating, but they are also considerably more complicated than they might appear at first glance. We examine the legal and historical context surrounding Nauvoo property, including the difference between a grantee and a recognized landowner, quitclaim deeds, coverture, widow’s dower rights, property held in the names of women and children, and the ways Joseph Smith and others used property arrangements to protect land from creditors and other legal complications. We also take a closer look at individual cases involving Helen Mar Kimball, Sarah Ann Whitney, Flora Woodworth, Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner, Lydia Dibble Granger, Mercy Fielding Thompson, Philinda Myrick, Emma Smith, and others. Several of these women had connections to plural marriage, but that raises an important historical question: Does the…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. John Dehlin

Topics covered

Nauvoo land deeds
Joseph Smith
polygamy
plural marriage
historical context
property arrangements

Keywords

Nauvoo land deeds
Joseph Smith
plural marriage
historical records

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: LDS Discussions