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My new video – “Gwendolyn Wyne on Joseph Smith’s Proposal to Nancy Rigdon” – premieres today, Saturday, July 5, 2025, at 2:00 PM Mountain Time.

In this response, I examine Gwendolyn Wyne’s recent criticism of John Turner’s remarks regarding the polygamy deniers, as mentioned in his interview with Jana Riess, a senior columnist for Religion News Service (“Yes, Joseph Smith Practiced Polygamy,” June 28, 2025, religionnews.com). In the YouTube video titled, “Respectfully Disagree on Joseph's Polygamy: Response to John Turner and Jana Riess Interview,” released on 25 June 2025, Wyne expressed her dissatisfaction with Turner’s new biography of Joseph Smith, titled *Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet*. She criticized it for failing to acknowledge the “new research” presented by the polygamy deniers and perceived his comments to Riess as dismissive. Wyne specifically highlighted Joseph Smith’s alleged proposal in 1842 to Nancy Rigdon, a nineteen-year-old daughter of prominent Mormon leader Sidney Rigdon. Her treatment of this evidence sheds light on why polygamy skeptics do not receive the respect they think they deserve.

https://youtu.be/8WXhE5A1ebA

Isn’t polygamy denialism a core part of the Snufferite movement? Are they just trying to carve out space for themselves as heirs to Smith’s vision by accusing the Brighamite sect as being apostate? I mean, the temple lot case is as solid an evidence as you’re going to get, and it’s super solid.

- Doc

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 05, 2025 6:45 pm

Isn’t polygamy denialism a core part of the Snufferite movement? Are they just trying to carve out space for themselves as heirs to Smith’s vision by accusing the Brighamite sect as being apostate? I mean, the temple lot case is as solid an evidence as you’re going to get, and it’s super solid.

- Doc

Yes, I believe Snofferites are polygamy deniers.

dan vogel wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 06, 2025 1:36 am

Doctor CamNC4Me wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 05, 2025 6:45 pm

Isn’t polygamy denialism a core part of the Snufferite movement? Are they just trying to carve out space for themselves as heirs to Smith’s vision by accusing the Brighamite sect as being apostate? I mean, the temple lot case is as solid an evidence as you’re going to get, and it’s super solid.

- Doc

Yes, I believe Snofferites are polygamy deniers.

Slightly different topic but do you find it problematic that John Turner prayed about the Book of Mormon to see if it was true and then continued his historical work?