Inside Out with Jim Bennett and Ian Wilks
The format of Inside Out is simple - Jim Bennett is still on the inside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Ian Wilks is on the outside of the Church. Yet both care about the Church and its future, and both want to see constructive dialogue between those who stay and those who leave. Hopefully, all of us can come to a better understanding of the Church and of each other.
Inside Out with Jim Bennett and Ian Wilks
The Nauvoo Expositor
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Ian, Jim, and historian Greg Prince explore the controversial history of the Nauvoo Expositor and its lasting implications for honesty, institutional transparency, and the modern LDS Church.
The discussion begins with a review of the Church’s official explanation for the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor printing press in 1844 and whether Joseph Smith’s actions as mayor of Nauvoo were legally or morally justified. Greg Prince argues that the expositor’s accusations—including plural marriage, theocratic leadership, secrecy, and theological innovation—were largely true, which made the publication uniquely threatening to Joseph Smith and the Church. The hosts discuss how the destruction of the press directly contributed to the events leading to Joseph Smith’s death at Carthage Jail.