222-Did Porter Rockwell Try to Kill Governor Boggs? I Porter Rockwell I Church History Matters episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 15, 2026 · 1H 30M

222-Did Porter Rockwell Try to Kill Governor Boggs? I Porter Rockwell I Church History Matters

from Church History Matters · host Scripture Central

Few stories in early Latter-day Saint history are as legendary—or as controversial—as the accusation that Porter Rockwell attempted to assassinate Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs.In this episode of Church History Matters, Scott Woodward and Casey Griffiths take a closer look at the evidence surrounding one of the most famous allegations against the legendary “Destroying Angel.”Did Porter Rockwell really travel to Missouri with orders to kill Governor Boggs? Or did the story grow over time through accusations, rumors, and competing narratives?There is no hard evidence proving that Porter Rockwell was the man who shot Boggs, but there are plenty of claims on both sides. Scott and Casey examine the accusations made by John C. Bennett, the historical circumstances surrounding the shooting, and the case for and against Rockwell's involvement.And then there is the famous statement attributed to Porter Rockwell himself. When questioned about the shooting, Rockwell reportedly responded that if he had done the shooting, Boggs would have been dead.Was that a confession? A denial? A threat? Or simply classic Porter Rockwell?Join Scott and Casey as they separate documented history from legend, examine the competing claims, and ask whether one of the most notorious stories about Porter Rockwell can actually be proven.Was Porter Rockwell an attempted assassin—or was he the victim of a historical accusation that became legend?#ChurchHistoryMatters #PorterRockwell #JosephSmith #LDSHistory #MormonHistory #LilburnBoggs #MissouriMormonHistory #ChurchHistory

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 15, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

222-Did Porter Rockwell Try to Kill Governor Boggs? I Porter Rockwell I Church History Matters

0:00 1:30:36

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Church History Matters?

This episode is 1 hour and 30 minutes long.

When was this Church History Matters episode published?

This episode was published on September 15, 2026.

Can I download this Church History Matters episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!