Episode 70 | If Joseph Smith Lived Today, He'd End Up Like Warren Jeffs | Lindsay Hansen Park

Joseph Smith vs. Warren Jeffs: Polygamy, Power, and Mormonism’s Dark Legacy | Lindsay Hansen ParkOn the Jaden Jeffs Podcast, Jaden interviews Mormon historian Lindsay Hansen Park about parallels between Joseph Smith and Warren Jeffs, arguing Mormon culture can normalize coercion by making leaders righteous and excusing abuse. They discuss Joseph Smith’s polygamy (including a 14-year-old), power consolidation in Nauvoo, sincerity versus manipulation, and how his death created martyrdom that helped Mormonism endure. Lindsay describes Mormonism as “catnip for predators,” cites patterns of obedience, complicity, and victim-perpetrator complexity, and compares LDS corporatization with fundamentalist attempts to restore early doctrines. They cover Brigham Young’s influence, the Mountain Meadows Massacre and historical cover-up, Porter Rockwell’s violence, debates over the Journal of Discourses, Adam-God doctrine, psychedelic/trance theories in early Mormon ecstatic experiences, and challenges of healing after leaving high-control religion. Lindsay plugs Sunstone, her upcoming book The Ballad of Juanita Brooks, and her podcasts.FOLLOW LINDSAY HANSEN PARK Year of Polygamy Podcast: https://www.yearofpolygamy.com/ Sunstone Education Foundation: https://sunstone.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsay_hansen_park/ Twitter): https://x.com/FemiLinzi01:19 Meet Lindsay Hansen Park 06:38 Joseph Smith vs Warren Jeffs 09:59 Martyrdom and Legacy 16:19 Victims and Perpetrators 17:55 Polygamy Then and Now 21:17 Occult Roots and Boredom 25:05 Childhood Parallels 31:37 Gold Plates and Confidence 39:20 Joseph Smith Sincerity 40:56 Warren Jeffs Psychology 45:09 Complicity Shared Delusion 48:11 Porter Rockwell Myth 49:33 Joseph Smith Child Brides 55:40 Predators and Mormon Culture 01:11:01 Charisma and Primary Voice 01:19:36 Brigham Young Guilty Pleasure 01:23:31 Loving a Complicated Father 01:25:09 Faithful Mormon Bad Manners 01:25:50 Journal of Discourses Debate 01:31:10 Mountain Meadows Responsibility 01:37:46 John D Lee Survival Lore 01:41:38 Polygamy Denial Conspiracies 01:49:26 Rulon Jeffs Infiltration Theory 01:55:26 Why Conspiracies Persist 01:58:25 Adam God Doctrine Setup 02:00:55 Brigham Young Origins 02:02:41 Church Scrubs Doctrine 02:04:52 Numbers And Polygamy 02:07:08 Occult Numerology Roots 02:11:26 Life After Mormonism 02:30:01 Book And Farewell👇SHOP MERCH HERE FROM JADENfromjaden.com👇 FOLLOW + SUPPORT THE PODCASTSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3GHUWDyJ5ZJ0QzVu8EihBH?si=hpDUxgqMR9CIkwei0Ghiew🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jaden-jeffs-podcast/id1795576157✉️ Newsletter (Substack): https://jadenjeffs.substack.com/👇 MY WebsiteJadenJeffs.com👇 SOCIALSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/realjadenjeffs?igsh=cm9ybmY1dzk1dmNp&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jadenjeffs100?_r=1&_t=ZP-91rDt1rkLz5Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BtYdgFoS5/?mibextid=wwXIfr👇 WATCH NEXT➡️ Most Popular Videos: https://youtu.be/I-gZtaxMv9whttps://youtu.be/3WIYe15Ostshttps://youtu.be/rNKg83fMuN4➡️ Podcast Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk3w3VkHlWzRgsNC_wNeOBxa0AEBnpsCz&si=izu5YMpxghxqO13m👇 BUSINESS📩 Contact: [email protected] me a Coffee via Venmo ❤️https://venmo.com/u/fitoj