Suppressing Dissenfecting Light – The Nauvoo Expositor

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The Nauvoo Expositor printed a single issue that exposed the wrongdoings of a supposed prophet. He destroyed the press, an event which led to his downfall.

On June 7, 1844, a bold and short-lived newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor published its first—and only—issue in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was created by former Mormon insiders who could no longer remain silent. They leveled serious charges against Joseph Smith, including abuse of power, political tyranny, and most explosively, secret polygamy.

At the time, Joseph Smith was not only the founder and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but also Nauvoo’s mayor, chief judge, and lieutenant general of its militia. He publicly denied practicing polygamy—going so far as to proclaim in a sermon on May 26, 1844:

"What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. I am the same man." - Joseph Smith, LDS Church Founder and Mormon Prophet - Testimony Against the Dissenters at Nauvoo, in May 1844 | wasmormon.org
“What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. I am the same man.” – Joseph Smith, LDS Church Founder and Mormon Prophet – Testimony Against the Dissenters at Nauvoo, in May 1844

What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one.

I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago; and I can prove them all perjurers. I labored with these apostates myself until I was out of all manner of patience; and then I sent my brother Hyrum, whom they virtually kicked out of doors.

I then sent Mr. Backenstos, when they declared that they were my enemies. I told Mr. Backenstos that he might tell the Laws, if they had any cause against me I would go before the Church, and confess it to the world.

Joseph Smith, Address of the Prophet—His Testimony Against the Dissenters at Nauvoo.
History of the Church, Volume 6, Page 411
https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfTheChurchOfJesusChristOfLatter-daySaints1902-Volume6/page/n453/mode/2up
https://byustudies.byu.edu/online-book/history-of-the-church-volume-6/volume-6-chapter-19

This was a blatant lie.

Today, even the official LDS Church admits that Joseph Smith had at least 30–40 plural wives, including teenagers as young as 14 and women already married to other men. None of these marriages were publicly acknowledged at the time. Instead, Smith and his inner circle orchestrated a massive coverup—gaslighting their followers and silencing dissenters.

“The exact number of women to whom [Joseph Smith] was sealed in his lifetime is unknown because the evidence is fragmentary. *Careful estimates put the number between 30 and 40.” - Gospel Topic Essay: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo, LDS Church | wasmormon.org
“The exact number of women to whom [Joseph Smith] was sealed in his lifetime is unknown because the evidence is fragmentary. *Careful estimates put the number between 30 and 40.” – Gospel Topic Essay: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo, LDS Church

When the Expositor exposed this duplicity, Smith and the Nauvoo City Council declared the paper “a public nuisance” on June 10, 1844. Acting in his capacity as mayor, Smith ordered the destruction of the press.

A prophet of God used his political power to suppress the free press, violating not only state law but also fundamental American ideals of liberty and due process. No trial. No legal justification. Just brute force.

The destruction of the Expositor press was a tipping point. It shocked surrounding communities and intensified existing fears about Mormon theocracy, corruption, and militancy. Smith was charged with inciting a riot and later with treason for ordering the press destroyed and calling out the Nauvoo Legion. He eventually surrendered to state authorities and was held in Carthage Jail.

On June 27, 1844, just 17 days after the press was destroyed, an armed mob stormed the jail and killed Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. Though the LDS Church frames this as martyrdom, it was a consequence of Smith’s actions—a prophet exposed, a press silenced, and justice evaded until it boiled over.

The Nauvoo Expositor is a chilling reminder of what happens when religious leaders gain unchecked power and treat legitimate criticism as treason. The LDS Church often portrays the destruction of the press as a defensive act, but history tells a darker truth: it was about concealing secret doctrines, crushing dissent, and protecting a fragile illusion of prophetic innocence. The supposed anti-Mormon lies contained in the Nauvoo Expositor are today admitted in Church History Essays about Joseph Smith and his polygamy.

181 years ago today, a small printing press tried to tell the truth. It was destroyed, physically and symbolically, by the very man it exposed. The aftermath shook Mormonism to its core and still raises questions that faithful narratives prefer to leave unasked.

The truth was inconvenient. So they smashed the press.

The Light Still Shines

The Nauvoo Expositor told the truth—and it cost them everything. But that single act of courage helped bring a tyrant down. Truth is still the disinfectant that cleanses corruption. Just as it did in 1844, the voices of former members today continue to shine a light on abuse, deception, and control still present in Mormonism.

If you’ve left the church, don’t be silent. Your story matters. Be loud. Be specific. Say why you left. Speak your truth and let your experience shine into the shadows that persist. Whether you faced doctrinal deception, personal betrayal, or institutional harm, telling your story is a form of resistance and healing.

Add your story to wasmormon.org. Be part of the modern Expositor. Help keep the light burning. The darkness of high-demand religion thrives in silence. The truth is our printing press now—and they can’t smash us all.

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