SALT LAKE CITY—The Church Historian’s Press announces the release of Kirtland, City of Revelation: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast. This eight-part miniseries from the Joseph Smith Papers Project explores the history and legacy of Kirtland, Ohio, in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The podcast is available now. Series host Spencer W. McBride, PhD, interviews historians in a documentary-style podcast about the way men and women flocked to Kirtland in the 1830s to hear the voice of God through the prophet Joseph Smith. The episodes consider Kirtland as a site of abundant revelation and the place where church leaders organized much of the church. The episodes also illuminate how Joseph Smith was intent on teaching church members in Kirtland how to hear the voice of God themselves.

“This miniseries will demonstrate just how vital Kirtland was to the early history of the church,” McBride said of the podcast. “Listeners will learn about how the men and women who chose to build their lives in and around that city did so out of a desire to better know the mind and will of God. Their stories are stories of faith, but they are also stories of severe trials and daunting adversity.”

In 1831, Joseph and Emma Smith moved to Kirtland, Ohio, where, the year before, approximately one thousand men and women had joined the church. For a time, the city became the headquarters of the church. It was the site of dozens of revelations directing the growth and organization of the church. In Kirtland, the Saints constructed the House of the Lord, the first temple built by the church.

Scholars featured in the podcast include Matt Grow, Matthew Godfrey, Brent Rogers, Elizabeth Kuehn, Jonathan Stapley, Joseph Darowski, Christian Heimburger, Robin Jensen, David Howlett, Jeffrey Mahas, Sharalyn Howcroft, Benjamin Pykles, Mark Ashurst-McGee, Jenny Lund, David Grua, Mark Staker, Kerry Muhlestein, and Jenny Reeder. Also featured is Elder Kyle S. McKay, a general authority seventy and the Church Historian and Recorder.

All eight episodes of Kirtland, City of Revelation: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast have been released at once and are available on the Gospel Library and on other platforms such as iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and Amazon. The episodes are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.