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Healing at Carthage Jail
Episode 9:
Healing at Carthage Jail
Scott Esplin
June 2020
Carthage Jail, where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed, is visited by thousands of people annually as Church missionaries guide them through the building, reviewing the heartrending event. How did the Church acquire this tragic site—and why? In this episode, BYU professor and Nauvoo historian Dr. Scott Esplin shares his fascinating research on this history, discussing why visiting and memorializing sites where tragedy and suffering have occurred, such as Carthage Jail, can lead to understanding and healing.
Publications:
“Dark Tourism: Healing at Historic Carthage Jail” (Journal of Mormon History, vol. 46, no. 1, 2020)
