Tonight on Mormonism Live, Bill Reel and Radio Free Mormon take a deep dive into one of the most talked-about Mormon history stories in recent memory: the recent leaking of the William Clayton journals. For years, the full Clayton journals have been a source of speculation, controversy, and anticipation. William Clayton was not a peripheral observer. He was in the inner circle of Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo world, served as Joseph’s clerk, recorded the revelation that became Doctrine and Covenants 132, and left behind some of the most important firsthand records tied to plural marriage, temple theology, and the secret inner workings of early Mormonism. Now that these journals have surfaced, new claims are being made—especially by Jeremy Hoop—that the journals do not support the traditional historical case for Joseph Smith’s polygamy. Is that true? Did the leaked journals undercut the standard narrative? Or do they, when read carefully and in context, actually reinforce what historians have been saying for decades?
In this episode, we walk through the controversy from the beginning:
How Jeremy Hoop got access to the journals
What exactly was leaked and what still remains unpublished
Whether the journals really contain “nothing” that supports Joseph Smith’s polygamy
The entries that matter most and what they appear to show
What else we found in the journals beyond polygamy, including material that sheds light on Nauvoo power structures, private teachings, and the inner world of Joseph Smith’s closest associates
We’ll separate rumor from evidence, examine the strongest entries for ourselves, and ask the bigger question: if the William Clayton journals are as important as many have believed, what do they actually reveal once you stop letting other people tell you what’s in them?
If you care about Joseph Smith, polygamy, Mormon truth claims, historical transparency, and how narratives are built and defended inside Mormonism, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
ACEESS THE CLAYTON JOURNALS
https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/CLAYTON-1.pdf
https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/CLAYTON-2.pdf
https://mormondiscussionpodcast.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/CLAYTON-3.pdf
Please consider donating to support our work – https://donorbox.org/mormonism-live
Also if anyone needs extra support as they work through their faith deconstruction, Bill Reel is a certified Somatic Informed Trauma Coach and you can look into his work at https://awakenandthrive.org/
MormonismLive #JosephSmith #WilliamClayton #LDSHistory #MormonHistory #Mormonism #Polygamy #DoctrineAndCovenants132 #JeremyHoop #MormonDiscussion
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
RFM,
You have often called the use of ellipses by the Corporation of the President to obscure context, contradictory content, and uncomfortable facts from the standard works and statements of past leaders of the church. Personally I find this practice the most insidious and damning of all their
methods of subterfuge and obfuscation because it demonstrates full knowledge of the problems they are attempting to hide. I think an interesting episode would be an overview of all of the examples of malignant ellipses usage in the manuals, handbooks, and apologetic content published by the church and their proxies. It would really demonstrate the systemic and intentional institutional coverup that has been in effect for a long time and would put the final, incontrovertible nail in the coffin of the “We have never tried to hide anything from anyone” lie.
HIPPA, HIPPA, HIPPA! Bill just touched on it, but the biggest story here is that this MacKay broke the law! A federal law. By just saying that this man was his patient, unless he can show a release of information from him or his family after death, he broke HIPPA laws. HIPPA extends beyond death, and a medical provider is not allowed to even say that they are/were treating a person. I don’t know the ethics of the medical field, so him having a dual relationship with a patient is probably not as big of a deal. However, as Bill mentioned, him taking advantage of a vulnerable patient (he was isolated in a medical facility) for his own gains is an ethical problem.