Masonry and the Nauvoo Relief Society: Taking Down John Bennett
In 1840 John C Bennett moved to Nauvoo and joined the LDS church. In February of 1841 he was elected Mayor and in November became Joseph Smith's first counselor in the presidency of the church. However in March of that same year Joseph received a letter warning him of the deceitful character of John Bennett, informing them that Bennett was in fact married and had abused and cheated on his wife who recently left him but they were not legally divorced. As Bennett started to cause commotion in Nauvoo, lying to women about a secret wife system to sleep with them, this letter was held in reserve and would ultimately be used to expose him. It is important to note that this letter was from George Miller, a Master Mason in Nauvoo who had known Bennett from his previous town. The Smith family was already well acquainted with Freemasonry as Hyrum had joined the lodge in the 1820s, their father Joseph Smith Sr was possibly a Mason as well . In December 1841 the Grand Master of the Grand Lodg...