In the past 176 years since the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the publication of the Book of Mormon, millions have proclaimed Joseph Smith, Jr. a prophet and millions have denounced him as a deceiver. Even the smallest details of his life have come under scrutiny in an attempt to determine on which side of the fence he falls.

In this article, I have brought together all of the known published accounts and public records mentioning an alleged trial of Joseph Smith in 1826 in an attempt to determine if Smith was, in fact, tried and convicted as claimed.

This article was edited after publication by the author on 21 Jan 2009. View changes.