Standard of Truth

A missionary in the Philippines asks why early Saints never made the sign of the cross. A new dad, writing from the delivery room, asks about Joseph Smith’s politics and how they compare with President Oaks’s recent address. Gerrit explains the political manifesto, why Moses Thatcher was removed from the Twelve, and how sugar beets pushed Church leaders toward tariffs. Then they take on a viral meme that groups Joseph Smith with Muhammad under Galatians 1:8. Gerrit walks through angels bringing new messages, from Abraham to John’s Revelation, and asks where the Bible says revelation ended. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We break down the October 2026 General Conference. The heart of the episode: President Christofferson’s address on gambling. Richard debuts a montage of the duo’s many tongue-in-cheek nods to President Hinckley’s 2005 talk. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Heidi writes mid-labor to ask about D&C 76: does rejecting the gospel in this life really cap you at the terrestrial kingdom? We discuss that we simply don’t know what fully constitutes a person’s opportunity to accept Christ, and that a bitter, door-slammed missionary is nobody’s final judge. Joseph Smith’s own teachings point to a far more merciful God. That flows into a heavyweight take on ”after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23): Pelagius, Calvinism vs. Arminianism, evangelicalism’s assurance-of-salvation hybrid, and President Oaks’s ”Have You Been Saved?” The through-line: we’re saved only by grace, and living prophets, not proof-texts, tell us how that grace applies. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We crack open an all-missionary mailbag with letters from the Philippines, Cincinnati, and beyond. Then the big question: was Cincinnati really cursed by Joseph Smith? We dig into D&C 61, trace how ”well nigh ripened for destruction” shifted across the manuscript versions, and follow Orson F. Whitney’s later meetinghouse dedication, settling the folklore with actual sources (plus a spirited defense of five-way chili). A tender Yom Kippur reflection on grace we don’t deserve gives way to the 1831 Lockport Balance’s ”Gold Bible” hit piece, where an over/under on ”Joe” mentions reveals how casually, and confidently, falsehoods get printed. Broadcasting from Medellín, Pablo Escobar’s 200 feral hippos and all If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We celebrate 10 million downloads, the arrival of video recordings of the podcast, and a missionary listener who has built a four-generation podcast family tree using ”phone checks” on exchanges.  After Nauvoo and before St. George, where did the Saints receive their endowments? Gerrit walks through the Council House, the Endowment House, and Addison Pratt’s 1849 endowment atop Ensign Peak, and why exceptions belong to God and His prophets, not to us. A listener shares how the podcast helped a friend through a faith crisis. Gerrit also reads a Shaker elder’s 1830 journal account of Oliver Cowdery’s visit: an early description of translation by spectacles and hat, and a rejection of the Book of Mormon because it fails to preach celibacy. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

The heart of the episode is a Lyceum dive into a March 16, 1841 discourse of Joseph Smith on the Second Coming and the Millennium. Joseph taught that the wicked won’t all be destroyed at Christ’s coming, that non-members will remain through the Millennium, and that Christ will come and go rather than reside on earth continuously. We trace how Brigham Young echoed these ideas in Civil War-era sermons, contrast pre-, post-, and amillennial views, and close on the expansive, near-universal scope of salvation in Latter-day Saint theology. We also talk about college football, the perils of a name like ”Kjersta,” and the news that Richard’s son (Elder Parker LeDuc) finally requested podcast access after 34 days in the Mexico MTC (while Kai skips the overbooked Philippine MTC entirely and heads straight to the field). If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Richard hadn’t showered in days, his water heater’s dead, and his family staged an intervention over his baggy clothes. We read emails from listeners and missionaries, including an elder serving in the California Ontario Mission, whose Gen Z slang (”capping,” ”yapping”) had us reaching for a translation guide. Then we got into apostate #8: Ezra Booth. A former Methodist minister and early high priest, Booth apostatized barely a year into the Church and published the first widely reprinted insider attacks on Joseph Smith, fuel for Eber Howe’s Mormonism Unveiled. We dug into Sidney Rigdon’s public debate challenge, D&C 71, and why Booth grasped prophetic authority better than today’s splinter movements. The takeaway, vet your sources and stay close to the prophets. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into Ezra Booth’s anti-Mormon letters from October 1831, examining how this early apostate mounted his attack against our fledgling church. What fascinates us most is that Booth personally witnessed miracles, including Elsa Johnson’s arm being healed, yet later dismissed such spiritual experiences as delusion or deliberate fraud. We highlight striking logical contradictions in his arguments: he claims only Joseph saw angels, then attacks witness testimonies about seeing them. His scattershot approach, depicting believers as liars, crazy, or stupid, mirrors modern anti-Mormon rhetoric perfectly. Ironically, Booth himself confirms early church members used ”Melchizedek priesthood” language and testified of spiritual experiences, undermining later revisionist claims these were later developments. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We open with incredible news from Sweetwater Rescue: a second Kyulu Stake group reached the Nairobi Kenya Temple and set a record for the most endowments performed in an African temple in a single day. Gerrit answers a litner’s question on whether or not Brigham Young secretly altered Joseph Smith’s journals to invent polygamy, a claim popular among denialists. Gerrit’s dander meter climbs as he unpacks what ”revised history” actually meant, why the sources hold up, and the irony of the charge coming from the Bickertonite tradition, which rejects nearly everything Joseph taught after the Book of Mormon. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

This episode of the Standard of Truth continues discussing the apostasy of Ezra Booth, a former Methodist minister who joined the early Church after witnessing Joseph Smith heal Elsa Johnson’s arm. Gerrit traces Booth’s journey to Missouri in 1831, his disillusionment upon finding the future site of Zion to be a rough frontier town, and his subsequent public renunciation of the faith through nine letters published in the Ohio Star. We examine how Booth reframed Mormonism as a deliberate deception rather than sincere belief, and how anti-Mormon arguments shifted from “converts are biblically ignorant” to “converts are insane” once educated ministers joined. Link to the Norm McDonald’s Better Than Ezra joke: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zyaf1Vg4S7I If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode we dive deeper into Ezra Booth, ranked #8 in the ”Great Apostate Hall of Shame.” Once a prominent Methodist minister leading anti-Masonry campaigns in Ohio, Booth’s conversion to Mormonism shocked his community and sparked heated newspaper responses. We examine his miraculous experiences witnessing the instant healing of Eliza Johnson and attending the historic June 1831 ordination of high priesthood in Kirtland, where Satan allegedly manifested to disrupt proceedings. Yet despite these profound spiritual experiences, Booth would soon apostatize, becoming one of the Church’s most vocal and cruel enemies. The episode explores how even those who witness divine power can fall away, emphasizing the importance of daily spiritual practice. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, Gerrit pays a heartfelt tribute to Eric Smith, a beloved Joseph Smith Papers colleague and devoted listener who recently passed after a long battle with cancer, complete with the legendary tales of stolen break-room milk and a service missionary’s knuckle-deep Oreo heist. The mailbag delivers a live-show love story, a a testimony-strengthening note from Kimberly, and a listener’s run-in with anti-Mormon radio. That sparks a robust discussion on how critics caricature Latter-day Saint belief without ever reading Doctrine and Covenants 76. Poor Ezra Booth gets bumped yet again. Gina and Eric’s Cancer Relief Fund https://www.gofundme.com/f/eric-and-ginas-cancer-relief-fund?attribution_id=sl:87024ae3-cbef-4e34-98d5-176e68d9ec63&ts=1784776752&utm_campaign=natman_sharesheet_dash&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&video_sharing=enabled If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Richard braves self-diagnosed tuberculosis as he and Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat dig into the mailbag: identical twins listening from two different Zions, an ambitious MTC zone leader, and a great question from Joni. Did a prophet really call Del Parson’s red-robe painting the most accurate likeness of Christ? Gerrit explains why that’s folklore, and why the anti-Catholic climate of the Second Great Awakening made images of Jesus and even crosses on churches, unthinkable for early American Protestants. Then the Great Apostates Hall of Shame lands at #8: Ezra Booth, the Methodist minister converted by a miraculous healing in the Hiram, Ohio home, who reportedly walked away once he realized the Restored Church offered no paid clergy. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we continue our discussion of the Lyceum (debates/discussions) in Nauvoo. From the most popular chewing tobacco (it is Copenhagen byt the way) to manners and the Trinity, we just about cover everything #SmallWonder If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Was Francis Scott Key a bitter recluse who denounced America and wrote the anthem from a boat offshore? No, no he was not. Elder Gurr writes in with an investigator’s list of questions, and we tackle the big ones. Who holds the authority to decide which parts of the Bible are ”translated correctly”? Who decided the canon, and why did Protestants pull the Apocrypha after 1,400 years? On grace versus works, why ”saved by grace alone” quietly assumes a premise a billion Catholics reject, and why Calvinists and Arminians don’t even worship the same Jesus. The upshot: the disagreement itself is the case for a Restoration. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ (https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/) If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

The podcast begins with the US-Bosnia World Cup match (SEC championships as the definitive metric), then open the Phoebe Draper Palmer Brown mailbag. Jerry from North Dakota earns a heartfelt thank-you and an unnecessary swipe at the Bismarck capitol building, plus a Roosevelt-in-the-Badlands tangent and BYU’s windowless MARB building. Elder Ballard (the Nauvoo Mississippi River mission one) requests a new segment: ranking the top apostates. Enter the debut of the ”The Great Apostate Hall of Shame.” First up, outside-looking-in: Joseph Wakefield, a powerhouse early missionary who baptized George A. Smith, then apostatized, joined Kirtland’s anti-Mormon committee, and helped hire Philastus Hurlbut. Reason for Apostasy: He couldn’t accept D&C 76’s expansive vision of heaven. The Takeaway: Don’t let any belief become the one that separates you from the prophet. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We are recording in front of a live studio audience in Nauvoo, Illinois.  In this week’s episode, we begin with a movie review of the 1980s classic Prodigal Son and Cipher in the Snow, and then make the obvious transition to Nauvoo Lyceum. Gerrit regales the audience with several topics discussed in this adult education program, and we cover the Chestnut Hill College Lacrosse Team’s dominance from 2021 to 2024 If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we answer a litter’s questions who wrote while in ”DEEP” labor asking about the lesser-known Pratt brothers and an audio submission from Filer, Idaho about the legend that Joseph of Arimathea brought the teenage Jesus to Cornwall. Gerrit traces the idea to William of Malmesbury’s 12th-century history of Glastonbury and its tangle of Arthurian folklore. We close with part three of our King Follett sermon series, where Gerrit warns against apologists who lean on the Thomas Bullock account’s apparent mistranscription to claim Joseph taught God was God from all eternity, arguing that you can’t play historian with one discrepant source against five consistent ones, and that watering down what Joseph actually taught to appease traditional Christian critics is selling your birthright for a mess of pottage that won’t even fill you up. If you are interested in joining us in 2027 in Palmyra and Kirtland, August 1st through August 7th, click on the link below and reserve your spot: https://pci.jotform.com/form/261567888174171 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

This episode was recorded 4 1/2 years ago, but was never released. In this episode, Gerrit provides context around the setting of Joseph Smith’s King Follett Sermon. If you would like to follow what Sweetwater Rescue is doing, specifically our most recent trip to Nairobi Kenya please follow us on Instagram or Facebook. Sweetwater Rescue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwaterrescue?igsh=MTd6eHRteG9idzB6bA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Sweetwater Rescue Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18n8KBA9bz/?mibextid=wwXIfr Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

This is a rereleased episode from season 1 of Condemned to Repeat It. In this episode, we work through the grievances section of the Declaration of Independence, unpacking how Jefferson methodically built his case against King George III. Gerrit shows how each charge, dissolving colonial legislatures, making judges beholden to the Crown, quartering standing armies, employing Hessian mercenaries, cutting off colonial trade, and asserting the power ”to legislate in all cases whatsoever” directly echoes earlier acts of Parliament and the king, with Jefferson cleverly turning the Crown’s own language back against it. The episode closes with a thoughtful reflection on the Declaration’s enduring legacy: while Jefferson and many signers were themselves slaveholders, the document’s assertion that all are created equal and endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights became the very foundation later generations would invoke to dismantle slavery, expand suffrage, and pursue civil rights, proof that, as Lincoln understood at Gettysburg, the arc of history bends slowly but inevitably toward the truths the founders dared to declare. If you would like to follow what Sweetwater Rescue is doing, specifically our most recent trip to Nairobi Kenya please follow us on Instagram or Facebook. Sweetwater Rescue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwaterrescue?igsh=MTd6eHRteG9idzB6bA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Sweetwater Rescue Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18n8KBA9bz/?mibextid=wwXIfr Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

This is a rereleased episode from season 1 of Condemned to Repeat It. In this episode, we set the stage for the Declaration of Independence by exploring the deep English political and intellectual history Jefferson drew upon when he sat down to write it. Far from being a spontaneous act of rebellion, the Declaration was the latest entry in a long English tradition of publicly justifying political action, with clear roots in the 1689 Declaration of Right that deposed King James II and the Virginia Declaration of Rights drafted just weeks earlier in June 1776. Gerrit walks through the political climate of the Continental Congress, where moderates, realists, and outright loyalists still outnumbered firebrands like John and Samuel Adams, and explains how Richard Henry Lee’s June resolution for independence prompted a committee, led by Jefferson, to draft an explanation rather than the act of independence itself. The episode traces how Jefferson’s opening lines about self-evident truths, equality, and unalienable rights radically inverted centuries of monarchical assumption: rights no longer flowed downward from kings as gracious gifts, but upward from a Creator to the people, who in turn loaned legitimate power to government. The hosts close on a cliffhanger as Jefferson pivots from preamble to grievances, leaving Richard, ever the loyalist sympathizer, still firmly on the side of the Crown. If you would like to follow what Sweetwater Rescue is doing, specifically our most recent trip to Nairobi Kenya please follow us on Instagram or Facebook. Sweetwater Rescue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwaterrescue?igsh=MTd6eHRteG9idzB6bA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Sweetwater Rescue Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18n8KBA9bz/?mibextid=wwXIfr Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we finally depart into the King Follett Sermon. Most podcast would start with a part one but here soon the truth podcast we would like to start with a Part 2 and then play a part one three weeks from now it was recorded 4 1/2 years ago. Gerrit discusses some of the problems that Christians see with the implications of this sermon and Gerrit reads from one of the accounts. We also read an email where a litner shared their feelings about helping people get to the temple. If you would like to follow what Sweetwater rescue is doing, specifically our most recent trip to Nairobi Kenya please follow us on Instagram or Facebook. Sweetwater Rescue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwaterrescue?igsh=MTd6eHRteG9idzB6bA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Sweetwater Rescue Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18n8KBA9bz/?mibextid=wwXIfr Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Mark sits down with renowned church historian Gerrit Dirkmaat to discuss powerful experiences they have had visiting church history sites, and that others have had in the groups they have lead through these places. Mark and Gerrit explain why visiting these sites can have such a deep effect on our faith, testimonies, and sense of belonging to the church. Perserving Families Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/preserving-families-podcast/id1654226536 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we tackle the question of why early Utah Saints embraced cooperative economics like the United Order. Gerrit digs into a 1866–67 Inspector General’s report submitted to Congress by Generals Ruesling and Hazen. The document characterizes Latter-day Saints as ”open and avowed foes” of the United States, recommends banning Mormons from government contracts, and bizarrely treats the fact that Mormon contractors underbid Gentile competitors as evidence of disloyalty rather than fiscal responsibility. They close with the Articles of Agreement from the St. George United Order, a digression on the gold standard, and a ranking of the worst Google-reviewed presidential homes (with John Tyler’s Sherwood Forest taking the crown thanks largely to ill-tempered family dogs). Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Richard returns to share a temple-trip story from Kenya where a skeptical food vendor’s view of the Church changed after witnessing the love at the temple. The hosts then read listener emails. The episode ends with 16-year-old Abigail’s question about Jingle Bells being a Thanksgiving song and so Gerrit obviously shares a quote from Frederick Douglass as he takes down Jingle Bells with its roots in 19th-century blackface minstrel shows. We read the United Order question but leave the answer for next week. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, Gerrit is joined by his brother Dallin as guest host while Richard is away following the passing of his father. After announcing the NCAA bracket winner and working through the mailbag, including a listener-made ”Dendometer” chart ranking Gerrit’s biggest pet peeves, the brothers tackle a question about whether Latter-day Saints will one day gather to Missouri to build the New Jerusalem, tracing the doctrine from early revelations through Brigham Young’s teachings to the modern church’s global gathering. The episode closes with tender reflections on losing a father and the hope of the Resurrection. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Any LDS podcast can do a review of general conference two weeks after the broadcast but here in the truth podcast we want to do our review of general conference three or possibly four weeks after the original broadcast Because of this, we are dropping a previously aired premium episode from Joseph Smith, and the Restoration about his preparation for the First Vision Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

What an incredible General Conference that was. Okay, we recorded this well before you’re hearing it, so we have absolutely no idea what happened at General Conference, but we’re confident the talks were great. After opening the Phoebe Draper Palmer Brown mailbag and a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Bishop Howard Wilde of Nampa, Idaho, we tackle a litener’s question on Catholic apostolic authority. Gerrit references a 1842 Times and Seasons article that explains why every reformation fell short of a true restoration. We conclude our discussion on Enoch with Joseph Smith’s teachings on translation versus resurrection, Hyrum Smith’s reminder that faith matters more than great words, and Orson Pratt’s vision of the City of Enoch returning at the Second Coming. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode of the Standard of Truth podcastwe discuss the Latter-day Saint teachings that parents who lose infant children will have the opportunity to raise them during the Millennium. We also finally get to Joseph Smith’s revelations in the Book of Moses relating to Enoch and how they far surpass the apocryphal Book of Enoch and reveal Enoch as an active ministering angel to both Paul and Jude. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this mailbag episode, we cover the origins and shortcomings of the CES Letter, correct false claims about the timeline of Joseph Smith’s practice of plural marriage, and firmly address the notion that polygamy wasn’t divinely commanded. Along the way, they share global polygamy statistics, reflect on lesser-known figures of faith who endured extraordinary trials, and offer thoughtful advice to a listener wrestling with a complicated pioneer ancestor. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode Richard debuts a ”Fun with Numbers” segment with a rapid-fire March Madness breakdown (12-seeds win 35.6% of first-round matchups and hit in 85% of all tournaments, and that 11-seeds have won 51.8% of their games against 6-seeds since 2011) We read a heartfelt PDPB mailbag question from a couple writing in from the delivery room about LDS doctrine on IVF and embryos, with Gerrit walking through the Church handbook’s guidance, the history of when Latter-day Saints have believed the spirit enters the body (including Brigham Young’s view), and why the Church simply hasn’t revealed a definitive answer. They also respond to two Oklahoma missionaries serving in Salt Lake City West who push back on the classic anti-Mormon line ”if you knew what I knew, you wouldn’t believe”, a claim Gerrit dismantles by pointing out that the people who know the most about Joseph Smith academically are overwhelmingly believers. The episode wraps with the long-awaited return to the Book of Enoch series, as Gerrit walks through how Tertullian, Athanasius, and Augustine each wrestled with the ”sons of God and daughters of men” passage in Genesis and teases that next episode will connect Joseph Smith’s revelations on Enoch in the Pearl of Great Price back to everything they’ve been building toward, while Richard promises to have his malaria-in-Alexandria research narrowed down from somewhere between 1937 and 3200 BC. Please join us in our Standard of Truth Dead and in Hell March Madness Bracket Buster Challenge: Password: rice https://fantasy.espn.com/tc/sharer?challengeId=277&from=espn&context=GROUP_INVITE&edition=espn-en&groupId=1d5c280f-2dc4-4104-8176-cc1fa81237f6&joinKey=3767b450-8248-37f2-b8f2-84f7a5625440 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this bonus episode, we prepare emotionally for the NCAA tournament that kicks off on Thursday. We go through some of the hilarious team names and provide you with absolute stone cold locks for the upcoming NCAA March madness tournament. Please join us in our Standard of Truth Dead and in Hell March Madness Bracket Buster Challenge: Password: rice https://fantasy.espn.com/tc/sharer?challengeId=277&from=espn&context=GROUP_INVITE&edition=espn-en&groupId=1d5c280f-2dc4-4104-8176-cc1fa81237f6&joinKey=3767b450-8248-37f2-b8f2-84f7a5625440 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we discuss a bizarre culinary textbook that credits the founding of the Church to “Joseph Young,” and a missionary’s question about whether someone should pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true. Gerrit also shares an unforgettable Walgreens VHS story that ends with a strong testimony. Please join us in our Standard of Truth Dead and in Hell March Madness Bracket Buster Challenge: Password: rice https://fantasy.espn.com/tc/sharer?challengeId=277&from=espn&context=GROUP_INVITE&edition=espn-en&groupId=1d5c280f-2dc4-4104-8176-cc1fa81237f6&joinKey=3767b450-8248-37f2-b8f2-84f7a5625440 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this special live studio recording of the Standard of Truth Podcast, Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat and Dr. Richard LeDuc are joined by an in-person audience for a lively mailbag episode. The hosts tackle a question submitted mid-labor, fielding a request for obscure Angel Moroni stories guaranteed to keep the asker out of church leadership. Gerrit shares an account from Edward Stevenson describing a roadside encounter with Moroni during the translation period, as well as a powerful testimony from Wilford Woodruff about three angelic messengers dressed in temple clothing who rescued him and George A. Smith from evil spirits in London. The episode also dives into the speculative attempts to pin down the exact date of the First Vision, complete with an impromptu weather analysis presentation from Richard. The hosts then answer a question about Hyrum Smith’s prophetic role, reading from his 1842 sermon definitively interpreting the Word of Wisdom’s ”hot drinks” as tea and coffee, paired with a complementary Brigham Young sermon warning that dismissing prophetic counsel leads gradually to apostasy. The episode closes as Gerrit shares the story of Emmeline Anderson, an unsung hero of early church history whose faith remained unshaken even after losing her husband and teenage son in the 1846 Battle of Nauvoo. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode we discuss a litners email where he asks about “the day and the hour” quote attributed to Joseph Smith and how some YouTube voices use it to fuel end times certainty. Gerrit breaks down why this kind of content deserves real skepticism: source quality matters, corroboration matters, and the Joseph Smith Papers exist for a reason. He explains how cherry picked, poorly sourced, or context free quotes can create anxiety, drive clicks, and worst of all, set people up for spiritual whiplash when predictions fail.  We had a couple of spots open up on our Standard of Truth Tour to Missouri/Illinois. We meet in Kansas City on Sunday, June 21st, and fly home from St. Louis on Saturday, June 27th. https://standardoftruth.com/tours/tour-missouri-nauvoo-carthage-springfield-st-louis-june-21-27-2026/ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we begin with a discussion prompted by a question about The Chosen; if the show depicts Joseph comforting Jesus in Gethsemane, is that a theological shift in broader Christianity toward the LDS idea that angels can be resurrected beings who once lived on earth? From there, the conversation pivots into Part 2 with a deeper dive into the apocryphal Book of Enoch: why it mattered to early Christians, how Jude appears to quote it, and how Enoch’s dramatic narrative tries to explain the origin of evil through fallen angels, forbidden knowledge, and giants the size of Mount Garfield. We had a couple of spots open up on our Standard of Truth Tour to Missouri/Illinois. We meet in Kansas City on Sunday, June 21st, and fly home from St. Louis on Saturday, June 27th. https://standardoftruth.com/tours/tour-missouri-nauvoo-carthage-springfield-st-louis-june-21-27-2026/ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

It may be too early to say but based on the number of emails we have received from litners giving birth it appears that members of the Church are following the urging of President Oaks by increasing the size of their families. We answered a handful of litner emails and then Gerrit began a discussion of the Book of Enoch. Given the subject matter we also celebrate the sesquicentennial residuum of George D. Watt’s declining toe fat and a footrace he won in Preston England on July 30th, 1837. We had a couple of spots open up on our Standard of Truth Tour to Missouri/Illinois. We meet in Kansas City on Sunday June 21st and fly home from St. Louis on Saturday June 27th. https://standardoftruth.com/tours/tour-missouri-nauvoo-carthage-springfield-st-louis-june-21-27-2026/ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

This episode centers on Brigham Young’s insistence that death does not transform us into something fundamentally different, but removes limitations that currently slow us down. Drawing directly from a funeral sermon, the discussion highlights how embodied beings, including Christ, move, visit, and perceive real places with speed and purpose rather than existing as abstract spirits. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠  If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We begin the episode with a response to a litner’s email about signs of the times of the Savior’s Second Coming.  Gerrit shares a sermon from Brigham Young that Wilford Woodruff said was one of the greatest sermons he had ever heard. Crinkling Leaves Update: schedule a live virtual tour⁠https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/locations/historic-sites-virtual-tours?lang=eng⁠ We would love to invite you to join us on Saturday, February 28th, at 6:30 for fun, faith, and frivolity as we make predictions for the 2026 Super Bowl that occurred three weeks earlier and likely talk about who is dead and in hell, part 73. Still not convinced? What if we told you that we combed through all of our litner data to find a venue central to the largest number of litners, but ultimately settled on a location based on how close it was to Richard’s house? Click the link below for tickets:⁠https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1980902400404?aff=oddtdtcreator⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠  If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We begin this week’s episode by asking if Gerrit is the reincarnated Apostle Matthias? (He’s not saying he is, but he is also not not saying it.) Where did the thief on the cross go when he died? If Jesus went to “paradise,” why does Peter say He preached to “spirits in prison”? We read from theologian R.C. Sproul (because nothing says “good time” like Calvinism) and then pivot to Joseph Smith’s sermon teachings that reframe paradise, prison, and the afterlife in a way that resolves contradictions without doing interpretive backflips. We would love to invite you to join us on Saturday, February 28th, at 6:30 for fun, faith, and frivolity as we make predictions for the 2026 Super Bowl that occurred three weeks earlier and likely talk about who is dead and in hell, part 73. Still not convinced? What if we told you that we combed through all of our litner data to find a venue central the the largest number of litners, but ultimately settled on a location based on how close it was to Richard’s house? Click the link below for tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1980902400404?aff=oddtdtcreator We have had a couple of people cancel for the upcoming 2026 Summer Standard of Truth Tour scheduled for Kirtland/Palmyra, June 14th through the 20th https://pci.jotform.com/form/260194925241153 Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

After debating the college football national championship (with Richard very much not gambling… while also explaining the VIG in suspicious detail), Gerrit drops a sneak peek announcement: they might do another live event, likely in Davis County, with the goal of raising funds to help get more people to the temple in Kenya on the next Sweetwater Rescue trip. What are the strongest, most legitimate arguments against faith, the Church, or God in general and how do you faithfully deal with them? Gerrit argues that the most serious challenge isn’t a niche historical complaint or a shallow “gotcha” claim, but the universal human problem: suffering. Why is the world so brutal if God is both good and powerful? He explores how Latter-day Saint doctrine reframes the question through the premortal life, moral agency, and a more expansive view of God’s work and purposes than classical Christian models often allow. Finally, a listener from Southern Utah writes in with a gem of local folklore: Did Brigham Young really warn that “Gadianton robbers” still infest the area and are they out haunting the desert hills around St. George, Leeds, Apple Valley, and the Arizona mountains? That question kicks off the main theme for the next episode: the Latter-day Saint understanding of the spirit world. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We begin the episode with a loving tribute to President Holland and move on to a discussion of a fraudulent email that was sent out to many members of the Church representing itself as an email coming from the Church while making a series of false claims. We also discuss a litner’s email about Joseph Smith’s successor and a tremendous scientific experiment on YooHoo performed by a litter in Fairbanks, Alaska. Link to the YooHoo Scientific Experiment: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-Tg5QE6bRRpsRC_yg7rG82uXzC__dk2m?usp=sharing Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we wrap up D&C 24, but not before detouring through the agricultural merits of buckwheat and the theological weight of consecration. Gerrit reflects on President Holland’s haunting admonition “If you knew what I know, you would run.” and connects it to Oliver Cowdery’s call to speak as with the voice of a trumpet. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we discuss the explosive nature of the Book of Moses and a mob tearing down baptismal dams and dragging a woman away from baptism using power of attorney, 1830s-style. To provide context for the environment in Colesville we talk about Joseph Smith’s narrow escape from violent vigilantes, a heroic constable with a musket, and the early Saints’ intense persecution. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): the whole episode    Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Merry Christmas! In this episode our gift to the greatest litners in all of podcastdom is to bring a conclusion to a 10 part series on who is dead and in hell. We would like to ask that there are no more questions pertaining to Dr. Dirkmaat’s dissertation, or a 10 part series on Zachary Taylor will be the shortest thing the podcast produces. Thank you for an incredible year. The podcast ends 2025 with a Gerrit’s testimony of the Savior and peace that comes through His atoning sacrifice. ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

It’s the end of the year, the Spotify “Wrapped” flexing is in full swing, and Richard LeDuc is fresh off hosting a Hanukkah party that looked suspiciously like a full-blown ward social. Gerrit trys to solve the greatest unsolved case of 2025: why Richard’s “most played song” is Massachusetts by the Bee Gees… a song he swears he has never listened to. After a quick stop at the Phoebe Draper Palmer Brown Mailbag, they jump back into who is Dead and in Hell. Gerrit continues the story of Judge Perry Brocchus’s infamous Bowery speech in 1851, where what was supposed to be a simple patriotic appeal for a Washington Monument donation turns into a full-blown scolding of the Saints for criticizing the U.S. government. The discussion covers why Brocchus’s argument lands so badly with a people who had lived through Missouri and Nauvoo, how Brigham Young responds with one of his sharpest lines (“profoundly ignorant or willfully wicked”), and how the fallout gets weaponized in hostile newspaper coverage accusing the Saints of sedition and rebellion. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, Gerrit discusses the back and forth between Joseph Smith III and Joseph F. Smith (remember the F) on the topic of polygamy. The episode closes by setting the stage for the next installment of “Dead and in Hell,” as we return to Judge Brocchus, early Utah politics, and how one disastrously ill-judged conference speech helped light a fuse in territorial Utah. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Official Declaration 1 Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future, here is a link to our 2027 tours: (https://standardoftruth.com/tours/) Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we discuss D&C Section 137 and the lessons found in D&C 137:5-7, specifically the faith shown by Joseph Smith regarding the eternal status of his brother Alvin. 5 I saw Father Adam and Abraham⁠; and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin⁠, that has long since slept⁠; 6 And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins. 7 Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): the whole episode Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In part three we talk about some of the differing accounts surrounding just how and when Joseph Smith died at Carthage, including the less-well known William Daniels account that claimed Joseph had been executed by a firing squad after he hit the ground. ⁠Subscribe to our free newsletter⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/⁠⁠ Please visit our website at ⁠⁠www.standardoftruth.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In part two of our special podcast commemorating the murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith we continue to discuss the events that led to the martyrdom. We read from a letter Joseph Smith wrote to Illinois Governor Thomas Ford and John Taylor’s detailed account of that tragic day. We also share the testimony John Taylor bore of Joseph Smith in 1854 on the 10th anniversary of the martyrdom. ⁠Subscribe to our free newsletter⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/⁠⁠ Please visit our website at ⁠⁠www.standardoftruth.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We honor the anniversary of the murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith and the attempted murders of John Taylor and Willard Richards in Carthage Jail.  In Part 1 we give an overview of some of the historical events that led up to the martyrdom.  We discuss Joseph Smith’s attempts to get any presidential candidate, from either party, to pledge to help the Saints recover their stolen property in Missouri and protect their rights.  We discuss his resulting presidential campaign.  Apostasy from within the Church and political machinations and bigotry from without set the stage for that murderous day in Carthage. ⁠⁠Subscribe to our free newsletter⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠ Please visit our website at ⁠⁠⁠www.standardoftruth.com⁠⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Happy Thanksgiving! In this episode, we discuss how do we actually know Heavenly Father has a physical body and what Joseph Smith taught regarding every disciple facing a “trial of Abraham”. The episode closes with Daniel H. Wells’s powerful 24th July address: a reminder that early Latter-day Saints could be fiercely loyal to the Constitution and the United States while refusing to whitewash the murders, expulsions, and persecutions they suffered. We reflect on how the faith the Saints, who endured Missouri, Nauvoo, and the plains without knowing “why” can sustain modern disciples facing difficult trials. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): separate rerelease of Joseph Smith’s Martyrdom episodes for D&C 135 Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we answer a missionary email about a father who left the Church and won’t leave it alone. We also continue our discussion of the early Utah territorial period, the 24th of July pioneer celebrations with the Nauvoo Brass Band, suspicious federal officials, and polygamy panic at Heber C. Kimball’s dinner table. Church’s article referenced in the episode: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/10/05-can-we-heal-our-relationship-addressing-verbal-and-emotional-abuse?lang=eng Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): D&C 133 Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we discuss the results of the Sweetwater Rescue fundraiser at Hug Hess and thank all of our wonderful litners. Continuing with “Who’s Dead and in Hell” we discuss William Smith’s remonstrance, hostile newspapers, Zachary Taylor’s veto threat (and sudden death), Millard Fillmore’s appointments, Stephen Douglas, and “popular sovereignty” all setting the table for Utah Territory. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): POLYGAMY Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

S5E46 Dead and in Hell Part 4 In this episode, we discuss the Sweetwater Rescue fundraiser at Hug Hess, and review D&C 124 and 126 for Kristy’s KorneЯ. From there, we tackle a thoughtful mailbag question on the Church of Jesus Christ, commonly called the Bickertonites. We close with a quick detour through townships’ trivia and a teaser for the long-delayed “Who’s Dead and in Hell” continuation. Reference for the quote ”I have no fear of hell that don’t exist.” https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-7-april-1844-as-reported-by-wilford-woodruff/6?highlight=hell%20fire%20that Sweetwater Rescue Fundraiser for a Nairobi, Kenya Temple Trip: At any of the Hug Hes locations, mention that you are there for Sweetwater Rescue on November 6th, 7th, and 8th, and they will donate 100% of the bill from the first 49 customers to Sweetwater Rescue and 66% of the bill for all of the customers after that. 100% of those donations will go directly to the saints in Kenya, helping them get to the temple. Hug Hes Locations: https://www.hug-hes.com/locations If you wanted to support Sweetwater Rescue directly, please visit our website: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/ Follow Sweetwater Rescue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQr_BIxklVu/?igsh=MWdxdzg1bTl5NzVxMA== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stories/122098526660489948/UzpfSVNDOjQ0OTY1NDU5ODM5NjMyODM=/?view_single=1   Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): D&C 125 & 126    Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we begin with a promotion of an upcoming fundraiser for Sweetwater Rescue’s Nairobi Kenya Temple Trip. Gerrit provides additional information and context on the recent changes to Doctrine and Covenants’ headings, specifically D&C 132 (POLYGAMY) Summary of Adjustments to Doctrine and Covenants’ Headings: https://assets.churchofjesuschrist.org/gq/bk/gqbk941x9ie6a4t5a06vt507n6oq6q0iup0wtk9l/summary_of_approved_adjustments_to_scriptures_2025.pdf Sweetwater Rescue Fundraiser for a Nairobi Kenya Temple Trip: At any of the Hug Hes locations mention that you are there for Sweetwater Rescue on November 6th, 7th, and 8th and they will donate 34% of the bill to Sweetwater Rescue and 100% of those donations will go directly to the saints in Kenya helping them get to the temple. Hug Hes Locations: https://www.hug-hes.com/locations If you wanted to support Sweetwater Rescue directly, please visit our website: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/ Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): D&C 124 Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we pause the “Who’s Dead and in Hell?” series to discuss the letters behind Doctrine & Covenants 121–123. Gerrit walks through what Joseph wrote in March 1839, and why those canonized excerpts (power, priesthood, and “the Son of Man hath descended below them all”) hit harder when you know the context (state-sanctioned violence in Missouri, Saints fleeing in winter, affidavits of loss, and a prophet pleading for the widows and fatherless). We vow to return to “Who’s Dead and in Hell?” next week. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Gerrit provides additional context to the first verse of D&C 121 which turns into the entire episode Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we get back into who is dead and in hell with a discussion of President Zachary Taylor’s secret “mega-state” plan to skip territorial status by fusing the Mexican Cession into two giant states (California and New Mexico) and setting the stage for Deseret, Utah Territory, and next week’s “Who’s Dead and in Hell?” installment. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Doctrine and Covenants 115 the revelation that formally names the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we discuss the most recent General Conference, Thomas B. Marsh’s prescription to avoid apostasy after apostasy and his return to the Church, and why “Mormons” are viewed as a cult. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): D&C 112 ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email that is rarely monthly: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com Rex’s Elders Quorum President’s Show Notes: 01:31 – Gerrit reflects on empathy and family teachings from Conference. 03:05 – Discussion on emotional reactions to doctrines about marriage and family. 04:30 – Sports-team loyalty as an analogy for emotional reasoning in faith. 07:50 – Mercy and gratitude; Richard’s emotional takeaway from Conference. 08:45 – Cajun-seasoning humor from Elder Amos’ talk; lighthearted recap. 09:30 – Listener email from Mindy, stake RS president; Kristy’s KorneЯ intro. 13:45 – Doctrine & Covenants 112: Thomas B. Marsh revelation overview. 20:40 – Marsh’s pride, Kirtland apostasy, and “rebel not against my servant Joseph.” 23:15 – Missouri conflicts; Marsh’s eventual apostasy and later return. 25:30 – Reading Marsh’s handwritten “Prescription for Apostasy.” 28:55 – Bishop Jepson’s email; humor about accidental promotions. 30:31 – Running joke: the show’s “power” to make listeners bishops. 33:45 – Panama missionary asks why God allows apostasy 36:37 – Gerrit explains apostasy, agency, and salvation for the dead. 42:14 – Couple in hospital email: garments and “Mormons as a cult” questions. 48:41 – History of sacred clothing and the Protestant Reformation. 53:30 – Catholic vs. evangelical views on sacred garments. 56:30 – Why some Christians call Latter-day Saints a cult; creed differences.

In this episode, we reflect on the life and teachings of President Russell M. Nelson and the horrific tragedy in Michigan. Peacemakers Needed: President Russell M. Nelson, April 2023 General Conference https://youtu.be/vQghSMOOYz4?si=J2iZzTDkfRcYSH_n Forgiving Others: An Easter Message from President Russell M. Nelson https://youtu.be/cb6UGnSEDi4?si=zzkJwvQcmvi9EjYo The Healing Power of Forgiveness: President James E. Faust https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqlNqeRc8KY ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email that is rarely monthly: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠

In this episode, we inch ever closer to identifying the US President that Brigham Young said was dead and in hell. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Gerrit discusses D&C 107 Sign up for our free monthly email (seldom monthly): ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com Rex’s Elders Quorum President’s Show Notes: 06:03 – First historical example discussed and reactions. 08:04 – Hosts compare perspectives and clarify early details. 10:07 – Beginning of doctrinal discussion with audience tie-ins. 12:10 – Close reading of a historical source with commentary. 14:13 – Analysis continues with theological implications. 16:11 – Host insights on interpretation and cultural context. 18:13 – Comparison of events and how they shaped beliefs. 20:16 – Transition into related doctrine and historical figures. 22:19 – Examples illustrating the broader argument. 24:21 – Reflections on interpretation challenges. 26:23 – Stories and applications to modern understanding. 28:26 – Hosts debate nuance and context around the text. 30:29 – Historical anecdotes supporting key points. 32:31 – Doctrinal implications revisited in greater detail. 34:33 – Questions from one host, answers from the other. 36:35 – Continued analysis with new textual evidence. 38:37 – Transition toward audience application and insights. 40:39 – Lively back-and-forth clarifying interpretations. 42:41 – Broader lessons drawn from the historical record. 44:43 – Anecdotes illustrating theological points. 46:45 – Hosts emphasize takeaways and significance. 48:47 – Final textual comparisons and reflection. 50:49 – 52:50 — Application to modern faith practice.

We begin the episode with apologies to Sarah, who emailed us while in labor… again. Gerrit then sets the stage for a multi-part deep dive: Brigham Young, James K. Polk, and the Mormon Battalion with a question about the oft-repeated story that in General Conference Brigham Young announced a U.S. president “died and went to hell.” Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future here is a link to our 2027 tours ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email that is rarely monthly: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com Rex’s Elders Quorum President’s Show Notes: 00:02:47 – General Banter 00:14:10 – Baby naming digression 00:18:46 – Listener email reading 00:23:59 – President Hinckley, and improvised remarks during a church meeting. 00:29:29 – Brigham Young and the U.S. president, question raised about which president Brigham Young referenced, opening into deeper historical analysis. 00:33:51 – Secretary of Defense texts and politics, Discussion of a Secretary of Defense text message reference, bridging to political tensions in LDS history. 00:37:55 – Brigham Young’s perception of government problems, exploration of Brigham Young’s uneasy feelings about U.S. government actions and underlying suspicions. 00:43:30 – James Polk and the Mormon Battalion, quoting Polk’s journal about calling Mormons into military service, with historical and political implications. 00:48:49 – Party politics and Mormon voters, Analysis of Democrats vs. Whigs, Mormons as consistent Democrat voters, and shifting political dynamics. 00:52:46 – Close elections and minority status, Reflection on razor-thin election margins, using comparisons to modern U.S. states like Texas. 00:55:09 – Email reading recap, Lighthearted commentary on how emails were read, with jokes about voice impressions. 00:57:46 – Figuring things out in real time, Hosts note that they essentially just “lived through” the lesson while talking—meta humor about their own podcasting style. 01:01:04 – Postmaster positions and patronage, Historical detail about the importance of postmaster appointments and thousands of federal jobs. 01:06:09 – Closing thoughts and unfinished material, Discussion of Alexander McCrae’s anger, acknowledgment that time ran out, and teasing future continuation.

In this episode, we continue our discussion of the context leading to Orson Hyde writing a letter to the Missouri Republican. Utah is desperately trying to get into the Union while half of the states are seceding from the Union. Gerrit then reads the letter and provides commentary. We also discuss a litner’s email about Christian’s understanding of the Trinity based on the King James Version of the Bible.   Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Gerrit shares his thoughts on D&C 101 and the idea of what do we do when the Lord doesn’t answer our prayers in the way we may want Image attempting to explain the Trinity: https://thepentecostalwesleyan.substack.com/p/the-core-doctrines-of-the-christian-4fb    Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future, here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com Show Notes: • 00:05:00 – Sunday School etiquette humor and Kristy’s Corner segment • 00:07:20 – D&C 101: Zion’s expulsion, Joseph’s 1833 letter to Missouri Saints • 00:10:04 – Lessons from unanswered prayers — “be still and know that I am God” • 00:12:16 – Hope of Zion’s redemption and Abrahamic parallels of consecration • 00:13:52 – Listener mailbag: Lacey’s email on the Trinity and KJV • 00:16:02 – Banter about reading emails late and missionary timelines • 00:18:08 – Explaining the Nicene Creed: three persons, one God, and why it confuses • 00:20:28 – The “triangle diagram” of the Trinity and its limits • 00:23:00 – Matthew 3:16–17 — Baptism of Jesus challenges Trinity claims • 00:25:22 – Workarounds: Some early Christians claimed “the voice was an angel” • 00:28:05 – Story: Lithuanian Catholic convert rejects Trinity after reading scripture • 00:31:00 – Council of Nicaea and how early Christians struggled with monotheism & Christ’s divinity • 00:35:26 – Who still uses the King James Bible today? Presbyterians, Baptists, Pentecostals • 00:39:16 – NIV vs KJV — John 1:18 and doctrinal differences in translation • 00:41:00 – Listener Dawson’s email introduces Orson Hyde’s Civil War letter • 00:45:00 – Charleston newspapers: downplaying fears of large-scale war in 1861 • 00:48:00 – Missouri newspapers: hope that secession won’t mean inevitable war • 00:51:00 – Virginia’s call for a 10,000–20,000 militia — seen as scandalous then • 00:55:00 – Hartford Convention (1814): New England nearly secedes during War of 1812 • 01:00:00 – Hindsight bias: Chamberlain’s “peace for our time” compared with prophecy • 01:05:00 – Critics on D&C 87 — manuscript evidence and Pearl of Great Price 1851 printing • 01:10:00 – Faith and prophecy: why hindsight makes Joseph’s revelation look “obvious” Resources & References: • Doctrine & Covenants 101 (revelation on Zion’s expulsion) • Joseph Smith’s Dec. 1833 letter to Missouri Saints • D&C 58: “After much tribulation cometh the blessing” • John 17:3 — knowing God and Jesus Christ • Matthew 3:16–17 — Baptism of Jesus (voice from heaven) • Nicene Creed (A.D. 325) and Athanasian Creed • King James Bible vs. NIV comparison (John 1:18) • Council of Nicaea historical background • Orson Hyde’s Letter to the Missouri Republican (1862)

To celebrate the kickoff to the 2025 NFL season (Eagles -7.5 vs the Cowboys), we begin in the obvious place with a discussion of Orson Hyde’s letter to the Missouri Republican in 1861, providing commentary on the Civil War. They read an email from a litner who shares how she used to be afraid of Church history and how the podcast has given her confidence in the face of anti-Mormon garbage, and Richard shares his feelings on the idea of putting Gospel and Church history topics “on a shelf”…spoiler alert, he doesn’t like the expression. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): We ran out of time. There is no way your Sunday School teacher will be getting D&C 94 through 97. Use any of the three-part rerelease from D&C 93 last week, and you should be in great shape. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2027: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future, here is a link to our 2027 tours: ⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com Rex’s Elders Quorum President’s Show Notes: • 00:01:20 – Richard’s new glasses, carrots, and “big carrot conspiracy” • 00:03:40 – Football season talk (NFL & College) • 00:09:20 – Listener mailbag begins • 00:09:36 – Testimony of Emer Harris and family connections • 00:15:00 – Listener Danica’s email on family faith struggles and church history fears • 00:25:00 – Richard’s thoughts on “putting things on the shelf” vs. gaining testimony • 00:31:00 – Discussion of Lyman Johnson’s regret and the value of faith • 00:35:00 – Dawson’s email introducing Orson Hyde’s Civil War commentary • 00:37:00 – Civil War Prophecy context: hindsight bias and the problem of interpreting prophecy. • 00:39:00 – Challenges of Second Coming prophecies and people’s tendency to over-interpret. • 00:40:30 – Specifics of Joseph Smith’s prophecy: slavery, South Carolina, and secession. • 00:43:00 – Why hindsight makes the Civil War “seem obvious,” but it wasn’t. • 00:45:00 – South Carolina newspapers downplaying fears of a large-scale war. • 00:47:00 – Border state (Missouri) newspapers hoping for compromise to avoid war. • 00:51:00 – Virginia’s “scandalous” call for 10,000–20,000 militia—later dwarfed by actual numbers. • 00:53:00 – Historical context: the Nullification Crisis and its contrast with Joseph’s prophecy. • 00:55:00 – War of 1812 Hartford Convention—New England nearly seceding. • 01:00:00 – Hindsight bias analogy: Neville Chamberlain’s “peace for our time.” • 01:02:00 – Why critics’ arguments against Joseph Smith’s prophecy are hollow. • 01:05:00 – Civil War prophecy in early manuscripts and the Pearl of Great Price (1851). • 01:07:00 – Prophecy credibility, critics’ weak arguments, and final remarks.

In this bonus episode, Richard has a conversation with President Rissi, the Lithuania District President, about the recent Sweetwater Rescue temple trip to the Helsinki, Finland Temple. Church News Article: https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2025/09/01/vilnius-lithuania-district-long-journey-helsinki-finland-temple/ You can follow us on Social Media at: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FRGVJQVVB/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://www.instagram.com/sweetwaterrescue Our 2026 tours are sold out, but if you would like to join us in the future, here is a link to our 2027 tours: https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we discuss the sealed portion of the plates. Gerrit shares the accounts of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on returning the plates and go through comments from Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and David Whitmer. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this rereleased episode, we continue to discuss Doctrine and Covenants 93. In Part 3, we discuss what this revelation tells us about the nature of mankind in relation to the nature of our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this rereleased episode, we continue to discuss Doctrine and Covenants 93. In Part 1, we provided some historical and theological context from the Christian world. In Part 2, we go through Section 93 and discuss the radical nature of this revelation as it provides insights into questions about the nature of Jesus Christ that have confounded philosophers and theologians for centuries. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this rereleased episode, we dive deep into one of the most important revelations ever received by Joseph Smith, Doctrine and Covenants 93.  But to understand how radical and how profound this revelation is, we must first understand a little of what the Christian world thinks about the nature of God, the nature of Christ, and our own nature. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we discussed the changes to the sacrament over time. We also attempted to answer a listener’s question about women participating in the administration of the sacrament Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this rereleased episode, we continue our discussion of the Apocrypha. The podcast starts with a 19th-century Latter-day Saint view of the Apocrypha. Gerrit asks Richard a question where Richard has a 50% shot of getting it right… He gets it wrong. We also read from 2 Ezras and its reference to the lost 10 tribes and Zion being built up. This all provides the context for Joseph receiving the revelation for D&C Section 91. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this rereleased episode, we decided to tackle one of the great hot-button historical issues of the day…well, of Joseph Smith’s day anyway. We discuss the history of the Apocrypha and how controversy in Christianity led to Joseph Smith’s revelation on it. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this rereleased episode, we discuss how the Word of Wisdom changes over time within the Church to where we are today. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this rereleased episode, we discuss the context around the receiving of the Word of Wisdom and talk about how the saints responded to the revelation when it was received. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We record this episode in front of a live studio audience in the air-conditionless conference room of the Palmyra Inn. We conclude our discussion on atheism and discuss another YouTube clip of a Christian theologian that attempts to soften the mainstream Christian understanding of hell. Gerrit Dandometer: 867,003 Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Gerrit discusses D&C 88 Sign up for our free monthly email (seldom monthly): ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com Clips played on the show came from the following YouTube videos: What Is Hell ACTUALLY? Bible Expert Wes Huff Explains - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq64jDI5gA0 Arguments For Atheism Tier List - ⁠https://youtu.be/s_5vfQE6_yE?si=-nWylNO1qiuVy-Wb

In this episode, we continue our discussion of atheist arguments against the existence of God. We primarily talk about the problem of evil, and Gerrit discusses a point that both the atheist and Christian miss, which is that despite the suffering in this life, the suffering in the next life is much worse, and there is no opportunity for justice for the majority of God’s creations. Gerrit Dandometer: most controlled we have seen Gerrit in some time, but toward the end gets up to 402,836 Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Gerrit discusses the miraculous nature of the D&C 87 and the prophecy of the coming Civil War    Sign up for our free monthly email (seldom monthly): ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com Clips played on the show came from the following YouTube videos: John MacArthur: Why Does God Allow So Much Suffering and Evil? - https://youtu.be/UTRm1go2Qw4?si=nwkqn18hic6HB7sw If God, Why Evil? | Dr. Frank Turek - https://youtu.be/V2eNyrknOAk?si=FaUq0z1bcl9XMrJ1 Arguments For Atheism Tier List - https://youtu.be/s_5vfQE6_yE?si=-nWylNO1qiuVy-Wb Alex O’Connor UNLOADS on Catholic Apologist: ”Your God Let This Happen?” - https://youtu.be/9gND_uHQtlY?si=n49K5tjR_gcO5sLP

In one of the most astounding feats of prophecy, Joseph Smith received this revelation from the Lord on Christmas Day, 1832. It astonishingly predicts with great clarity the coming and horrific nature of the American Civil War. Sign up for our free monthly email (seldom monthly): ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we review Christmas hymns in Joseph Smith’s time and begin the evaluation of atheist arguments against the existence of God and the Christian rebuttals that often leave a believer wanting.   Gerrit Dandometer: For most of the episode, we held Gerrit below 100,000, but at the end, we spiked to over 726,499   Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Gerrit discusses verses 45 and 46 from D&C 84 as a counter to the Christian idea of total depravity from the idea of Original Sin.    Sign up for our free monthly email (seldom monthly): ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We didn’t have room for Kristy’s KorneЯ in our regular episode this week, but never fear, we’ve cut a fresh bonus episode devoted often overlooked D&C 83. What happens to consecrated property when landholders pass away? We dig into original 1830s stewardship contracts, make temple recommend parallels, and BYU Honor Code analogies. Early Stewardship Agreement for Consecrated Land: ⁠https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/f8edb331-484b-4f4a-9b99-0138932c0075/0/1?lang=eng⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we dive into listener questions about Catholic doctrine and why every Latter-day Saint chapel does not have a crucifix. Gerrit walks through Catholic doctrine, including venial vs. mortal sin and purgatory’s purpose. We discuss the history of the Christian cross as a symbol, tracing how early Protestants saw it as Catholic idolatry, why Joseph Smith and early Saints avoided it, and how Protestant denominations eventually reversed course under cultural pressure. Gerrit Dander Meter: 373,641 Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): We ran out of time so this will be as a separate mini bonus episode Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we start with an email from an Australian missionary in Croatia and a bishop requesting a good Kristy’s KorneЯ. We continue our defense of accusations against the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles with a good old-fashioned discussion of Cochranite spiritual wifery in Saco, Maine, in the early 1800s.    Gerrit Dander Meter: 901,284 (scale was previously 1 to 10, but we felt it lacked the precision required and therefore changed it to 1 to 1,000,000)   Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Gerrit reads a letter from Stephen Burnett claiming that all the witnesses deny ever seeing the Golden Plates (additional context for D&C 80). Best of luck commenting on this in Sunday School, Sis.    Sign up for our free monthly email (seldom monthly): ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com⁠

In this episode, we finally share the identity of Bill the Adulterer, and Gerrit provides context of Abraham Lincoln playing Dixie after the North’s victory in the Civil War. We answer a litner’s email where verifiably false claims against early Church leaders seem to get Gerrit’s dander is fully up. Who knew that would be a trigger for Dr. Dirkmaat Gerrit Dander Meter: 11 Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Gerrit reads an excerpt from a Brigham Young sermon relating to D&C 76. We hope that you raise your hand in class and read the entire thing. Sign up for our free monthly email (seldom monthly): ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We record this episode in the shadow of the Keokuk, Iowa Walmart in front of a live studio audience. We have some fun with litners on the Standard of Truth Tour and Gerrit answers an email about everyone’s favorite doctor, veteran, adulterer, and liar John C. Bennett. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): D&C 74 Sign up for our free monthly email (almost never monthly): ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Martin Luther’s disgust with the used car salesmen of indulgence peddlers, Johann Teztel, drive him to cross the religious Rubicon and nail his 95 theses to the door. The Protestant Reformation is about to explode. If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com⁠ ⁠Subscribe to our free newsletter⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/⁠⁠ Please visit our website at ⁠⁠www.standardoftruth.com⁠

Before we dive headfirst into Martin Luther we spend a little time talking about a few of his predecessors. We discuss the impact that Augustine of Hippo (354-430), John Wycliffe (1328-1384), and Jan Huss (1369-1415) had on Christian thought. We also discuss the merits of throwing people out of windows as a solution to your problems. Subscribe to our free newsletter⁠ - ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/⁠ Please visit our website at ⁠www.standardoftruth.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we discuss whether or not God created the Dodge Dart. Marcion also had a question about whether or not the God of the Old Testament was the same as Jesus. His heretical arguments lead to the formation of the accepted Christian canon. ⁠Subscribe to our free newsletter⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/⁠⁠ Please visit our website at ⁠⁠www.standardoftruth.com⁠⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com⁠

We begin the episode with Richard recounting a personal spiritual experience at a sacrament meeting in Fruita, Colorado… home of Mike the Headless Chicken. We then answer a litner’s question: Was Hyrum Smith an apostle? We discuss Hyrum’s unique role in the Church, drawing from Doctrine & Covenants 124 and the Council of Fifty minutes. Gerrit walks through the complexity of 19th-century Church leadership structure, why modern categories like “apostle” don’t always cleanly map to early Church roles, and why Hyrum’s spiritual authority was second only to Joseph’s. Finally, Gerrit shares a powerful, little-known sermon from Hyrum Smith delivered just months before his death, where Hyrum tells the Council of Fifty to stop worrying about how God’s work will be done, and start believing that He will do it. Mike the Headless Chicken: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34198390 Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): The Lord chastens Richard (D&C 58:4 and D&C 3:1) Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2026: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ Missouri/Nauvoo – June 14th through June 20th – 3 spots left Sign up for our free monthly email (almost never monthly): ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we receive another email from an expecting mother and discuss whether Sir Isaac Newton dabbling in wizardry. We also talk about loved ones who go through a faith crisis and Gerrit shares experiences from the frontlines of faith conversations. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): We introduce a new stinger and Gerrit gives a couple of nuggets for D&C 54 Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2026: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ Missouri/Nauvoo – June 14th through June 20th – 6 spots Palmyra/Kirtland – June 21st through June 27th – SOLD OUT Palmyra/Kirtland – July 12th through July 18th – SOLD OUT Sweetwater Rescue Temple Project: Helping the Saints of Lithuania get to the Helsinki, Finland Temple https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/current If you would like to donate, please click on the link: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/donate Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Revisit this classic episode, now rereleased as a bonus, for a reminder that even in the Restoration’s earliest years, the gospel was already colliding with the religious fringe. We go back to early 1831 and unpack one of the most unusual revelations in the D&C 49. Directed to the now all-but-extinct Shaker community, this revelation responds directly to a faith group that believed Jesus had already returned… as a woman. What begins as a historical tour through a radical offshoot of Quakerism becomes a broader exploration of how early Latter-day Saints navigated wildly different theological worlds. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2026: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ Missouri/Nauvoo – June 14th through June 20th – 12 spots remaining Palmyra/Kirtland – June 21st through June 27th – SOLD OUT Palmyra/Kirtland – July 12th through July 18th – SOLD OUT Sweetwater Rescue Temple Project: Helping the Saints of Lithuania get to the Helsinki, Finland Temple https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/current If you would like to donate, please click on the link: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/donate Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we discuss a cornucopia of issues from our Hindu and Buddhist friends to claims of sex trafficking by the New York Times. It takes about 45 minutes, but Gerrit’s dander is up. In fact, Gerrit’s dander has never been higher. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): D&C 49 discussion about Shakers Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2026: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ Missouri/Nauvoo – June 14th through June 20th – 12 spots remaining Palmyra/Kirtland – June 21st through June 27th – SOLD OUT Palmyra/Kirtland – July 12th through July 18th – SOLD OUT Sweetwater Rescue Temple Project: Helping the Saints of Lithuania get to the Helsinki, Finland Temple https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/current If you would like to donate, please click on the link: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/donate Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode we hope the litners will also enjoy a heartfelt shout-out to Elder Crum, Elder Crum, possibly a third Elder Crum and his Deseret flag sewing companions, a reflection on the doctrine of intelligence from D&C 93, and a deeper exploration into the Latter-day Saint rejection of creation ex nihilo. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): Latter-day Saint worship services were designed to be open to all, excommunicated members, seekers, and non-believers. This was VERY uncommon at the time D&C 46 was received. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2026: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ Missouri/Nauvoo – June 14th through June 20th Palmyra/Kirtland – June 21st through June 27th – SOLD OUT Palmyra/Kirtland – July 12th through July 18th Sweetwater Rescue Temple Project: Helping the Saints of Lithuania get to the Helsinki, Finland Temple https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/current If you would like to donate, please click on the link: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/donate Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

This episode begins with a high-stakes battle of identity between Richard and his more successful French Canadian biochemist doppelgänger. Things escalate quickly to NBA heartbreak, papal betting odds, and whether Calvinist theologians would bet on a Pope “if predestination already picked the winner.” Gerrit helps Kristy prepare her Mother’s Day sacrament meeting talk and then we discuss shared visionary experiences that make LDS history uniquely hard to dismiss. Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): D&C 45 Stand in Holy Places Standard of Truth Pope Predictions: 1. Pietro Parolin 2. Luis Antonio Tagle 3. Matteo Zuppi 4. Pierbattista Pizzaballa 5. Peter Turkson Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2026: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ Missouri/Nauvoo – June 14th through June 20th Palmyra/Kirtland – June 21st through June 27th – SOLD OUT Palmyra/Kirtland – July 12th through July 18th Sweetwater Rescue Temple Project: Helping the Saints of Lithuania get to the Helsinki, Finland Temple https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/current If you would like to donate, please click on the link: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/donate Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode we answer another email written by a litner in labor. We discuss grace and how do Latter-day Saints understand it differently than other Christians. Along the way we also have a heated debate over how to pronounce “pecan” and discuss what a terrible parent Richard is as he tries to justify missing his son’s MTC drop-off and return. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2026: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ Missouri/Nauvoo – June 14th through June 20th Palmyra/Kirtland – June 21st through June 27th – SOLD OUT Palmyra/Kirtland – July 12th through July 18th Sweetwater Rescue Temple Project: Helping the Saints of Lithuania get to the Helsinki, Finland Temple https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/current If you would like to donate, please click on the link: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/donate Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we review General Conference 2 weeks late with a segment we like to call “Fun with General Conference”. Gerrit answers a litner question about how the Book of Mormon was distributed and Joseph and Hyrum’s preaching to the Native Americans. Richard’s dander is way up after reading a question about Mary Magdalene. Gerrit provides the history of the genesis of Mary’s bad reputation. As always, we depart slightly from things of a spiritual nature to discuss our favorite pies. Sweetwater Rescue Temple Project: Helping the Saints of Lithuania get to the Helsinki, Finland Temple https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/current If you would like to donate, please click on the link: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/donate Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2026: ⁠ https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ Missouri/Nauvoo – June 14th through June 20th Palmyra/Kirtland – June 21st through June 27th Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this Easter special, we explore the profound teachings about the Savior’s suffering in Gethsemane and its eternal implications. We discuss how early Latter-day Saints grappled with the concepts of repentance, eternal punishment, and the infinite nature of Christ’s atonement. We also explore the radical truths in D&C 19 that challenge the prevailing 19th-century Protestant beliefs by emphasizing a Savior who deeply desires us to avoid suffering through sincere repentance. Gerrit also draws on connections between biblical texts and early Christian writings, including Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Hippolytus. Most importantly, this episode underscores the Savior’s desperate plea for repentance, not out of wrath, but from a profound desire to spare His children from unimaginable suffering. This message of compassion and redemption is especially powerful during the Easter season, and a reminder of the incredible depth of Christ’s love and the hopeful promise of forgiveness and spiritual renewal.  Sweetwater Rescue Temple Project: Helping the Saints of Lithuania get to the Helsinki, Finland Temple https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/current If you would like to donate, please click on the link: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/donate Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we dive into a discussion about misconceptions surrounding ”The Sound of Music,” particularly the differences between the movie and the original Broadway play. The conversation then transitions to a look at an upcoming groundbreaking publication in the Latter-day Saint Historical Studies journal, featuring newly uncovered secret police files on the treatment of Latter-day Saints in pre-war Nazi Germany. We also discuss the latest Sweetwater Rescue project, taking Saints from Lithuania to the Helsinki, Finland Temple, and answer a litner’s question about how Martin Harris got the money to pay for the printing of the Book of Mormon   Sweetwater Rescue Temple Project: Helping the Saints of Lithuania get to the Helsinki, Finland Temple ⁠https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/current⁠ If you would like to donate, please click on the link: ⁠https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org/donate⁠    Ensign Peak Foundation: ⁠https://ensignpeakfoundation.org/subscribe-to-our-publications/⁠   Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com⁠

This week, Gerrit and Richard discuss the powerful symbolism of Elijah’s appearance during Passover and its profound connection to both Jewish traditions and Latter-day Saint teachings. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we explore a listener’s question: Are Latter-day Saints Christians if they don’t believe in the Trinity? Gerrit unpacks the theological and historical roots of Trinitarian Christianity, oneness Pentecostalism, and modalism and explains why other Christians often say Latter-day Saints “worship a different Jesus.” We also discuss Nephi’s reminiscent account in the small plates. Episodes Discussing Trinitarian Theology: S1E15 - D&C 93 and the Nature of God Part 1 S1E16 - D&C 93 and the Nature of God Part 2 S1E17 - D&C 93 and the Nature of God Part 3 S2E50 - Are ”Mormons” Christian? Part 1 S2E51 - Are ”Mormons” Christian? Part 2 S2E52 - Are ”Mormons” Christian? Part 3 S3E1 The Trinity and the Nature of God S4E21 The Arian Controversy - Did God the Father Create Jesus? Sign up for our free monthly (that doesn’t go out monthly) email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this episode, we revisit a popular format of playing a clip and listening to Gerrit’s dander levels increase. We have 6 clips and we get through one and a half of them. The audio discusses the big theological questions from the perspective of Calvinism. The episode ends with a quote from Brigham Young on the beauty of the Plan of Salvation for ALL of God’s children. Sign up for our free monthly (that doesn’t go out monthly) email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠⁠⁠   If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com