Standard of Truth

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 21stand 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