
Standard of Truth S6E3 Gadianton Robbers Part 1
Jan 15, 2026
They debate college football lines and the VIG before teasing a fundraiser for temple trips to Kenya. They tackle the hardest criticism of belief: suffering and why a good God allows pain. The discussion moves to premortal life, agency, and LDS views of the spirit world. Local folklore about Brigham Young warning of Gadianton robbers sparks a spooky look at spirits in southern Utah hills.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Prioritize Weighty Questions Over 'Gotchas'
- Don't waste time on weak, sensational 'gotcha' arguments against the Church like late-war copying claims.
- Focus on serious questions and reputable scholarship rather than conspiratorial claims.
Suffering Is The Hardest Theological Objection
- Suffering is the strongest intellectual challenge to belief because it questions God's goodness and power.
- Gerrit Dirkmaat argues Latter-day Saint doctrine reframes this via premortal choice and limits on God's use of existing powers.
Angelic Fall Challenges Creation Ex Nihilo
- Standard Christian accounts struggle with evil among created angels because creation ex nihilo implies God knew rebellion would occur.
- Gerrit highlights this as an unresolved tension in classical theology.
