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.
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ADVICE

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.
INSIGHT

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.
INSIGHT

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.
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