Standard of Truth

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

A deep dive into why shaky sourcing fuels end-times certainty and anxiety. They unpack how cherry-picked quotes and late accounts warp historical claims. The Joseph Smith Papers are used as a model for checking sources. Practical counsel focuses on daily spiritual preparation, following living prophets, and avoiding sensational online speculation.

They debate whether a modern TV portrayal shifts Christian views about angels. The conversation then dives into the Book of Enoch, its influence on early Christians, and Jude’s quotation. Listeners hear the dramatic Enoch tale of fallen angels, forbidden knowledge, and mountain-sized giants. The hosts trace how that story shaped patristic explanations for the origin of evil.

They trade jokes about Super Bowl prop bets and read listener mail about newborns with playful banter. A lively dive into the Book of Enoch, its manuscripts and why it matters in Latter-day Saint thought. Humorous sidelines include Brigham Young notes and a quirky 1837 footrace anecdote. Tour dates and signup details are also mentioned.

A lively conversation about Brigham Young’s view that death removes limits but does not change who we are. They explore spirits visiting real places, rapid movement in the afterlife, and degrees of postmortem power. Discussion touches on spiritual opposition, how faith and priesthood offer protection, and practical counsel to resist doubt and remember divine identity.

They respond to listener mail about signs of the Savior’s return and caution against end-times fixation. A long 1856 Brigham Young sermon is shared and framed as powerful. Conversations explore spirits lingering near the living, claims of persecution in the spirit world, and 19th-century ideas about Gadianton robber influences in mountains and temptation.