Standard of Truth

We begin with a discussion about the author of Lectures on Faith and why was it removed from the Doctrine and Covenants. Then the episode takes a sharp turn as Gerrit refutes an argument made on social media that Joseph Smith was taken from the earth because he refused to practice polygamy. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2025: Missouri/Nauvoo – June 22nd through June 28th Palmyra/Kirtland – August 3rd through August 9th 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 respond to a litner’s email who has had many friends and family leave the Church. Gerrit describes all of the problems with the standard definitions of God without the further light we receive from the Restored Gospel. We cover just about everything from mosquitos to syphilis. Gerrit also answers a question about canes made from the coffins of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2025:  Missouri/Nauvoo – June 22nd through June 28th Palmyra/Kirtland – August 3rd through August 9th We also received an email that references Marinda Hyde and polyandry so we want to provide the references to those two episodes ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standard-of-truth/id1570846618?i=1000582495978⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standard-of-truth/id1570846618?i=1000583263596⁠ 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 some missionary emails relating to the First Vision, Joseph’s early persecution, and Joseph’s experiences attending other churches. There is also a healthy discussion about frocks. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2025: Missouri/Nauvoo – June 22nd through June 28th Palmyra/Kirtland – August 3rd through August 9th 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 start the podcast with a discussion of General Authorities conference talks that focus on adultery. For the prize of a $50 Olive Garden gift card, we play everyone’s favorite game “Fun With Adultery” where Gerrit has to guess which decades adultery was a larger focus and which prophets and apostles spoke about the topic the most. Gerrit lost and Richard retained the $50 gift card for use in a future “Fun With _________” game. We answer a litner’s question about the change to the language used in the ordinance of baptism. We also announce the Standard of Truth Tour dates for 2025 and Richard talks about how much he is willing to pay for a great-grandchild to be named Richard Andrew LeDuc IV. Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2025: Missouri/Nauvoo - June 22nd through June 28th Palmyra/Kirtland – August 3rd through August 9th 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 start with an email we received from a Catholic in Quebec and a new litner from France that we met on our recent Church history tour. In this episode we discuss the following quote from Joseph Smith "If a man commit adultery, he cannot receive the celestial kingdom of God. Even if he is saved in any kingdom, it cannot be the celestial kingdom."  We discuss where this quote comes from, the context of the quote, and Gerrit shares a story about George Adams having a child through an adulterous relationship and the statement from Joseph Smith when George repents and comes back to the Church Just in case there is any confusion the Standard of Truth Podcast takes a very strong position against adultery, and we would like to refer you to President Hinckley’s April 1991 conference address on the matter (in addition to the 295 conference addresses on the topic since 1850): https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1991/04/what-god-hath-joined-together?lang=eng#p1 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 has been 180 since the prophet Joseph Smith was murdered in Carthage Jail. In this bonus episode, Gerrit discusses the martyrdom and shares his feelings about the Prophet Joseph Smith.

As Gerrit and Richard return from several weeks of Church history tours there is much to discuss. Because of this, we wanted to provide a full Rex’s Elders Quorum President Warning that we begin our discussion of the Sword of Laban 42 minutes and 18 seconds into the episode. In this episode, we talk about our exploits on our recent Standard of Truth Tour. Have you ever wondered what it means to out kick your coverage or what a coffin corner punt is? You are in luck, Gerrit gives a great description. We read several litner emails and because the people cry out we also talk about the Sword of Laban and Gerrit explains why he believes it was shown to the Prophet Joseph Smith. 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 in front of a live studio audience on the banks of the Mississippi River in Keokuk, Iowa. In this episode, we answer questions from the litners that are on the Standard of Truth Tour in Missouri and Illinois. Question: An LDS press was destroyed in Independence, but it was a big deal when the City of Nauvoo destroyed the Nauvoo Expositor. Other than LDS bias why was it different or was it different? Question: How can we start a Mormon Reparations movement? Question: Gerrit, Disney has their top 10 villains. Who would you say are the top 10 villains of the restoration? I’m guessing Doctor Philastus Hurlbut, John C Bennett, Gov Boggs, Thomas Marsh, George Hinkle, and Thomas Sharp would make the list. How does that align with your list? Who else should be added? Aaron Burr Got Milk commercial was directed by Michael Bay even though Richard said it was Jerry Bruckheimer - https://youtu.be/OLSsswr6z9Y?si=mkukF0qy5Ho-rawr 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

From the shadow of the Hill Cumorah, we bring you questions and answer recordings in front of a live Standard of Truth Tour audience. Below are the questions that led the discussion for this episode: Who was Joseph Smith going to have as his vice-presidential running mate? How frequently did Church members gather for a “sacrament” meeting from 1830 to the end of the Nauvoo period? What is the Mount Rushmore of Restored Gospel doctrines/teachings? We know the plates were stored in a stone box (or at least stones arranged together to contain plates when buried). Are there any accounts of anyone finding the empty stone box? Surely, individuals have tried to find the box, maybe even the antis in their zeal to prove there "never had been a stone box, hence never plates". Perhaps, the box was destroyed by an angel or even Joseph as it was no longer pertinent to anything. Taylor, the brother of the lady who emailed you when she was in labor, asked for further elaboration on the laws that were passed/attempted to pass around eradicating the early members of the church/pioneers…and of course, polygamy.  Sign up for our free monthly (likely quarterly) 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 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 monthly email - ⁠⁠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

As it is the season when many missionaries receive their callings, we want to help provide additional resources for mission prep. In this episode, we replay a premium episode from Joseph Smith and the Restoration that discusses the Nicene Creed. We inch ever closer to Joseph Smith and the Restoration by leaping from the 2nd century A.D. to the early 4th century A.D. We discuss the Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicea that was called to provide a definitive answer to the Nature of Christ. ⁠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

If you love the anti-Mormon book Mormonism Unvailed boy, do we have an episode for you. In this episode, Gerrit reads from Mormonism Unvailed where definitive statement after definitive statement is given by friends and family of Solomon Spaulding saying how the Book of Mormon was taken word for word from Spaulding’s manuscript called “Manuscript Found”. Unfortunately for all of Spaulding’s lying friends and family, Manuscript Found is found and doesn’t resemble anything in the Book of Mormon at all. We also replay part of Gerrit’s rant from a previous premium 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 a premium episode several weeks ago Gerrit may or may have gone on a rant about Doctor Philastus Hurlbut and Solomon Spaulding and we wanted to play a section of that rant. So In this episode, Gerrit provides additional context to Hurlbut and the Solomon Spaulding Manuscript. Gerrit also talks about the Restoration Proclamation that was read during General Conference in April 2020. 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 continue our discussion of Eliza Gibbs and the trials she suffered in Nauvoo, Iowa, and Utah. Despite her difficulty, she remained faithful. Gerrit shares a letter to Eliza from Wilford Woodruff to comfort her and share with her the laws that govern angels and spirits that depart this life.   Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ We had a couple of cancelations and have a couple of spots available on the Palmyra/Kirtland tour and 2 spots available on the Missouri/Nauvoo tour. ⁠https://standardoftruth.com/tours/⁠  If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com⁠

We begin this episode, like most episodes, with a discussion of the faith crisis of a 19th-century 20-year-old woman with consumption (tuberculosis). She has a miraculous experience and seven years later is introduced to the gospel. She believes the message immediately and despite the opposition she faced by her family she joins the Church.  Images mentioned on the podcast: ⁠https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13hmR2rOTiVKUWRZblFsmG9hTwIu7R_oU?usp=share_link⁠ Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com⁠ We had a couple of cancelations and have a couple of spots available on the Palmyra/Kirtland tour and 2 spots available on the Missouri/Nauvoo tour. ⁠https://standardoftruth.com/tours/⁠  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 D&C 128 and the identity of the Angel Raphael. We start with what we know from modern revelation and then bring in the Apocrypha. We talk about the Book of Tobit, written by Tobit, where Raphael is discussed but his identity is not disclosed. Gerrit also discusses the Book of Jude and the Book of Enoch. The Book of Enoch is not in the Apocrypha but was mentioned in the Book of Jude and was in circulation at the time of Jesus. Photo of Raphael binding a demon: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1beqKOIU_S3NeP4uQJw8olnCqOPMXiD1K/view?usp=share_link Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com The Kirtland temple is under new management. See it with us the first week of June. We have ordered a larger bus, and a few spots are still available. https://standardoftruth.com/tour-baltimore-gettysburg-harmony-fayette-palmyra-kirtland-cleveland/ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Gerrit shares some of his thoughts about the responses to several talks during General Conference. He compares the responses of General Conference to the responses to “The Vision”. We read a letter from Joseph Smith discussing the response to “The Vision”. We also had a very kind anonymous donor offer to pay for the Standard of Truth Tour for six people. We are calling it the Dirk Moss Scholarship. The gift is for the Palmyra/Kirtland tour and people would still be responsible for booking their airfare and paying for about half of their meals. The transportation, hotels, tickets to sites and roughly half of the food costs would be covered. If you know someone that would be interested, please nominate them and share their story with us at our email questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com. We had a couple of cancelations and have a couple spots available on the Palmyra/Kirtland tour and 2 spots available on the Missouri/Nauvoo tour. https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ 

In this episode, Richard starts by thanking all the kind listeners who donated money to help 118 people in Peru travel to the Arequipa Temple. We discuss a listener’s question about Joseph Smith telling the missionaries in Cincinnati to wash the dust of that wicked city off their feet. Gerrit talks about the likely origin of that story and provides additional context. We also discuss the keys given to Joseph Smith by Michael and Gabriel and where we learn that Michael is Adam and Gabriel is Noah. Pictures of the Saints at the Arequipa Temple: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BV8emiUb9--07RvkHY06fSZw7S7pOMzj?usp=sharing Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com The Kirtland temple is under new management. See it with us the first week of June. We have ordered a larger bus, and a few spots are still available. https://standardoftruth.com/tour-baltimore-gettysburg-harmony-fayette-palmyra-kirtland-cleveland/ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

On Thursday we released an episode that sounded like it was recorded in Gerrit’s bathroom in a cave. We fixed the audio and explained how you can access it. We also give our thoughts from the 194th Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Spoiler Alert, we liked it. Sign up for our free monthly email: ⁠ https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com The Kirtland temple is under new management. See it with us the first week of June. We have ordered a larger bus, and 10 spots are still available. https://standardoftruth.com/tour-baltimore-gettysburg-harmony-fayette-palmyra-kirtland-cleveland/ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

We had a corrupted audio file that made the episode sound terrible. We have fixed the audio quality, however, the terrible content remains. We apologize for the inconvenience. We begin the episode with how a person can resolve concerns they may have with Church history. Gerrit begins by sharing several statements from Martin Harris as he witnesses of the Gold Plates. He also shares a testimony of Oliver Cowdery For details about our live studio audience recording on Saturday, March 16th please sign up for our free newsletter: ⁠https://standardoftruthpodcast.substack.com/⁠ If you would like to join us on a Standard of Truth Tour in Palmyra and Kirtland on June 7 spots are still available: https://standardoftruth.com/tours/ If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: ⁠questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com Please visit our website at ⁠www.standardoftruth.com⁠