
2.5M
Downloads
308
Episodes
The purpose of this podcast is to help Latter-Day Saints better understand their history and increase their faith. The podcast hosted by Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat, associate professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU.
Episodes

Aug 29, 2024
Aug 29, 2024
1hr 35 min
The episode begins with a TREMENDOUS amount of gratitude for those who donated to Sweetwater Rescue’s fundraiser to help Latter-day Saints in Rio Gallegos get to the temple (https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org). Gerrit answers litner’s questions about the changes made to Aaronic Priesthood offices and responsibilities.
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
Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2025: https://standardoftruth.com/tours/
Missouri/Nauvoo – June 22nd through June 28th
Palmyra/Kirtland – August 3rd through August 9th

Aug 22, 2024
Aug 22, 2024
58 min
Gerrit is asked for his favorite story from Church history, leading to a discussion of the rescue of the Willie and Martin handcart companies at the Sweetwater River. Richard talks about the organization Sweetwater Rescue and their goal to help people get to the temple. He shares a miraculous story about saints in southern Argentina and the work being done to help them.
Sweetwater Rescue website: https://www.sweetwaterrescue.org
President Hinckley's conference address about the Sweetwater Rescue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYS6rohbE4k
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
Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2025: https://standardoftruth.com/tours/
Missouri/Nauvoo – June 22nd through June 28th
Palmyra/Kirtland – August 3rd through August 9th

Aug 15, 2024
Aug 15, 2024
59 min
Attacking the Book of Mormon is a staple of anti-Mormon commentary, however, the fact that it exists creates a problem. There are many theories about the origin of the Book of Mormon that attempt to explain it away and in this episode, we explore a lesser-known theory. Gerrit also makes a definitive statement that Joseph Smith did not steal the line “I have dreamed a dream” (1 Nephi 8:2) from the 1980 musical Les Misérables. Gerrit also sets up the context of one of his favorite stories from Church history.
Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2025: https://standardoftruth.com/tours/
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

Aug 8, 2024
Aug 8, 2024
1hr 13 min
We start the episode by providing an answer to a litner’s email, if they could choose the date for their child to be born, what date from Church history would Gerrit choose. We then go on to answer the following questions about Joseph Smith from a missionary’s email: What was Joseph Smith’s education? What was Joseph’s military service? What were Joseph’s financial circumstances? What were some of the radical teachings from 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
Standard of Truth Tour dates for the summer of 2025:
Missouri/Nauvoo – June 22nd through June 28th
Palmyra/Kirtland – August 3rd through August 9th

Aug 4, 2024
Aug 4, 2024
1hr 12 min
In this episode, Gerrit’s dander and blood pressure both continue to remain way up as he continues to refute the assertion that Joseph was in any way a fallen prophet.
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

Jul 25, 2024
Jul 25, 2024
1hr 29 sec
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

Jul 18, 2024
Jul 18, 2024
1hr 6 min
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

Jul 11, 2024
Jul 11, 2024
59 min
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

Jul 4, 2024
Jul 4, 2024
51 min
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

Jun 27, 2024
Jun 27, 2024
56 min
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):
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
