To celebrate the kickoff to the 2025 NFL season (Eagles -7.5 vs the Cowboys), we begin in the obvious place with a discussion of Orson Hyde’s letter to the Missouri Republican in 1861, providing commentary on the Civil War. They read an email from a litner who shares how she used to be afraid of Church history and how the podcast has given her confidence in the face of anti-Mormon garbage, and Richard shares his feelings on the idea of putting Gospel and Church history topics “on a shelf”…spoiler alert, he doesn’t like the expression.
Kristy’s KorneЯ (Last Minute Lesson Prep): We ran out of time. There is no way your Sunday School teacher will be getting D&C 94 through 97. Use any of the three-part rerelease from D&C 93 last week, and you should be in great shape.
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Rex's Elders Quorum President's Show Notes:
•00:01:20 – Richard’s new glasses, carrots, and “big carrot conspiracy”
•00:03:40 – Football season talk (NFL & College)
•00:09:20 – Listener mailbag begins
•00:09:36 – Testimony of Emer Harris and family connections
•00:15:00 – Listener Danica’s email on family faith struggles and church history fears
•00:25:00 – Richard’s thoughts on “putting things on the shelf” vs. gaining testimony
•00:31:00 – Discussion of Lyman Johnson’s regret and the value of faith
•00:35:00 – Dawson’s email introducing Orson Hyde’s Civil War commentary
•00:37:00 – Civil War Prophecy context: hindsight bias and the problem of interpreting prophecy.
•00:39:00 – Challenges of Second Coming prophecies and people’s tendency to over-interpret.
•00:40:30 – Specifics of Joseph Smith’s prophecy: slavery, South Carolina, and secession.
•00:43:00 – Why hindsight makes the Civil War “seem obvious,” but it wasn’t.
•00:45:00 – South Carolina newspapers downplaying fears of a large-scale war.
•00:47:00 – Border state (Missouri) newspapers hoping for compromise to avoid war.
•00:51:00 – Virginia’s “scandalous” call for 10,000–20,000 militia—later dwarfed by actual numbers.
•00:53:00 – Historical context: the Nullification Crisis and its contrast with Joseph’s prophecy.
•00:55:00 – War of 1812 Hartford Convention—New England nearly seceding.
•01:00:00 – Hindsight bias analogy: Neville Chamberlain’s “peace for our time.”
•01:02:00 – Why critics’ arguments against Joseph Smith’s prophecy are hollow.
•01:05:00 – Civil War prophecy in early manuscripts and the Pearl of Great Price (1851).
•01:07:00 – Prophecy credibility, critics’ weak arguments, and final remarks.
