Standard of Truth

We have received multiple inquiries as to the relationship Abraham Lincoln had to the Latter-day Saints when he was President of the United States and during the Civil War.  There have been some popular attempts to portray Lincoln as being a champion of the Saints, and even the widely believed idea that Lincoln was in some way influenced by reading the Book of Mormon.  This is a complex historical issue but we will exam this idea of the course of several episodes. If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

Our podcast would like to begin highlighting some of the faithful, courageous heroes in Church History.  Women like Mercy Fielding are not well-known by the average Latter-day Saint and yet the suffering she endured and resolute faithfulness she displayed can be a powerful reminder to us all of how important the gospel is in our lives. If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

A recent news story about thousands of invalidated baptisms prompted a discussion about Latter-day Saint theology surrounding the necessity of baptism and an investigation into questions about baptism in the early Church, especially D&C 22 and D&C 74. If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this President's Day bonus episode, we introduce you to Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat's mother Renee Dirkmaat. If you love Hubert Humphrey and embarrassing stories about Gerrit you are going to love this episode. Gerrit and Richard learn pretty early in this bonus episode that Renee did more in her first 22 years of life than they will ever hope to do.  If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

How should we deal with oral history that does not have any accompanying documents?  Most people have powerful and important stories in their family history and we respond to one listener's question about the validity of family history stories that do not have reliable sources to verify the events.  Richard shares a personal experience of family oral tradition that drifted into some inaccuracies. This discussion leads to a wider examination of the unique section of the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 135.  This tribute to Joseph and Hyrum Smith was written very shortly after the terrible events of Carthage and added to the 1844 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants that was in production at the time of their murders.  In the 1981 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, this memorial to Joseph and Hyrum Smith was attributed to John Taylor.  In the 2013 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, that attribution was removed.  We discuss the authorship of this powerful section of the Doctrine and Covenants. If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In Part 2 of Carthage Conspiracy, we continue to address claims made in the video “Who Killed Joseph Smith”. After showing example after example where the creators of the film omitted significant details to allow their “theory” to have any sort of merit we end with the testimony of John Taylor.  There are times during Parts 1 and 2 of Carthage Conspiracy where we may appear to be overly levitous for the subject matter. This is done intentionally. This theory is a joke. This video is a joke. The filmmaker’s “research” is a joke. There are aspects of Church history that are difficult for some people. We want to treat their concerns in a kind and loving way and help to provide some historical context. While this video makes some very serious claims, we refuse to take them seriously. They are laughable.  If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com  

In response to several recent emails, we discuss several conspiracy theories about the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. We dissect a video that claims to have "new evidence about what really happened at Carthage” and use some of the movie's claims as jumping-off points for larger discussions around amateur research and tactics used by antagonists of the Church. Below is a link to a Salt Lake Tribune article that we read in the episode. https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2022/01/21/jana-riess-who-killed/ While the accusations being made are serious the video and research are “amateur hour” (to quote the Salt Lake Tribune article). If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com  

In this week's podcast, we continue our discussion of the "White Horse Prophecy”. We also talk about a lesser-known dream/vision by John Taylor that has gained recent popularity in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com  

In this week's podcast, we discuss the "White Horse Prophecy”. In 1843 Edwin Rushton claims that the Prophet Joseph Smith received a prophecy that the US Constitution would one day "hang like a thread" but be saved by Latter-day Saints. If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com

In this week's episode we talk about some of the earliest converts to the Church and the problems that come when there isn't a handbook to provide direction. If you have any questions or possible topics of discussion for upcoming podcasts, please email us at: questions@standardoftruthpodcast.com