

Standard of Truth
Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat
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
Mentioned books

Aug 8, 2024 • 1h 14min
S4E32 Questions About Joseph Smith
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 • 1h 13min
S4E31 Joseph Smith Removed as Prophet Part 2
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 • 1h
S4E30 Lectures on Faith and Joseph Smith Removed as Prophet Part 1
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 • 1h 6min
S4E29 Having Faith Isn’t a Cop Out
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 • 59min
S4E28 Joseph's Experiences Attending Other Churches
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 • 52min
S4E27 Of Adultery and Baptism
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 • 57min
S4E26 Can Adulterers Go to the Celestial Kingdom?
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

Jun 27, 2024 • 14min
S4B6 180 Years Since the Martyrdom
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.

4 snips
Jun 20, 2024 • 1h 19min
S4E25 Sword of Laban
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

Jun 13, 2024 • 49min
S4E24 Top Villains of the Restoration
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