Standard of Truth artwork

Religion & Spirituality · Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat

Standard of Truth

by 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.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

S6E40 Please Refer to President Christofferson's October 2026 Conference Address

We break down the October 2026 General Conference. The heart of the episode: President Christofferson's address on gambling. Richard debuts a montage of the duo's many to

Oct 8
1 h 10 min

S6E39 Saved By Grace After All You Can Do

Heidi writes mid-labor to ask about D&C 76: does rejecting the gospel in this life really cap you at the terrestrial kingdom? We discuss that we simply don't know what fu

Oct 1
1 h 20 min

S6E38 Idiot or Liar - How to Spot a Bad Source Part 1

We crack open an all-missionary mailbag with letters from the Philippines, Cincinnati, and beyond. Then the big question: was Cincinnati really cursed by Joseph Smith? We

Sep 24
1 h 12 min

S6E37 Exceptions Are God's to Make

We celebrate 10 million downloads, the arrival of video recordings of the podcast, and a missionary listener who has built a four-generation podcast family tree using "ph

Sep 17
1 h 18 min

S6E36 Joseph Smith on the Second Coming (Churchy McChurch Church)

The heart of the episode is a Lyceum dive into a March 16, 1841 discourse of Joseph Smith on the Second Coming and the Millennium. Joseph taught that the wicked won't all

Sep 10
1 h 09 min

S6E35 The Great Apostate Hall of Shame - #8 Ezra Booth Part 5 (FINAL)

Richard hadn't showered in days, his water heater's dead, and his family staged an intervention over his baggy clothes. We read emails from listeners and missionaries, in

Sep 3
1 h 07 min

S6E34 The Great Apostate Hall of Shame - #8 Ezra Booth Part 4

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into Ezra Booth's anti-Mormon letters from October 1831, examining how this early apostate mounted his attack against our fledg

Aug 27
1 h 04 min

S6E33 Did Brigham Revise Joseph's Journal?

We open with incredible news from Sweetwater Rescue: a second Kyulu Stake group reached the Nairobi Kenya Temple and set a record for the most endowments performed in an

Aug 20
1 h 06 min

S6E32 The Great Apostate Hall of Shame - #8 Ezra Booth Part 3

This episode of the Standard of Truth continues discussing the apostasy of Ezra Booth, a former Methodist minister who joined the early Church after witnessing Joseph Smi

Aug 13
1 h 09 min

S6E31 The Great Apostate Hall of Shame - #8 Ezra Booth Part 2

In this episode we dive deeper into Ezra Booth, ranked #8 in the "Great Apostate Hall of Shame." Once a prominent Methodist minister leading anti-Masonry campaigns in Ohi

Aug 6
1 h 09 min

S6E30 Where There's Smoke: The Bad Logic Behind Anti-Mormon Claims

In this episode, Gerrit pays a heartfelt tribute to Eric Smith, a beloved Joseph Smith Papers colleague and devoted listener who recently passed after a long battle with

Jul 30
1 h 13 min

S6E29 The Great Apostate Hall of Shame - #8 Ezra Booth Part 1

Richard braves self-diagnosed tuberculosis as he and Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat dig into the mailbag: identical twins listening from two different Zions, an ambitious MTC zone l

Jul 23
1 h 02 min

S6E28 Nauvoo Lyceum Part 2 and the Trinity

In this episode, we continue our discussion of the Lyceum (debates/discussions) in Nauvoo. From the most popular chewing tobacco (it is Copenhagen byt the way) to manners

Jul 16
1 h 09 min

S6E27 As Far As It Is Translated Correctly

Was Francis Scott Key a bitter recluse who denounced America and wrote the anthem from a boat offshore? No, no he was not.   Elder Gurr writes in with an investigator's

Jul 9
1 h 11 min

S6E26 The Great Apostate Hall of Shame - OLI Joseph Wakefield

The podcast begins with the US-Bosnia World Cup match (SEC championships as the definitive metric), then open the Phoebe Draper Palmer Brown mailbag. Jerry from North Dak

Jul 2
1 h 05 min

S6E25 Nauvoo Lyceum & 1980s Church Movies

We are recording in front of a live studio audience in Nauvoo, Illinois.  In this week's episode, we begin with a movie review of the 1980s classic Prodigal Son and Ciph

Jun 25
58 min

S6E23 King Follett Sermon Part 3

In this episode, we answer a litter's questions who wrote while in "DEEP" labor asking about the lesser-known Pratt brothers and an audio submission from Filer, Idaho abo

Jun 11
1 h 17 min

S6E22 King Follett Sermon Part 1

This episode was recorded 4 1/2 years ago, but was never released. In this episode, Gerrit provides context around the setting of Joseph Smith’s King Follett Sermon. If

Jun 4
59 min

S6E21 Declaration of Independence Part 2 (rerelease of premium CTRI)

This is a rereleased episode from season 1 of Condemned to Repeat It. In this episode, we work through the grievances section of the Declaration of Independence, unpackin

May 28
58 min

S6E20 Declaration of Independence Part 1 (rerelease of premium CTRI)

This is a rereleased episode from season 1 of Condemned to Repeat It. In this episode, we set the stage for the Declaration of Independence by exploring the deep English

May 21
59 min

Chart trend

Position in the Religion & Spirituality chart (US), last 90 days.

#7
all-time peak
7
days in the top 10 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Standard of Truth ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 13, 2026).

#172 ▼ 47 Religion & Spirituality US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Love listening to the good doctors as they share church history nuggets and of course other weekly banter. I highly recommend the podcast and think we need more like it.

Bljarv · Sep 2026

This is one of my all time favorite podcasts. I never miss an episode. I learn something every time, strengthen my testimony of Jesus Christ, the Restoration of the Church because of Joseph Smith, and all aspects of church history. It is amazing. I love laughing while learning and also feeling the Spirit. Thank you Dr’s!!!

happyjamopi · Sep 2026

I love this podcast. Dr. Dirkmaat has great energy, balances humor with reverence very well, and brings to life so much of the history of the Church. I’d give this guy a big high five if I saw him, because he doesn’t know it but he’s been cleaning around my house with me for months.

Fatmandown · Jun 2026

At first I was a little lost with all the inside jokes and banter but loved the amazing Faith content and it didn’t take me long to come to love the banter too! Thank you!! You strengthen my knowledge and my faith and you brighten my day!

Bbmoe8 · Feb 2026

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.

More podcasts like Standard of Truth

Popular shows in Religion & Spirituality, for your next listen.

Browse charts by category

Daily updated Apple Podcasts rankings for the United States.

About Standard of Truth on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Standard of Truth, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

Contact

Questions or issues? Reach us at hello@reason.fm

0:000:00