This category explores how religious authority, continuing revelation, and prophetic leadership have shaped the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Articles in this section examine prophetic claims, true and false revelation, and the historical foundations of prophetic authority, especially in the ministry of Joseph Smith and early Church leaders. Through historical analysis and doctrinal discussion, this category addresses how revelation functions within the restored Church.
Introduction This episode begins with a listener’s question about whether animals have an afterlife and eventually transitions into a doctrinal exploration of hero worship, prophetic authority, apostasy, and the Lord’s revealed system for preventing spiritual deception. Although these subjects seem unrelated at first glance, both center on foundational Latter-day Saint teachings about the nature of … Read more
Angels in Early Christianity and Early Latter-day Saint History Latter-day Saint theology contains ideas that differ significantly from mainstream Christian traditions, including doctrines such as a pre-mortal existence and the nature of angels. In broader Christian history, angels have traditionally been understood as beings created by God out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo). They are … Read more
Introduction: The Question of Speaking in Tongues in Early Latter-day Saint History This episode responds to a listener’s inquiry about the practice of speaking in tongues in the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The listener encountered another podcast that claimed early Saints—including Joseph Smith and Brigham Young—spoke in tongues in a manner … Read more
Context of the Questions Two listeners asked about the historical origins of: The White Horse Prophecy The expression that the U.S. Constitution would “hang by a thread” A reported 1877 John Taylor vision about the last days (addressed in the following episode) This episode examines the historical sources behind these ideas. Evaluating Historical Sources Key … Read more
A World Standing at the Edge of Conflict In the years following the devastation of the Second World War, global anxiety remained a constant companion to daily life. Nations were rebuilding, the memory of atomic destruction was still fresh, and a new geopolitical rivalry was beginning to cast its shadow across the earth. As the … Read more
This article examines continuing revelation in early church history through real conflicts among early Saints. Follow the Prophet part 1 Modern Disagreement vs. Early Church Disagreement Brady asked how the disagreement seen after modern General Conferences compares to disagreement in the early church. Members today often interpret prophetic teachings through the lens of political belief. … Read more
Continuing Revelation and Prophetic Authority in Early Latter-day Saint History Early Crises of Revelation (1830–1831) In the first year after the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (April 1830–April 1831), church leaders faced repeated crises over revelation and prophetic authority. This example demonstrates continuing revelation in early church history. One early … Read more
Joseph Smith’s Civil War Prophecy and Its 19th-Century Setting In December 1832, Joseph Smith recorded a revelation later canonized as Doctrine and Covenants 87. The revelation declared that war would begin with the rebellion of South Carolina, that the Southern States would divide against the Northern States, that the conflict would lead to immense suffering, … Read more
A Moment of Transition in Early Latter-day Saint Worship By early 1831, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had moved from New York to Ohio, where a surge of new converts created questions about how worship should be conducted. Many of these converts were previously unknown to church leaders, and the rapidly growing … Read more
Understanding the Purpose of the Podcast Season 5, Episode 10 explores how early Latter-day Saint history is reconstructed through primary sources and careful historical method. The podcast emphasizes that genuinely understanding Joseph Smith and the Restoration requires direct engagement with journals, dictated manuscripts, document collections, and independent accounts. Rather than relying on modern speculation or … Read more