Tour Dates: History, Missionaries, and Prophecy
Ongoing Focus on the Doctrine and Covenants
The podcast continues its deep exploration of the Doctrine and Covenants, emphasizing that each revelation is inseparably connected to real historical events in Joseph Smith’s life. Understanding a revelation’s background—its setting, circumstances, and the challenges surrounding it—is essential for grasping the early development of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The hosts highlight that the more one studies the historical origins of each section, the more clearly the Restoration’s narrative emerges:
A young prophet receiving revelation in the midst of persecution, loss, migration, spiritual outpouring, and institutional formation.
Missionaries Requesting Historical Resources
Missionaries repeatedly contact the hosts, seeking access to accurate historical context to strengthen their teaching.
They rely on the podcast for deeper understanding of:
Early Restoration events
Background behind Gospel Topics issues
Joseph Smith’s revelations
Common historical criticisms
Missionaries report that serious study of Church history increases faith and equips them to respond to questions from investigators and members alike.
History becomes a tool of testimony as well as clarification.
Historical Perspective on the “Prosperity Gospel”
A listener referenced an earlier episode about the flawed idea that righteousness guarantees worldly prosperity.
Historically, early Latter-day Saints endured profound suffering despite deep faithfulness:
Missouri persecutions
Nauvoo hardships
Exodus across the plains
The hosts explain that the historical record demonstrates a consistent truth:
Trials are not proof of divine disfavor, nor is prosperity proof of righteousness.
A correct doctrinal and historical lens is required to interpret suffering.
Addressing the Claim: “Religion Has Hurt More Than It Has Helped”
A missionary asked how to answer the common accusation that religion has caused more deaths than it has prevented.
The hosts provide a historically grounded response:
The largest mass killings in history were carried out by atheistic political regimes, not religious institutions—such as:
Stalin’s Soviet Union
Mao Zedong’s China
Pol Pot’s Cambodia
Modern state violence dwarfs casualties from religious conflicts such as the Crusades or the Inquisition.
Historians warn against simplistic claims since the motives behind wars are complex, often involving politics, economics, ethnicity, and power—not merely religion.
These observations also reinforce Joseph Smith’s teaching that existing religions had departed from true doctrine and that the Restoration was needed to correct widespread spiritual confusion.
Joseph Smith’s Civil War Prophecy – Historical Accuracy
A listener raised a question about Doctrine and Covenants 87, given in December 1832.
The prophecy declared:
A future war would begin in South Carolina.
The conflict would spread to other nations.
The Southern states would call upon Great Britain for assistance.
Historically, the hosts explain:
The Confederacy did attempt to obtain British intervention.
Southern diplomats were sent to Britain.
Cotton exports were halted to pressure the British economy.
Extensive Civil War scholarship documents the South’s efforts to gain foreign recognition.
More importantly, the prophecy was given at a time when almost no one foresaw a major war:
In 1832, Americans expected political compromise over tariffs.
Even in 1861, many believed the war would last only weeks.
Joseph Smith’s prophecy accurately predicted:
The correct point of origin (South Carolina)
The central cause (slavery, not tariffs)
The enormous scale of destruction
International diplomatic entanglements
Historians widely acknowledge the Confederacy’s attempts to solicit British support, making this prophecy one of the most striking fulfilled predictions in the Doctrine and Covenants.
The hosts remind listeners that Season 1, Episode 10 provides an even deeper analysis of this prophecy.
Listen to the full podcast here:
Season 5, Bonus Episode 3 – Bracket Update and 2026 Tour Dates