In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner describes from the original, primary sources, how Joseph Smith likely translated the Book of Mormon. Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, David Whitmer and others speculated that Joseph Smith saw words or letters in his seer stone or in the Nephite Interpreters. This cannot be true, because Joseph Smith made revisions to the completed manuscript, which he would never have done if the words were God's alone. Joseph Smith told Joseph Knight that he ...
Jan 25, 2025•22 min•Season 35Ep. 4
In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner describes the groundbreaking psychological research of Columbia Professor Allen Bergin, which has been replicated, and shows religious people are happier and healthier than the general population. Specifically, religiously active people have lower rates of depression, anxiety, suicide, substance abuse, Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Bipolar disorder, PTSD, and eating disorders, than the general population. And, religious people with these pr...
Jan 19, 2025•22 min•Season 35Ep. 3
As recently as 20 or 30 years ago, most leading scientists believed science demonstrated God does not exist. But in the last twenty years, leading scientists have come to believe life and the Universe itself cannot be explained, without an intelligent designer, namely, God. In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner highlights many reasons leading scientists in many fields now say only an intelligent designer. or God, is the only explanation for the existence of life, and for way the...
Jan 11, 2025•22 min•Season 35Ep. 2
The Tower of Babel described in the Book of Genesis is not a myth. It did exist. It has been found. It was a ziggurat, or stepped pyramid, located about 56 miles south of present day Bagdad, Iraq. Its name was "Etemenanki" with means "Temple of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth." It was dedicated to the pagan god Marduk. It was built about the14th century BC. It was a 7-layered pyramid, meaning it had seven stories, or steps. The earliest pyramids were not smooth-sided like the Great Pyramid at...
Jan 04, 2025•22 min•Season 35Ep. 1
In this Religion Today episode, host Martin Tanner shows from many passages in the Bible and Book of Mormon, that God has a sense of humor. Examples of exaggeration, hyperbole, sarcasm and humorous situations, in the Bible and Book of Mormon, are given by Martin in this rarely discussed topic.
Dec 28, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 52
Host Martin Tanner shares the narrative of the birth of Jesus, in modern English, from the Good News Translation of the Bible, with explanations of seeming contradictions, such as: When Joseph found out Mary was expecting, why would he need to divorce her? They weren't married yet. Who were the Wise men? Why are they part of the Gospel story of Jesus's birth?
Dec 21, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 51
In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner looks at the Atonement, and answers questions, including: (1) Does every world have a savior, or is Jesus the Savior of all worlds? (2) What does and word Atonement mean? How or in what way or sense did Jesus take upon himself the sins of the world? (3) Does the Atonement cover more than sins, including losses, sicknesses, physical and mental defects, etc.? and, (4) How can a person know if the Atonement works for her or him?...
Dec 14, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 50
The Gospel of Mark can be read in about an hour and a half. The show's host, Martin Tanner, suggests that during the Christmas season everyone should read the Gospel of Mark. It is the earliest Gospel, and in effect, the Gospel of Peter, because John Mark, the author was writing Peter's description of what Jesus said and did. The Gospel of Mark is a marvelous testimony of Jesus as the Messiah promised by God, to save his chosen people. This is what people are celebrating at Christmastime....
Dec 07, 2024•21 min•Season 34Ep. 49
As a follow-up to last week's show, in which host Martin Tanner described his text debate with uninformed, evangelical, anti-Mormon critic Iain Sharp, Host, Martin Tanner suggests two books for listeners interested in more information comparing and contrasting Latter-day Saint Christian beliefs with those of Evangelical Christians: "Are Mormons Christians?" and "How Wide the Divide." BYU Professor Stephen Robinson authored both books. Next, Martin gives a brief sketch of early Christian beliefs ...
Nov 30, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 48
In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner shares the highlights of his debate by text with self-contradictory, anti-Mormon critic, Iain Sharp from Scotland, on: (1) Sola Scriptura, which means only the 66 books in the Bible are scripture, (2) Trinitarian concept of God, which means that God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost are one undivided substance. Martin points out that neither Sola Scriptura nor the Trinitarian concept of God is found in the Bible, which means that Evangelicals who ad...
Nov 23, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 47
In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner describes the little known details of the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood, on Sunday, May 24, 1829, nine days after the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood, on Friday, May 15, 1829. Peter, James and John appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, at the crack of dawn, the day after they had been acquitted after a two day trial, of all charges, including "deception" which be the same as a "fraud" charge today. A mob, angry over t...
Nov 17, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 46
Host Martin Tanner gives an overview of the Garden of Eden, Noah's Ark, the Tower of Babel and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. He gives the background and meaning of each of these narratives, and demonstrates the meaning behind each is punishment for wickedness, or in other words disobeying God, always has consequences. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, a "stepped" location on a hillside, for breaking God's command. All mankind were drowned except Noah and his family, due to w...
Nov 09, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 45
Martin Tanner, the host of Religion Today, shares eight compelling near-death experiences, from people he knows: (1) neuro-surgeon Eben Alexander, MD, from atheist to believer; (2) Stanford, from afraid of death to wanting to go to the other side; (3) Charlotte, who saw her two grandaughters who were waiting to be born; (4) Erica Mckenzie, who died from an eathing disorder, and learned we are all given gifts from God; (5) Ted Whiting, who met on the other side his father, who had been murdered; ...
Nov 02, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 44
In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner explains how many items in the Book of Mormon would be counter-intuitive for a fake, or a forger to place there, but nonetheless turn out to be true. In other words, many oddities in the Book of Mormon are now proven true by science, archeology and anthropology.
Oct 26, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 43
Martin Tanner explains that the Jewish sect that wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls was called the "Latter-day Saints" and were led by a "Teacher of RIghteousness" and a counsel of 10 to 12 men. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm many truths from the Book of Mormon, that there were ancient Jewish prophets not mentioned in the Bible, like Zenock and Zenos in the Book of Mormon, and Zadock in the Dead Sea Scrolls. They confirm pre-Christian Jews practiced baptism by immersion. They believed their Messiah would ...
Oct 19, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 42
Martin Tanner discusses the purpose and meaning of Temple Garments. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sacred clothing, which is not unique. Sacred garments are mentioned in Genesis 3:21 says God made clothing for Adam and Eve. Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, was given a coat of "many priesthood powers" (not many colors). Nuns, priests, ministers and Jewish Rabbis all wear sacred clothing, with meanings, similar to Temple Garments. When Elijah was taken into heaven, he left his...
Oct 12, 2024•21 min•Season 34Ep. 41
Host Martin Tanner highly recommends a new, historically accurate, highest quality LDS film Six Days in August , about the succession issue, who would lead the Church after Joseph Smith was murdered on June 27th, 1844. For several months it was unclear who would lead the Church. The Council of the Twelve Apostles and its president, Brigham Young, promised to continue to lead the Church just as Joseph Smith had been planning. Sidney Rigdon, another possible successor, would have kept the Church i...
Oct 05, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 40
Your host, Martin Tanner, provides sources, including the Bible, that support the belief that God the Father is a divine man. Although Jews, the Orthodox faith, Catholics and Protestants believe God the Father is a spirit only, confirmation that God the Father is a divine person is found in many sources. Martin provides many of those sources, together with logic and common sense, on a topic not often discussed.
Sep 27, 2024•21 min•Season 34Ep. 39
Details of how and why Joseph Smith, with Emma, went to the hill (not yet known as Cumorah) just after midnight, September 22, 1827, to acquire the golden plates. Descriptions of the dimensions of the golden plates, and how much they weighed, from those who picked them up. How Joseph Smith began to translate. Why Martin Harris decided to take a few lines of characters copied from the plates, with a translation, to Columbia Professor Charles Anthon and Samuel Mitchell. Why were there contradictin...
Sep 21, 2024•22 min•Season 38Ep. 38
In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner laments that Evangelical and Latter-day Saint Christians do not get along better. He then responds, point by point to an Evangelical Critic who has come up with 50 flawed reasons why the LDS Faith is not true. Martin's Response points out the flaws in the Evangelical pastor's points, and presents facts which prove them to be wrong.
Sep 14, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 37
Requests from a few listeners led host Martin Tanner to present in this episode of Religion Today , a few of the very best evidences of the Book of Mormon, including, (1) although writing on metal plates was unknown in Joseph Smith's day, examples of writing on metal plates during Book of Mormon times have been found in the Middle East and Central America; (2) During Joseph Smith's lifetime, horses were thought to have been unknown to Native Americans until the arival of Columbus, but the Book o...
Sep 07, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 36
Requests from a few listeners led host Martin Tanner to present in this episode of Religion Today , a few of the very best evidences of the Book of Mormon, including, (1) although writing on metal plates was unknown in Joseph Smith's day, examples of writing on metal plates during Book of Mormon times have been found in the Middle East and Central America; (2) During Joseph Smith's lifetime, horses were thought to have been unknown to Native Americans until the arival of Columbus, but the Book o...
Sep 07, 2024•21 min•Season 34Ep. 36
Host Martin Tanner explains Jewish, Christian and Latter-day Saint ideas about what happened to the Lost 10 Tribes. He explains various explanation about where they are now, and when and under what circumstances they will return
Aug 31, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 35
Martin Tanner points out the pros and cons of some of the most popular, most popular and widely read English Bible translations, including the King James Version, the Good News Bible, the New Revised Standard Version updated edition, New English Translation with over 60,000 scholarly footnotes, and Martin's personal favorite, the Contemporary English Version.
Aug 23, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 34
Martin Tanner describes the Jewish sects that existed about a century before the time of Christ, during the lifetime of Christ, and about a century after, including the Maccabees, Sadducees, Phrisees, Zealots, Essenes, Gelileans, and several Baptist groups. The Maccabees were the first sect within Judaism. The Sadducees denied the resurrection. The Pharisees were the "lawyers" of the New Testament era. They knew the laws of Judaism.. The Zealots did not separate religion and politics, and were t...
Aug 17, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 33
Seven forest fire-fighters who died in the flames and saw each other's spirits above their bodies, only to miraculously return to life after the fire had passed. Knowledge of the future acquired during near-death experiences, only to be supressed upon returning to life through the veil of forgetfulness. Premonitions and warnings in the form of actual voices from God or a guardian angel. Miraculous healings, from Multiple Sclerosis and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Religion Today host, Martin Tanne...
Aug 10, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 32
In this episode of Religion Today , Martin Tanner describes what the Joseph Smith's "Inspired Version" or "Inspired Revision" of the Bible is. It is not an inspired revision to bring the text back to the original wording. It is more of an inspired expansion and revision of important passages. Martin provides insights into how to better understand the "Inspired Version."
Aug 03, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 31
In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner gives a brief overview of the Book of Abraham and the Book of Moses , the least read and least understood scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Book of Moses is part of the "Inspired Translation" of the Bible sometimes called the "Inspired Version." The Book of Abraham is a translation of a scroll of Egyptian Papyri, about 60 or so feet long, one of fact scrolls, acquired by the Church in 1835. Martin Tanner desc...
Jul 27, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 30
In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner examines the plausibility of the claims made by Joseph Smith about the origin of The Book of Mormon, translated by the gift and power of God. He also examines the plausibility of the claims of critics who say Sidney Rigdon or Oliver Cowdery were authors. Martin also examines the plausibility of the claims that Ethan Smith's book View of the Hebrews or Solomon Spanding's manuscript were the source for The Book of Mormon. Martin concludes it w...
Jul 20, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 29
In this episode of Religion Today host Martin Tanner explores whether there is a real, or only apparent, conflict between religion and the theory of evolution. Scientists claim evolution isn't a theory, but a fact. But science does not support that claim. When the fossil record is examined closely, it is obvious it does not support the theory of evolution, because over 95% of all life forms in existence today, appeared in less than one-tenth of one-percent of the time life has existed on earth, ...
Jul 13, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 28
