Martin Tanner, host of Religion Today, interviews Stephen Smoot and Brian Passantino, editors of their new book, available at Deseret Book, Benchmark Book and on Amazon, Joseph Smith's Uncanonized Revelations . This book of just under 200 pages gives easy access to Joseph Smith's uncanonized revelations, with excellent, succinct descriptions of the setting and context of each, along with an explanation of the significance of the revelation. This book is a must-have supplement to the Doctrine and...
Jul 06, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 27
In this episide of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner interviews James Dalrymple and Jonathan Farrell About Scripture Central's new ultra high quality video series on Book of Mormon evidences, available free to anyone, at YouTube. Highly recommended by Martin Tanner.
Jun 29, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 26
For many people, especially those who feel lonely due to loss of a spouse, child or friend, a pet is very important to them. Many people love their pets very much like a family member. In this episode of Religion Today, the host, Martin Tanner, gives many reasons for believing that pets and other animals have souls and will be seen in the after-life. Martin shares Joseph Smith's comments showing animals have sould. He also shares near-death experiences in which the person saw their deceased pet ...
Jun 22, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 25
"Toxic Masculinity" and "Not needed" are two of the phrases often heard in society today about men and fathers. The assumption is the men and fathers, especially white men, are privileged, while women and minorities are discriminated against. In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner provides statistics and studies to show how men are viewed in society and how men view themselves. Statistics show men overwhelmingly see their most important role as husband and father. Men would far ra...
Jun 14, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 24
Where did the events in the Book of Mormon likely take place? In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner presents some of the latest evidence from geography, archaeology, LiDar scans, population studies, geology, volcanoloy, and linguistics, which points to Central America, from southern Mexico to Guatemala on the Yucatan Peninsula, as the likely location for the Jaradite civilation, and the Nephite civilation.
Jun 08, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 23
Many theories have been advanced by New Testament scholars about the nature of Paul's "thorn in the flesh" he speaks of in 2 Corinthians 12:7. The theories include: temptation, a chronic eye problem, malaria, migraines, epilepsy, a speech impediment, or even a person, perhaps "Alexander the coppersmith" who paul says did Paul "a great deal of Harm" (2 Timothy 4:14). In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner follows the clues and concludes Paul probably had a severe eye problem, which...
Jun 01, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 22
Host Martin Tanner describes the implications of ancient words and phrases in The Book of Mormon. He describes how certain words and phrases show Joseph Smith's influence, while others show God's had tight control over the translation process. No one has devised an explanation for the Book of Mormon translation process, which explains all of the evidence. We know little more than that Joseph Smith could not have produced it, and, it was translated by the "gift and power of God."
May 25, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 21
In this Religion Today episode, host Martin Tanner explains that we know about the contents of the Lost 116 Pages of the Book of Mormon, which is a surprisingly large amount. Martin explains why it is unlikely that Lucy Harris took or destroyed the lost 116 pages. He also explain the sources for what we know about the contents of the lost Book of Lehi and other details about the 116 Page.
May 17, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 20
In honor of Mothers' Day, host Martin Tanner, describes the origin of the LDS doctrine of a Heavenly Mother, from Joseph Smith, as described by Eliza R. Snow, Zina Huntington, Parly P. Pratt, Brigham Young, and others. And, its confirmation by Gordon B. Hinckley, James E. Faust, Bruce R. McConkie, Spencer W. Kimball, James H. Talmage, B.H. Roberts and many others. The idea of a Heavenly Mother is found in three LDS hymns, in several official Church manuals, in the Joseph Smith History of the Chu...
May 11, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 19
Although similar to the Christian "Signs of the Times" before the Second Coming of Jesus, Orthodox Jews believe in their own Jewish "Signs of the Times" before their Messiah comes. In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner describes the Jewish "Signs of the Times" including the Red Heifer, an unblemished, perfect red Angus cow, originally imported from the United States, but improved in Israel through breeding. According to Jewish tradition, the next Red Heifer sacrificed will signa...
May 04, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 18
Host Martin Tanner explains by what Priesthood authority Lehi and his family went to the New World, and there, organized new Churches and Synagogues, and performed Ordinances, including baptism. If no family of Latter-day Saints can simply decide to move to a new country, and start a new branch or stake, by what authority did Lehi, Nephi and their extensed families form new churches and synagogues in the New World, and perform ordinances there? In this episode of Religion Today , Martin Tanner a...
Apr 27, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 17
In Part 2 of the Visions of Joseph Smith, Religion Today host Martin Tanner describes about fifteen more of the 70 known visions of Joseph Smith, including four visions of the Father and the Son, and five additional visions of Jesus. Although some of these accounts are in scripture, most are found in diary entries of Joseph Smith, and his close associates and friends. Martin Tanner describes visions of the appearance of Adam and Eve, Moses, the Apostle Peter, Elias (Noah), Elijah, the future gro...
Apr 21, 2024•21 min•Season 34Ep. 16
In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner interviews T.C. Christensen, Latter-day Saint filmmaker extrordinaire (filmography: 17 Miracles; Ephraim's Resccue; The Cokeville Miracle; Love Kennedy, The Fighting Preacher, and many more), who has a new film in theaters now, Escape From Germany (PG) . This historically accurate film, the story-line of which is derived from the personal diaries of the missionaries and others who experienced it, describes the miracles, and inspired decisions...
Apr 13, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 15
In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner describes most of the early, significant visions of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith had 70 known visions, and it is likely that more were unrecorded. There are four accounts of visions of Father and Son together. In several of these, others saw the vision along with Joseph Smith. In four other visions, Joseph Smith and others with him, saw Jesus. Joseph Smith also saw many Old Testament prophets, including Adam, Moses, Enoch, Elias and Elijah. Jo...
Apr 06, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 14
In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner defines "resurrection," explains what happens when a person is resurrected, based on science and religion, and quotes latter-day prophets promises that parents who have lost a child to death, will be able to raise them durring the Millennium.
Mar 31, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 13
In this episode of Religion Today , host Martin Tanner explains why the core Protestant tenants of Sola Scriptura , a Closed Canon of scripture, and no Revelation after Jesus and the Apostles contracts the Bible. First, Sola Scriptura , which means doctrine only from the scriptures is not Biblical. The Bible does not say which writings are scripture and which are not, people, not the Bible have always made that decision. Second, a closed canon is not Biblical. The Bible does not say it is closed...
Mar 23, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 12
Although Protestant faiths such at Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists and others, are in many ways similar to those of Latter-day Saints, there are some significant differences. The most significant are the Trinitarian concept of God, the Priesthood of All Believers, and Salvation by Grace, solely based on belief Jesus is your Lord and Savior. In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner compares and contrasts LDS understanding of God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Ghost as ...
Mar 16, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 11
Scholars date Moses life, his receipt of the Ten Commandments and construction of the Ark of the Covenant, to between 1,500 BCE and 750 BCE. The Ark was about 4 feet long, 2 1/2 feet wide and 2 1/2 feet tall. It held the 10 Commendments written by God on a stone tablet, Goliath's sword David used to cut his head off, and, according to some sources, the Urim & Thummim. Moroni's stone box held the Golden Plates, Laban's sword Nephi used to cut his heaf off, and the Nephite Interpreters. The Ar...
Mar 08, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 10
Joseph Smith's "Inspired Version" often described as the "Joseph Smith Translation" was an inspired effort made by JS to restore plain and precious truths to the Bible which had been lost. The IV or JST was inspired by passages in the Book of Mormon, observed during the translation process, that pertained to ther Bible. It commenced just a few months after the Book of Mormon translaton and printing had been completed. It was never completed. JS was working on it until the day he died in 1844. Th...
Mar 03, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 9
Is there any evidence something like the LDS Endowment was part of Jesus teachings, or part of the belief system of Early Christianity? The answer is "yes." The evidence is found in the "Secret Gospel of Mark" which was a longer gospel, written by John Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark, compiled from the notes and writings of Peter (shortly after Peter had been killed) and the notes notes and writings of Mark. The "Secret Gospel of Mark" tells of a rich young man who was brought back to lif...
Feb 24, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 8
Latter-day Saints, Catholics and the Orothodox faiths all have an important doctrine in common. All believe the potential of each person is divinity, thosis, to become a god, to become like Jesus and Heavenly Father. In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner describes the sources of LDS beliefs on the origin of humans, which is an eternal, unmade intelligence, spirit or soul. He then describes the LDS and Early Christian beliefs that human potential is to become like God, and provide...
Feb 18, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 7
In this episode of Religion Today, Martin Tanner gives insights into how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. He used the "Nephite Interpreters" later called the Urim and Thummim to translate the Book of Lehi, which comprised the 116 pages lost by Martin Harris, plus a few more pages. Thereafter Joseph Smith used the seer stone, which was used to translate the entire Book of Mormon we now have. The lost pages ended just before our current Book of Mosiah begins. Joseph Smith was not a scri...
Feb 10, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 6
We have a very good idea of where Book of Mormon events actually took place. How can there be two Hlll Cumorahs? The same way there are many "Jefferson Avenues" and "State Streets". The Book of Mormon text does not fit the small gravel hill by the Smith family farm where Moroni buried the plates. It does fit the large, prominent hill in the "Tuxtla Mountains" in southern Veracruz, Mexico, east of Mexico City, almost to the Gulf of Mexico, and a little South. The Hill Shim/Cumorah is likely the M...
Feb 03, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 5
In this Part 3 of three Religion Today shows on the evidence for where the Book of Mormon events actually took place, Martin Tanner, points out that no Native North American tribes or groups had a written language before Columbus. Thus the Book of Mormon could not have been written by Native North Americans. Many Mesoamerican tribes had a written language, making it most likely the Book of American came from Mesoamerica. Cement cities are mentioned in Heleman 3:7. There are no Native American ce...
Jan 28, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 4
Joseph Smith at one point thought North American Native Americans were Lamanites. At another point, he thought Native Americans in Central America were Lamanites. Other Church leaders have widely varying ideas about which tribes are decended from the Lamanites. If there had been a revelation on that point, there would not be widely varying ideas . What we do know is that the Book of Mormon says there is a cave with vast numbers of plates in the Hill Cumorah. There is no cave, and no plates, in t...
Jan 21, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 3
Have you wondered where the events in the Book of Mormon took place? If you have, you're not alone. If this first of a multi-part series, host Martin Tanner gives the earliest idea, the "land northward" is North America, the "land southward" is South America and the "narrow neck of land" is Central America. This idea is untenable according to the Book of Mormon text. Martin next describes the "Heartland" theory and "Mesoamerican" theories. He suggests a few of the best scholarly books on this fa...
Jan 13, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 2
Is there any scientific evidence for horses, elephants and steel swords in the New World before Columbus, as mentioned in The Book of Mormon? Is there any scientific evidence for Native Americans with Hebrew ancestry, as described in The Book of Mormon? In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner explains why the answer is a resounding yes. The cutting edge scientific sources Martin cites are a Science magazine article on Native American DNA, archaeology authorized by the government of...
Jan 07, 2024•22 min•Season 34Ep. 1
In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner describes some of the events that have happened since 1830, which were prophecied to occur before the Second Coming of Jesus happens. But his main focus is describing events which are prophecied to occur before the Second Coming, but which have not yet occurred, including, (1) The Jewish Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem, (2) Water will flow from under the Jerusalem Temple, (3) two Jewish prophets (Revelation 11) will appear in Jerusalem, a...
Dec 31, 2023•22 min•Season 33Ep. 53
In this Religion Today episode, using scriptures and statements of General Authorities, host Martin Tanner explains exactly how Jesus is our advocate with our Father in Heaven. He explains how Jesus paid the price for our sins. The only way for Jesus to be our advocate was and is for him to completely and totally understand us. That means Jesus understands all of our sins, faults, pain suffering, and also all of our good points. An advocate knows everything about his client, the person for whom ...
Dec 24, 2023•22 min•Season 33Ep. 52
Handel's "Messiah" like many masterpieces, was inspired and thus composed in a short period of time, just 24 days. Handel's Messiah was written with few revisions on 259 pages. The text was written by a wealthy English gentleman, Charles Jennens. The music was composed by Georg Frideric Handel, although German born, also an Englishman when the Messiah was comosed. The Messiah debuted in Dublin, Ireland to an audience of about 700. Its popularity grew steadily, until now, it is perhaps the most b...
Dec 16, 2023•21 min•Season 33Ep. 51
