The Iron Rod Podcast

Continuing last week’s discussion, we share a few more scriptures as well as blessings and other contemporaneous statements that demonstrate that it was a common belief back in the time of Joseph that Joseph and the other servants would return to finish their labors. For some reason that belief has been lost, but it was common back then.

3 Nephi 21:8-11

D&C 100:13

D&C 103:1-4

D&C 105:1-17

D&C 124:1-11

Genesis 49:10

D&C 85:7

D&C 113:7-10

Mormon 8:26-34

Patriarchal blessing: December 9, 1834

Blessing, September 22, 1835

Joseph Smith’s last dream, TPJS p. 393

The scriptures talk about servants in the last days that will gather Zion and prepare for the return of Christ. Many often speculate on the identity of these servants. Speculation, however, is unnecessary. The Doctrine and Covenants make it clear who these servants are. The only question is, do we believe the promises in the Doctrine and Covenants?

D&C 1:1-6, 7-19, 37-38

D&C 70:1-5

D&C 29:1-9

D&C 84:1-4, 32, 61-72, 114-119

D&C 88:74-85

D&C 101:43-62

D&C 103:15-22

D&C 90:2-12

D&C 65

D&C 85:7

In this episode we conclude last week’s discussion of the three degrees of glory as told in the scriptures. We cover the telestial category, outer darkness, and the sons of perdition.

D&C 88:15-35, 100-102, 110-116

D&C 76:25-39, 43-44, 81-112

2 Nephi 28:11-15

D&C 19:2-12

Alma 3:26

Alma 48:23

Alma 34:34

D&C 1:4

Ephesians 1:10

D&C 112:28-32

D&C 27:12-13

D&C 121:31-32

D&C 124:8, 40-41

Alma 40:13-17

D&C 133:63-73

D&C 101:89-91

Matthew 8:10

Matthew 21:28-31

Matthew 22:13

Matthew 24:

Matthew 25:30

Mosiah 16:1-3

Luke 13:24-28

D&C 45:28-29

Ephesians 3:21

Mosiah 3:19

Alma 37:31

D&C 14:7

D&C 18:22

D&C 20:29

2 Nephi 31:15

3 Nephi 15:9

Revelation 20:7-8

Isaiah 45:22-25

Alma 12:32-35

The three degrees of glory is a central tenet in the LDS Church, and shapes many aspects of LDS doctrine. But how closely does the theology we are taught actually agree with the scriptures upon which it is supposedly based? This week we search the scriptures to understand what they actually say about the celestial and terrestrial categories of people. Prepare to have your traditions challenged by scripture.

When we have an incorrect understanding of one aspect of the gospel, it can prevent us from correctly understanding other aspects of the gospel. We need to correct our initial misunderstandings before we can successfully move forward. The scriptures talk about our bodies being restored, and our bodies being resurrected, and we incorrectly assume those are the same thing. In this episode, we focus in on what the prophets mean when they talk about this restoration, and begin to explain the impact that has on the plan of salvation as we know it.

Ezekiel 37:1-28

2 Nephi 10:2, 7

Alma 11:43-45

Alma 12:20

Alma 40:22-24

Alma 41:1-4, 10-14

D&C 76:72-74

D&C 43:30-32

D&C 63:50-52

D&C 128:12-13

D&C 101:29-31

3 Nephi 28:8

1 Nephi 15:19:20

2 Nephi 30:7-8

D&C 45:17

The Book of Abraham tells us about the council in heaven. But did you know the Old Testament also talks about God’s council? Perhaps one reason we don’t hear about this at church is because the Old Testament references paint a different picture of who sits on this council and how it functions than what we are taught in Sunday School. Prepare to have your traditions challenged by the word of God!

Abraham 3:22-24, 4:26, 5:2

Psalm 82:1-8

Psalm 89:5-8

Job 1:6, 2:1

1 Kings 22:19-23

Daniel 4:13-17

1 Samuel 23:1-13

Jeremiah 23:18

Genesis 11

Genesis 10

Deuteronomy 4:19-20

Deuteronomy 29:24-26

Deuteronomy 32:8-24-26

2 Kings 5:17-19

Acts 2

Acts 17:22-27

In this week’s episode, we take two hard-to-explain sections of scripture and try to make sense of them. The first is Noah’s nakedness from Genesis 9. Noah is drunk in his tent, Ham sees his father’s nakedness, and for some reason Ham’s son Canaan is punished as a result. The second is from 1 Corinthians 11 and has Paul explaining why women need to cover their hair when at church. Both stories demonstrate how trying to interpret scripture using “our” understanding can lead us astray.

Genesis 9:19-27

Abraham 1:21-27

Leviticus 20:11,20

Leviticus 18:1-8

Deuteronomy 22:30

Deuteronomy 27:20

2 Samuel 16:20-23

Genesis 35:22

Genesis 49:3-4

1 Corinthians 11:3-15

2 Nephi 31:3

Dr. Troy Martin, “Paul’s Argument from Nature for the Veil in 1 Cor. 11:13-15: A Testicle instead of a Head Covering” (Journal of Biblical Literature 123:1 [2004]: 75-84)

Bergsma and Hahn, “Noah’s Nakedness and the Curse on Canaan (Genesis 9:20-27)” (Journal of Biblical Literature 124:1 [2005]: 25-40)

Scripture informs us that there will be many who are deceived by false prophets in the last days. In this episode we explore what the Word of God teaches about false prophets and how we can identify them in order to avoid being deceived.  We analyze and apply what these Scriptures have to say to prophets both within the Institutional Church and to several groups that have splintered off recently.

3 Nephi 14:15-20
HC 4:574
Jeremiah 23:25-26, 37
Matthew 24:11, 23-24
2 Peter 2:1-4
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
Revelation 19:20
D&C 45:57
Joseph Smith Matthew 1:37
2 Timothy 4:3-4
Joseph Smith Discourse 12 May 1844
2 Nephi 26:29
3 Nephi 27:10-11
Isaiah 66:7-8
D&C 88:62-66
D&C 63:32
Deruteronomy 31:17-18
Isaiah 54:8
Lectures on Faith 6
Mormon 9:19-20
Romans 16:17-18
Galatians 1:6-9

Casually reading what the scriptures have to say about divorce can be confusing. The Law of Moses spells out the process of divorce and makes it clear that people are allowed to remarry after divorce. Yet in the New Testament Jesus makes comments that appear to condemn divorce and equate remarriage with adultery. In this episode we dig into the Greek and Hebrew, demonstrate the scriptural difference between putting away and divorce, and show how bad translations have significantly changed what Jesus was criticizing, and how the corrected view is consistent with ancient and modern scripture.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4

Jeremiah 3:1

Deuteronomy 22:13-19, 28-39

Malachi 2:14-16

Matthew 5:31-32

3 Nephi 12:27-32

Matthew 19:3-9

Luke 16:18

Mark 10:11-12

1 Corinthian 7:10-15

D&C 42:22-26, 74-77

D&C 49:15-17

Article on Marriage (1835 D&C 101)

Romans 7:1-3

1 Corinthians 7:8-9

1 Timothy 5:14