Religion Today

Enoch is mentioned in the OT Book of Genesis and the NT Book of Jude. In 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 Paul says he was taken up into heaven.  In the Apocalypse of Paul, an angel takes Paul to heaven and introduces him to Enoch.  The Book of Enoch is widely considered the most quoted source in the NT.  In the last 200 years much more information has been found.  Enoch's writings are in the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Early Christian Church Fathers Irenaeus and Tertullian considered the Book of Enoch to be scripture. The Book of Enoch was rediscovered by the Scottish explorer James Bruce in September 1769.  Other manuscripts of Enoch have been found.  It contents, generally divided into five sections, (1) Book of Watchers, (2) the Similitudes, (3) the Astronomy Book, (4) Book of Dreams, and, (5) Epistle of Enoch.  The contents are fascinating.

Jesus taught the greatest virtue is love.  Specifically, he said love  God, and love others.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner suggests the greatest virtue or good is love.  We learn this from Jesus, from the Old Testament, from near-death experiences and from personal experiences with family and friends.  Although "love" is difficult or impossible to adequately define, we instinctively know we should foster it in ourselves as a quality.  Martin suggests two ways to use love in dealing with difficult people and people with whom we disagree. 

Are the Old Testament stories real?  Most religious people say they are, except perhaps the early parts of Genesis.  Was there a "King David" who killed Goliath?  Could someone as tall as Goliath have lived?  There are skeptics, but Robert Wadlow, a resident of Illinois, who died at age 22 while he was still growing, was less than an inch away from nine feet tall and was slender, even though weighing 440 lbs. proving Goliath was possible.  In fact archaeology now proves 53 people mentioned in the Old Testament, including King David, who slew Goliath, were real people who actually lived.  Hear the details from host Martin Tanner in this episode of Religion Today. 

Many Latter-day Saints are studying Isaiah now.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner gives some tips for how to understand Isaiah.  These include: (1) finding an 8th century BC map of Jerusalem. Realizing that Jerusalem in Isaiah's time had a population of 1,500 to 2,750.  In comparison the LDS Conference center with 21,000 seats holds well over ten times the total population of Jerusalem in Isaiah's day; (2) reading Isaiah in a Modern English version, such as the New Revised standard Version (NRSV) or the Contemporary English Version (CEV); and, finding a good commentary on Isaiah.  Isaiah was a highly educated man with a masterful writing style.  He is easily included in the most gifted writers of all time.  He spoke of future events in our day, as well as events in his own day.  With a little effort, Isaiah will become understandable and of great value to any careful reader.

Due to a new book on the subject, there has been a flurry of discussion on the Internet, pro and con, on whether Joseph Smith borrowed or stole Masonic oaths, tokens, signs and penalties, words and phrases, and used them in the LDS Temple Endowment.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner explains why this is impossible.  The LDS Endowment had its origins in 1833, well before the involvement of Joseph Smith or any other LDS leader in Masonry.  Further, the signs, tokens, oaths, covenants, and penalties in the Endowment are very different in wording, nature, description, use and most importantly purpose, then anything similar in Masonry.  University fraternities and other organizations, including the Carbonari, are closer to Masonic rites than the LDS Endowment. 

Most depictions of Jesus appearance, his vocation and family life are inaccurate.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner explains that Jesus was clean shaven with short hair.  His robe was tan or wheat colored, made of undyed linen, to his knees and elbows, not to his ankles or wrists.  Jesus job was more than the mistranslation "carpenter."  Jesus and Joseph were "craftsmen."  To make it in their field they had to be skilled construction workers, able to make or repair buildings, gates, barrels, walls, furniture, roofs, wheels, carts - almost anything.  The New Testament tells us Jesus had brothers and sisters.  Early Christians, like Christians today, have a wide variety of ideas about whether Mary had any children other than Jesus, and what Jesus actual relationship was to these New Testament brothers and sisters.  Martin explains the ideas of early Christians on this.

In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner describes how Catholicism, the Eastern Orthodox faith, and most of Protestant Christianity do not believe in the pre-existence of souls, spirits or intelligences.  Latter-day Saints are the current exception.  There are many however, many Bible verses, in the Old and New Testaments, which clearly state or pre-suppose the pre-mortal existence of the human spirit or soul.  The Book of Mormon's Book of Ether includes a description of the pre-earth life spirit body of Jesus.  Early Christian Father Origin, Jewish philosopher Philo and early Greek philosopher Plato believed in the pre-mortal existence of human spirits.  Joseph Smith also described such a belief in his famous funeral sermon, the King Follett Discourse, just weeks before he was killed.

In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner describes archaeological discoveries which are strong evidence the Bible is genuine history, not just myth. Included are the significance of the Rosetta Stone, Dead Sea Scrolls, Tel Dan Inscription (9th century BC reference to "House of David"), Ketef Hinnom scrolls (7th century BC text of Numbers 6), Moabite stone (referencing Chemosh, Omni 1:9) and 2 Kings 3, the Lachish Letters, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hezekiah's tunnel, Seal of Mulek (Mosiah 25:2), crucified man at Givat Hamivtar, and, God as a Man in the Diorite Stele (depicting God as a seated man).

Martin Tanner's guest Scott Drummond shares a little of his near-death experience which has had over 19 millions views on YouTube.  Scott Drummond Martin discuss the near-death experiences conference sponsored by IANDS coming to Salt Lake City September 1-4, 2022.  A 60% discount is available to listeners, students, listeners and anyone who uses this code:  STUDENT288  when signing up at: iands.org.  Sign up for one speaker, one day or the entire conference.  Speakers include:  Mary Neal, MD, Professor Dan Peterson, Scott Drummond, Jeff Olsen, Emily Spear, Martin Tanner and dozens of others.  See the new film Remembering Heaven about near-death experiences in which those waiting to be born are seen.  Email Martin Tanner with any questions:  martinstanner@gmail.com

Several daguerreotype photographs, one newly discovered this year, are purportedly of Joseph Smith.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner explains why most of them are not of Joseph Smith.  Martin also provides details about Joseph Smith's personality, hair color, eye color, height, weight and so forth, from reliable sources, people who actually knew him. 

In honor of the 1847 and later Pioneers, in this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner provides "the rest of the story", little known details of LDS Church history, including the likely date of Joseph Smith's "First Vision", what happened to the original Nauvoo Temple, how Wilford Wood acquired for the LDS Church, the Nauvoo Temple site, the Newell K. Whitney Store, the Johnston Farm, the Adam-Ondi-Ahman property, part of the original Book of Mormon manuscript, Liberty Jail, Carthage Jail, and other Church History sites.  He describes how the Salt Lake Valley looked when the Pioneers arrived and how it was already occupied, and described as beautiful and lush by the early Pioneers.  

In the Spring of 1842 Sarah Kimball and Margaret Cook decided to create a women's benevolent society to sew new and repair damaged clothing worn by workers building the Nauvoo Temple.  They asked Eliza Snow to write articles and bylaws.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner describes how the Relief Society was formed, and how Joseph Smith "ordained" its first Presidency and helped organize it after the pattern of the Priesthood.  After research and prayer, the Relief Society women voted on on issues. They were seen as bright and competent. This led to Utah in 1869 being the first place in the entire United States and its territories to give women the unfettered right to vote. Wyoming was next. Susan B. Anthony visited Utah years before she was successful in her suffrage efforts, to learn how Utah women had acquired such power.  From the efforts of Utah's Relief Society the right of women to vote spread around the world. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the "Susan B. Anthony" amend

If you are a Latter-day Saint, you have or will be subjected at work on the Internet or somewhere else to criticisms of your Church.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner responds to a few of the many self-contradictory, un-Biblical criticisms of the LDS Church made by Eric Johnson who has devoted much of his adult life to criticizing the LDS Faith in ways his won Church would not withstand.  For example, Johnson suggests LDS are not Biblical and therefore not genuine Christians.  Yet the center of his faith is the Trinitarian belief, which is not Biblical.  He believes all one must do is believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior.  Yet he does not believe Latter-day Saints who believe Jesus is their Lord and Savior are Christians or going to Heaven.  He ignores 1 Corinthians 6:9 which says "Don't you know the unrighteous do not inherit the kingdom of God?  Don't be deceived . . . ."  Yet Johnson says belief in Jesus gets you into Heaven, not righteousness.

Jesus said "Know the truth and the truth will make you free." Jesus taught humans have freedom or free agency, or free will.  Yet Christians typically believe God knows the future in every detail.  How is this possible?  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner explores the three explanations:  (1) John Calvin said God controls all and freedom is an illusion; (2) God knows everything, but somehow this does not conflict with free will; and, (3) God knows all that can be know, especially in a macro-sense, but not in every details until humans make choices using their free will.  Freedom is tied to events in history, the influence of Christianity and inspiration of God.

Many have not heard of Polycarp, who was born in 70 AD and was taught Christianity by the Apostle John.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner gives a brief sketch of Polycarp's life, that he was Bishop of the Church is Smyrna for decades, where he had a tremendous influence for good in pointing out false ideas and doctrine during the early days of the Great Apostasy.  Polycarp was burned at the stake at age 86, in 155 AD, when he refused to deny Jesus and proclaim the Roman Emperor God.  Polycarp was revered by all of the Early Christians who knew him and by those who knew his story of faith.

In this Fathers' Day episode, host Martin Tanner describes the divinely ordained purpose and role of fathers.  Being in a single parent home is the greatest predictor of poverty for a child.  A long neglected area of study is the impact of fathers on children and the family unit.  It is no coincidence that in all areas where fathers are absent, there is an increase in poverty, crime, alcoholism, drug use, lack of education, mental illness and physical health.  In this age where the idea is a person can chose to be a man or woman or anything in between or nothing at all, science has come to understand biology cannot be chosen.  The role of men and fathers in society and in the family is important 

HULU's recent mini-series "Under the Banner of Heaven" based on the 2003 Jon Krakauer book with the same title has led to listeners emailing to ask about the accuracy of the book and mini-series.  In this episode host Martin Tanner explains how Krakauer in this and prior books leaves out critical facts, paints heroes as bad and suffers from other major flaws.  Among them are (1) the misleading idea that Ron and Dan Lafferty are "Mormons" when they were earlier excommunicated and had started their own church; (2) the lie that Lafferty's murdered because they were following the "oath of vengeance" in LDS Temples, when there has never been such an oath; (3) Ron and Dan were influenced by Brigham Young who ordered the massacre at "Mountain Meadows" even though Brigham Young explicitly and in writing did the opposite.  Krakauer's methodologies in "Under the Benner of Heaven" on consistently bad, just as in his prior book "Into Thin Air" in which he criticizes a competing Mt. Everest guide who saved

There are approximately 7.8 billion people in the world, of which 7 out of every 8 self-identify as being religious.  In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner provides statistics and information about the world's religions and scriptures.  Nearly a third of the world are Christians, 2.38 billion.  Muslims total about 1.8 billion and Hindus 1.2 billion.  Many are surprised at hearing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with over 16.3 million members is larger than the number of Southern Baptists, with about 16 million and the number of Jews, numbering about 15 million.  Martin Tanner discusses the number of Bibles printed and other books published and read on religion.  He provides other information and statistics about religion and its benefits.

What are the core American values that make the United States the place people sneak into, not out of?  Why do some people in the U,S. want to "fundamentally transform" it when it is the greatest country that has ever existed?  In this Memorial Day weekend show, host Martin Tanner talks about the fundamental freedoms of religion and speech which are found no where else in the world, He quotes the Founding Fathers saying the founding and values of the Unites States was inspired by God, and how the Doctrine and Covenants says God inspired the Founding Fathers.

Are reincarnation and Christianity compatible?  A growing number of Latter-day Saints and other Christians self-identify as Christians and believers in reincarnation.  In this episode of Religion Today host Martin Tanner explains why belief in reincarnation and Christianity are not compatible.  He explains why it is not possible that Jesus taught reincarnation.  He explains how reincarnation in incompatible with the Atonement, resurrection, eternal families, eternal progression.  The ultimate goal of Christianity is eternal progression resulting in a resurrected individual very much like Jesus.  The ultimate goal of reincarnation is to become one with the universe without an individual identify, and without a body.  Why do some people who have near-death experiences believe they see reincarnation?  They see themselves or other in the pre-existence.  They see others who have died in Paradise or Spirit Prison, in the next phase of eternal progression.