Standard of Truth Podcast – S5E35: Women and the Sacrament

Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat (with Dr. Richard Leduc)

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat and Dr. Richard Leduc address a timely and frequently asked question within Latter-day Saint circles: Why don’t young women pass the sacrament, and could this change in the future? Using historical context and church doctrine, they explore how priesthood responsibilities—specifically regarding administering and passing the sacrament—have evolved, and discuss broader themes of authority, revelation, and the ever-present issue of apostasy and claims to revelation outside church hierarchy. The episode also features heartfelt listener stories, international adventures in temple work, and signature banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Podcast Updates and Listener Community (00:00–16:00)

• Banter & Update on Bonus Content: The hosts announce that past popular episodes on the Word of Wisdom and the Apocrypha will be re-released as bonus material, joking that mastering obscure church history makes you eligible for any calling.

  "If you go to Relief Society and say, 'I was studying Doctrine & Covenants 91, and it led me to think about Bel and the Dragon,' I guarantee you do that, you can pick your choice of calling..." – Garrett Dirkmaat [05:04]

• Sweetwater Rescue Charity Experiences: Richard recounts travels to Lithuania, Finland, and Latvia with poignant stories of helping distant saints reach the temple and the serendipity of running into podcast listeners even abroad.

• Miracle Story of Temple Attendance: Richard shares the moving account of a Latvian woman whose family, after years of hardship, was enabled to attend the temple due to a cascade of inspired events, including her son's last-minute ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood by the very missionary who converted her decades ago.

  "The Lord is in the details of our lives all the time. ...The best part about all of this stuff that we do ...is to see the beautiful hand of the Lord... to help us to know that He's not leaving us alone here and that He loves us very much." – Richard Leduc [20:32]

2. Mailbag – The Core Question: Women Passing the Sacrament (24:53–36:26)

• Email Question: Listener Michelle asks if only boys can pass the sacrament, whether or not there is doctrinal basis for this restriction, and whether it could change (referencing recent changes like who can witness baptisms).

Historical Context of Passing the Sacrament

• Early Church Practice: In the 19th century, passing the sacrament was performed by priesthood holders—but these were generally adult men. It wasn’t until much later that the current structure of Aaronic Priesthood quorums of boys passing the sacrament developed.

  "In the early church, the passing of the sacrament was always done by men who have the priesthood, but those men were also all adults, basically... It's not really until the final third of the 19th century that there's kind of codification." – Garrett Dirkmaat [26:46]

• Roles Evolve Over Time: Offices, age groups, and assignments have all changed, such as the shift from adult men to young men passing the sacrament. Changes in witness policy (allowing women and children to serve as witnesses at baptisms) demonstrate the possibility for adaptation.

Scriptural and Policy Basis

• Administration vs. Passing: Scripturally, 'administering' the sacrament refers to the blessing, a priestly function. The act of passing is not restricted by scripture in the same way, though practice assigns it to deacons.

  "A lot of people think the passing the tray around is the administration of the sacrament, but the administration is the blessing..." – Garrett Dirkmaat [28:41]

• No Explicit Doctrine Prevents Change: The practice is policy, not immutable doctrine. The assignment for deacons to pass the sacrament is a policy decision—previously clarified that only priesthood holders must bless but not necessarily pass or hand the sacrament.

• Could It Change?: Yes; the church believes in ongoing revelation, and policies have already changed regarding witnessing baptisms. The hosts, however, avoid speculative advocacy and defer to prophetic leadership.

Broader Observations & Cautions

• Speculation Isn't Always Helpful: Discussing 'what could change' can be of interest, but the hosts emphasize that faithful adherence to current prophetic guidance is central.

  "For trivia and hypotheticals, I could see someone saying, you know, I'd really like to know... Is there something barring it, saying that, oh, no, there's no possible way? Well, of course not. Is it typically fruitful to speculate? ...Usually not." – Garrett Dirkmaat [33:06]

• Strength of Current Youth Program: Despite questions and concerns, LDS youth programs are widely envied and effective, as attested by other faith leaders.

3. Further Listener Mail – Prophets, Apostasy, and Revelation (41:08–69:00)

• Fundamentalist & Apostate Claims: A listener preparing for a mission shares experiences with friends in Mormon fundamentalist groups who claim President Nelson isn’t a true prophet, and challenge the doctrine of ongoing revelation.

Authority to Receive Revelation

• Doctrine & Covenants 43 establishes that only the presiding prophet receives revelation for the church and that if a prophet should fall, only he can appoint his successor.

  "There is none other appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations until he be taken, if he abide in me. ...For if it be taken from him, he shall not have power except to appoint another in his stead." – Garrett Dirkmaat quoting D&C 43 [56:08]

• Joseph Smith’s Explicit Teachings: Joseph Smith clarified (in a letter to the Vermont branch president Carter) that no member should receive revelations for those in higher authority, and that claimed visions or revelations outside authorized channels are not binding for the church as a whole.

  "It is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the church or anyone to receive instruction for those in authority higher than themselves. ..." – Garrett Dirkmaat, quoting Joseph Smith letter [58:17]

About ‘Personal Revelation’ Overturning Church Leadership

• Personal revelation is for personal guidance, not church governance. Claims of revelation against the prophet or church policy are not valid within LDS theological structure.

Patterns of Apostasy

• Both fundamentalist (polygamy claims) and "modern apostate" (denying polygamy, etc.) groups share the feature of asserting the LDS church became corrupt and that unauthorized individuals have been chosen by God—as per revelations—in violation of scriptural protocol.

  "All of the modern apostasies...all of them fail this test because all of them cannot claim that the prophet, who was the prophet at the time of their apostasy, gave them the authority to receive revelation for the church." – Garrett Dirkmaat [59:43]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The Lord is in the details of our lives all the time. And we can often not see it. ...But the best part...is to see the beautiful hand of the Lord." – Richard Leduc [20:32]
• "For trivia and hypotheticals...is there something barring it, saying that, oh, no, there's no possible way? Well, of course not." – Garrett Dirkmaat [33:06]
• "You can't receive a personal testimony about how the prophet is wrong. That's not a revelation that God's giving you." – Garrett Dirkmaat [57:20]
• "It's a pretty different thing to argue as The Righteous Branch ...that Wilford Woodruff became a fallen prophet because he shouldn't have ended plural marriage. ...But you'll notice they all have of necessity ...that somewhere along the line, the main branch ...became corrupted." – Garrett Dirkmaat [47:22]
• "Every Christian minister that I ever have a conversation with, that is where they want the conversation to go. Every one of them: 'Oh, I just wish we could have the same youth program that you have.' Every one of them." – Garrett Dirkmaat [38:35]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–06:00: Announcements, Word of Wisdom & Apocrypha re-release banter
• 08:23–21:23: Sweetwater Rescue, miracle temple trip story
• 24:53–36:26: Mailbag question – Women/girls and passing the sacrament
• 41:08–69:00: Second mailbag – Authority, revelation, fundamentalist claims, D&C 43 discussion
• 53:04–54:22: Humorous personal anecdote: hospital mix-up and birthday confusion
• 59:43–61:19: Summation of why splinter/revelatory claims outside church authority fail doctrinally

Recap for Non-Listeners

This episode of Standard of Truth is a rich, witty, and faith-driven discussion, weaving LDS history, policy evolution, and doctrine with practical and personal experiences. The hosts address the much-discussed issue of whether young women could pass the sacrament by highlighting policy, precedent, and the living nature of revelation in the church. They also ground listeners in core teachings on prophetic authority and ward off common arguments from both fringe and fundamentalist directions. Peppered with both light-hearted humor and touching stories of faith, it offers a substantial entry point for those wanting a deeper understanding of Latter-day Saint doctrine and practice around church service and authority.