Standard of Truth: S6E7 "The Book of Enoch Part 1"

Release Date: February 12, 2026
Host: Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat
Guest: Dr. Richard Leduc

Episode Overview

This episode marks the beginning of a new series exploring the Book of Enoch, an ancient text that has intrigued Latter-day Saints (LDS) and biblical scholars alike. Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat and Dr. Richard Leduc blend their trademark humor, historical rigor, and faith-based perspective as they explain why Enoch is such a significant figure in LDS doctrine, how little is actually written about him in the Bible, and what the Latter-day Saint scriptural tradition and other early Christian sources add to the story. They also field a series of listener emails (with their usual comedic asides) on topics ranging from gambling and missionary life to deep questions about the tactics of Satan and feelings about the Second Coming.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Banter, Humor & Podcast Housekeeping

• Opening Banter starts with a comedic segment on Super Bowl gambling stats, riffing on President Hinckley’s counsel against gambling, and a few running jokes about podcasting while tired or under duress.

  • Quote (03:04):

    "I work very hard for the money and I don’t want to lose it."
    — Dr. Richard Leduc

• Listener Emails: Several emails are read from listeners, ranging from humorous stories about babies born during podcast listening, to recommendations for how missionaries can survive and access the podcast Google Drive.

• Missionary Shoutouts: Elders and missionaries are encouraged to listen (with their mission president’s permission), referencing Google Drive access issues for LDS missions.

2. On the Tactics of Satan—A Listener’s Question

Timestamp: 14:52–24:48
Listener Question: Would Satan tempt us to do good at the expense of something better? How do we discern between good and best?

Key Responses:

• Dr. Dirkmaat Response:
  Satan is subtle and absolutely uses the temptation to do good things as a way to distract us from doing better or the best things that God wants us to do.

  • Quote (17:09):

    "Is it good to have a job? It's absolutely good to get a job. But if getting a job is preventing you from going on your mission, well, then the good part of that job suddenly becomes less good, right?"

  • Draws on C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters as an example of prioritizing lesser goods over higher, divine imperatives.
  • Stresses the importance of following the prophet even when his directions differ from our personal opinions or plans.
  • Quote (23:01):

    "It's very easy to follow the prophet when he happens to say exactly what you already believe and think. But what happens when he tells you what you don't already believe and think? ... We are called to be sheep."

• Dr. Leduc Response:
  Affirms the approach, emphasizing humility and the necessity of prioritizing divine guidance over even good personal aspirations.

3. Anxiety About the Second Coming—A Listener’s Concern

Timestamp: 24:48–43:28
Listener Question: Why are some Latter-day Saints not excited for the Second Coming? Is it wrong to feel hesitant because of personal dreams or fears about the events surrounding it?

Discussion:

• Dr. Dirkmaat:

  • Understands temporal concerns (“I’ve planned to go to law school and if Jesus comes tomorrow, they certainly aren’t going to need any more lawyers”).
  • Points out that our sense of importance for this-world achievement changes with perspective:
    • Quote (35:59)

      "When you experience sharing the gospel with somebody, when you have those really powerful spiritual experiences ... nobody’s thinking about Hershey bars right then."

  • Compares the joy of family gatherings and powerful spiritual experiences with fleeting, temporal pleasures.
  • Emphasizes that millennial, resurrected life promises far greater happiness and the resolution of all earthly sorrow—including the cessation of death.
    • Quote (40:00):

      "I've got to believe that's better than getting a second doctorate, right? ... Having your loved ones close, having a certainty of the celestial glory that awaits you all together is going to trump the things that we think really matters."

• Dr. Leduc:

  • Affirms that many worries melt away with eternal perspective and uses personal anecdotes and humor to reinforce the ideas.

4. Introduction to Enoch and the Book of Enoch

Timestamp: 43:28–69:53

Why Enoch?

• Sparse Biblical Mention:

  • Enoch gets only two verses in Genesis and a brief comment in Hebrews and Jude.
    • Genesis 5: "Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him."
    • Hebrews 11:5 references Enoch's translation.

• LDS Interest:

  • The Pearl of Great Price (Book of Moses) provides a unique and far more detailed story about Enoch—a “huge expansion” not known or accepted in the wider Christian tradition.
  • LDS revelation links Enoch and the concept of a Zion society to Latter-day Saint doctrine on building Zion and the events of the Second Coming.

Wilford Woodruff Journal Note

• Location of Enoch's City:

  • A quirky historical aside: Joseph Smith reportedly opined (per Wilford Woodruff) that the city of Enoch was “in the Gulf of Mexico.”
    • Quote (53:28):

      "It was the opinion of the prophet Joseph that the city of Enoch was in the Gulf of Mexico."

• Brigham Young’s Advice:

  • Incorporates practical pioneer advice about work and priorities with an eschatological perspective.

The Apocryphal Book of Enoch

• Book of Enoch was a text in circulation before and after the time of Jesus, known in early Christian communities, and referenced in the New Testament (esp. Jude), but not included in the Bible.
• Early Christians and ancient Jews often referenced the Book of Enoch, notably its prophecies about the coming of the Lord with his saints.
  • Quote (62:18):

    "And Enoch, also the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, behold, the Lord cometh with 10,000 of his saints..." (Book of Jude quoting Enoch)

• Highlights the confusion about what is and isn’t included in “the Apocrypha,” and the difference between the Old Testament Apocrypha and other ancient “hidden” books.
• The text was rediscovered in Ethiopia in the 1800s (the Coptic version), and later Aramaic fragments were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, sparking renewed scholarly interest; Latter-day Saints find doctrinal resonance because of the unique doctrine about Enoch in the Book of Moses.

5. Looking Ahead: Next Episode Teaser

• The hosts promise a deeper dive in the next episode:
  • Early Christian references to Enoch
  • A closer analysis of what the Book of Enoch actually says
  • Context on how Latter-day Saints relate to, and are sometimes cautioned about, extra-biblical ancient texts

"That’s the worst tease that has ever been given to get anyone to come back to any podcast ever."
— Dr. Dirkmaat (64:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Satan’s Tactics:

  “Satan will do whatever he has to do to get us to not do what God wants us to do. And of course, he’s willing to tempt us to do something that isn’t, you know, in and of itself horribly bad, but that it pulls us away from what God wants us to do.”
  — Dr. Dirkmaat (15:52)

• On Temporal Fears About the Millennium:

  "Imagine a world in which there is no death, where no one is taken from you, where no one goes too soon... Man, I've got to believe that's better than getting a second doctorate, right?"
  — Dr. Dirkmaat (40:00)

• On the Book of Enoch’s Influence:

  "Jude makes a quotation from this Book of Enoch, quoting this portion, talking about... the eventual judgment. And so we know that... at least some version of this Book of Enoch was in circulation at the time that Jude wrote his epistle because he’s quoting it."
  — Dr. Dirkmaat (62:18)

Timestamps for Main Content

• Gambling Banter & Mailbag: 00:01–14:49
• On Satan’s Tactics (Missionary Question): 14:52–24:48
• Second Coming Anxieties (Listener Q): 24:48–43:28
• Introduction to Enoch, Joseph Smith, Apocryphal Enoch Text: 43:28–69:53
• End/Next Episode Tease: 69:53–end

Tone and Style Notes

• Conversational, humorous, approachable: The hosts poke fun at themselves, each other, and their own audience, keeping a light touch even on heavy subjects.
• Deeply faithful and pastoral: Doctrinal concerns are addressed thoughtfully and with an eye to spiritual benefit.
• Erudite: Cites modern and ancient sources, with attention to scholarly debate and scriptural interpretation, but always in accessible language.

Final Takeaway

This episode underscores why Enoch holds such a powerful place in Latter-day Saint imagination and doctrine, even as the biblical Enoch is largely a mystery. Through witty banter and solid doctrinal grounding, Dirkmaat and Leduc make a compelling case for how searching lesser-known ancient texts and church history can fortify faith, clarify misconceptions, and deepen one’s understanding of the gospel.

Next Episode:
Stay tuned for more on the Book of Enoch’s contents, its use in early Christianity, and what (if anything) it might mean for modern Latter-day Saints.