Welcome to the Standard of Truth podcast, hosted by historian Dr. Garrett Dirkmont,

where we explore the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

and gain rare historical insights into how a young farm boy was able to establish a new church

and grow it by way of visions, manifestations,

and miracles.

Hi, welcome to another episode of the Standard of Truth podcast.

I'm your host, Dr. Garrett Dirkmont, and I'm joined by my friend,

ABD, Professor Richard LaDuke. Thank you, Garrett. I appreciate you throwing a little respect on it.

When, when, last, last episode, you called yourself doctor. I did. I did call myself.

I feel like if I don't start giving you the props you deserve, I will take it. No man take it this honor unto himself.

Except for anyone who's an ABD.

That's right.

So in this episode, we're going to conclude our Mormon Battalion story that Garrett's been telling.

The yarn that I've been spinning.

That he's been spinning.

But before we get to that final Mormon Battalion episode.

You're making it sound almost like, is it sure, like, we've all been laboring under the fact that this wasn't a polygamy episode.

No, it's interesting.

So you've been teasing along and now we're

going to get to the culmination is James K. Polk's journal entry that's the payoff oh when we get

there I remember when I first read James Polk's journal when I was researching for my dissertation.

And when I read those words on it, I was like,

...