Episode 69 - A Smoot Point

Great And Spacious Podcast

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Welcome to the 69th episode of *The Great and Spacious Podcast*! Abigail, Abish, aaaAAAaaa, and our special guest Claudia kick off the show with a cocktail-fueled celebration of our milestone episode. We’re spreading the love (and the drinks) in the absence of our beloved Moroni, who's missing this week. As we revel in our 69th episode, a sacred number—if you consider oral tradition as sacred, expect some lively banter, a peek behind the curtain of our next segments. Plus, we reveal our bespoke cocktail, the "Elect Lady,” and why it’s anything but demure.
Scriptures: [00:19:16]
In this segment, aaaAAAaaa takes us on a journey through sections 24, 25, and 26 of the Doctrine and Covenants. We dissect the divine revelations handed down to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, chuckling at the historical "persecution" and the dubious claims of prophetic origins. As we navigate the instructions, we imagine Oliver Cowdery as an overzealous divine spam filter and question the consistency of these early revelations. Section 24 gives us a laugh at Joseph and Oliver’s supposedly celestial career path, while Section 25—directed at Emma Smith—seems like a celestial boss's to-do list for his underappreciated employee. We’ll sympathize with Emma’s plight while adding a touch of irreverence to her restrictive role.
Church Teachings: [00:41:17]
In the Church Teachings segment, Abish dives into the Strengthening Church Members Committee, unraveling the glaring omission of Emma Smith from General Conference talks. If you thought being left out of a family photo was rough, try being overshadowed in the history books. While Joseph Smith is paraded around like the church's personal superhero, Emma’s immense contributions and trials get a mere footnote. The hosts recount her personal tragedies, including the loss of six children, and share their frustration over how her legacy is treated with all the respect of a soggy afterthought.
History: [01:02:51]
Abigail takes us on a wild ride through history with the curious case of Oliver Smoot, the MIT student who became a unit of measurement. In 1958, Oliver was used to measure the length of Harvard Bridge, resulting in “smoots” as a unit of length—364.4 smoots, plus or minus an ear. The smoots are still marked on the bridge, showing that even in academia, there’s room for a little humor. We then shift gears to Reed Smoot, a politically influential LDS figure whose tenure was marred by controversy and polygamy. Abigail humorously contrasts the smoot’s lighthearted legacy with Reed’s contentious political career, highlighting how one smoot could measure both bridge lengths and historical impacts.

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