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37: "Be Still and Know That I Am God" (Doctrine and Covenants 98–101)

Whether we’re waiting in traffic, waiting in a checkout line, or even just waiting for the elevator—hardly anybody enjoys having to wait. And sometimes we have to wait on things a bit more consequential than traffic, a checkout line, or an elevator. What about when we are waiting for the Lord’s help? In Doctrine and Covenants 98–101, the Missouri Saints were asked not only to wait, but to wait patiently on the Lord during some of their most trying times. And as we study these sections, we’ll discover that there are blessings and promises in store for all who patiently wait on the Savior.

Heidi Swinton: Profiling a Prophet

As a young journalism student at the University of Utah, Heidi Swinton had big dreams of one day working for Newsweek, but a prompting encouraging her to focus on the work of the Lord led her to a different path in life instead. This path still involved Swinton using her talents through writing, but in ways she never could’ve imagined—including writing the biography of President Thomas S. Monson.

Randal Wright: Learning and Improving through Life

Years ago, while sitting alone in a hospital waiting room as his wife had an emergency C-section, Randal Wright made a commitment to God as he called upon the powers of heaven to help his wife safely deliver their newborn child. In that commitment, he promised that for the rest of his life he would look for important lessons. Not only would he look for those lessons, he would record them and share them. The Lord protected and preserved the lives of Randal's wife and child, and in return, Randal has kept his promise to God. On today’s episode, Randal reveals the power of sharing our experiences and learning from the experiences of others to inspire us to be better and live life to its fullest.

Daniel Peterson: The Power of a Witness

David Whitmer, Martin Harris, and Oliver Cowdery. Those are the well-known names of three men whose witnesses of the Book of Mormon stood the test of time, even if their loyalty to the Church sometimes wavered. But who were they? What about these men enabled God to use them in Restoration? Why did they all, at various points, step away from the Church? And why did two of them come back? On this week’s episode, Daniel Peterson, an executive producer of the new movie “Witnesses,” discusses the significance of these men’s roles in Church history and why we should hold gratitude in our hearts for their lives.

Aaron Franklin: The Literal Light of the World

Could a greater understanding of the physical properties of light allow us to better radiate God's light—spiritual light—to those around us? How can our hope and trust in God increase when we more fully appreciate the ability of God's light to reach us? On this week’s episode, we speak with Aaron Franklin, an engineer, chemist, and a professor at Duke University about how an increased grasp of principles of light could open our eyes to the gospel truths associated with spiritual light.

Ally Isom: Making Space for Female Voices

In October 2015, President Russell M. Nelson, then-President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, issued a plea to the women of the Church: “We need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices.” Since becoming prophet, President Nelson has reiterated similar pleas and has said that the women of the Church have “the spiritual power to change the world.” So, how do we make space for female voices in today’s world? Ally Isom, former head of global branding for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has a few ideas.

Defining Joseph

“Prophet,” “Friend,” “Brother”—these are all words that have been used to describe Joseph Smith. But what about “Restorer,” “Visionary,” or even “Warrior”? Heidi’s friends (and historians) Jenny Reeder and Bob Millet share with Heidi how they would define Joseph if they only had one word to do so. Then Heidi turns to Cree Nation members Jalynne Geddes and her father, Harry Michael, to hear about who they know Joseph Smith to be.

Connecting with Joseph

Oceans and time separate many Latter-day Saints from Joseph Smith. And yet, many Saints from around the world have testimonies of this 19th-century American prophet. How is this possible? How have so many Saints of so many different time periods, ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds, felt connected to Joseph Smith? In this episode, Heidi asks her friends from different continents and countries how they reached across oceans to gain their testimonies of the prophet of the Restoration.

Mauli Bonner and Paul Reeve: Understanding the History of Blacks in the Church

In 1830, the same year the Church was organized, a former slave named Peter became the first documented Black member of the Church. Nearly 200 years later, Mauli Bonner first heard Peter's story when he started exploring his own faith as a Black member of the Church. This journey led him to Paul Reeve, a professor at the University of Utah who has studied Blacks in Church history extensively. On today's episode, Mauli and Paul explain not only the importance of the stories of early Black Latter-day Saints, but also how their stories can strengthen our faith and our testimonies of the restored gospel.

Sage Williams: Sexual Abuse—Prevention, Healing, and Hope

Harvard recently held a symposium entitled “Faith and Flourishing: Strategies for Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Abuse.” Latter-day Saint Sage Williams was one of the organizers of the symposium. On today's episode, she shares how her faith has influenced her to advocate for the prevention of sexual abuse. She also explains why she believes this work is a sacred one.