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Healing from Generational Trauma (with Jalynne Geddes)

An indigenous teaching in many communities around the world is that in nature, poison is often located very near the antidote. For example, in Mayan legend, the Chechen trees have a toxic sap that causes rashes or burns when touched, but the Chaca trees grow nearby and provide an antidote. This idea of sting and relief can also be found in family histories. In this episode, artist Jalynne Geddes shares in her own life how generational trauma has been a sting and family history the relief.

Spilling the Family History Tea (with Dr. Sharon Staples)

Have you ever heard the term “spill the tea”? In recent contexts, this phrase means to perpetuate gossip or rumors. But is spreading gossip and rumors always a bad thing? In family history, it might not be. For this episode, we invited Dr. Sharon Staples to discuss what gossip has to do with family history and whether it can be used as a clue to learn more about our lineage.

The Bodies Our Ancestors Gave Us (with Dr. Ofa Hafoka)

When you think about the term “family history tools,” images of gigantic binders, wrinkled family history charts, and dusty rolls of microfilm probably come to mind. While these items can be useful, there’s another less obvious set of tools we need when we research—especially when we learn about challenging aspects of our family history. For this episode, we invited Dr. Ofa Hofaka to discuss emotional tools we need as we approach body dysmorphia, mental health, and internalized racism in family history work.

Gaining Genealogical Consciousness (with Dr. Amy Harris)

Dead cats and genealogy might seem like an odd mix. But when it comes to genealogical consciousness, they actually make perfect sense. BYU professor Amy Harris puts this into perspective by explaining that as a child, she would mourn the passing of her pet cats. But then she found peace when she realized that all “relationships are durable and meaningful—even beyond death.” This got us thinking—if we can feel connected to cherished but long deceased pets, shouldn’t our feelings about our ancestors run just as deep? In this episode, hosts Miya Jensen and Michelle Thorley discuss with Professor Harris how we can ensure our relationships with our ancestors stretch into the past as well as the future through genealogical consciousness.

Language Loss and Diaspora Grief (with Dr. Joel Selway)

Here’s an interesting question: How many generations ago were your ancestors speaking a different language than you are now? When Dr. Joel Selway lost his mother when he was 12 years old, he also lost a tie to his Thai ancestry. But shortly before his mission he came across an old book about learning Thai, and something sparked inside of him. Little did he know then that he would embark on a decades-long journey to learn the Thai language and, in turn, discover more about his family history than he could have ever anticipated.

The Impacts of Colorism (with Dr. David-James Gonzales)

What does sunshine have to do with family history? Well, besides helping our plants and vegetables grow, sunshine has a profound effect on our bodies. One of those effects is melanin production. Melanin is a dark pigment in our hair, skin, and iris of the eye that protects us from the sun’s radiation. Tragically, throughout history some have used melanin to create caste systems that determine social status, ultimately affecting our family history. In this episode, Dr. David-James Gonzales discusses how these caste systems and resulting colorism began and the impact they still have on us as we seek to learn more about ourselves and our ancestors.

D&C 129-132: Sacrifice

God’s goal for His children is to see us with Him again. That eternal life is best described in John 17 and Doctrine and Covenants 132 as “knowing” God. This week’s Come, Follow Me lesson teaches sacred truths restored through Joseph Smith that allow us to know God and bring ourselves closer to Him—in this world and the world to come.

Mike Maughan: Joining the Welcoming Committee for Christ

Mike Maughan was serving in a YSA bishopric when he heard Blake Roney, now the president of the Provo City Center Temple say, “We are not the gatekeepers, we are the welcoming committee.” That single statement changed the way Mike has lived in the years since and it changed the culture of the YSA ward in which he was serving. On this week’s episode, Mike discusses the transformative nature of that experience.

D&C 133-134: Prepare the Coming

Jesus is coming, look busy could be seen as the theme to Doctrine and Covenants 133. Near the same time that Section 1 was revealed as a preface to the Book of Commandments, Joseph Smith received Section 133 as an appendix. These closing words to the saints are focused on the coming of Christ and what we need to do to prepare.

Elaine Dalton on Our Phenomenal Influence for Good

Sister Elaine Dalton joined us for this very special episode of the podcast, recorded live at Magnify's Lift Up Your Heart event in Salt Lake City! Sister Dalton shares how we are the women spoken of by President Kimball and later by President Nelson, women who will change the world in distinct and happy ways through our testimonies and covenant conviction to the gospel of Jesus Christ. With warmth and love, she reminds us that we're not meant to sit on the sidelines—we each have a divine mission and part in the Lord's great work.