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Topics surrounding Joseph Smith’s life can sometimes be controversial, and they’re not exactly things we can sidestep on a journey to get to know him. So how do we tackle this complexity hundreds of years after his death? How do we make sense of the moments in Joseph’s life that were sometimes controversial? And how do we become stronger for it? We talked to Heidi’s friends, some of whom are renowned historians, who had these very same questions and learned from their experiences how we might find the answers for ourselves.

Keith Erekson: Investigating Latter-Day Saint Rumors and Assumptions

We’ve all heard them. There are pre-general conference predictions, rumors about certain celebrities investigating the Church, and sensationalized stories from Church history. How can you discern what is real and what’s rumor? On this week’s episode, Keith Erekson, director of the Church History Library, teaches how historians approach corroboration and how you can do the same in your own life.

Bryan Ready: From Critic to Convert

From the time he was a young boy, Bryan Ready felt drawn to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Initially, he studied everything he could find about it, determined to prove it wasn't the restored church on the earth today. But while working as a Southern Baptist pastor, he allowed himself to consider that it might actually be true. Over the course of five years, he went from tearing down the Church to joining it. On this week’s episode, we talk with Ready about why he eventually concluded that the Church is where he is meant to be, and why it is now his home.

Roohina Arya: Journey Toward the Light

Latter-day Saints around the world make significant sacrifices to believe. For Roohina Arya, a desire to follow Jesus Christ meant risking her life. Local laws forbade her conversion to Christianity and simply desiring to believe meant subjecting herself to physical abuse as well as a loss of security for her and her loved ones. Yet, she says that the hope of finding light was worth any risk. On this week’s episode, we talk with Roohina about her quest to come unto Christ and how her journey of faith transformed her life.

Nate and Vanessa Quigley: Finding Enduring Joy in Parenting

Like many young couples, Nate and Vanessa Quigley had big dreams and a firm vision for their little family after getting married. They had read the Book of Mormon scripture that promises if you keep the commandments, you will prosper in the land (2 Nephi 4:4). Over a quarter of a century later, they believe the Lord has blessed them in their efforts to raise their children in the gospel of Jesus Christ—those blessings just look a little different than they imagined. On today’s episode, the Quigleys share the challenges they've encountered as parents and why they are convinced their family is perfect for them.

Marcus Martins: Focused on the Future, Learning from the Past

Marcus Martins never planned to serve a mission, to be sealed in the temple, or to serve as a bishop. These things would require him to receive the priesthood, and there was a restriction in place that precluded him from doing so. But Martins’s life changed forever on June 8, 1978, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a revelation extending the priesthood to all worthy male members ages 12 and older. Since that day, Martins has served not only as a missionary, but as a bishop, a temple officiator, a Book of Mormon translator, and a mission president. On this week's episode, Martins explains how he developed a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ even before 1978 and why he has never looked back in the nearly 50 years since he joined the Church.

5: Waiting Upon the Lord

In this episode, Isaac Thomas shares the story of how he gained a testimony and joined the church in 1976 at a time when he, as a Black man, could not receive the priesthood. He recounts the heartbreak and joy he found as he faithfully served and waited for a revelation that would restore the Priesthood to every worthy male member of the Church.

8: New Year, New Me

Todd was far from religious or even spiritual when he started meeting weekly with a Latter-day Saint bishop in search of a new life beyond his addictions. What happened over the next four years, including an inspired trip to a roadside lemonade stand, changed the course of his life in real and lasting ways.

10: The Strength to Forgive

Stories in this episode: Crishelle learns how to move forward after a deep betrayal causes her to question everything she once knew about her family; After a traumatic car accident, Kaitlyn discovers forgiveness is a process and not a one-time event; A very naughty puppy teaches Sarah the love and understanding that can come through Christ’s Atonement.

13: Collateral Beauty

You can find beauty even in the hardest things when you put your faith in God. Stories in this episode: Teresa has a strange prompting that helps her find the compensatory blessings from God when her plans for retirement are upended by loss; A bid for a spot on the village council places Shauna in some crazy situations, with outcomes that only God could have foreseen.