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51: “The Family Is Central to the Creator’s Plan” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

Have you ever seen the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch? It's a classic film all about "ohana," or the Hawaiian word for family. And the best quote from that movie is, "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind." Besides being heartwarming words from a Disney movie, this quote also holds so much meaning for what we are going to study this week: "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." So no matter what your ohana looks like, by the end of this week's discussion, we will see how the divine promise of nobody being left behind is meant for all of us.

Abe Mills and Stephen Jones: Love Thy Neighbor

The complexities surrounding conversations of racism today are numberless but the root of the solution is the two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. On this week’s episode, we talk with Abe Mills and Stephen Jones, two black Latter-day Saints, about their experiences with racism within Church culture, the faith of those who came before them, and why they don’t hesitate to share their faith in Jesus Christ.

Randy Lindsay: When a Genealogical DNA Test Rocks Your World

BBC dubbed them “the Christmas present that could tear your family apart.” Family history DNA tests have been all the rage over the past several years and Randy Lindsay is one of millions who submitted his DNA in hopes of finding missing links in his family tree. However, like many others, Lindsay got more than he bargained for when he learned that the man he thought was his father was not actually his biological father.

45: Converted Unto the Lord

Stories in this episode: Jim, a devout Baptist, sends his five of his seven children on Latter-day Saint missions despite his misgivings about what they will teach and finds himself “tapped on the shoulder” by God; Though she grew up a member of the Church, Brooke doesn’t really search out her own testimony until devastating loss puts her faith, or lack thereof, at the forefront of her life; Missionaries go the literal extra mile to find Martin when he moves back to Norway after a visit to temple square; Dumdi finds the strength to remain faithful after baptism despite being alone in her efforts; When Monique’s family moves to a predominantly Latter-day Saint community, she vows to steer clear of “The Mormons” but finds herself drawn to the doctrine despite negative experiences.

Scott Hales: Becoming “Saints”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last published a multivolume history in 1930. Millions from across the globe have joined the Church in the 90 years that have passed since that history and “Saints” is the effort to preserve the story of the ongoing restoration. We are all a part of the story told in the Church’s new history—it is our story of becoming Saints "through the Atonement of Christ the Lord." On this week's episode, we talk with lead writer Scott Hales about the research that went into the book Church members around the world have fallen in love with.

Whitney Johnson: Create > Compete

After studying Clayton Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation, Whitney Johnson developed the concept of "Disrupting Yourself"—a principle she has successfully taught in the business world for years. On this week’s episode, she teaches us how the model is demonstrated in our Heavenly Father’s plan and is founded on gospel principles. By continually evolving and developing, rather than competing with one another, Johnson says we can spend our time living in abundance. Additionally, when we focus our efforts on continually creating, we will recognize not only our own strengths but others' strengths, as well.

51: Weak Things Made Strong

Stories in this episode: Bullied most of her life, Julie discovers that the autism that made her different is actually the exact thing that makes her gifted at family history work; A comic book heroine helps Sarah find her own superpowers when it comes to connecting with others; Kurt struggles with the weight of his calling as a bishop until the memory of a red superhero cape reminds him of his true desire to help others.

Bonus: Brigham Taylor: The Magic of Disney for Latter-day Saints

When the box office numbers from opening weekend roll in following a big Disney release, Brigham Taylor says the top few movie theaters tend to have something in common: they’re located in Utah. Of course, Latter-day Saints live all over the world but if the state with the highest concentration of Latter-day Saints is any indication, Disney is a hit among members of the Church.

53: The Heavens Are Open

Stories in this episode: In the early days of his firefighting career, Steve enters a burning home to save a life and is forced to choose between protocol and following the Spirit; Heidi anguishes over her efforts to help create a documentary about Joseph Smith’s life until she receives a special witness from God; Alone in the rainforests of Madagascar, Elizabeth finds herself in dire need of heavenly power to call down a miracle.

Hal Boyd: Eliminating the Hyphen in Disciple-Scholar

Elder Neal A. Maxwell coined the phrase “disciple-scholar.” But he said, “In the end all the hyphenated words come off. We are finally disciples—men and women of Christ.” But what does that look like? Hal Boyd says it begins with being consistent and bringing our faith with us wherever we go.