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From the maple trees of the Sacred Grove to busy London streets, from the quiet Susquehanna Valley to bustling Taiwan, this journey to know Joseph Smith has brought us many places. But has it taken us to Christ? In this final episode of the Joseph podcast, we saved the best for last as guests share their stories of how, through heartbreak and rock bottom, they were able to find Christ through the prophet Joseph Smith.

Casey Elliott: Changed through Characters

Sometimes, it can be difficult to put ourselves in the shoes of the people we read about in Church history or in the scriptures. We live in such a different world today that their experiences can be hard for us to grasp. But stepping into others’ shoes is what Casey Elliott often does on stage, and the experience has changed him. From playing Joseph Smith in the upcoming film “Green Flake” to Peter in the concert film of the oratorio “Lamb of God,” Elliott captures the humanity of these people and brings them to life. In this week’s episode, we explore what this humanity means to Elliott and how his perception of history has deepened through acting.

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.

6: Lessons from the Desert

When Brittani McLeod’s job led her to a remote village in the deserts of Morocco, she thought she would have to leave behind everything familiar. She didn’t expect the miraculous ways that her Heavenly Father would remind her that He is everywhere.

12: Love Is What Brings Us Together Today

Stories in this episode: A last-ditch quidditch match in the MTC brings Rylan and Diana together years later when they reconnect at the temple; Tyler’s side hustle as a singing telegram puts him in the unique position to find real love; Sarah’s wild dream about a flying kite proves the key to her courage when love comes in an unexpected way; Friendship takes a turn toward romance on a disastrous road trip for Melea and Dean.

16: A True Change of Heart

When Dusty first came in contact with anti-Mormon literature, he had no idea that his desire to refute it would eventually lead him to become a vehement persecutor of the Church he once loved. What does it take to come back from the precipice of lost faith? Dusty’s unique story of belief lost and found is a reminder that the Savior’s atonement reaches for us even in our seemingly unreachable places.

18: The Roots of Faith

Stories in this episode: An extraordinary lesson from her family history helps Sister Linda K. Burton find the right words to minister to the women of the Relief Society when she is called as president; Deserey is called to be the Family History specialist in her single adult ward and receives a special spiritual confirmation from her father beyond the veil about the value of her calling.

20: This Grand Gospel Adventure

Stories in this episode: Erik takes a huge professional risk as a Broadway theater producer that doesn’t quite turn out the way he prayed it would when failure leads him somewhere surprising; When Emily, a born adventurer, finds herself in the tedium of young motherhood, another woman’s last minute trip to Peru sends her to her knees to ask God what he has in store for her.

26: It's the Little Things

Stories in this episode: Emily finds a tiny but meaningful evidence of God’s care for her in a convention center bathroom; A disappointing answer to one prayer leads Alexandra to a new kind of prayer with interesting results; Scott returns to a difficult area from his mission five years later and is met with a happy surprise; One creatively placed word helps Serena find hope; Marianne sees the hand of God in a perfectly timed knock at her door.

27: In the Line of Duty

Stories in this episode: As a newly enlisted soldier in the Royal Canadian Navy, Warren finds himself and his faith at odds with military tradition during a fancy dinner; Verdi makes a surprising traffic stop on a late night policing shift that changes his perspective about human dignity; Nicole learns what it really means to trust God when she is left to hold down the fort during her husband’s military deployment.