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Richard Turley: The Cautionary Tales of Church History and the Role Models Worth Emulating

Richard Turley has spent his career facing history head-on because he believes the more we know, the better we can answer questions. When it comes to Church history, there are an abundance of examples worth emulating, but there are also cautionary tales we can learn from. On this week’s episode, Turley looks back on his takeaways from writing books about two dark moments in Church history: the Mark Hofmann trial and the Mountain Meadows Massacre. He then contrasts that to the uplifting lessons he learned from writing a biography about the exemplary life of President Dallin H. Oaks.

Kurt Francom: The Many Miracles of Church Leadership

Inspired by his desire to be a better bishop, Kurt Francom has interviewed hundreds of people about their service within the Church. What began as blog became a podcast and then eventually a non-profit organization with a goal to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. On this week’s episode, we talk with Kurt about what he has learned from Church leaders serving in various callings all over the world including how to recognize the needs of those you serve and the difference between a motivation problem vs. an ability problem.

Bonus: Elijiah Bryant: Chasing a Dream

Over the course of nine days in May, Elijah Bryant went from playing professional basketball in Israel to fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing in the NBA. He signed with the Milwaukee Bucks and, in July, he became an NBA champion. But Elijah is not just a basketball player—he is also a husband, a father, and a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Lisa Valentine Clark: Seeing God in the Midst of Grief

On June 5, 2020, Christopher Clark passed away after a four-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Just days before, he and his wife, Lisa Valentine Clark, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Now, she feels her husband's absence every day. How can Lisa move forward from here? Is it possible to put the pieces back together when a key piece is missing? On this week’s episode, Lisa discusses what she has learned from caregiving, the process of grief, and why she cannot deny the existence of God and his ability to answer our prayers.

Liz Darger: Establishing Home-Court Advantage

When Liz Darger, a senior associate athletic director at BYU, was a young girl, her mother taught a home evening lesson that made a deep impression on her. Liz's mother spoke of creating a home-court advantage for each member of their family. This meant celebrating one another’s successes, being patient when a family member is struggling, and protecting their home from negative influences. On this week’s episode, we talk with Liz about how that concept of home court advantage changed her life and how it extends outside the walls of her home.

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.

Prophets Old and New

Heidi Swinton, Virginia Pearce Cowley, and Sheri Dew have spent years studying the lives and words of ancient and Latter-day prophets, but they also have many firsthand experiences interacting with living prophets, seers, and revelators. In this episode, the three close friends sit down together to share their thoughts of what makes a prophet, and how Joseph is like—or not like—other prophets. 

Angie Balfour: Moments That Define Us, People That Change Us

Angie Balfour is an adventurer, a cancer survivor, a chief people officer, and a disciple of Christ. After her high school graduation, Balfour learned a valuable lesson when she graduated from high school about involving God in her life decisions and has since documented the defining moments from each year of her life. Today, we talk with Balfour about why she believes that recognizing the influence of people, places, and important moments in our lives is vital to our happiness.