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Bonus: Would You Be Friends with Your Ancestors? (with Lisa Valentine Clark)

Here’s a joke: What did the pickle do when it won the championship? He just stood there to relish the moment. If you’re wondering what a pickle joke has to do with family history, just a wait a minute. Miya and Michelle invited Latter-day Saint comedian and actress Lisa Valentine

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.

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.

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.

Emily Utt: Guarding the Sacred

Emily Utt has one of the most unique jobs within the Church: she spends her days inside its most sacred and historic spaces. Sometimes that means slipping on a hard hat; other times it means uncovering stories and artifacts that deepen our understanding of the faith’s heritage. In this episode, Emily shares what she’s learned from a career spent safeguarding holy places—and why these spaces should matter to each of us.