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Bonus: Matthew Godfrey: The Liberty Jails That Refine Us

Having spent the last decade of his life working on the Joseph Smith Papers, Matthew Godfrey knows a thing or two about the Prophet’s life. And as next week the Come, Follow Me chapters cover the stirring revelations Joseph received in Liberty Jail, we sat down to learn all we could from Matthew about them. For example, did you know that Joseph wrote nine letters total from Liberty Jail and just two them make up sections 121–123? On this special bonus episode, Matthew shares why he believes Liberty Jail changed Joseph as a person and as a prophet.

No Coincidence

Stories in this episode: Adam's mission is more overwhelming than he expected, leading him to doubt whether he’s in the right place when suddenly a companion's photo puts everything into focus; LeAnn finds a perfectly placed dad joke in her scriptures at just the right moment; Becky’s hopes to adopt are finally fulfilled, but she faces heartache in her relationship with her child until an unexpected dinner guest gives her just the answer she needs.

Kenneth Hartvigsen: Experiencing Art in an Intimate Way

Kenneth Hartvigsen has thought a lot about the power art possesses. He is a believer that it has the ability to help us unite, understand one another, and feel a greater connection to the Creator. On this week’s episode, Kenneth, an art curator at Brigham Young University, takes us inside his thought process surrounding art so we can “experience” one of Carl Bloch’s most famous paintings, “Christ Healing the Sick at the Pool of Bethesda.”

Come to Zion

Stories in this episode: While Rachel’s diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder helps her better understand herself, it doesn’t ease the lifelong fears she’s had of being unable to truly connect with other people. That is, until two sisters in her ward reach out and show Rachel just how much she truly belongs; Medlir grew up seeing Rembrandt Christian paintings during his childhood in communist Albania, and that artwork planted seeds of faith that eventually led him to the restored gospel. When he is later called as president of the first Albanian stake, he strives to understand how to define and create a Zion community.

24: "My Heart Rejoiceth in the Lord" (Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3)

Here’s a fun fact—the word for “Ruth” in Hebrew means "compassionate friend." And when you think of how friendship was all Ruth and Naomi had during a time of uncertainty, that name has an extra special meaning. As we study the book of Ruth and 1 Samuel 1–3 this week, we’ll see how this compassionate friendship exists between Ruth and Naomi and between all of us and Christ as we face challenges and uncertainties in our lives.

9: The Covenant Is Renewed (Genesis 24–27)

When we read about Rebekah generously offering to get water for not only Abraham's servant but also for all of his camels, her task seems simple enough. But have you ever stopped to consider just how much water those camels would need? And how this wasn't a matter of turning on a faucet? It might give us a little insight into what a hard worker Rebekah was. This week as we study Genesis 24–27, we'll dive into Rebekah and Isaac’s story to learn from their faithful examples. We'll also discuss their commitment to preserving the Abrahamic covenant amidst all the ups and downs of parenting two very different sons.

31: "Thou Art Come … for Such a Time as This" (Esther)

Here’s a fun fact: did you know that the name Esther means star in Persian? And when you consider Esther’s story in the Old Testament, there’s obviously no coincidence that one of the greatest biblical heroines was given that name. In fact, as we study this incredible book of scripture this week, we’re going to see how brightly Esther shined in the midst of terrible adversity. Not only was she incredibly brave even when faced with death, but she also had an enduring faith in Jesus Christ that ultimately led to the salvation of an entire nation.

25: "The Battle Is the Lord’s" (1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–18)

Have you ever heard that part of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” where the lyrics read, “Here I raise my Ebenezer” and wondered what it was talking about? It turns out "Eben-ezer" was the name Samuel gave a stone as a token of gratitude for deliverance. In Hebrew, the word also means "stone of help." So when we think about David and Goliath, we see how crucial a stone of help is—and not just in slaying giants. As we study 1 Samuel chapters 8–10, 13, and 15–18 we'll discover how the Savior is our personal Ebenezer, and how He helps us face our own Goliaths.

Roger Connors: Understanding God’s Patterns

As a former mission president and former MTC branch president who currently serves in a YSA stake presidency, Roger Connors has heard from a lot of young people who feel like God just isn’t keeping His end of the deal. It is for these people that Connors set out to write his new book, Divine Patterns. It is His belief that as we observe the way that our unchanging God has worked in the lives of men and women throughout history, we can more easily recognize that He is with us every minute of every day.

Kim White: Choosing Faith in a Fight Against Cancer

Kim White is a Latter-day Saint woman, a mother, a wife, a daughter and a friend who has been battling stage 4 cancer for nearly five years. On today’s episode, we talk with the woman thousands of Instagram users have come to love and pray for through her account @KimCanKickIt.