For over three decades, Chris Schoebinger has been involved with book publishing During his career, he's worked with authors like Brandon Mull on Fablehaven and Jason F. Wright on Christmas Jars. But as he brings these stories to life at work, he has also been living one of his own at home. And while that story has been full of unexpected twists and turns, it has also been full of the types of heroes he loves to read about on the written page—people like his gay son or the birth mother of his ad...
Sep 28, 2022•37 min•Ep. 196
Seven years ago, Heidi Swapp lost her 16-year-old son, Cory, to suicide. In the wake of Cory’s passing, Heidi endured devastating thoughts of her perceived failures as a mother. But instead of focusing on what she couldn’t change, Heidi determined to learn as much as she could and then share the things she wished she’d known with as many parents as would listen. One of the most important things she's learned is that suicide prevention begins long before we are ever concerned about someone we lov...
Sep 21, 2022•58 min•Ep. 195
Justin and Kristi Osmond: The Gift of Being Deaf and the Gift of Hearing For the first two years of his life, Justin Osmond was totally unable to hear the music that made his dad and uncles famous. Born with 90 percent hearing loss, the son of Merrill Osmond initially resented his inability to hear but it has become something he has embraced and something his wife, Kristi, loves because it has made him who he is. After 12 years of intense speech and listening therapy, Justin is able to give voic...
Sep 14, 2022•50 min•Ep. 194
Shima Baughman has worked for years to bring about policy reform, especially as it relates to incarceration. After immigrating to the United States from Iran as a child, Shima has become an attorney, a national expert on bail and pretrial prediction, and a professor of criminal law at the University of Utah. But while she is a believer in giving second chances through law, on this week’s episode she explains the most powerful type of reform isn't only through the justice system. Instead, she bel...
Sep 07, 2022•46 min•Ep. 193
When Porter Ellett was 4 years old, he fell off the back of a truck and lost the use of his arm. Then as a teenager, he decided to have that arm amputated. Today, he is known around the NFL as “Lefty,” a nickname given to him after Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid began calling Porter his “left-hand man.” On this week’s episode, Porter and his wife, Carlie, share the story of why Porter has never let having one arm stop him from achieving his dreams—and how God paved the way for him to do...
Aug 31, 2022•52 min•Ep. 192
Attending church for the first time. Coming back to church after a period of inactivity. Going through the temple for the first time. Seeking to develop a love for the temple. These are all experiences that can feel daunting or overwhelming. But years ago, a bishop who had been through a period of inactivity himself sought to create what he called “a fear-free worship experience” for everyone in his congregation—and Elliott Smith says it made all the difference in their ward. So wherever you are...
Aug 24, 2022•47 min•Ep. 191
There is an old Primary song that says, “I want to be kind to everyone, for that is right, you see. So I say to myself, ‘Remember this: Kindness begins with me.'” Melaney Tagg, our guest on this week’s episode, is a living example of what this Primary song looks like in action. When she observed the contention running rampant in her county’s school board meetings, Tagg knew she couldn't stand idly by—she had to, as President Oaks put it, "seek to moderate and unify," knowing that kindness needed...
Aug 17, 2022•46 min•Ep. 190
For over four decades, the foremost part of Judy Eror's identity was her role as a wife. But then, after 42 years of marriage, her spouse unexpectedly chose to leave. How does a choice like that affect the promises made over a sacred alter? For Judy, she clung to her covenants more than ever before and has found a peace she ever thought possible. 4:24- “The Perfect Family" 5:35- The Aftermath 7:32- Staying Close to the Lord 11:42- Reliance on Covenants 13:12- Forgiveness Without Being Asked 17:0...
Aug 10, 2022•45 min•Ep. 189
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 ev...
Aug 03, 2022•46 min•Ep. 188
After making a fortune from the English language schools he created in Brazil, Carlos Martins and his wife, Vania, turned their attention to serving the Lord and their family. In hopes of helping their son achieve his dream of serving a full-time mission, they served a humanitarian mission on the border of Venezuela. By the Martins’ count, they were able to help 20,000 refugees relocate. On this week’s episode, Martins discusses how the English schools came to be, and how he came to see that con...
Jul 13, 2022•51 min•Ep. 187
Five days before Christmas last year, Heather Vanboerum was leaving Costco when a driver accidentally hit the gas rather than the brake, pinning her between two cars. Her life changed in an instant—but the miracles that followed, both big and small, are remarkable and on this week’s episode, Heather helps us see them all through her eyes. 2:16- Wife of a Trauma Surgeon 4:34- The Accident 7:56- Proximity 10:06- Earthly Angels 13:39- A Hospital Room at Christmastime 18:10- Making It Through For Li...
Jul 06, 2022•41 min•Ep. 186
Most of us have the same perception of consecration that Steven Harper had when he went to the temple for the first time: The Lord “revealed the law of consecration to the early Saints. They couldn’t live it, so the Lord revoked the higher law, gave the lower law of tithing, and would someday give the higher law again.” But if someone had asked him how he knew that, he says he wouldn't have had an answer. Now after studying the topic for years, Harper has a different understanding of what consec...
Jun 29, 2022•56 min•Ep. 185
December 14, 2012, is remembered by many as the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. But Alissa Parker remembers it as the day she lost her daughter, Emilie. In the nine and a half years since, Alissa has found solace in the kindness of others and in the goodness of a God who has allowed her to feel her daughter's presence time and time again. While the trauma of her loss still causes Alissa to feel anxiety, she continues to find comfort in the confidence that she will be reunited w...
Jun 22, 2022•53 min•Ep. 184
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.” 1:56- “Something To Feel” 5:06- The Great Unifier 8:11- A...
Jun 15, 2022•50 min•Ep. 183
As teenagers, both Lita and Kevin were drawn to the restored gospel because of the arts. Both former BYU Young Ambassadors, Lita and Kevin believe representation in the arts is just one way we gather Israel. Later this month, Lita and Kevin will combine their love for the arts and their desire for all to be gathered in with a special event in the Conference Center Theater—an event to help Christ and His People to ever be one. Links: I Am: The Journey tickets: https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=LDSV...
Jun 08, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 182
Gary Player is one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game; he is known around the world as “The Black Knight.” His love for the sport is obvious, but it's clear there is one thing he loves more: His family. He and his wife, Vivienne, who passed away last year, are the parents of six kids. Gary and Vivienne’s story, which includes falling in love as teenagers and 65 years of marriage on earth, has set a powerful example for all who know them. But what does he have to do with The Church of ...
Jun 01, 2022•43 min•Ep. 181
At 48 years of age, Carine Clark was given a 20 percent chance of surviving ovarian cancer. But Carine wasn’t ready to be done—she didn't know it, but she had yet to become one of the first female chief executives of a Utah tech company and would later be named “Utah Business” magazine’s CEO of the Year. What Carine did know is that she had two sons that she really wanted to raise after she struggled with infertility for years. So Carine gave cancer everything she had to give—and she’s still her...
May 25, 2022•46 min•Ep. 180
Italian fashion designer Tommaso Cardullo may just be the most passionate person you'll ever meet. When he speaks, it’s as if you can see, feel, and smell the sights and sounds he describes. He can take you to his native country—the rolling hills, the bustling markets, the cobblestoned streets—just through the sound of his voice. A true artist, he believes that "life is beautiful," and on today’s episode, Tommaso shares his passion for one of the most beautiful parts of his life—the gospel of Je...
May 18, 2022•42 min•Ep. 179
In March, an architectural historian wrote on Twitter, “Is there a building in the US whose siting and form better address the speed and experience of interstate highways than the Washington D.C. Temple? The way it is revealed, perfectly centered, after cresting a hill is really genius move.” The building is so beloved that the area’s evening news simply calls it “the Temple.” For years, the inspiring structure has meant so much to so many—including those who have never been able to go inside. B...
May 11, 20220•Ep. 178
A football field is not usually considered a place of love. But it was during his time playing for the NFL that Steve Young began to explore what he now calls the law of love. He realized that relationships based on the expectation of receiving something in return eventually rot, but when we bring long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned to our relationships—that’s when the magic happens. 2:29- What Is the Law of Love? 4:45- Steve Young: The Sunday School Teacher 8:17- An Undefea...
May 04, 20220•Ep. 177
Cathy Burningham and her husband, Kirk, just celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary. Upon getting married, the couple knew they wanted to have children as soon as possible. Now, a decade later, the couple has gone through four rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI) and four rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF). On this week’s episode, Cathy shares how she and her husband have sought to find joy amid infertility, and why she has come to find that motherhood is not limited to those who ...
Apr 27, 2022•48 min•Ep. 176
When Kacey McCallister lost his legs as a little boy, his parents wanted to be there for him in every way. But the doctors had some advice for the McCallisters that at first might seem unfair—to let Kacey do everything on his own. But this advice, and his parents’ diligence in following it, changed Kacey’s life and now there's very little he can't do. On this week’s episode, we talk with Kacey about overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles and how he's learned to rely on the Savior through them...
Apr 20, 2022•42 min•Ep. 175
Ed Willis’s life began in a place literally called “The Lower Bottom.” Drugs, Alcohol, Prostitution—you name it, and it could be found in the lower bottom. Ed was always searching for something. It was this searching that led him to become a Black Panther. Ultimately, Ed can now see that the dignity he was seeking all along could be found in understanding that he is a child of God. On this week’s episode, Ed and his wife, Wanda, share how their membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-...
Apr 13, 2022•58 min•Ep. 174
Dave and Julie had six kids in three years: triplets, twins, and a baby boy. As parents, this couple's journey has been filled with joys and triumphs—many of which they struggle to remember in the blur of it all—as well as tears and feelings of inadequacy. But as their triplets turn eight and are baptized, the couple reflects on one of their greatest learning moments: that of true submission to what God is willing to give. “God does not care about my identity as a former runner, as a former prof...
Apr 06, 2022•52 min•Ep. 173
In his April 2021 general conference talk, President Dallin H. Oaks made a simple yet profound statement: "On contested issues, we should seek to moderate and unify." In a world that often feels so divided, coming together can feel close to impossible. But Judge Thomas B. Griffith, who was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals in 2005, is a believer that it is possible and the "how" is found within the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this week's episode, Judge Griffith discusses how to brin...
Mar 30, 2022•55 min•Ep. 172
Taylor Ricks has often taken comfort in not just the stars of scripture stories, but also those characters who are so quietly present that we may not even notice them. Perhaps it’s because she has never felt like the star of the show herself. Or because there have been moments where she has wished no one would notice her at all. Unnamed scripture heroes have become trusted friends to Taylor—friends who have gotten her through incredibly difficult times. On this week’s episode, Taylor introduces ...
Mar 23, 2022•39 min•Ep. 171
In April 2011, Elder David A. Bednar made an analogy in general conference of light switches and sunrises to personal revelation and receiving the Lord’s guidance in our lives. This landmark talk inspired Latter-day Saints everywhere in how they seek and recognize Heavenly Father’s presence in their lives. In the years since that address, Elder Bednar has spoken around the world about personal revelation. As he’s done so, he’s heard one question from Church members more than any other: “How do I...
Mar 16, 2022•58 min•Ep. 170
Former Young Women General President Ardeth Kapp and her husband Heber went through a lot during their 67 years of marriage before Heber passed away in May 2017. They worked together as president and matron of the Cardston Alberta Temple, were mission leaders of the Canada Vancouver Mission, and dedicated their lives to serving God in every calling in between. The Kapps also faced plenty of ups and downs in their marriage as they struggled with infertility and were never able to have children. I...
Mar 09, 2022•35 min•Ep. 169
Tammy Uzelac-Hall won’t lie to you—her life as a single woman was easier than when she married and became an insta-mom to two children who had lost their mother. But she embraced the challenge, gave up her job as a seminary teacher, and dove headfirst into motherhood. Now, as she uses her teaching skills to reach people worldwide through the popular Sunday on Monday podcast, she can see that God had a plan for her all along—she just had to trust in Him. "The Lord is going to take you further tha...
Mar 02, 2022•46 min•Ep. 168
Ronell Hugh has done marketing for some of the most well-known companies in the US, including Adobe, Walmart, HP, and Microsoft. His professional position and personal identity—first as a child of God and second as a Black Latter-day Saint—have given him a unique perspective on President Russell M. Nelson’s October 2020 call for Church members to “lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice.” On this week's episode, we talk with Ronell about how we can each respond to the prophet's...
Feb 23, 2022•57 min•Ep. 167
