"I was at a friend's house and on my way to a church activity and I had my scriptures. My friend asked me "What are those?" And I said it's my Bible, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. These are our sacred books in my faith. And he goes "What's the Book of Mormon?" I started to describe what we believe about the Book of Mormon. I specifically said, we believe that some ancient Israelites left Israel and migrated to the Americas. As I was talking with him about this...
Feb 05, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 37
"We all have the ability to impact one another's life. Life is full of making human connections, interacting with people, and helping one another. We all have trials and different experiences, but at the end of the day, we are here to love one another. We are here to lighten each others burdens. And when we see past ourselves that is when I think our Heavenly Parents are the happiest." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Mana...
Feb 01, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 36
"I don't like things that are casual about freedom and I don't like things that are casual about the testimony of the gospel. It is real and it is true. There's no doubt in my mind." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Jan 29, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 35
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains sensitive content that may be triggering or offensive to some audiences. Parental discretion is advised. "So I go into disobedience council and I told them my story. The love that these brethren had - how they treated this sinner, how they treated this gay man, was probably the most spiritual experience I have had, and I have had some big ones. These people loved me, this was the atonement. This is how it works. The Lord is going to bless me, He has continu...
Jan 22, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 34
"The greatest doctrinal truths, to me, is the atonement of Jesus Christ. It's in the Book of Mormon we get the phrase "the Infinite Atonement" and we learn all the ways the atonement is infinite, including being retroactive in time. We can be cleansed before the purchase price ever took place. In the Bible we know that Christ redeemed us from sin and death, but The Book of Mormon teaches us that it also had enabling powers and that He could comfort and strengthen us in our weaknesses and perfect...
Jan 15, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 33
One time my dad called me a few days after the seizure happened and I was trying to explain this feeling to him. I said "Dad I don't know what is going on, I have so much gratitude but at the same time I just had this life altering event. I don't know what happened, if I have some scary thing going on, but I just feel so much gratitude." He answered "I really think that is the spirit telling you that He is there with you and you are on the right track." That very second I connected the dots and ...
Jan 09, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Being an African American in the church has always been interesting, and to say I have never experienced any prejudice from any members in the church would not be true. But my mom always says "Why would I let someone stand between me and God? I just let things like that roll off my back." And I do the same thing. Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia...
Jan 02, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 31
"We went to visit a kid who wanted to serve a mission so his dad comes out and says "I haven't come to church because I'm too embarrassed to come to church. I drink, and I haven't had a job for a year." I got a burning in my bosom and that was the first time I had that, ever. So I knew I needed to speak up and I told him my story. We were standing outside in 26 degree weather teaching them lessons and I couldn't have felt warmer. That family started slowly coming back over the next few months an...
Dec 27, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 30
"I was in a room filled with other people that had been abused as children and they were talking about how worthless they were and how much they didn't deserve anything. I was looking at all these women who were the most beautiful women, that had this beautiful light to them, telling me how worthless they were. I just thought "oh my gosh these are the most beautiful and amazing women - and they have no idea!" Then the spirit spoke to me and said "that is how I feel about you." From them on, that...
Dec 18, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 29
There is absolutely a place for LGBTQ+ in the church. That is because this is Jesus Christ's church and they are children of God, it is that simple. There are a lot of facets to it, but it really is that simple. My testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is founded on my testimony of Jesus Christ being my savior. He is the savior of all mankind. Of everyone who is living, who has ever lived, and who will ever live. Anyone in LBGTQ+ community is not excluded from that. It doe...
Dec 11, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 28
"One day I had this thought 'I just really want to feel love from my family!' Then I got this phone call from my mother saying 'Laurel your dad and I want to invite you and your girlfriend over for dinner and games in a couple of weeks.' That struck a chord because that was the first time that has ever happened, and I was like 'OK awesome!' The Lord is so in our lives and He recognizes what we want and need and He brings those miracles and tender mercies. With that kind gesture my parents offere...
Dec 09, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 16
"As I was packing to go home early from my mission, I saw my Book of Mormon on my bed. I jumped on top of my bed and I clenched the Book of Mormon with both hands. I remember calling out to God "Is this book true or not? I need to know!" The next thing that happened was a wave of the spirit hit me, and then another wave, and another wave. For about two minutes the strongest spiritual wave just kept hitting and every wave was getting stronger and stronger and stronger. Right then I was told by th...
Dec 04, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 27
I dusted off my scriptures and let them fall open on a whim of 1% hope and 99% cynicism. My eyes were drawn to 14 words - no more no less - and they were "Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not been wise." Which stunned me and struck me very powerfully. I pondered on that and let that work itself through me. That softened me and opened the door to saying, OK I will go to my family's ward. Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Sen...
Nov 27, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 26
"I had to put all of my doubts and all of my fears and all of my anxiety and frustrations on a sacrificial table, and say these stay here and I want the blessings more. So that's what I did, and I met with the bishop and the stake president. That Thursday I went to the temple and the following week the temples were shut down. It was so significant to me how many steps had to be completed and in place in order for my heart to be ready to do that. It was a huge step and something that I never thou...
Nov 20, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 25
"When the dust settles the only question that really arises to the forefront of my mind is: Does the restoration make God present to me? Do I see God's hand in evidence in the good that the church does, in the good that the gospel accomplishes in the lives of individuals and the access that it gives me to the gifts of the spirit and to the beauties and the truths of eternity? Well, then all the rest is just secondary to that." Join us with guests Lauren Rose and Alba Lucia as we discuss October'...
Nov 13, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 24
"At some point in the program God started to work in my life in a way that I recognized. I was reading through the big book and I came to section 11 that talks about when we retire at night we reflect upon our day and when we wake up in the morning we think about the day ahead. Where have we been dishonest and selfish and where can we be of service to others? As we pause throughout the day when we feel doubtful we seek guidance. I started physically, mentally, and with my heart doing these thing...
Nov 09, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 23
"The thought that I was a square peg trying to fit in a round hole was a big fat lie. Our identity is children of God, and of course we are all misfits, every single one of us is, we all need Christ! No one is the same, there is no perfect member out there, it doesn't exist, it is just a narrative that we tell ourselves and becomes an excuse, it became an excuse for me. We all belong with Christ. Another thing there is a difference between guilt and shame. Guilt can be good as it encourages heal...
Nov 06, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 22
"At one point I was at the lowest of the low and I went to church. During church I just decided "OK I am going to have a reset, I am going to fight my way back." So right there I started cleaning up my social media, putting limits on my phone and getting my calendar updated, those types of things. Then after church my friend invited me to stake choir and I decided to give it a chance. We sat down and sang the song "Be Still My Soul" and that was the second time in my life I felt that burning in ...
Oct 30, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 21
"When I got into prison the first thing I asked my family was to send me a triple combination. I had never read the Book of Mormon cover to cover. Prior to that it was piece by piece. It is hard to put into words the amount of darkness you feel while in prison that is surrounding you. You are always reminded of how horrible your decisions are, you are beaten down left and right. I religiously started reading the Book of Mormon everyday, really studying it and trying to understand it and grow my ...
Oct 26, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 20
"People ask me how I do this - well, the church is true, and Joseph Smith was a prophet. I have been out in the world and I've looked at so many different things, I have explored a very secular world and there is nothing and nowhere that brings me the kind of joy that I get from going to church." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia...
Oct 23, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 19
"I just felt an overwhelming rush, a feeling of love that I had never in my whole life felt. It was a lot, it was a lot of feelings and I just collapsed to the floor, I just felt all the weight of everything that had been going on had been lifted and I felt wrapped up in love. I knew that God was telling me that I was doing the right thing and that I needed to take President Nelson seriously and I needed to be listening to his teachings. It is one of those things I still cling to on my bad days ...
Oct 16, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 18
"We did this guided imagery meditation on The Savior my second day on the ranch - and man - I still get the chills and emotional whenever I talk about it. Because as much as I wanted to be mad at God and hold on to that resentment, I just started sobbing, and for me to cry - it's hard for me to get to an emotional place. But when she started that amazing imagery of The Savior, and taking my wounded heart and replacing it with His heart, that is just full of love and light - I was sobbing. And du...
Oct 11, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 17
"I felt the spirit and I knew this was true, and I went back to church. It was like putting a glove on, an old good fittin' glove that just feels so good. I remember the very first time I went back to church in a decade - I went by myself - I didn't go with my wife. And they sang my mother's favorite hymn and my deceased brother Blake's favorite song. His was the first song and my mom's was the sacrament hymn, and I just sobbed through that whole meeting. I don't remember a word anyone said, not...
Oct 02, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Julie was raised in the church. At a young age she was the victim of sexual abuse. After her father and grandfather were arrested for abuse, she had to deal with the repercussions of everyone she knew treating her different because of the situation, including ward members. She struggled finding places to live, and eventually enlisted in the army. She met a man that became her husband, and they started taking missionary discussions together and he was baptized. Later she found out things were not...
Sep 28, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Leo started to grapple with his faith when he started uncovering information about church history that he had never heard before. It sent him down a rabbit hole of information that caused him to question everything he had ever been taught. A series of miraculous events pushed Leo back to the church, he couldn't deny God's hand in his life. Leo is back as a fully active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He uses his experience to help others stay on the covenant path with ...
Sep 26, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 13
*DISCLAIMER* This podcast goes into some of the more in depth questions that can be challenging for church members to grapple with.* I am a huge fan of Jasmine's. Her knowledge and testimony of the gospel is incredible. I have seen several of her videos and knew that I wanted her to join the podcast and give answers to some of the tough questions that can challenge a persons testimony, and ultimately refine it to be more mature. Questions in regards to the history of the church can ultimately le...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Nichelle Nelson shares her amazing story of why she chose to come back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after exploring other religions, and being out of the church for a number of years. Nichelle reconverted to the church without her husband, and she shares her experience of a mixed faith marriage. You will love this story of faith & hope. "I prayed so hard for the desire to want to change. I know without a doubt I could not have done that without our savior Jesus Christ. ...
Sep 18, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 11
“I had been faithful and active all my life. I held callings, served a mission, was sealed in the temple and everything that was considered “on the path”. Then, in the middle of a divorce at a young age (only 23), my husband shared his years of research against the church and I took in all of it in a few short months. Podcasts, videos, blogs, forums, articles, books, etc against the church, “proving” that the doctrine was completely false. Pretty soon, not only had I announced to my family I was...
Sep 11, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Dusty Smith converted to the church, served a mission, and was pen pals with Elder Perry. After encountering "anti-Mormons" for the first time, he started researching church topics that he had never heard before In church history. Dusty left the church for 26 years. He spent those years doing everything he could to tear down the church. He debated In online forums with members, trying to prove the church wasn't true. After many miracles, including a priesthood blessing and a miraculous healing.....
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 9
Preston shares his story of overcoming addiction, coming back to God, and going on to run a treatment center based on gospel principals. "It starts in the quiet moments. When you are in the quiet moments and you feel like something is missing.. and you start remembering what life was like when you had the spirit with you and you had that natural joy. I think the world is really good at distracting us, and we can stay busy most of the time if we really want to. But the things that are significant...
Sep 04, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 8
