In 1830, the same year the Church was organized, a former slave named Peter became the first documented Black member of the Church. Nearly 200 years later, Mauli Bonner first heard Peter’s story when he started exploring his own faith as a Black member of the Church. This journey led him to Paul Reeve, a professor at the University of Utah who has studied Blacks in Church history extensively. On today’s episode, Mauli and Paul explain not only the importance of the stories of early Black Latter-day Saints, but also how their stories can strengthen our faith and our testimonies of the restored gospel.
“The beauty of it all is that we are here now and have an opportunity to learn and do something good. That’s what we have control over. We can’t change what was, we were not there. But we are here now.“ —Mauli Bonner
Show Notes
3:24- Blacks in the Early Days of the Church
8:50- Legislation with Theological Implications
12:00- Learning the History as a Black Latter-day Saint
15:22- Green Flake and Brigham Young
25:28- Strengthening Testimony Rather Than Weakening
31:44- Historical Accuracy
37:12- What Needed to Change?
44:22- Why Monuments Matter
51:22- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
This episode originally aired on May 19, 2021.
View full show notes and transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mauli Bonner and Paul Reeve: Understanding the History of Blacks in the Church

What does it mean to be "all in" the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days? The answers might surprise you. All In is a brand new podcast from LDS Living where we explore this question with the help of Latter-day Saints who are striving to live their faith every day&mdash;just like you.

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When Claire Nielson was 8 years old, her parents were involved in a small plane accident that left both her mom and dad badly injured, including burns that covered 80 percent of her mother’s body. Immediately following the accident, Claire’s mother, Stephanie, was barely recognizable but then Claire saw something she knew completely: Her mother’s eyes. On this week’s episode, Stephanie and Claire Nielson testify of God’s goodness even amidst the unthinkable and love’s power to conquer all things.
2:46- Growing Up Quickly
6:32- The Power of Eyes
11:40- Meant To Be Their Mom
15:31- Pulling Out the Box
20:17- Finding Healing Through Burns
24:28- The Process
28:21- Looking Away From the Mirror and Out the Window
32:57- Intentional Parenting
36:35- Bittersweet
46:12- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
“It’s the bitter and the sweet, the happy and the sad, the helping and the healing and we do both at the same time and we become more because of it.” -Claire Nielson
Links:
Stephanie’s book, “Heaven Is Here”
“God Needs Mothers of All Kinds” (Previous All In Mother’s Day episode):
Show notes and audio
  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephanie and Claire Nielson: The Resilient Bond of a Mother and Daughter

While sitting in a class at the theological seminary he attended, Michael Huston was floored when he heard his teacher say these words: “Lament is faithfully complaining to God.” The teacher went on to say, “Lament is the way you worship to God from within pain.” Huston describes the feeling he felt that day as exhaling a breath he had been holding for a very long time. On this week’s episode, he explains why he hopes to help others find that same relief in the concept of lament.
1:51- What is Lament and Why the Interest?
9:26- Structure of Lament
12:47- Murmuring or Complaining Vs. Lament
15:17- The Necessity of Expressing Pain and Grief
18:25- Men Are That They Might Have Joy
22:12- Post 9/11—A Modern Example of Lament
27:29- The Importance of Allowing Yourself to Lament
31:05- Lament—A Sacred Offering
37:08- A Note on Lament and “Faith Crisis”
39:52- A God For All Seasons
42:06- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
“Lament, in a sense, is the most sacred of offerings. …It’s those moments when we are most vulnerable, most exposed, most uncertain, when our legs are the shakiest. We’re taking that and we’re saying, ‘God this is all I have left.’” —Michael Huston
 
Links & References:
Michael’s book
Elder Maxwell’s talk about murmuring See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Huston: Lament—A Faithful Complaint to God

Identity, creating understanding, covenants, a worldwide Church, faith crises, change in the Church—these are topics Melissa Inouye, a scholar, addresses in an effort to explain how she has “found the fruits of this life (the life of a Latter-day Saint) to be worthwhile—costly, to be sure, but also rich and nourishing, a source of deep joy.”
To honor the life of Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye we are revisiting this episode from the All In archives. This episode originally aired on July 10, 2019.
1:51- A Latter-day Saint Seven Days a Week
2:56- The Church Influencing Worldview
6:38- Lessons Learned From Being a Missionary
12:14- Belonging and Identity
18:44- Wins and Losses
20:57- Creating Unity in the Church
23:41- Helping Amidst Faith Crises
29:56- An Evolving Church
34:48- Cancer
36:47- What Does It Mean to Be All In The Gospel of Jesus Christ?
“I believe that Christ is here in the Church and I've felt the power of God. And so, having had those experiences, I am absolutely committed to being where I am.” —Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melissa Inouye: Why Loving One Another Is More Than Bringing Casseroles

T.C. Christensen has made some of the most beloved Latter-day Saint films in recent years including “17 Miracles” and “The Fighting Preacher.” His new film, “Escape From Germany” tells the story of a missionary who was tasked with moving 85 missionaries to safety in adjacent countries as Hitler’s army was rapidly closing borders in August of 1939. On this week’s episode, T.C. shares with us how he approaches telling the miraculous stories of real people.
1:56- A Camera
4:52- The Power of Film
8:14- Stories Worth Telling
13:58- Heroes
16:59- Source Material
21:30- Journals
29:15- Lessons Learned From Movie Characters
30:40- Accurate Portrayals
34:00- Capturing Emotion Without Overdoing It
39:12- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
“No embarrassment, no justification, this is who I am.” -T.C. Christensen on his membership in the Church
“Escape From Germany” website: https://escapefromgermanyfilm.com
LDS Living Q&A; with T.C.: https://www.ldsliving.com/why-t-c-christensen-loves-fiddler-on-the-roof-and-is-still-very-zippity-about-latter-day-saint-stories/s/12163
News articles about “Escape From Germany”: https://kslnewsradio.com/2094352/ksl-movie-show-exclusive-director-of-escape-from-germany-talks-challenges-of-period-pieces-on-a-budget/
https://ksltv.com/636492/new-film-tells-story-of-79-latter-day-saint-missionaries-who-escaped-nazi-germany/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

T.C. Christensen: Miraculous True Stories Made For Film

All In joins our community remembering the service filled life of Ardeth Kapp. Please enjoy this episode originally aired March 9, 2022.
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. In this episode, we speak with Ardeth about true partnership in marriage and learn from her example of how to choose faith and grace through thick and thin.
“We need to be able to reinforce that statement of love and not just assume, ‘We’re getting along okay, we don’t have to repeat it.’ Yes we do have to repeat it!” —Ardeth Kapp See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mauli Bonner and Paul Reeve: Understanding the History of Blacks in the Church

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