At just 15 years old, Cassidy Stay endured the unimaginable—the tragic loss of her entire family in a horrific act of violence. Left for dead, she survived by pretending to be lifeless, and with remarkable courage, alerted police to the killer’s next target, potentially saving many more lives. Now, a decade later, Cassidy reflects on her journey through grief, healing, and unshakable faith. In this week’s episode, she shares how the gospel of Jesus Christ has sustained her, the peace she’s found in His promises, and the hope of being reunited with her loved ones again.

2:34- Remembering a Family 7:05- A Choice to Be Happy 9:06- The Day That Changed Everything 31:55- Victim Impact Statement 37:36- Dumbledore’s Letter 40:26- A Future Reunion 45:00- Giving Burdens to Christ 53:09- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“I have something to look forward to and, for me, if I don’t have that, what am I doing? If I’m not working for that, what am I working towards? I am so excited to see my family again.”

Links: Cassidy Stay’s Victim Impact Statement- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3NcXqwoLWw Cassidy Stay and attorneys address media- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnE3eQSST5E&pp=ygUMY2Fzc2lkeSBzdGF5

Monte Deere and his brother Michael were born just 14 months apart—the kind of brothers who shared a bedroom—and a paper route—even when they didn’t have to. So, when Michael took his own life while Monte and his wife were serving as mission leaders in the Spain Malaga Mission, Monte found himself grieving in a foreign country far away from his family. Since returning home, Monte has dealt with health challenges that have disrupted his own quality of life—even causing him to be released from a church calling he loved. On this week’s episode, Monte shares how he has been a recipient of the balm that only the Savior can provide.

“I think being all in for Him is creating a little space for Him, listening to Him say, ‘Come, let me pick you up. Let me brush you off. Let me apply a little salve, a little balm. And let me give you some bread and some spiritual water. Let me clean you from the inside out and then you can be back being all in on the things that you choose but give me room, give me space. Let me love you. Let me do for you what you can’t do for yourself, what only I can do.’”

1:43- A Father’s Example of Hard Work 5:01- Watching an Adult Sibling Struggle 12:29- A Family Called to Serve 17:54- Devastating News 21:51- Salve From the Spirit 24:48- Unexpected Health Challenges 35:34- A Wake Up Call 37:56- Lifting the Hands Which Hang Down 41:42- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Links:

Elder Renlund on suicide -  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYgY8SPtEWH5oAfQlfGFyKk77nf-S-tH

President Ballard on suicide -https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1987/10/suicide-some-things-we-know-and-some-we-do-not?lang=eng

Sarah Sun Kanell began attending a Salt Lake City residential ward as a high schooler. In that ward, she experienced what she describes as true belonging. This was only the beginning of Sarah’s conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ but the people she met exemplified the person and disciple of Jesus Christ she wanted to be. On this week’s episode, Sarah shares what she has learned about the contribution we all have the ability to make to the Church of Jesus Christ.

Time stamps:

3:25- Honoring Sacrifice of Others 9:27- High Expectations and Gentle Parenting? 17:20- An Unconventional Living Situation 19:31- Gathered In 30:17- Barbara and Gaining a Testimony 33:13- Chosen 40:05- Unhistoric Acts 46:34- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“If I’m willing to choose Him then I think He can turn me into something better than what I can even imagine right now, and what better thing is there to be than His?”

Made For This book link- https://www.deseretbook.com/product/P6073753.html BYU Hawaii talk- https://speeches.byuh.edu/trusting-god-with-the-rest-of-your-story Lean in with Lizzy episode- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lean-in-with-lizzy/id1768159695?i=1000688795426 Kate Holbrook podcast- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in/id1439975046?i=1000526603170 Samuel Brown “Where The Soul Hungers” book- https://www.deseretbook.com/product/5252752.html?srsltid=AfmBOoq-XWAk7RyClW3i034cMC7VcJTfOZJEzzPca4uhGJrdjKMt_eWZ Unhistoric Acts painting- https://www.thecompassgallery.com/product-page/unhistoric-acts-barton

Prior to her son’s birth in 2020, Caitlin Bekker didn’t have experience with congenital heart disease. Five years later, being a “heart mom” has become a core part of her identity. On this week’s episode, Caitlin shares how watching her little boy go through multiple open heart surgeries has refined her and have taught her to trust in the Lord, live in gratitude in the present, and she hopes they will ultimately help her become the person and disciple of Jesus Christ she would like to be.

1:45- Receiving and Processing a Diagnosis 7:27- Health Literacy 10:26- Finding a Community 12:09- Living in the Present 14:27- Why? 19:14- Mom Guilt 22:40- Bringing Matthew Home 25:05- Comforting Those Who Stand In Need of Comfort 34:08- Hard Is Hard 38:08- Perspective 40:49- Update 43:00- Living in the Present Pt. 2 45:27- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“Life’s going to pass by no matter what so you might as well let the hard situations help you to become more of what you want to be.”

Episodes References: 

President Jeffrey R. Holland said, “With apologies to Elder Neal A. Maxwell for daring to modify and enlarge something he once said, I too suggest that “one’s life … cannot be both faith-filled and stress-free.” It simply will not work “to glide naively through life,” saying as we sip another glass of lemonade, “Lord, give me all thy choicest virtues, but be certain not to give me grief, nor sorrow, nor pain, nor opposition. Please do not let anyone dislike me or betray me, and above all, do not ever let me feel forsaken by Thee or those I love. In fact, Lord, be careful to keep me from all the experiences that made Thee divine. And then, when the rough sledding by everyone else is over, please let me come and dwell with Thee, where I can boast about how similar our strengths and our characters are as I float along on my cloud of comfortable Christianity.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/57holland?lang=eng

Morgan’s Interview with Kate Bowler- https://www.deseret.com/2018/5/18/20645268/q-a-duke-divinity-school-s-kate-bowler-explains-how-cancer-has-helped-her-appreciate-life-god-s-love/

Taysom Hill has been called a “Swiss Army knife” because of his ability to play many positions on the football field. And, while he has taken each of these positions seriously, when injuries have kept him from being able to suit up, Hill knows that his identity does not begin and end with playing football. On this week’s episode, Hill shares with us insight into his life as a football player but also as a son, a husband, a father, a brother, and a disciple of Jesus Christ.

2:27- Nature Vs. Nurture? 9:06- What Makes a Great Coach? 14:37- “Taysom Gets Rocked” 18:57- Approaching the Topic of a Mission in Recruiting 24:10- Meant To Be At BYU 27:26- The Weight of the Job 30:16- #7 34:57- Season-ending Injuries 37:59- Drew Brees 42:23- A Disciple and Dad in the NFL 48:59- Infertility 54:56- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“There’s no part of me that ever questions God’s goodness.”

Source information: Another great podcast with Taysom Hill- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh_41cOQATE Taysom on Leading Saints- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31Wpdpuuvdg

In August 2024, Meg Walter, the writer of a humorous Deseret News column, unexpectedly lost her 62-year-old father to a heart attack. Suddenly, her columns, although still funny at times, took on a more somber tone. The humorous journalist was forced to work through something that faces each of us at some point: Grief. On this week’s episode, she shares how that grief helped her settle into her faith.

2:06- Observation and Humor 4:48- Latter-day Saint Culture 7:41- Being Open About Faith 12:50- The Loss of a Father 18:19- What Makes a Life Well-Lived? 23:10- Receiving Service 28:12- Two Things Can Be True 32:08- The Beauty of “The Ward” 38:21- The Value of Faith 42:24- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“I need that hope that my faith offers me. I am getting much more comfortable with what I don’t know and what I hope. And I’m leaning more into what I hope.”

Links: Meg’s columns about her dad’s passing: https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/08/22/losing-a-parent-grief/ https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/10/12/running-through-grief-st-george-marathon/ https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/11/27/grieving-loss-love-holidays/ https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/12/28/grief-lessons-learned/

Morgan’s all-time favorite article that makes her laugh every time: https://www.deseret.com/2023/3/8/23627893/new-trader-joes-draper-utah-person-you-want-to-be/

For five years now, Katie Wade-Neser has been sharing suggestions and ideas for helping parents teach Come, Follow Me to even the tiniest children. She does not feel the idea for the Instagram account or even many of the ideas she has shared have come from her, but instead from a loving Heavenly Father who loves His children. She is simply grateful to have been a part of it!

3:39- A Generational Passion 6:57- The Origin Story 14:09- What Makes Children Special 19:30- Teaching to the Strengths of Children 27:58- Overcoming Barriers and Establishing Expectations 34:27- A Vessel 38:20- Beauty in the Mess 41:14- Giving Grace 46:04- Questions As a Mother 49:17- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“Little kids deserve to be taught the things of God.”

Jenny Oaks Baker began playing the violin before elementary school and she has not stopped since. Her violin has taken her all around the world and given her opportunities she’d never dreamed of. But there have also been opportunities she has sought that have never come to fruition and other opportunities she didn’t even know to seek that have made her life much richer than it would have been otherwise. On this week’s episode, Jenny shares her witness that sometimes the Lord’s plans are much better than the plans we have for ourselves. 

2:59- The Role of Parents 10:10- Music Education 11:41- Trusting the Lord 16:40- Choices as a Young Mom 27:36- Hard Work and Dreams 30:30- Performances Behind the Scenes 37:32- Identity and Talents 41:55- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

"It's hard to not know the future. I still want what I want and want to know what's going to happen. But the Lord provides" 

Links:

Jenny’s Christmas Tour Dates and Ticket Information: https://www.jennyoaksbaker.com/upcoming-events

Jenny’s album, “The Redeemer”: https://www.deseretbook.com/product/P6002668.html

When she was just 7 years old, Ore Kaffo was abducted from her foster family—the only family she had ever known—by her birth mother. After living her entire life in England, a place that had always been happy for her, she found herself back in her home country of Nigeria. Her entire world was changed, and along with that, she struggled to make sense of her identity. As she wrestled to understand her new existence, she came to realize that she is, first and foremost, a child of God. On this week’s episode, Ore shares her remarkable story and her undeniable light.

2:17- White Nanny, Black Child 15:01- Lessons From Foster Father 18:15- Learning From Missionaries and Becoming One 29:00- Reunited 33:07- No Heroes and No Villains 40:50- Identity as Children of God 44:47- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“It doesn’t matter if somebody is from Zibwabwe or Tokyo or Pakistan or from America, if we all identify as children of God then we are one people.”

Links:  Ore’s website: https://ore-lou.com/

For UK listeners, here’s a link to “White Nanny Black Child,” the documentary that tells Ore’s story on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81789241?s=i&trkid=258593161&vlang=en

“White Nanny Black Child” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDiilPLxs6k&pp=ygUXd2hpdGUgY2hpbGQgYmxhY2sgbmFubnk%3D

Ore on Good Morning Britain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpZWDzdGoNA&pp=ygUXd2hpdGUgY2hpbGQgYmxhY2sgbmFubnk%3D

Olympic silver medalist Kenneth Rooks shocked the world when he worked his way from the back of the pack to become the second American to medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase since 1984. But those who recognized Rooks’ name know that this isn’t the first time he’s come from behind. In fact, in 2023, Rooks fell in his third lap at the USA Track and Field Nationals but came back to win the race. Both races were a spectacle—incredible athletic feats—and, on today’s episode, we talk with Rooks about what he’s learned from them.

2:13- If Ye Are Prepared 7:10- Gospel Allegories in the Race 13:22- Self-Improvement Vs. Comparison 18:36- The Patience To Stick To The Game Plan 25:25- Being Coached By Ed Eyestone 32:03- Faith and Running 37:02- Pre-game Ritual 40:50- A Large Latter-day Saint Contingent 43:26- Discipline and Consistency 47:19- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“All In doesn’t mean that you’re not going to forget sometimes. You might forget what matters most. Being all in is being able to recognize when you forget and trying to remember. …Those who are all in try to remember quickly.”

Links:

2023 USATF Nationals Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT1ody_cpCA&t=190s

2024 Paris Olympic Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNgzHlE3Hko

Church News article about Kenneth: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/book-of-mormon-kenneth-rooks-byu-steeplechase-olympic-silver-medal

Other links: https://www.deseret.com/sports/2024/08/07/kenneth-rooks-latter-day-saint-silver-medalist/ https://www.deseret.com/sports/2024/08/07/byu-cougars-runner-kenneth-rooks-wins-silver-medal-in-olympics/