All In

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/

Ryan Shupe: Big Dreams and Little Decisions

Ryan Shupe is best-known as the singer of a hit song called “Dream Big” but on today’s episode, Ryan shares with us his take on small decisions and how those small decisions can have big, lasting impacts. Ryan shares that these decisions are often the result of trusting in personal revelation and acting on that inspiration. So, while Ryan’s life has certainly been impacted by a single song, he recognizes that it has been many decisions along the way that have made all the difference.

1:54- The Father of Ryan and Bluegrass in Utah 5:15- 5 A.M. Fiddle Practice 10:16- Changed By a Mission 14:19- The Kind of Hit Dreams Are Made Of 21:15- Decisions for Life 31:53- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“The only thing you can’t buy is time and so you can only spend so much time in your life on any one thing so whenever you’re doing something, you’re just taking time away from something else, right? So it’s just this balancing act of how far do you push something because you know if you keep pushing maybe you could get that but it would be at the expense of something else.”

Links: 

Deseret News articles referenced: https://www.deseret.com/2006/11/24/19987240/the-unique-sounds-of-ryan-shupe/ https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/7/4/22554176/all-eyes-on-wallsburg-utah-as-the-father-of-bluegrass-music-readies-for-a-festival-of-a-lifetime/

Dream Big Music Video- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3KwEuNapzt0&pp=ygUJRHJlYW0gYmln

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Join us for Magnify's Lift Up Your Heart coming this fall! Registration is open for Idaho Falls, St. George, and Salt Lake City by heading to magnifythegood.com/events. Remember to use code PODCAST10 at checkout (not as the access code). This discount excludes the already discounted group pricing.

Clay Sheffield’s life is a miracle. Perhaps because of the faith of his three older siblings, the nearly 2-year-old little boy with a million dollar smile is still alive more than a year longer than doctors ever expected. Still, Clay’s life doesn’t look quite the way his family anticipated or hoped. Instead, the Sheffields are learning that sometimes the miracle is in the gift of ordinary days and in knowing that where covenants are made and kept, stories always end in happily ever after. 

1:58- Clay’s Emergency Delivery 8:49- Then To Now 16:09- Redefining the Miracle 19:29- The Power of “And” 22:20- The Faith of Children 29:14- Choose This Day 31:29- Covenants 33:18- Making Intentional Memories 39:45- Ordinary Days 44:43- Being Pruned 47:54- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“I already know the ending of this story and this story is pretty great. We have made covenants that whatever happens this story ends up that we’re going to be together so we’re just going to live.”

As a former Young Single Adult ward bishop and institute teacher, Tyler Johnson has worked with many young adults who have questions and concerns regarding their faith and/or their belief in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has observed that many of these concerns stem not from rebellious desires but rather from a place of integrity and that often where there is a question, there is often an underlying emotion. On today’s episode, Tyler shares his insights into how to approach seasons of life “when church is hard” and how to help others in those seasons. 

1:24- The Questions at the Base of the Iceberg 6:19- A Generation Seeking to Have High Integrity 12:52- Addressing Emotion Before Cognitive Gaps 18:40- Doubt: Good or Bad?  25:23- Wagering Everything on a Belief that the Gospel is True 33:43- People Not Statistics  41:50- Mary Magdalene  50:41- Certainty is Not the Point 57:42- What Does It Mean to Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“To some degree, we have to choose to commit and then make the thing to which we commit beautiful and true by virtue of the way that we are committed to it.”

Links: “When Church is Hard”- https://www.deseretbook.com/product/6020541.html

President Ballard talk mentioned: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org › ...By Study and by Faith - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

On September 9th, President Russell M. Nelson will turn 100 years old, becoming the first prophet of this dispensation to become a centenarian. In celebration of this remarkable milestone, on this week's episode, we visited with President Nelson's two youngest children who offer a rare and intimate look into the life, legacy, and personal moments of a leader who continues to shape the Church in our day. 

“It’s been beautiful to see…he’s himself but just more.”

3:20- A Church Led Like a Home 5:36- A Change in Job Location 9:54- Consistency 15:24- Respect for Women 18:53- Making the Mundane Special and Understanding the Why 23:31- Invitations 27:46- Approaching Grief 33:09- Good at Following Instructions 37:41- Maximizing the Time Given 40:47- A Dynamic and Multifaceted Man 52:07- What’s In a Name? 59:23- What Does It Mean to Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

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Join us for Magnify's Lift Up Your Heart coming this fall! First event is on September 24th in Plano, TX. Registration is open now by heading to magnifythegood.com/events. Remember to use code PODCAST10 at checkout (not as the access code). This discount excludes the already discounted group pricing.

Lance Funk was just 51-years-old when he was diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Over the past few years, his wife, Sharley, has watched as her once strong, vivacious husband has all but disappeared from before her eyes and yet, for now, he is still with her physically and she is determined to cherish the time they have left together. On this week’s episode, Sharley explains why she has tried to be open and honest in documenting her family’s experience with Alzheimer’s.

2:03- Signs and the Release of a Diagnosis 8:05- Falling in Love with Lance 11:29- Open and Honest 14:13- Receiving Service 17:11- Disappearing 20:26- Still There 22:45- The Honor of Caregiving 26:00- Going to Work 29:30- Anxiety and the Darkest Parts of Alzheimers 32:19- Anticipatory Grief and Fatigue 37:28- Preparing to Let Go 42:24- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

"I’m going to take this time...and just enjoy this and just lay my head on his shoulder and just remember what it feels like to sit next to him and to hear him breathe."

Links:

Sharley's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/the_moment_of_funk/

Emily Inouye Huey’s father was born in a prison camp during World War II. His parents were imprisoned simply for the color of their skin and suffered terrible injustices. Still, Huey’s father and other ancestors chose to move forward following the war, refusing to harbor resentment or bitterness—passing on to their children and grandchildren the hope of a much brighter future. Today, Emily is an author who wants to make sure their victory over the atrocities of war is known and that their legacy lives on.

1:40- Family’s Experience During World War II 3:55- Dorothea Lange 11:28- Wat Misaka 13:28- Why Representation Matter 17:29- A Need To Create 20:36- Rid of Resentment 25:52- Belief in People 29:07- Finding the Gospel 33:24- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“The way that they survived, the way that they came out of it still able to love this country and this world, all those things to me are a victory.”

Links:

Wat Kept Playing

Beneath the Wide Silk Sky

Emily discussing literature and representation: Celebrating Canyons Culture Through Picture Books and Young Adult BooksCSDtv Canyons District•42 views•1 month ago

Dorothea Lange Photo- https://emilyhuey.com/novels/

The complexities surrounding conversations of racism today are numberless but the root of the solution is the two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. On this week’s episode, we talk with Abe Mills and Stephen Jones, two black Latter-day Saints, about their experiences with racism within Church culture, the faith of those who came before them, and why they don’t hesitate to share their faith in Jesus Christ.

The All In team is honoring Juneteenth with this special episode from our archives. We will be back with new episodes next week. (originally aired 17 June 2020)

3:40- Who Is Your Neighbor? 9:15- Mourn with Those That Mourn 14:33- Personal Experiences with Racism 30:14- The Body of Christ 41:06- Being a Diverse Voice in the Church 48:27- Pioneers 56:20- Peace and Hope in Troubled Times 1:02:16- What Does it Mean to be “All In” the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

"Understanding what He did for us, it gives us hope, which we live in a world with a lot of people that have no hope or they’ve lost their hope—whether it’s hope in equality, hope in fairness, hope in whatever—they’ve lost their hope, but the gospel has taught us hope because we know what Jesus Christ did for us. It has taught us understanding because we know Christ was the example of understanding, and on top of that, it has taught us forgiveness, or how to forgive, in a time where forgiveness is needed greatly." -Abe Mills

Links:

Article: Medium Op-ed from President Nelson and NAACP leaders: "Locking Arms for Racial Harmony in America."

Video: Stephen's BYU Library Commercial "New Spice | Study like a Scholar, Scholar"

Video: Abe’s family’s YouTube channel: "Sunshine Mafia"

Video: Hope Works: "Answer the Call | Abe Mills"

Video: Hope Works: "One Question That Puts Life in Perspective | Stephen Jones"

Music: Jericho Road Music - Digital Album

Article: Deseret News Op-ed by J. Spencer Fluhman, "Harmony won't come until we recognize Racism as the problem"