There is a man whose love inspires people during this time of year. Some might say it’s a man with a white beard who delivers Christmas presents to children around the world on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. But renowned Latter-day Saint painter Greg Olsen believes it is actually the Savior of the world who inspires Santa Claus himself. On this week’s episode, we talk with the artist about how he began painting in the first place but then why he chose to paint Santa Claus in addition to his many well-known paintings of Jesus Christ. 
“Done in the right way, seen from the right perspective, Santa—that tradition—does carry on the mission of Jesus. Doing unto others, giving, serving, spreading love and cheer…it’s hard to separate those two.” —Greg Olsen 
Show Notes
2:09- It Takes a Village To Raise an Artist
5:24- A Prophetic Statement
20:37- A Branch Full of Good Things
23:10- Reaching Outside of the Latter-day Saint World
28:57- Santa and the Savior
32:49- We Follow What Is Good
37:13- Lost and Found
42:02- Everyone’s an Artist
45:54- What Does It Mean to Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ? 
Greg’s website
Paintings referenced in the episode:
The Spirit of Christmas
Story of Christmas
The Nativity
Lost and Found See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Olsen: Painting the Spirit of Christmas

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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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.

Ardeth Kapp: Tried and True Marriage Advice

Savannah Wooden was in high school when, after years of struggling with seizures, she made the difficult decision to have brain surgery that, if successful, would cure her seizures. The surgery was, by that measure, very successful, but in the years since, Savannah has struggled with the byproducts of the surgery. Even then, she can see that the power of the priesthood invited healing into her life that otherwise may not have been possible.
2:13- The First Seizure
4:47- A Possible Surgical Cure
6:11- A Calculated Risk
7:44- Unrecognizable Surroundings
11:34- A Priesthood Blessing
14:03- Aftermath of the Surgery
16:43- Faith Journey
24:35- Memorization After Memory Loss
27:36- “Minor Challenges I Can Handle”
34:00- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
“Sometimes God doesn’t remove your problems, He makes a way through them.” —Savannah Wooden See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Olsen: Painting the Spirit of Christmas

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