Angela Sturgeon has served in a variety of callings, including Sunday School teacher, Young Women first counselor, Relief Society counselor and secretary, Relief Society president, Primary Activity Days leader, and in Scouts. She most recently served as the stake Primary secretary and now as stake Primary president.

Angela earned an associate's degree in History and Political Science from Orange Coast College and after many years of balancing work, family, and part-time study, will be graduating in a few weeks with a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho. She worked as a flight attendant before retiring in 2022 and has since pursued her passion for encouraging and mentoring others, becoming a published best-selling author of How to Be Resilient for Turbulent Times and a TEDx speaker of the same title. She speaks regularly on resilience, faith, and purpose—inspiring audiences to rise with strength in the face of adversity.

Links

How to Be Resilient for Turbulent Times: 7 Guiding Resiliency Principles

How to be resilient for turbulent times | Angela Sturgeon | TEDxUSFSM

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Highlights

Angela shares her unique experiences and insights gained from her leadership role in a diverse and spread-out stake. She candidly discusses her initial challenges stepping into the role of stake Primary president without prior experience in a ward Primary presidency. Angela emphasizes the importance of building relationships and understanding the unique needs of each ward and branch within her stake. She shares key principles that guide her leadership approach:

Embracing Flexibility and Personal Growth: Angela speaks about the necessity of being adaptable in leadership, especially when faced with diverse needs across different wards. She emphasizes the importance of relying on Heavenly Father and being open to the Spirit to guide her decisions.

Fostering Spiritual Resilience: Drawing from her own life experiences, Angela discusses how spiritual resilience is crucial for both leaders and members. She shares personal stories of overcoming challenges and how this resilience can inspire others to keep moving forward in their faith.

Cultivating a Culture of Love and Growth: Angela stresses the importance of creating an environment where individuals feel loved and supported. She describes how building relationships with other leaders and members fosters a sense of community and encourages open dialogue about struggles and successes.

00:03:40 - Angela's Background and Move to Indiana

00:04:51 - Transition to Stake Primary President

00:05:49 - Initial Orientation in Leadership

00:07:10 - Navigating Leadership as a Convert

00:08:57 - Visiting Wards and Branches

00:09:48 - Scheduling Visits

00:10:45 - Personal Experiences and Challenges

00:12:23 - Building Relationships in Leadership

00:16:22 - Embracing Flexibility and Personal Growth

00:19:26 - Fostering Spiritual Resilience

00:25:54 - Cultivating a Culture of Love and Growth

00:30:47 - Windshield Time and Connection

00:32:27 - Unique Activities in the Stake

00:34:00 - Navigating Stake and Ward Dynamics

00:35:33 - Final Thoughts on Leadership and Love

The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org.

Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Kirby Heyborne, Taysom Hill,