Lovesac was the fastest-growing furniture company in America in 2019 according to Furniture Today. Shawn Nelson can’t be certain if the company he founded would still be in existence if he hadn't served a Latter-day Saint mission, but he doesn’t think it would be. After all, it was his ability to speak Mandarin that made fulfilling the company’s first big order possible. But Nelson says his mission also taught independence, mental toughness, and how to build relationships of trust—all skills he has since used to build his business.
“For missionaries...the blessing is the mission, the blessing is the experience. Sadly, I worry that I took a lot more than I probably ever gave because it blessed my life in so many ways."
Show Notes
1:17- A Giant Bean Bag
10:42- A Mission in Mandarin
15:04- Everything Else is Dust
19:34- Highs and Lows
24:43- Sharing the Gospel Through YouTube
30:45- Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
36:40- What Does It Mean To Be “All In” the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawn Nelson: “The Blessing Is the Mission”

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.

Religion & Spirituality

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Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

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.

Savannah Wooden: The Physical Healing Power of God

If the walls of the Kirtland Temple could speak, they would tell you what they saw that day—April 3, 1836—when the Living Christ appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Still, the temple stands as a witness of the reality of the Resurrection that we celebrate at Easter. Perhaps it is only fitting that the Kirtland Temple reopened under the Church’s ownership this week. On this week’s episode, Elder Kyle S. McKay shares how history and an understanding of our heritage strengthens our own faith.
2:05- A Cowboy at Heart
4:24- Elder Marlin K. Jensen
8:20- Attorney By Trade
11:19- Learning From Church History Professionals
15:56- Approaching Troubling Aspects of Church History
20:33- Jane Manning
25:46- Historic Site Vs. Operational Temple
28:14- Dispensations
31:34- Three Temples
36:33- The Sacrifices of Women
39:33- Why Buy a Replica?
41:25- Relationship with the Community of Christ Church
46:31- God’s Awareness of His Church
48:29- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
“He said in back-to-back verses in the Book of Mormon, ‘I am able to do my own work’ and He’s doing it but this is take a child to work day and it is a glorious privilege to be His child and go to work with Him and watch Him do it.” —Kyle S. McKay See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shawn Nelson: “The Blessing Is the Mission”

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