It's time!

Woohoo! We made it to 200 episodes! I couldn't be happier with all the support and love shown over the past four years. 

In this episode, I have invited four of my former guests to share hang out with me and talk about the Book of Mormon. We talk about how we first got our testimony of the Book of Mormon, some special experiences we've had, some questions we've had answered, and what we want our children to know about the Book of Mormon. This time together was beautiful and precious. We are happy to share this time with you and those you love. 

My guests are Charity Fleming, Kwani Winder, Anthony Rivera, Franklin Keel, and Tom Pittman. We hope you feel like you are visiting with us as you might answer these questions in your own head or with your loved ones. And, perhaps you might even share your thoughts with us. 

Dee was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was eight years old. Ever since then, she has looked for and found purpose in maintaining that membership. She has been so grateful to missionaries from her youth and missionaries she has served alongside as an adult. She reminds us of the story of the "dirty little Irish kid" and how she relates to that story so much--she's so grateful she was found. I think what I draw from Dee's story is tenacity, which she recognizes as strength from her own family tree. Dee is a wonderful example of being a believer.

We talked multiple times about how each of us walk with Jesus Christ *individually*. Our life stories are all different. But they should all draw us closer to our Savior Jesus Christ and to our Heavenly Father. Shon shares about how he has drawn so close to his ancestors and has had his own testimony strengthened by their lives. That, to me, is why family history is so power. It gives us strength and it also makes life more meaningful. Shon has a beautiful story and you will feel uplifted by it.

It was such a privilege to have Jenae Nelson come to my home. Jenae is a professor of psychology, so our conversation was definitely unique. Some of the best parts included her analogy of trying to expand our vision and see things like bees' eyes do. Are we looking through a tunnel, or are we looking with compound vision? There is always room to expand our vision. Another thing that really struck home was that she mentions how her relationship with Heavenly Father hasn't always been "good." In fact, there were many years when she didn't even believe that He could be real because of all the hard things she has gone through. But, now she says that she realizes she had to go through things so that He could help shape her character. There are truly so many good things to glean from Jenae in this episode!

Creativity is a gift of the Spirit. Teaching is another gift of the Spirit. Being able to make connections between concepts is a gift of the Spirit. Michele has been blessed with these gifts and a myriad of others. She uses these gifts in all aspects of her life--especially in parenting and serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Michele begins this conversation with sharing about how Hózhǫ́ means so much to her--and then she just ties that in through her thoughts as we talk about a variety of subjects. She is a beautiful mother in this part of the Lord's vineyard and sees that gift as one of the highest honors. It was really amazing to get to know Michele a little better, I'm so grateful for her example.

I think artists look more carefully at the world around them. They see the beauty in landscapes, people, and experiences more clearly. Or with more reverence and appreciation for them. Leo Platero is awesome like that. He chose to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just like an artist purposely chooses colors to get a desired result, Leo has made decisions that have made his life beautiful and helped his family to make their lives beautiful. I even feel like the way Leo shared stories and testimony that he was choosing carefully how to paint the picture we are now privileged to listen to.

In this episode, Shiloh talks about all the blessings he has found by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sums up how his life has changed and how he is implementing the Gospel in his daily and weekly routines. He bears testimony again and again of the goodness of the Savior Jesus Christ. 

I hope if you haven't yet listened to the first two episodes, that you will now go back and listen to them. This is a testimony that will probably stay with you for the rest of your life.

In this episode, Shiloh shares about how out of hand his addictions become. It spills into his family life big time. He shares, too, about how he didn't want to be there in the situation. He realizes how addiction has become an actual problem for not only himself but those around him. And then he shares about being ALONE. More empty and alone than he had ever, ever been. And then LIGHT happens. The best light and the best fulness. 

In this episode, Shiloh talks about how he fondly first encountered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He doesn't talk about a firm testimony of the Gospel, however, because he was only in it superficially. He talks about how his first wife was so kind to him, as was her family. He saw how a family who lives the Gospel looks and acts. But eventually, he ended up back on the outside of the Church. That, to me, is a good takeaway: that an easy in will often lead to an easy out. Because this episode sets up the next two episodes, you'll not want to miss this.