Why We Believe

Why We Believe

By Nathan GwilliamReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
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Why We Believe episodes

  • Hollywood Animation Producer Leaves Disney for Divine Calling at BYU

    When a BMX accident at 14 ended Kelly Loosli's NFL dreams, it redirected his path toward animation and eventually to co-creating BYU's nationally recognized animation program. In this episode, Kelly shares how a spiritual experience while working on a church film led him to embrace missionary service in Portugal after initially rejecting it. After building a successful career at DreamWorks and Disney, Kelly made the surprising decision to leave Hollywood behind when family tragedy struck. Now 25 years into teaching at BYU, he reveals how his students have taught him that his talents were meant to bless others, not himself. Kelly opens up about his family's fertility struggles, the grace he discovered on his mission that transformed his Old Testament view of God, and why he believes love is the most transformative principle of the gospel. His journey shows that sometimes God closes doors to open better ones, leading us exactly where we need to be.

    Follow the Why We Believe Show:

    Website:

    https://www.whywebelieve.com/

    Youtube:

    https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShow

    Instagram:

    https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/

    LinkedIn:

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/

    Follow Nathan Gwilliam:

    LinkedIn:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/

    Follow Kelly Loosli:

    BYU Animation: https://animation.byu.edu/


    34 min
  • A Calling Unlike any other, An LDS Bishop's Journey Through Loss and Faith

    When an inactive teenager named Jason received an unexpected challenge from his bishop, who happened to be named Moroni, everything changed. After years away from church, this single conversation sparked a mission to France that transformed his entire life trajectory. But Jason's real test of faith came later as a father and bishop. In this episode, Jason shares his family's journey through his son's premature birth and over 20 brain surgeries for hydrocephalus, the devastating loss of his business during COVID, and the unthinkable tragedy of losing his daughter in a car accident. Now serving as a bishop himself, Jason reveals how these trials taught him that we can either turn away from God or fall to our knees, and why choosing to turn toward Him brings a peace that nothing else can provide. His story shows that even in our darkest moments, God's compensatory blessings and the healing power of Christ's atonement can carry us through anything.

    Follow the Why We Believe Show:

    Website:

    https://www.whywebelieve.com/

    Youtube:

    https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShow

    Instagram:

    https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/

    LinkedIn: 

    https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/

    Follow Nathan Gwilliam:

    LinkedIn: 

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/

    Follow Jason Bringhurst:

    LinkedIn:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbringhurst/

    41 min
  • Finding Home Through Divine Reunion with Ana Katia

    What happens when a malnourished toddler abandoned on a Costa Rican mountain grows up with an unshakeable desire to return home? Ana Katia's story begins in a tin shack where she and her siblings survived alone for months while their mentally ill birth mother wandered for days. Adopted at age three and raised in America, Ana spent years making birthday wishes to "fly home" to Costa Rica. When she finally embarked on a 14-day search with only her birth mother's name, what followed defied all odds. Through divine timing and miraculous encounters, Ana discovered that her real journey wasn't about finding her birth mother—it was about understanding her worth as a daughter of God. Her emotional reunion, marked by an unexpected gift of a simple cucumber, revealed truths about divine love that changed everything.

    55 min
  • A 15-Year-Old War Survivor Who Found Faith in Ancient War Stories

    When tanks rolled through Dejan Tahic's hometown at 7 AM on what should have been a normal school day, his childhood ended instantly. This Bosnian teenager spent months separated from his parents across three different refugee camps, surviving on Red Cross donations while 100,000 people died in the civil war around him. After resettling in Canada speaking zero English, Dejan never expected that meeting one girl would introduce him to a 2,000-year-old book about ancient wars that would change everything. The Book of Mormon's battle chapters resonated with someone who had lived through modern conflict, and the church's teachings about eternal families spoke directly to a young man who had lost all sense of home and belonging. Today, as a father of four daughters pursuing his degree at BYU-Idaho, Dejan's temple sealing gave him what war had stolen: roots, future, and the promise that families can be forever. His transformation from a displaced Muslim refugee to a devoted Latter-day Saint proves that sometimes the most unexpected spiritual journeys begin in the darkest circumstances.

    35 min
  • "Federal Prison Became My Sacred Ground": 84 Months That Changed Everything

    What happens when a successful wedding photographer's perfect life crumbles into a federal indictment and maximum prison sentence? Portia Louder's story takes you through photographing 200 weddings a year, then hearing "84 months in federal prison" echo through a federal courtroom. But this isn't just another cautionary tale about mortgage fraud and poor choices. Inside those concrete walls, Portia discovered something that would forever change her understanding of grace, redemption, and divine love. Her spiritual awakening behind bars led to extraordinary connections with fellow inmates, including a remarkable young woman whose faith journey would span prison cells and temple walls. Through heartbreak, separation during her seven children's formative years, and the darkest moments of despair, Portia found sacred ground in the most unlikely place. Her story proves that sometimes our greatest failures become the foundation for our most beautiful transformations, and that there's no depth too deep for divine love to reach.

    32 min
  • Escaping Depression to Finding Purpose in Writing: Journey of an Award-Winning Author

    Award-winning author Heidi Tucker never planned to write books until a vivid dream on an airplane changed everything. After battling severe postpartum depression that left her hiding under her baby's crib, she discovered how to transform life's darkest moments into sources of strength and service. Her latest book, "A Necessary Lie," tells the harrowing story of North Korean defectors and is now being developed into a worldwide feature film. Through her father's examples of secret service and her own journey through mental health struggles, Heidi learned that faith isn't just about believing but about taking action on those beliefs. Listen as she shares how God continues to bring her the stories she's meant to tell and why she sees Christ as the steady lighthouse guiding us through life's storms. Her insights on patience, service, and finding purpose after trauma will inspire anyone seeking hope in their own difficult seasons.

    Connect with Heidi Tucker:

    LinkedIn: Heidi Tucker

    Website: The Pickled Sunflower

    Instagram: heidi_tucker_/

    Youtube: @heiditucker897

    Facebook: heidi.tucker.10

    33 min
  • Finding Light After Loss with Lark Galley

    What do you do when suicide claims both your father and your 19-year-old son? Former Fortune 500 top sales executive Lark Galley shares her journey through unimaginable grief and the unexpected spiritual experiences that followed. After losing her brilliant engineering student son Christian, Lark discovered that death wasn't the end of their relationship – it was the beginning of something deeper. Through messages from beyond and divine encounters, she learned that love transcends the veil and that even our darkest moments can become catalysts for spiritual growth. Her story challenges everything we think we know about mental health, suicide, and the plan of salvation. Lark's insights about becoming more Christ-like through adversity and finding joy again after devastating loss will transform how you view both trials and eternity.

    34 min
  • How Loss Led One Mother to Become "The Art Ninja" with Jenedy Paige

    Professional artist and five-time American Ninja Warrior competitor Jenedy Paige shares her extraordinary journey through unimaginable heartbreak to unexpected strength. After losing her three-year-old son Victory in a tragic drowning accident, Jenedy found herself at a crossroads with her faith - choosing to show up to her relationship with God "just mad" rather than walking away. What followed was a spiritual education that would transform her life in ways she never imagined. From receiving divine inspiration to paint sacred art depicting Christ's birth and sacrifice to feeling a mysterious prompting to apply for American Ninja Warrior despite having zero athletic background, Jenedy's story reveals how God can consecrate our deepest sufferings for our greatest good. Her paintings have been featured in LDS temples and church publications, while her ninja journey has led to creating the Strong Women Experience -a groundbreaking conference combining spiritual and physical strength. This powerful conversation explores grief, faith, artistic inspiration, and the miraculous ways God can use our broken hearts to strengthen others.

    52 min
  • Finding God in Life's Variety with Brooke Romney

    In this heartfelt conversation, author and speaker Brooke Romney shares how embracing imperfection led to deeper spiritual connections in her life as a mother of four boys. She recounts a pivotal moment when God personally assured her that temple attendance recommendations didn't apply to her season of life with a nursing baby, highlighting how faith must fit individual circumstances. Brooke discusses the transformative power of undistracted presence, illustrating this through a story of a friend who waited in the rain to truly listen during a difficult time. With insights from her book and work with teenagers, she explores how God communicates love differently to each person - through music, service, learning, or connection - just as parents must discover unique ways to reach their children. This episode offers a refreshing perspective on finding divine connection amid life's messiness and variety.

    33 min
  • Evolution, Epistemology, and Testimony: Science as a Language of Faith with Dr. Jamie Jensen

    Join host Nathan Gwilliam and Dr. Jamie Jensen of BYU for a thought-provoking conversation that bridges the gap between lab benches and living rooms. Discover how a leading biology education researcher uses the tools of science - surveys, videography, data - to hear God's voice on her own terms. Jamie unveils reasoning patterns that keep faith and evolution in harmony, from respecting each epistemology's limits to resisting "God-of-the-gaps" thinking. She shares personal trials - from a broken engagement to life-threatening pregnancies - and how logical, research-driven insights became her spiritual compass. Learn why uncertainty isn't a threat but a pathway to deeper testimony, and how evidence both tangible and spiritual confirms her belief. Whether you wrestle with reconciling scripture and science or seek fresh perspectives on revelation, this episode offers a roadmap to blend both worlds with confidence.

    26 min

About Why We Believe

From the publisher's feed

Why do we believe? What inspires faith, testimony, and conversion in members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? Dive into the personal conversion stories behind faithful members of the church.