“I left Idaho to move to Utah to leave and escape the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!” An eager Tyler wanting to do anything and everything to get away from a church he and especially a culture he no longer found belonging in. After a number of years and attempts to steer away from any religion, going as far as removing his records from the church, God’s call to Tyler was both subtle and clear invitations to return to the fold. This inspired him to be more intentional and find what his true ‘Why’ is as a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A ‘Why’ that is founded upon a renewed and refined perspective on pure faith in Jesus Christ despite the inevitable judgements he knew he’d receive and did receive in his efforts to do so. This is Why He Stays.

Author, podcast host, husband, and former avid bowler, Nathan has a huge passion for helping others. Sometimes as Latter Day Saints, we feel stuck and not knowing how to navigate our faith journey. Nathan’s journey is evidence of that. But through his experiences, he has slowly been able to answer that question through prayerful reliance on God. You simply just have to start somewhere. This is Why He Stays.

The struggle with pornography should not be a fight fought alone. Podcast host of the Sisters On The Front Lines podcast , Madi Davis joins me to tell her story of her own personal struggle with pornography from a young age and how her faith and trust in the atonement of Jesus Christ led her to be inspired to help women like herself feel less alone and feel more of God’s love despite the cultural stigmas surrounding pornography. This is Why She Stays.

Bonnie was led by God to lead her life in a way that was intricately unique to her life and her life only. Upon discovering that she was born without a uterus in early adolescence, Bonnie felt absolutely singled out. It's obvious and valid that she worried about not only her future as a wife and mother, but to simply put it, the way she'd feel going into young women classes at church on Sundays or youth activities on Wednesdays feeling much different than her female peers. With family being a central part of God's plan, she had many questions on what God had planned for her. In this episode, Bonnie and I during the this episode, vulnerably chat about the divinely placed mentors and experiences God sent her way, despite the very obvious roadblocks, as she grew into adulthood and eventually went on to get married, have a family, and become a licensed social worker in which inspired her book: "Gathering Israel's Children: How the Lord Is Gathering His Family by Inspiring Forever Families to Adopt, Mentor, and Love His Children in Need". We learn through Bonnie's story that choosing to stay in the church doesn't mean checking off specific boxes, it means trusting God that there is more than one way to follow His plan and help or inspire others do the same. This is Why She Stays.

Change is inevitable. So is opportunity. As a modern day woman in our latter-day church, Abby found it hard to not compare herself to her fellow return missionaries. Her goal to avoid being a statistic and a stereotypical return missionary led her to contemplate her ‘why’, now that she was home and moving on with life. The transition from missionary work to school work within a month was inevitably overwhelming. However, in her ever continuous faith journey, Abby found purpose and was able to be her own kind of ‘return missionary’ in a random opportunity where she found herself in the least likely of places and in doing so, went about doing good for others despite the odds. This is Why She Stays.

“Sometimes it’s your fault, sometimes it’s not, and sometimes it’s just life!”

These exact words were shared to Emily by the power of the Holy Spirit during her visit to the Salt Lake City temple just after it being unearthed and the foundation exposed. This was in reference to how challenging mortality can be. But we’re not in it alone.

Part two touches on the realities of life that none of us are immune to but have are more than capable of overcoming and growing from thanks to a loving Savior and Heavenly Parents.

Emily shares that in order to be happy, even with trials, questions, speculations, and doubts, you have to create it and ‘let go and let God.’ Letting God prevail in Emily’s life transformed herself and her whole family and blessings came to fruition for her faith. This is Why She Stays.

Do you know anyone who’s been given almost every trial that exists either all at once or throughout their life and seem to never get a break? Some say it’s unfair or question why God would give them everything all at once. Emily can attest. As you listen for his episode, you may notice that Emily has lived a life with one mindset and that is: “it’s all gonna work out” and that was gonna happen with by her efforts and/or with the efforts of Jesus. Emily in this two part series shares in this episode about her background, upbringing, her relationships with God and Christs church and trials within herself, her marriage, her families and her overall wrestle with God that led to her to where she is today. Part one touches on the buildup to developing her Why and part two will discuss more and how she sustains and firmly believes in her Why as a member of the church. This is Why She Stays.

The anonymous q&a app, known as “ngl” led to a vulnerable post Sabrina mindfully shared on her personal Instagram account in response to those sharing personal criticisms on church culture. Sabrina’s post unexpectedly went viral and led her to a calling she didn’t realize she was being prepared for long before this app even existed. She shares her story as a lifelong member that isn’t immune to the question, doubts, and trials that come with life and with church doctrine and principles that we may not fully comprehend. However, she’s thankful for these experiences as they have led her to be more present in her relationship with her family and her testimony and relationship with Jesus Christ. She shares a couple resources that have supplemented her journey as well. This is Why She Stays.

What does it feel like to be an outcast in your own congregation? Chelsea shares her story where she felt singled out and ignored in a community where the latter should’ve occurred. However, because of this situation, she was able to narrow down her “why’s” as to why she became a member of Christ’s church in the first place. There’s many. Also Christ was treated as the ultimate outcast. Just some food for thought.. This is why she stays.

As a mom, wife, sister, and friend..Briana shares on how becoming a critical and mindful thinker has given her a more optimistic mindset in connection with gospel living and doctrine and despite the criticism that has come with deciding to remain and strive to be a faithful and genuine disciple of Jesus Christ. This has led her to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and helping others do the same by making their journey alongside Christ become more personal and real. This has led her to be more kind to herself and her life and as well as those around her. This is Why She Stays.