From Lost in a Mine to Stake President | An Interview with Joshua Dennis

Sep 6, 2024

Joshua Dennis, a designer for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and current stake president, shares a gripping tale from his childhood when he was lost in an abandoned mine. He reflects on the profound impact of this harrowing experience on his faith and leadership style. The conversation highlights the upcoming film, 'Faith of Angels,' inspired by his story, and underscores the importance of Christ-centered leadership, kindness, and the lessons learned from both challenges and blessings in guiding a diverse community.

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Intro

00:00 • 6min

Faith of Angels: A Tale of Survival

05:39 • 15min

From Experience to Film: A Personal Journey

20:52 • 13min

Embracing Cultural Diversity in Leadership

34:11 • 6min

Christ-Centered Leadership

39:54 • 11min

Journey Through Tragedy and Hope

50:42 • 7min

Inspiring Shared Leadership Experiences

57:40 • 2min

Find tickets for the movie Faith of Angels HERE Joshua Dennis works as a designer for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the For the Strength of Youth Magazine and the Gospel Living App. He graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Drawing. He has served as a bishop and currently as a stake president. Josh lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife Johana and their four children. Links The Best Five Years | A How I Lead Interview with Kirby Heyborne There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Joshua Dennis shares his remarkable story of being lost in an abandoned mine as a young boy and miraculously found. Joshua, now serving as a stake president, reflects on the experience and the impact it has had on his life. The conversation also touches on the upcoming movie "Faith of Angels," which portrays Joshua's story and the miraculous events surrounding his rescue. Joshua emphasizes the importance of focusing on Jesus Christ, being the person you want others to become, and maintaining a loving and kind demeanor in leadership roles. He shares insights on the challenges and blessings of serving as a stake president, drawing on personal experiences and lessons learned from his journey. 00:06:15 - Joshua Dennis recounts being separated in the mine 00:13:20 - Reflections on his experience and the role of angels 00:19:10 - Experience of the story resurfacing 00:21:05 - How the story became a movie 00:23:40 - Where the movie title came from 00:27:05 - Sealing of the mine after his rescue 00:28:00 - Serving a mission in Honduras when his story was told in a conference talk 00:30:46 - Sharing experiences with others 00:34:30 - Service as a stake president 00:36:30 - Service in a Spanish-speaking ward in Utah 00:40:00 - Focus on Jesus Christ in leadership 00:42:10 - Be the person you want others to become 00:44:20 - When you don't know what to do, be loving and kind 00:46:10 - Reflections on the first year as a stake president 00:51:00 - Perspective on tragedy and the absence of miracles The 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, 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, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, Taysom Hill and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.