All In

We've all heard them. There are pre-general conference predictions, rumors about certain celebrities investigating the Church, and sensationalized stories from Church history. How can you discern what is real and what's rumor? On this week's episode, Keith Erekson, director of the Church History Library, teaches how historians approach corroboration and how you can do the same in your own life. "If anything, history teaches us to be humble." Show Notes 2:15- Why This Matters 3:30- History Is Not What You Think 5:51- Myth Vs. Rumor 9:20- "I Heard" 13:48- Assumptions 22:16- Either Or 26:04- Sensationalized Over Time 32:33- What's the Harm? 44:52- Social Responsibility 50:36- 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.

When Keith Meyer met his wife, Brooke, he was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In fact, the day he first saw her, he had a beer in his hand. Keith had started drinking in his youth, but it wasn't until three years into his marriage that he wondered if he might be an alcoholic. That was when his story of recovery and conversion truly began. And although it's a process that is ongoing—a true fight against an ever-present struggle—they believe it is a story worth telling. "The message that I got was 'You're not fighting him. He's not the battle. You need to battle with him together to fight this addiction.'" Show Notes 2:07- First Impressions 5:58- Drinking and Conversion 11:29- Drawing Upon the Power of the Atonement 13:40- 2020 17:35- Under the Influence 19:05- Heartbroken 21:45- Daily Bread 24:46- Guilt and Shame 28:46- The Hand of God 33:20- Faith Over Fear 37:50- 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.

From the time he was a young boy, Bryan Ready felt drawn to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Initially he studied everything he could find about it, determined to prove it wasn't the restored church on the earth today. But while working as a Southern Baptist pastor, he allowed himself to consider that it might actually be true. Over the course of five years, he went from tearing down the Church to joining it. On this week's episode, we talk with Ready about why he eventually concluded that the Church is where he is meant to be, and why it is now his home. "Stop trying to tear down Mormonism and just lift up Jesus." Show Notes 1:49- A Simple Child's Prayer 5:01- Osmondmania and a Lifelong Study 8:40- Thesis 1:21- From Interested to Critic 12:49- Advice to Those With Doubt 15:45- Guided as a Baptist Pastor 18:58- Where People Go When They Leave 22:18- Dialogue and Friendships Across the Aisle 26:10- Dropped 30:50- Unseen Dangers and Timing 33:44- Respect in a Family with Different Beliefs 37:00- "Where I Was Meant To Be" 41:07- 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.

Angie Balfour is an adventurer, a cancer survivor, a chief people officer, and a disciple of Christ. After her high school graduation, Balfour learned a valuable lesson when she graduated from high school about involving God in her life decisions and has since documented the defining moments from each year of her life. Today, we talk with Balfour about why she believes that recognizing the influence of people, places, and important moments in our lives is vital to our happiness. "I think we underestimate God...the vast majority of our lives here." Show Notes 1:44- Partnering with God 5:22- To Go or Not To Go 7:25- What People May Not Know About Being Single in the Church 10:53- Value of Diversity and Eliminating Echo Chambers 19:26- Cancer and Being the Beneficiary of a Fast 26:20- The Miracle of Orange Chicken 30:01- The Dream Changes 33:20- You Get Out What You Put In 41:00- Making and Keeping Covenants 43:28- 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.

Latter-day Saints will best recognize Kirby Heyborne for his starring roles in "The R.M." and "The Best Two Years." But in the years since those films, Heyborne's career has had its ups and downs. Although he initially began in finance, Heyborne loved to entertain. His big breaks in the Latter-day Saint film world would suggest he found an opportunity to make a living by following his passion—but the media industry can be brutal, and it wasn't until Heyborne landed a gig as an audiobook narrator that he found a way to provide for his family while also doing something he loves. On this week's episode, Heyborne explains how embracing the opportunities God has given him has allowed him to find true happiness. "When you realize that this is a divine opportunity and you look at every moment—every interaction—with every person as a beautiful divine opportunity to lift that person, I think that helps you be happy now." Show Notes 2:06- Golden Age of Latter-day Saint Comedies 6:14- The Impact of Elder Calhoun 8:45- Unanticipated Opportunities 13:29- Narrating "Saints" 15:58- Empty Promises, and Authoring Your Own Joy 24:02- Criticism and Personal Revelation 28:32- "Making Good" on an Opportunity 36:01- One Person's Ability To Make a Difference 39:16- Seeing the Divinity in a Human Being 42:31- 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.

Latter-day Saints around the world make significant sacrifices to believe. For Roohina Arya, a desire to follow Jesus Christ meant risking her life. Local laws forbade her conversion to Christianity and simply desiring to believe meant subjecting herself to physical abuse as well as a loss of security for her and her loved ones. Yet, she says that the hope of finding light was worth any risk. On this week's episode, we talk with Roohina about her quest to come unto Christ and how her journey of faith transformed her life. "For me, it was like I die or I get to that light." Show Notes 1:46- Born in Iran 7:31- A Miraculous Gift and a Friend 12:04- Arrested 22:43- Worth the Risk 27:15- Searching for a Church 30:20- "Expedient" 33:02- Called to Serve 36:34- Led By The Hand of God 37:57- 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.

A thread of complexity is woven throughout the life of Emma Smith. Her love for her husband, the Prophet Joseph Smith, was enduring despite her struggles to understand his participation in polygamy. Her family was the most important thing to her, yet she suffered familial losses over and over again. She gave her all for the gospel of Jesus Christ but chose not to go west with the Saints. Many have asked, "Did Emma fall short?" This week, we talk with Jennifer Reeder, the author of the new biography, "First: The Life and Faith of Emma Smith," about why the answer to that question is no—Emma gave all that was asked of her. "The very thing that tears you to pieces is often the thing that means the most to you." Show Notes 3:47- "I Think She Is Speaking to Me" 11:33- A Life of Loss and Starting Over 17:13- Did Emma Fall Short? 19:45- "Joseph, Joseph, Joseph" 21:54- Complementary Partners 27:36- Polygamy 37:04- Emma's Family's Concerns 41:41- Stories of Ongoing Restoration 46:57- 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.

Like many young couples, Nate and Vanessa Quigley had big dreams and a firm vision for their little family after getting married. They had read the Book of Mormon scripture that promises if you keep the commandments, you will prosper in the land (2 Nephi 4:4). Over a quarter of a century later, they believe the Lord has blessed them in their efforts to raise their children in the gospel of Jesus Christ—those blessings just look a little different than they imagined. On today's episode, the Quigleys share the challenges they've encountered as parents and why they are convinced their family is perfect for them. "As a parent, you just jump in the lake and you swim. You can't possibly help yourself. ...It's unsafe to be a parent because you love your children so desperately." Show Notes 1:43- Family Narratives 6:48- The Perfect Family? 9:25- Watching a Child Struggle 13:22- The Pandemic of Pandemics 17:47- No More Sweeping Under the Rug 22:57- The Price Paid To Be Someone's Angel 26:19- Trust God and Do Your Best 31:30- Talking About Mental Challenges 36:09- The Wheel of Wellness and Safe Love 42:30- The Perfect Family Learning Together 45:58- 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.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to put ourselves in the shoes of the people we read about in Church history or in the scriptures. We live in such a different world today that their experiences can be hard for us to grasp. But stepping into others' shoes is what Casey Elliott often does on stage, and the experience has changed him. From playing Joseph Smith in the upcoming film "Green Flake" to Peter in the concert film of the oratorio "Lamb of God," Elliott captures the humanity of these people and brings them to life. In this week's episode, we explore what this humanity means to Elliott and how his perception of history has deepened through acting. "Creative ideas in a very real sense are bits of intelligence, bits of spiritual stuff that wasn't created, it just is there and, as creatives, we have the immense blessing and opportunity to take that and to form it into an identity. And that identity, once formed, almost takes on a life of its own." Show Notes 2:54- "Resist Playing to the Icon" 9:18- Imperfect but Utilized 12:08- Being Present 15:07- "The Spirit of Christ is in the Music" 21:50- Putting Ourselves in Their Shoes 24:03- Peter, Our Brother 30:27- "Reaches My Reaching" 32:24- 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.

Richard Turley has spent his career facing history head-on because he believes the more we know, the better we can answer questions. When it comes to Church history, there are an abundance of examples worth emulating, but there are also cautionary tales we can learn from. On this week's episode, Turley looks back on his takeaways from writing books about two dark moments in Church history: the Mark Hofmann trial and the Mountain Meadows Massacre. He then contrasts that to the uplifting lessons he learned from writing a biography about the exemplary life of President Dallin H. Oaks. "We tend to ignore the lessons we can learn from the past and we don't look very far into the future." Show Notes 1:39- Cold-called 6:46- Mark Hofmann 13:46- Lingering Misperceptions and What We Should Know 16:30- Mountain Meadows Massacre 21:27- Distinguish Between the Mental and the Spiritual 23:11- Cautionary Tales and Transparency Through the Big Picture 27:18- This Moment in Church History 29:19- A Full Circle Moment 30:45- 'In the Hands of the Lord' 33:34- Documenting Someone Else's Life 34:44- President Oaks—'A Very Balanced Human Being' 38:48- Work, a Sense of Humor, and Letter Writing 43:08- 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.