All In

When Mandie Sherman was born in 1989 with Cystic Fibrosis, she was expected to live just 18 years. Three years later, her little sister Natalie was also born with the same disease. As they have battled their condition, the two sisters have endured painful challenges and daily treatments together. And yet, they are determined to take every opportunity and live life to its fullest. "Knowing that our life could be cut short—really at any moment—it allows us to repent of our sins more quickly, seek mending relationships that might have been hurt, search for answers and questions that we might have, take life by the horns and say yes to that experience, take that vacation, plan that birthday party, visit that person, talk to your neighbor, talk to...your grandparents, because you don't know when the last time you're going to be able to do those things is." Show Notes 2:06- What is Cystic Fibrosis? 4:42- Day-to-day Living 6:00- Born with a Life Expectancy 10:47- Battling Together 16:59- Medical Progress 21:12- Dating and Marriage 32:00- Personal Decisions about Giving Life 43:20- Truly Living Life 51:31- 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.

Most of us are young enough to remember a world without social media and yet, for many of us, connecting with others online has become a part of our everyday lives. Church leaders have spoken of the power of social media. We’ve been encouraged to use it in sharing messages of light and truth, but our prophet has also issued specific invitations to take a break from it. Becky Higgins engages with over 80,000 people online as she builds a business centered on documenting life. On today's episode, she shares her thoughts on what being a disciple looks like in an online world and how we can signal that the most important person we follow is Christ. "I don't mean to make social media sound like such a spiritual thing but it is. ...It's between you and God. Be really intentional with who you're following for your reasons." Show Notes  3:09- Evolution of personal social media use 4:23- Satan’s desire to divide 6:09- Myopic 10:22- Influence 14:20- Documenting as a spiritual gift 18:15- Drawing People In 22:00- Balance Between Sharing Light and Bragging 24:40- Social Media Overwhelm 27:03- Following Account in Line With Your Goals 32:40- Intentionality 35:28- Unplugging and Fasting from Social Media 41:32- Acknowledging Who Wants Us to Compare 45:27- Faith Grows When We Share 48:29- 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.

As human beings we tend to view conflict as something to fear or avoid, but what if we viewed conflict as an opportunity to love? Chad Ford has devoted a large portion of his life to what he calls his “true passion”: peace building and conflict resolution. On this week’s episode, Ford teaches us how our approach to conflict—specifically our willingness to “turn first”—can make all the difference. “Instead of judging and condemning and fighting and all of the things that we engage in, we would show an increase of love. We would choose love over fear.” Show Notes 2:09- Backing into Sports 4:49- True Passion 9:01- Where Conflict Resolution Starts 14:11- Turning First 18:38- Dangerous Love—The Love that Endures 24:08- Pointing Blame 28:12- Perception of Stress/Perception of Conflict 35:25- “Am I Right With This Person?” 40:02- A Son’s Blessing 45:37- 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.

Eric Dyches and Leslie Huntsman Dyches both lost spouses to battles with mental health. In the midst of postpartum anxiety and depression, Eric's wife Emily Cook Dyches ran in front of a semitruck. Leslie also lost her husband Chad after a 14-year battle with depression and anxiety. Now, the two have joined their families—including their collective eight children—and are honoring the memory of their late spouses by speaking out about mental health. "Somehow, God provides a way for hearts to love."  Show Notes 1:48- Two Families 7:29- “Due to Mental Illness” 10:50- Dealing with the Unknown 13:40- Turning Outward 16:26- Every Experience is Preparation 19:20- Grief-A Positive and Negative Power 25:36- Two Families Becoming One 36:39- Remarriage 44:47- “The Picture on the Nightstand Is Not Enough” 48:56- An Ongoing Challenge 53:05- 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.

With general conference quickly approaching, we have the privilege of bringing you a candid conversation with the Relief Society General Presidency. These three women are uniquely qualified with life experiences that make them a powerful force for good. In this week's episode, the General Presidency discusses what they have learned from working closely with the First Presidency. They also share what they wish women in the Church understood right now and what 2020 has taught them about God’s love. “When we want what He wants we find joy, even in times of difficulty.”  Show Notes 3:48- Life During a Pandemic 9:30- Labels Don’t Matter 13:36- Uniquely Called and Qualified 18:48- “I Hope Being Single Isn’t The Most Interesting Thing” 21:58- “Our Story Is Not Over Yet” 25:06- Women and the Restored Gospel 30:13- Lessons Learned in Three and a Half Years of Service 34:48- Actively Participating 36:03- 2020, Anxiety, and God’s Comfort 37:42- Difficulties Are Part of Life and Christ is the Answer 39:01- 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 lot has happened in 2020: the pandemic, wildfires, social unrest, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados—the list goes on and on. It is understandable, then, that many are curious about what this all means in regard to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. While the “day or hour knoweth no man,” Gerald Lund has devoted years of his life to studying the Second Coming. In today’s episode, he explains what he believes our current circumstances mean and what we can do to prepare so that regardless of what comes, we “shall not fear.” "One of the things that I found curious is that even many of the members are focused on COVID and rightly so, it dominates our life right now, [and] defines our schedule. But we're overlooking what I think are other really quite evident and quite remarkable signs of the times." Show Notes 2:42- Are We Getting Closer?  9:03- An Intensifying  12:12- Temple Closure 13:53- Initial Interest 17:22- Great and Terrible 22:11- The United States of America 25:54- Something to look forward to? 28:25- 3 Ways to Prepare 35:43- Once Prophecy, Now History 38:08- What Does It Mean To Be “All In” Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neylan McBaine was raised in New York City by a single mother who also happened to be a singer in the Metropolitan Opera. She watched as her mother was applauded and recognized within her faith community for her accomplishments. But as a young student at Yale, Neylan began to realize that many women perceived a woman’s role in the Church as something different—something prescriptive. Neylan has since dedicated her time and talents to helping women see there is no one way to be a Latter-day Saint woman. “Looking at His example and constantly being reminded of how the Savior favored the underdog and went against the conventions of His time gives me the confidence that I need, is really the only thing that I need, to feel like there’s room for exploration and for a little bit more disruption in our lives today.”  Show Notes 3:04- Growing Up as a Latter-day Saint Young Woman in NYC 6:33- Role of Women in the Gospel 9:06- Stewardship 14:49- Telling the Stories of Latter-day Saint Women 20:41- I’m a Mormon 30:24- Empathetic Activism 35:54- Keeping People Tethered to Their Covenants 37:52- The Savior’s Treatment of Women 41:10- 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.

Steve Young, Dave Checketts, Jabari Parker, Clayton Christensen, Spencer Hadley, Gary Crittenden and Kyle Van Noy. These are just a few of the Latter-day Saints Jeff Benedict has profiled during his career as a journalist. On today’s episode, we talk with Jeff about what these people and their stories have meant to him and why he is grateful for a job that has allowed him to spend time seeing the world through a unique lens. “Of the 16 books that I’ve written...almost all of them have changed my life in really noticeable ways.” Show Notes 3:43-Faith, Family and Sports 6:45- Full Circle Moments 11:37- Law and Journalism 17:00- The Mormon Way of Doing Business 25:23- Jabari Parker 31:00- Steve Young 37:59- Signaling Valued 43:51- Gaining and Retaining Trust 51:57- 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.

As a young journalism student at the University of Utah, Heidi Swinton had big dreams of one day working for Newsweek, but a prompting encouraging her to focus on the work of the Lord led her to a different path in life instead. This path still involved Swinton using her talents through writing, but in ways she never could’ve imagined—including writing the biography of President Thomas S. Monson. That was the point when the journalist in me gave way to essentially a child of God.” Show Notes 1:43- A Mother’s Example of Resilience 3:34- Journalistic Dreams 6:12- Losing an Infant 12:12- “All the Way Home” 15:12- A Witness of Joseph Smith 25:04- “I Did My Best For You”  27:44- A Cold Call from a Prophet 32:26- “Exactly Who You Think He Is” 36:15- Experiencing Firsthand How President Monson Made People Feel 41:24- What the Lord Allows Us To Do and Feel 45:38- The Call of a Prophet and the Call to Us To Follow 49:40- What Does It Mean To You 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.

Jared Halverson, a Professor of American Religious History at Vanderbilt University, discusses his journey tackling anti-religious rhetoric while nurturing faith in students. He emphasizes the importance of understanding people's doubts and questions, arguing that faith can deepen amidst criticism. Halverson highlights the significance of love and empathy in bridging beliefs, illustrating how personal commitment can transform one's spiritual journey. His insights encourage a balance of faith and doubt, urging listeners to embrace their questions and grow in their understanding.