All In

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.

In 2010, S. Michael Wilcox lost his wife, Laurie, as the result of an inoperable brain tumor. Previously, the couple had dreams of traveling the world together. Instead, for the last decade, Wilcox has traveled alone, seeking solace from the grief of his loss and looking for confirmation from God that he is on the right track to see his beloved wife again. On this week's episode, we discuss the lessons he has learned from loss and the truths he has found in love that lasts forever. "Grief is love's shadow. If we didn't love, we wouldn't grieve." Show Notes 1:49- Insights about Life and Love 4:23- Death—A Foe and a Friend 6:43- "There Will Never Be a Time When I Did Not Love Her" 10:35- Meeting Laurie 12:32- Bracelets and Single Earrings 17:55- Questions Associated With Grief 21:48- No Road Map 24:37- Waiting Spaces 28:39- A God of Happy Endings 30:36- The Questioner or the Answerer? 34:12- "Why Trouble Ye Her?" 37:09- Needing 40:22- Good Questions 43:50- 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.

We may not hear the words "in sickness and in health" in the temple, but Jalyn Shaw believes the meaning is still there as Latter-day Saints commit to love and serve each other through all eternity. In 2011, Jalyn and her husband, Acey, experienced firsthand what "in sickness and in health" really means when Acey contracted a rare virus. The virus left Acey without the use of his legs, as well as limited use of his arms and his voice. On this week's episode, the couple shares what their experience has taught them about love, service, and eternity. "It's given us the opportunity to apply the gospel to our life. You can practice it and you can preach it and you can know it but to apply it is something different." Show Notes 3:17- "It's Just the Flu" 10:38- Prepared 13:30- President Monson 19:18- Consciously Choosing to Live 21:50- Love, Respect and Humor 28:01- A Caregiver 32:59- An Eternal Marriage 38:01- Why Bad Things Happen 40:16- 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.

Years ago, while sitting alone in a hospital waiting room as his wife had an emergency C-section, Randal Wright made a commitment to God as he called upon the powers of heaven to help his wife safely deliver their newborn child. In that commitment, he promised that for the rest of his life he would look for important lessons. Not only would he look for those lessons, he would record them and share them. The Lord protected and preserved the lives of Randal's wife and child, and in return, Randal has kept his promise to God. On today's episode, Randal reveals the power of sharing our experiences and learning from the experiences of others to inspire us to be better and live life to its fullest. "The first thing I say in the morning is 'I'm alive.'" Show Notes 3:21- Why Teach in Stories? 10:04- 3-Word Journal 18:24- Using Stories in Teaching Effectively 29:49- Integrity=Doing What You'll Say You Can Do 39:05- Early to Bed, Early to Rise 59:49- 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.

It was "the moment of the games" and one that will be forever etched into Olympic history—the moment when skeleton athlete Noelle Pikus Pace cleared a barricade to jump into the stands and celebrate her silver medal victory with her family. What you may not know is the road that brought Noelle to that moment: a runaway bobsled, days and weeks spent away from her young family, a shoestring dragging on the ice, and a miscarriage that led to a decision to come back one more time to a sports she loves. This is Noelle Pikus Pace's journey to a silver medal, a medal she says was "as good as gold." "I didn't lose the gold medal, I won the silver." Show Notes 1:57- Skeleton 5:54- Maintaining Focus 7:49- Adversity 11:37- We Never Lose 14:58- A Family Goal 20:07- "He is the Finish Line" 22:31- "Where You Look is Where You'll Go" 25:33- A Bucket List 30:05- Competing Vs. Comparing 33:32- "Expect the Best" 37:24- 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.

McArthur Krishna is one of the co-authors of the popular book series, Girls Who Choose God. Not long before the first book in the series was published, McArthur faced a significant choice of her own—should she marry her now-husband and move to India with him? Although she still had her concerns when she received an affirmative answer, McArthur trusted the revelation she received and chose God anyway. Now, she is determined to share the stories of other women who chose to follow Him as well. "Our Heavenly Parents sent us to this earth to succeed. …They didn't send us here to fail. It's actually not a test; it's a school to learn and grow." Show Notes 2:00- Moving to India 4:58- "They Know My Husband" 8:32- Home Church Before It Was Cool 11:25- Girls Who Choose God 18:28- Use for Your Talents in Zion 24:34- The Vital Role of Agency in God's Plan and Parenting 34:58- A Call to "Step Forward" 39:12- When Things Don't Seem Fair 46:30- 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.