All In

It is difficult to ignore the similarities between April Giauque’s description of an abuser’s behavior and Satan’s efforts to wear us down: isolation, manipulation, control, despair. Regardless of whether you feel held captive in an abusive situation like April or trapped by sin or discouragement, April’s story reminds us that there is always hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ. "It is the worth of who your soul is, what your light is, your worth equals your light. And we were all born with the light of Christ within us. Whether you are a member of the Church or not, all have this light and that is the worth."  Show Notes:  1:33- The beginning of abuse 4:08- Children with special needs 5:38- Everyday life 6:29- Two different types of abusers 8:59- Relationship with God  11:35- Knowing when it was time to leave 13:53- The voice of the adversary 15:18- The biggest fear of a victim 19:14- Saving a marriage 22:52- Looking for evidence of blessings 26:03- Caring for yourself in order to care for others 27:54- Self-esteem vs. self-worth 29:19- Agency amidst abuse 32:40- Life after abuse 35:32- Advice for victims 37:59- What does it mean to be “All In” the gospel of Jesus Christ?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do our dreams carry spiritual significance? And if so, how do we know? Ken Alford, a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, looks back at the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the history of the Church to explore the idea of dreams as revelation.  Show Notes 2:37- Why Study Dreams? 9:23- Distinguishing a Dream of Significance From Other Dreams 12:36- Are We Entitled To Revelatory Dreams or Are Some People Dreamers 16:18- Nightmares 18:38- Interpreting Our Dreams 20:15- Dreams In Church History 29:16- Receiving Dreams For Other People? 31:10- Advance Notice of Church Callings 34:54- Dreams about the Savior 38:14- Scriptural Dreams 40:48- Dreams as Tender Mercies 44:14- What Does It Mean To Be All In The Gospel of Jesus Christ? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mint Arrow is a well-known fashion deals blog and brand. Husband and wife duo, Neil and Corrine Stokoe, are the power couple behind the operation. But in a social media world that frequently presents the ideal as day-to-day reality, the couple recently opened up about an underlying struggle that couldn’t be seen in their smiling faces: a battle against pornography addiction. "I had to get to know Jesus in a way that I wouldn't know Him if I hadn't gone through the steps and if I didn't feel so desperate that I really was saying, 'I will do anything to overcome this and to feel better and to find peace.'" -Corrine Stokoe Show Notes:  1:40- First Contact With Pornography/Talking With Kids About Pornography 7:21- Telling Corrine 20:10- Intimacy Vs. Lust 25:36- ARP: AA Meets The Gospel 37:18- Why Do You Need A Sponsor? 42:06- Why Do the 12 Steps as the Spouse of an Addict? 46:27- Surrendering to the Savior Through the 12 Steps 49:08- Grateful for Addiction 52:46- A Message to Those Struggling With Addiction Now 54:18- A Message to The Spouse of an Addict 56:55- What Does It Mean To You To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Listen to the Mint Arrow Messages episode featuring Kristen Jenson, the author of "Good Pictures, Bad Pictures" by clicking here. Purchase "Good Pictures, Bad Pictures," here. Watch: What Should I Do When I See Pornography? for families Watch: The Church's new series about combating pornography Watch: Videos specifically for parents  Watch: Videos specifically for spouses of pornography users  Read Neil and Corrine’s Real Life Love Story on Mint Arrow. Read Part Two of Neil and Corrine’s Real Life Love Story. Listen to their story on Mint Arrow Messages. Listen to Part Two of Neil and Corinne's podcast episode about their experience. An introduction to Mandi and Court Gubler's story from the Deseret News. Listen to Corrine's recent interview with Mandi Gubler on Mint Arrow Messages. ”We don’t have to take things so personally. We take things to heart that we have no business taking to heart. For instance, saying “If you loved me you wouldn’t drink” to an alcoholic makes as much sense as saying “If you loved me, you wouldn’t cough” to someone who has pneumonia. Pneumonia victims will cough until they get appropriate treatment for their illness. Alcoholics will drink until they get the same. When people with a compulsive disorder do whatever it is they are compelled to do, they are not saying they don’t love you—they are saying they don’t love themselves.”-Melody Beattie in "Codependent No More" Visit the Church's "Addressing Pornography" website. "We need to be more patient with the process. We need to worry less about the speed at which we are moving and more about the direction we are going. We will not fully realize our divine potential in this life. And while we need to make wise use of our time in our mortal existence, we should remember that God does not deal with time in the same way we do. In fact, time as we understand it may not bind Him at all. As Alma noted, 'Time only is measured unto men.' Because speed is a measure of distance over time, if time becomes less relevant, so does speed. Thus, in eternal things, such as our ongoing progress in becoming like God, direction is more important than speed. In the long run, the direction we are headed matters much more than the rate at which we are moving." Kevin Worthen, "Knowing Who You Are."  Read Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s “Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence." Of all the illustrations of faith in the Lord, few stories are more powerful than that told of the pioneer who years later stood to defend the decision of the Martin Handcart Company to start for the Salt Lake Valley late in the year of 1856. He had been one of the nearly 3,000 Saints who walked from Iowa and Nebraska to Utah between 1856 and 1860 in one of 10 companies pushing and pulling handcarts loaded with their belongings. In a Sunday School class there was sharp criticism of the ill-fated Martin and Willie Handcart Companies, which met with tragedy because of their late start on the trek to the Salt Lake Valley. An elderly man arose and said: “I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts … give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife … too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but … we became acquainted with [God] in our extrem[i]ties. “I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it. … I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there. “Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company” (as quoted in David O. McKay, “Pioneer Women,” The Relief Society Magazine, Jan. 1948, 8). Shared in the January 1997 Ensign. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Identity, creating understanding, covenants, a worldwide Church, faith crises, change in the Church—these are topics Melissa Inouye, a scholar, addresses in an effort to explain how she has “found the fruits of this life (the life of a Latter-day Saint) to be worthwhile—costly, to be sure, but also rich and nourishing, a source of deep joy.” "I believe that Christ is here in the Church and I've felt the power of God. And so, having had those experiences, I am absolutely committed to being where I am." Show Notes: 1:51- A Latter-day Saint Seven Days a Week 2:56- The Church Influencing Worldview 6:38- Lessons Learned From Being a Missionary 12:14- Belonging and Identity 18:44- Wins and Losses 20:57- Creating Unity in the Church 23:41- Helping Amidst Faith Crises 29:56- An Evolving Church 34:48- Cancer 36:47- What Does It Mean to Be All In The Gospel of Jesus Christ? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Dean Hughes began writing his latest book, he didn't plan on writing about polygamy but the topic became impossible to ignore. At times, there are things (both past and present) that may affect our beliefs and be impossible to ignore. Dean describes these things as "muddy," but explains that there are faithful ways to approach seemingly messy aspects of our faith or our Church's history.  "There's never a time when the questions end but if you've had certain experiences in your life that verify your faith, then you rely on those." Show Notes: 3:47-Polygamy—Not an isolated challenge 5:57-Getting historical figures right 10:26- Balancing obedience and agency 11:33-Facing opposition 17:14-Looking at history through a 2019 lens 23:29- Honoring uncomfortable aspects of our heritage 24:21- Putting historical characters on a pedestal 30:20-An international Church 34:54- Approaching muddy topics today 38:12- What does it mean to be all in the gospel of Jesus Christ? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There have been two constants in the lives of Mark and Lee Anne Pope—change and the gospel of Jesus Christ. But they are all about leaving it all on the court and not holding anything back, regardless of what might change. In their family, in their communities, on their teams and in the Church, Mark and Lee Anne Pope choose to be “All In.” "Being 'All In' also requires faith...it is quintessentially a leap of faith, to say, you know what? I can't guarantee this is going to work out. But I'm not going to keep a backup plan." Show Notes: 3:32- The daughter and wife of basketball coaches 6:25- Life in the NBA 10:20- Working for David Letterman 16:16- A love story 26:21- A foundation of gospel living 31:22- The vulnerability of being "All In" 37:30- Peter, the apostle 39:22- What does it mean to be "All In"  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the early 1980s in Communist-ruled Czechoslovakia, Olga Campora, then a young college student, became interested in yoga. Her interest led her to the home of a man who first taught her more about yoga, but eventually introduced her to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  "I have learned, through my life, how really important it is not to be afraid to take the imperfect action because it is by doing things that we really learn." Show Notes 2:43- Religious climate behind the Iron Curtain 5:51- Spiritually numb 12:00- Introduced to the gospel through yoga 23:38- Road to conversion 32:56- Baptism miracle 37:08- Sharing faith amidst communism 47:22- Changed by belief 55:08- What does it mean to be "All In" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barbara Morgan Gardner’s journey to understanding her access as a woman to priesthood power began as a young girl wondering which scriptures applied to her and which didn’t. Today on “All In,” she shares both doctrinal insights and practical tips for accessing and celebrating the gift of priesthood power to both men and women. "There's no blessing, there's no privilege, there is no covenant, that God isn't allowing the women to partake of that He is allowing the men to partake of..." Show Notes:  1:27- How the Ensign article came to be 2:35- The dangers of a "horizontal" culture 6:09- Why should we care about women's access to the priesthood? 9:38- A personal desire to understand 16:43- The Oath and Covenant 21:17- How do we keep up?  27:11- Why presiding matters 32:19- Opportunities available to Latter-day Saints 35:20- Why we need priesthood holders 40:14- Giving credence to women's voices 43:42- What does it mean to you to be "All In" the gospel of Jesus Christ? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first time Steven Collis needed the protection of religious liberty came when he was a teenage boy with questions about God and the purpose of life. His thirst for truth as a youth led to deep convictions as an adult. Since joining the Church, Collis has devoted his professional life to protecting the rights of others to also find and live what they believe.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Emily and Erik Orton's book, "Seven At Sea," was recommended by The New York Times as one of the best travel reads of the summer but on this week's episode of "All In," the Latter-day Saint couple talks navigating the choppy seas of marriage. From communication to trust to embracing life together, Emily and Erik share their advice for marital smooth sailing. "He doesn't often calm the storm, even though He can. ...But He will and can calm us in the storm."  Show Notes: 2:34- Living in a NYC apartment with seven people 3:58- An intentionally balanced partnership 7:57- Fostering open communication in marriage 12:19- The middle school class that has impacted their marriage 18:05- Acknowledging and supporting your spouse's ideas 21:30- How sailing impacted their marriage 30:09- The wind and waves obey thy will 33:01- What does it mean to you be "All In" the gospel of Jesus Christ?  39:37- Addendum from Emily See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.