Stephen Jones hails from Tallahassee, Florida, and served his mission in the Brazil Porto Alegre North Mission. He is a bishop in Springville, Utah, and has previously served in various leadership callings, including ward choir director, elders quorum president, in a Young Men presidency, first and second bishopric councilor, ward mission leader, and executive secretary. Stephen holds a bachelor's degree in Physiology with an emphasis in Social Physiology and a master's degree in Public Administration, both from Brigham Young University. He's best known as an American actor, comedian, host, and educator. Stephen's entertainment journey began as a university mascot and a headlining standup comedian, and he gained nationwide attention when he starred in a viral Old Spice parody video. Stephen has cohosted the television series Random Acts and featured in other television shows and commercials. After almost a decade of teaching, Stephen is currently the director, producer, editor and host of "Let’s Get Real with Stephen Jones," an original podcast on Scripture Central. Links Let's Get Real with Stephen Jones There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 02:05 Introduction to Stephen and what he hopes to accomplish with his podcast. How to apply the principles of the gospel and stories of how people live the gospel. 04:30 Getting called as Bishop during covid and while he was finishing his master's degree 10:20 Learning how to be a bishop and getting his footing. Picking the brains of other leaders, choosing counselors, and receiving revelation. 14:15 Partnering with God to make decisions. We can’t totally rely on God to give us all the answers. We work with Him to make decisions and we have to own those decisions. 19:00 The restoration is not just about restoring the church. It’s about restoring people. God wants to build you through experience. 23:50 Stephen talks about his ward council. Meeting one to one makes ward council more effective. 30:30 How Stephen sees the bishop’s office. It can be for more than just the bishop. Other leaders can have access. 34:00 How Stephen works with the youth in his ward and the things he has learned. Inviting the youth to minister with him and take part in leadership. 40:00 We need to be better at helping people understand where repentance really is. Stephen shares how he helps people with repentance and how he teaches it. 47:15 When it comes to repentance, have more conversations and ask more questions about understanding and belief instead of focusing on the behavior. Get to the base of the problem. 51:15 Repentance is not a straight line. It’s not just a process but a constant and daily turning to God. It's a lifestyle. 59:15 Resources and where to find more about Stephen and his podcast 1:00:20 The best way to lead is to follow Him. 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, and many more in over 600 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,

Jim West has a master's degree from Brigham Young University in Civil Engineering and has worked in the private sector for over 22 years. He is now the Project Delivery Manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Marla West has a bachelor's degree in Family Living, also from BYU, and has taught part-time at several schools. Jim and Marla are active volunteers in the Salem, Oregon area. They belong to Willamette Riverkeepers and clean up local rivers in their canoe. They also volunteer every Sunday evening in their local hospital emergency department, and Marla volunteers in the local elementary school third-grade classroom. In the Church, Jim has served in a variety of roles including bishoprics, the Young Men's organization, and as a Primary teacher and Nursery leader. Marla has served in Primary and Nursery, and in Relief Society. They have been married 42 years, have five sons and three grandchildren, and love gardening, home improvement, biking, hiking, and playing badminton. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 04:20 Introduction to Jim and Marla 06:45 Jim and Marla’s advice for new nursery leaders. Remember to start with the basics and read the manual. See the vision that the church has for nursery. 08:00 Nursery is more than toys and snacks. The vision for nursery is a moment to introduce the children to structure and a formal class. 10:20 Marla suggests visiting the children in their home with a little game or a treat. She has found that the children are more eager to come to nursery. 11:10 Part of church culture is seeing nursery at the bottom and the prophet at the top. 13:30 Jim and Marla prepare the nursery room before sacrament with an activity set up on the table, music, and anything else they need prepared. They have found play doh is a great ‘draw you in’ activity. They leave the door open to help the children not feel trapped. 17:00 They play spa-like music while welcoming the children to nursery. They have found that it’s more calming to the children not to have music with voices until they do an actual singing activity. 17:45 They spray a natural scent like orange oil to help connect the children to nursery and bring familiarity. 19:00 These tips are useful for elders quorum or any other class at church. We can start class with environmental cues. 21:20 Most Sundays they don’t even get the toys out. 22:30 While all parents are welcome to come into nursery but they don’t allow the parents to talk with them. They have found that the children are much more peaceful, focused, and interact with them better when there aren’t adults visiting together. It’s a real classroom and it’s about the children and not the adults. 25:15 Marla shares the schedule that they use in the nursery that gives nursery a routine and structure. The children know what's coming and they love it. 25:50 The transition to snack and story time. The child’s parents can bring in a special snack and book on their birthday to help highlight each child. 28:30 The importance of transitions between activities. 29:30 Tips for lesson time. They always bring an object or a picture as an attention getter to start the lesson. 31:00 Art projects are a moment to learn skills. Knowing the difference between markers and crayons. Working a pair of scissors or a watercolor brush. Sitting in a chair for a longer period of time. All these things prepare them to go to sunbeams. 34:20 Marla talks about how she created her binder for nursery. She brainstorms activities to teach each topic and get the materials and pictures. 36:30 It’s best to have under 10 kids in the nursery. It’s good to split nurseries that are bigger than this. 38:50 The art project is a time to wind down from nursery. It’s a great time to learn skills. It exposes them to new things and gets them used to instruction.

Emily Cushing was raised in South Jordan, Utah, and met her husband in their middle school math class. Her love of learning led her to become a teacher. She earned a master's degree in Teaching and Learning at Brigham Young University and has taught—among other places—in Tonga, England, and Myrtle Beach. She currently teaches in the Education Department at Utah Valley University. She has served as a Relief Society president, Primary president, and stake Primary president, and currently teaches the Emotional Resilience course to a remarkable group of teens. Emily enjoys reading, running, traveling, living in foreign places, and above all, spending time with her family. Links She Did: Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Faith Life Sketches; Of Orson Spencer and Others, and History of Primary Work There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 01:30 Who is Aurelia Rogers? She is the founder of the Primary. 03:45 Emily talks about her new book, She Did: Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Faith. 05:50 The Primary organization didn’t come from the revelation of a prophet or apostle but the grassroots effort of Aurelia Spencer Rogers. In 1778 the Primary began but it was in 1880 the Primary was officially organized. Within 10 years Primary was a part of all the settlements. 18:20 Aurelia’s background and family. 14:40 How did Aurelia’s idea even begin to gain momentum? 15:10 Initially Aurelia got the idea to start the Primary because of a bunch of rowdy boys and they needed to be taught manners but Aurelia also wanted to include girls too. She got permission to start it in her town of Farmington, Utah. 17:30 How Primary was in the beginning. It was a weekday activity and not part of the Sunday block. Aurelia really struggled in the beginning, feeling overwhelmed with everything she was starting. Eventually she felt peace. 21:30 The Primary presidency was formed in 1880 and Aurelia was a part of it. 25:10 Emily shares pieces of Aurelia’s autobiography and some of the trials and struggles that she had. 27:10 Additional resources for those that would like to learn more about Aurelia. She has an autobiography. It’s a primary source and shows what Utah was like at the time, and contains so much history. 30:30 Did Aurelia understand the role she played in starting and developing the Primary? Aurelia understood that she had a bigger mission. 33:30 A message for all the Primary teachers. 37:20 Emily has a background with child development and teaching children. She advises teachers and Primary leaders to connect on a personal level with each child. Really get to know them and let them know you love them. 41:00 Emily’s book is about 23 women, Aurelia being one of them. She shares the process of how they chose the women for the book. 42:40 Emily highlights another women from her book, Carmen O'Donnell. She was from Guatemala. She voiced a need and a whole policy changed because of her. It’s because of her the the three hour Sunday block was formed and also the gospel essentials class. 44:20 There are many leaders that are positive deviants. They deviated off the traditional path but not in a bad way. They see a need and try to create change. 44:50 Martha Ann is another woman in the book. She was African American and lived during the time of slavery. She was a leader within her own family. 46:50 Emily shares her final thoughts on leadership and creating positive change. Jump in and help the one that you see needs it. 52:00 Emily shares how researching these women and sharing their stories has changed her. The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saint 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.

Renowned author and psychologist Wendy Ulrich discusses apathy among YSAs, emphasizing the importance of purpose and goals. She explores dating your dreams and finding deep enthusiasm for the gospel by prioritizing what you want most. The podcast delves into the significance of relationships, risk-taking, and embracing redemptive stories for personal growth and resilience.

As stated in the November 2022 announcement, "Young single adults lead YSA efforts" and "YSA committee members work to help all young single adults participate in the work of salvation and exaltation." In this episode, two YSAs serving on a YSA Institute Council share their experiences, feelings, and best practices. At the Table is a new podcast series produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find podcasts. Please give us your feedback about this episode by filling out this short questionnaire: https://research.churchofjesuschrist.org/jfe/form/SV_cvkd2ulK8jG9Zyu

With the counsel to consider YSAs for stake and ward leadership callings, leaders are curious to know how this change has been received. In this episode, two YSAs who are serving in ward and stake leadership callings share their perspective on the changes. At the Table is a new podcast series produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find podcasts. Please give us your feedback about this episode by filling out this short questionnaire: https://research.churchofjesuschrist.org/jfe/form/SV_aVuVz2g9nAE9fNQ Highlights 01:30 Introduction to Tamsin and Alex 04:30 Alex has lived in many different places. He shares his experiences in his different YSA wards and the evolution that he has seen with the YSA. Tamsin also shares her experiences in different YSA wards and how her experience has changed in different stages of her life. 09:45 Tamsin shares her experience serving on the stake relief society advisory council. 11:15 Alex feels blessed that he has had the opportunity to serve in many different callings in the YSA. He shares things that he has gained through mentorship. 14:15 Tamsin has sometimes seen that there is a general attitude that YSA are not as capable or fully adults because they are not married. However, they are fully participating members of the church. 16:05 Alex has felt that sometimes in a YSA ward that you are in a holding pattern. Waiting to get married or get that job. However, spiritually they need progression and mentorship in the gospel. YSA members have the need to feel like they are part of the church as a whole and not separated. 20:15 Helping other YSA members to feel capable and trusted 24:40 In YSA wards there aren’t as many callings, as in primary and nursery. Some callings are created but there isn’t much guidance or follow up after. It’s important to give callings that have meaning and help them feel part of the effort. 27:00 How have you seen yourself change in different leadership positions? 31:00 Around the world there are different YSAs but what they have in common is that they need to feel valued, loved, and a part of something. 33:45 Working with older leaders as YSA members

Dustin Peterson is the founder and president of Proof Leadership Group, a leadership consultancy that works with organizations to train leaders and help develop their company culture. He is also the author of three books—Find Your Fit, Talented, and Reset—and coaches individuals to help them get unstuck in their careers. He currently serves as the stake president in the Friendswood Texas Stake and has served as a branch president, stake presidency counselor, and counselor in the Texas Houston South Mission. He lives in Houston with his wife and four children and loves bacon and Dallas sports teams. Links Elevate your next sacrament meeting talk with a few easy tips Self-assessment in Teaching in the Savior's Way Self-assessment in Preach My Gospel DustinPeterson.org ProofLeadership.com Previous podcast interviews: —Clarifying Purpose to Guide Your Calling, Work, & Family Life | An Interview with Dustin Peterson —Leading‎‎‏‏‎ ‎with Your God-Given Talents | An Interview with Dustin Peterson Dustin's books: —Find Your Fit: Three Steps to Choosing a Best-Fit College Major and Career —Talented : Discovering and Using Your God-given Talents to Find More Joy in Life —Reset: How to Get Paid and Love What You Do There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts here. Watch on YouTube Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Scriptures referenced in this podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 84:106 Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 02:00 Kurt introduces Dustin and this episode’s topic of the law of the lid. 04:00 Dustin talks about his journey in leadership the last few years. He shares what it was like to serve as a counselor to a mission president and his responsibilities. 07:30 Getting called as stake president, which is his current calling 9:50 Finding balance with work and being stake president 11:15 The law of the lid. The organization will rise no higher than the effectiveness of its leadership. If you aren’t getting leadership training then you will become the lid to that organization’s growth. 14:00 The hardest person that you will have to lead is yourself. Focus on how you can grow, not the other people in your organization. How can you be more effective? 16:00 The law of the lid trickles down to every individual. A family can rise no higher than the effectiveness of the parents. The individual will rise no higher than their own personal effectiveness. If we are not improving then we are flatlining. 17:00 How can we begin to apply the law of the lid? Dustin shares an experience he had as a branch president trying to solve everyone’s problems when they weren’t his to solve. Christ solves the problem. When leaders think that it’s up to them to solve people’s problems then they are the lid. The Savior is the only one that doesn’t have a lid. 20:40 As leaders we have to point people to the Savior. Oftentimes we point people to the mechanism or the vehicle that is going to help them heal. Things like: prayer, scriptures, and the temple. It’s not actually those things that bring healing. It’s Him that is going to heal not the vehicle. We do all those things to hear Him. 22:30 Talk to God about your problems; only He can solve them. It’s not the job of the leader to solve problems. Leaders are to point people to the Savior in order to receive His power and grace. 25:00 People oftentimes know the answer to their problems but they just need someone to talk to and someone to support and lift them. Leaders can ask questions like: What promptings have you received? How do you think you can solve this problem? 26:40 Besides pointing people to the Savior, it's important to develop our personal effectiveness as leaders. Dustin shares some ways that we can do this. 31:00 Dustin shares some examples of how he, as a stake president with his high council, have tried to develop their personal effectiveness and raise the ...

Nate Kimbler is currently serving as the stake president for the Ridgecrest, California stake. He has served as a bishop, bishopric counselor, high councilor, and other callings such as scoutmaster, assistant scoutmaster, elders quorum counselor, ward missionary, and Gospel Doctrine teacher. He served as a full-time missionary in the Peru Lima Central Mission and a short time in the Sacramento California Mission while waiting for a visa. Nate graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in Physics and is married to Rachel Handly Kimbler. They have five children. He is an avid runner and has run 13 marathons to date, and also enjoys hiking and backpacking in the mountains with his children. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Listen on YouTube Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 02:40 Introduction to Nate Kimbler and getting called as stake president 05:15 Starting out as stake president and being terrified 06:30 Stake demographics and an earthquake hitting their area 11:15 Following the Spirit. It’s impossible to be a stake president without God’s help. Focusing on the Spirit is essential. 15:30 Nate shares a personal experience that illustrates the principle of following the Spirit. An impression that came to him was, don’t let the high council be a retirement calling. 19:45 Nate talks about how he mentored and guided members of the high council. 24:40 After a meeting with Elder Holland, Nate felt inspired to stop holding high council meetings and only have stake council meetings. It made it more inclusive for the sisters involved. 26:30 They hold stake council twice a month. The first one they council about something important in their stake. The second council of the month is a very brief council subject and then they split into committees. 29:45 Another thing that Nate felt inspired to do in his stake was to invite the stake Relief Society president to all of their stake presidency meetings. Sisters sometimes see things that are going on in the stake that the men don’t. They can share a unique perspective. 32:50 The sisters' involvement in their stake. The sisters can do so much and we need to empower them. 35:10 What Nate has learned about counseling others. It’s not so much about counseling them but listening to them and sitting with them in their pain. 40:15 Seeing miracles in his calling as stake president. Sometimes it’s not always clear to see God working but eventually you realize He was always there. Even just receiving words that someone else needs to hear. 48:40 Being a leader has helped Nate see people in a different light and see people as they really are, cherished sons and daughters of God. 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, and many more in over 600 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.

Ryan Gottfredson discusses the correlation between losing faith and moving, explores challenges faced by the Church in addressing this issue, emphasizes the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment for individuals to express their doubts, examines the significance of prioritizing vitality in organizations and the church, evaluates the decline in the Church, and the correlation between losing faith and moving, and delves into the impact of psychological safety on faith, measuring engagement, and creating engaging experiences for non-members.

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Natalie Cox currently lives in Gilbert, Arizona. She is the mother of five kids ages 10, 14, 16, 18, and 19, and a new missionary mom. Her son left for the Columbus Ohio mission last month and her daughter will leave for the Scotland Ireland mission next month. She is an entrepreneur at heart and has started a few businesses over the years. In 2019 she launched Māedn Bags and running that keeps her pretty busy during the week. At church, Natalie has served in many capacities in Primary, as the first counselor in stake Primary and then as the stake Primary president. She is currently serving as ward Young Women president and considers it an honor to work with the young women. She loves the youth and spending time with them on Wednesdays and Sundays is the highlight of her week. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 02:15 Kurt introduces Natalie and her background. 03:40 Getting called as Young Women president in her ward. Natalie felt very strongly that she needed to serve in Young Women even though she was the stake Primary president. She discussed it with her bishop. 09:20 Natalie started her calling terrified and unsure what to even say to the girls. 12:10 Establishing a relationship with the young women. Natalie describes what it looked like for her as she tried to build these relationships with each girl. 15:50 Silent ministering. No one knows who is ministering to whom. Not everyone had a silent minister but some girls that were struggling did. None of them knew the term silent minister because then they would question if it was authentic or not. 21:45 While it’s not allowed, Natalie personally believes in texting individuals. She says that there is nothing more powerful for her relationship with them. She sends encouragement, that she misses them, and asks them how school is going. 23:40 Should we always stick with the rules? What if we feel inspired to go against the rules? 26:00 Natalie takes some of the girls on one-on-ones. It started because a mother reached out to her and asked her to take her daughter on one. It’s an incredible way to get to know them, tell them why they matter, tell them what you see in them. 28:20 The positive development of any young person requires three additional adult influences other than their parents. 29:10 There are rules and we want to keep everyone safe but the things Natalie is trying to do are for the benefit of the youth and are deepening the relationships there. Maybe the best way is for leaders to always ask parent permission. 32:10 Natalie’s ward has a lot of girls. There have been 28 girls in just the oldest class (31 next January) and it’s nearly impossible to connect with all of them without taking extra steps. 33:10 Leaders are terrified of teenage girls. Just remember that it’s not about you and it’s all about them. 35:40 Some youth are so hard to reach. Natalie shares an experience she had with a girl in her young women. Natalie kept reaching out to her but never got a response until six months later. The girl sent her a heartfelt message thanking her. The moral of the story is that you might not be getting a lot of feedback but what you are doing matters. 38:30 Working together as Young Women and Young Men organizations 43:00 Natalie really wanted the young women to be greeters and help them have purpose and interact with the adults. The bishop said no but the feeling kept nagging her. She gave it some time and the bishop finally agreed. Remember that impressions can be different for each leader and to give it time. 46:45 Natalie explains how they involve the young women in ministering. They call it ministering bread. 49:00 Natalie shares her final thoughts on leadership and how serving has blessed her. The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latt...