Leading Saints Podcast

Shawn Edwards has spent nearly 25 years in brand marketing, including roles at Kraft, Clorox, and Microsoft. He currently manages a marketing consulting firm he founded in 2012. His work with both small and Fortune 500 companies alike has helped him find his love for a good brand, a good logo, and a good t-shirt. Shawn currently serves as a bishop and has previously served as bishopric counselor, stake high counselor, elders quorum president, and ward mission leader, among others. He has been trying to be called as a Primary teacher for over 30 years, but that remains elusive. Shawn currently resides just outside of Denver, Colorado, with his better half, Carrie, and their three children. He loves to wakeboard, snowboard, and has never met a pint of Haagen Dazs he didn’t like. 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 2:40 Introduction to Shawn Edwards, bishop of his ward in Colorado. He grew up in Sandy, Utah, but didn’t grow up in the Church. It wasn’t till college that he got active in the Church. 6:00 Getting called as bishop right as we were getting out of the covid pandemic. Shawn decided to focus on unity during that time. 7:40 Creating unity in the ward with branding. Shawn even designed a logo and t-shirt for his ward. Shawn teaches the importance of brands and how it is about creating new thoughts and perceptions in the ward. It was about creating a mental shift with the members. 11:30 How to establish a brand in your ward. Ways to reinforce your brand. 12:50 Keeping your brand and message alive in the ward. 13:45 An initiative to help his ward focus more on Christ was creating a 90-day challenge to read the Book of Mormon together. It's a movement to help everyone come together. 15:00 As a way to drive temple attendance they created "Faith Fridays". 15:40 Engaging the presidencies in the ward. Shawn likes to focus on empowerment instead of dictating what they do. 16:20 The concept of WE not I. Approach a situation in order to support the ‘’we.’’ 18:50 Servant leadership is about bringing out the best performance as they do what they need to do. 20:30 Making the bishop’s office approachable. 23:45 Other ways the Shawn has made church more approachable. For example, wearing more casual clothes to activities and firesides. Keeping things lighthearted. 27:00 As a leader we bring out the best in others as they come unto Christ. Just like a good coach we have to do the same in order to help others. 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 700 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.

Bryan Summers was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He served a mission in Carlsbad, California, and earned a Master's Degree in Library Science at the University of Wales-Aberystwyth. He was a county librarian in Yuma, Arizona for 12 years, and is now a mortgage broker in Saint George, Utah. Bryan has served in the Church as a nursery leader, ward mission leader, elders quorum president, and bishop. He is currently a teachers quorum assistant. He and his wife have been married 24 years and are the parents of three boys and three girls. Bryan enjoys backpacking—especially the Timberline Trail on Mount Hood—and once spent three weeks wandering around the Kurdish areas of Northern Iraq and Eastern Turkey. Links Acts of the Apostles: @actsofapostles_ The Talmage Story 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 1:45 Introduction to Bryan Summers 3:00 Things that Bryan learned from being a bishop. The importance of feeling the Spirit. 4:40 Bryan has started a project, Modern-day Acts of the Apostles. He researches apostles and shares his favorite stories on his page. 13:00 Leaders should take a little time to read the apostles' biographies. It can be comforting to read about the apostles' experiences. 15:20 Stories on James E. Talmage. Be careful of the stories you hear. 16:30 Albert Einstein was friends with Henry B. Eyring’s dad. The Mormon Scientist is a great book to learn more about it. 17:20 James E. Talmage’s biography was written by his son. 18:00 Most well known for his book, Jesus the Christ. He wrote the book in just 7 months. 19:20 When James Talmage was an apostle, they would have him speak when there was a hostile crowd. By the end of his talk people were in tears. 20:00 He was brave first and also had a lot of compassion. Early stories on James’ childhood and upbringing in Britain. 24:20 The story of James’ schoolmaster who hated the Church. He got beat a lot for challenging his schoolmaster and stood up for his convictions. Yet he remained friends with the schoolmaster as an adult. 26:00 The story of James’ college friend who constantly teased him for being a prude. 28:40 He was a scientific lecturer from an early age. 31:00 A story from when James was the president of the University of Utah. He would do things over and over again till he resolved something. He was very resilient. 32:50 James was almost like an Indiana Jones of the western territory and went on expeditions to unknown places in the Utah desert. He became a celebrity of the scientific world. 35:50 He was a part of many scientific societies, which was a very big deal back then. 37:00 One of the most popular stories of James E. Talmage. Compassion mixed with bravery. 41:00 The Lord calls you to be you. He was called to be mission president in Great Britain in the height of the anti-Mormon sentiment. He went newspaper to newspaper and became friends with editors from all the different hostile newspapers that were printing anti-Mormon articles. The stories began to stop thanks to him. 45:40 The story of when President Grant tried to teach James to play golf. He was convinced that he needed to take up more recreational activities. 48:40 When writing Jesus the Christ, James was in the temple 24/7. He wrote it in just 7 months and 5 days. 49:00 The death of James E. Talmage at age 70. He passed away from complications of strep throat. This was 10 years before penicillin and was deadly if not treated right away. 52:30 Stories on John W. Taylor, one the apostles excommunicated for polygamy. 55:20 “Being a leader showed me how dependent I was on the Savior.” 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 ...

Angela Okada earned a Bachelor of Arts from BYU and a Master of Arts from the University of Utah, both in Speech Language Pathology. She worked as a speech language pathologist in a northern Virginia school district lived for six years before moving back to Utah, where she continues to work as a school-based SLP. Angela has four nieces and a nephew who she absolutely adores, and she enjoys reading, watching college sports, and trying new restaurants with friends. She has served as a missionary in the Georgia, Atlanta mission, a Young Women counselor, temple ordinance worker, and as a Relief Society counselor and president in both a young single adult ward and a geographic (family) ward. 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 2:40 Introduction to Angela. We need more content for single adults in the Church, not just young single adults 4:30 Getting called as Relief Society president and getting started in a new calling 7:50 Angela talks about her feelings on getting called as Relief Society president as a single adult in a family ward. 9:15 The principles of effective leadership are the same whether you are single or married. 11:00 Angela would love to hear more ideas on how building connections relate to sisters that are married. Start with things that you have in common Listening builds connection and then forms a friendship 13:25 Angela shares how they assigned ministers in the ward. It’s important to mix up the sisters. Young and old. Single and married. 15:00 Creating relief and refuge in the Relief Society. How do you do it? 18:00 Mothers Day can be a hard day and create anxiety for some. Angela shares a message that she sent out to the sisters in her ward. 21:00 It's hard to find a balance to make sure that single sisters feel included. But also how can we also focus on strengthening husbands and wives? Focus on Jesus Christ. Whether you are married or single, Jesus is the one that strengthens us through his Atonement. 23:30 More ideas on including singles more in the ward while still balancing the focus on families and strengthening husbands and wives. Angela shares how her ward was only having husbands and wives speaking month after month. We sometimes unintentionally exclude people. 26:50 Working together with the bishop and elders quorum. What has worked well? 28:20 How do you balance work life and church service? 29:20 Angela’s church service has expanded her heart to love people that she normally wouldn’t be buddy-buddy with. 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 700 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.

Realtor Bryan Hurd talks about connecting with individuals in the elders quorum, the influence of youth leaders, and the importance of friendship. He discusses the sacredness of elders quorum and the opportunity for men to have meaningful connections.

Sisters, step into your positive influence era! Leave the self-doubt, insecurities, and perfection behind so you can have the impact you were always born to make. Join us for a 7-week live online discussion series with Jessica Johnson, where we discuss ways you can feel better prepared to lead in all aspects of your life, including callings, career, and in the home. Classes start Thursday, February 1st at 7:30 pm (Utah time) and continue each Thursday until March 14th. Reserve your spot in the Women's Discussion Series now! In this series, Jessica Johnson will lead you and others through discussion points related to the following: How the Savior leads (and how to emulate it) How to deal with conflict How to have crucial conversations How great women in church history have led How to be resilient How to improve communication and influence And so much more! You get to meet and discuss with other women each week and have the chance to practice what you’ve learned between the sessions. It will help to increase your positive influence wherever you are. Get ready for weekly check-ins on your goals and the opportunity to meet and interact with other outstanding women, just like you. Clear your Thursday nights for a discussion series that has the opportunity to make a deep impact you and those around you. Trust me. This isn’t something you’ll want to miss. So invite your sister your mom your Relief Society for an enriching 7 weeks of life-changing discussions on leadership for life with Jessica Johnson. Reserve your spot in the Women's Discussion Series now!

In this podcast, Skye Fagrell, author of More Fit 4 The Kingdom and serving as a bishop, talks about his journey to becoming a seminary teacher, measuring and quantifying fitness, and incorporating the concept of striving in the temple recommend questions. He also discusses the overload principle and its application to spiritual concepts, the importance of incremental growth and balancing effort with reliance on the atonement, and setting personal and motivating goals. The podcast explores goal setting systems, accountability, overcoming mistakes and setbacks, and evaluating quorum progression and personal growth.

Jeff and Jami Downs are the authors of Streaking: The Simple Practice of Conscious, Consistent Actions That Create Life-Changing Results. Both have served in numerous leadership callings, Jami as a Primary president, Young Women president, and currently as a Relief Society president. Jeff has served as a Seminary teacher, in every role in the bishopric, and on the stake high council. Jeff and Jami speak regularly to youth groups, young single adults, single adults, married couples, and many more on the power of consistency in increasing your faith, strengthening your relationships, and excelling in your profession. Jeff and Jami have seven children, and you can see what they do in their life every day, week, and month, by downloading and following them on the Streaking app. If you want to join them in streaking the scriptures, click here to download the Streaking app and start your own scripture reading streak. Links Streaking: The Simple Practice of Conscious, Consistent Actions That Create Life-Changing Results The Streaking App The Streaking Podcast 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: Alma 37 Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 1:50 Introduction to Jeff and Jami and the story behind their book Streaking. Setting different streaks. 8:40 There are a lot of books on habits but Jeff couldn’t find that the suggestions were helping him. He explains the difference between an intentional decision and a habit. 12:00 Why does streaking work? The ways it activates the brain 12:45 The 3 laws that helped Jeff and Jami as they were streaking Make it laughably simple Keep a record of it Create a community 17:00 Jami set a ministering streak. Some streaks are more private and some more public. She tried to do something with ministering everyday and she did it even without an assignment. 19:50 “Ministering isn’t this grand thing that I do all the time. It’s a journey and it’s a journey of how I treat other people and how I’m changing inside.” 21:45 We have to be careful that shame and guilt isn’t the driving reason for trying to change our behavior. Jami talks about ways that she addresses the guilt and shame and has worked to change it. 24:00 Jami had been very unsuccessful at journaling. She tried year after year and couldn’t make it stick. She found that committing to a single sentence everyday and making it laughably simple helped she stay consistent. 26:40 Overcoming the natural man by yielding to the prompting of the Holy Ghost. The promptings are small and subtle things normally. Creating streaks helps us overcome the natural man by helping us feel like we are winning and succeeding instead of losing. 30:15 We can apply the idea of streaking for the individual that is in the bishop’s office trying to repent. Stop focusing on the sin. For example, don’t look at pornography. It actually makes us think about it more and feel guilty when we mess up. 31:40 Sometimes we just need something to get us started and then we end up keeping going. We don’t want to get started because the mountain seems too big to climb. 32:45 The brain science behind streaking and creating habits 33:40 What do you do when you miss a day after doing it over a thousand days? How do you overcome shame and guilt? 40:10 Setting a ministering streak. Small ways you can focus on ministering every single day. 40:45 Creating a streak with family history. Just opening the app and understanding how it works can be your daily activity. Jeff talks about how the streak drastically changed his contributions even though he only did something very small everyday. 42:15 Jami talks about creating a streak for family history and how it helped her reconnect with her biological grandfather. 45:40 The scriptural basis of streaking is in Alma 37.

Travis Hunt is the founder and creative director at Madeby, IPER, and Explanimate!. He has a degree in Screen Production and a master's in Digital Design. In the Church, Travis has served as a Seminary teacher, Gospel Doctrine teacher, bishopric counselor, and bishop. He currently serves on his stake high council. 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 2:30 Introduction to Travis Hunt 5:00 The church in Brisbane, Australia and some of the struggles they see 7:20 Serving as bishop and what Travis’ ward was like 10:50 Principle 1 - What you bring you will eventually see in the ward. Creating a more welcoming ward. Travis brought his own energy and personality to his calling. 21:20 Principle 2 - Kindness. People feel welcome and wanted no matter what. This can happen in so many ways but as a leader sitting with people empathetically. 23:30 Putting aside the administrative side of the calling and making sure you see people and talk with them 25:00 Anxiety peaks for a lot of people on Sunday. They feel overwhelmed and Travis really wanted to change that. Is church a place that is worthy to receive everyone in whatever state they are in? 27:30 What Travis’ ward did in sacrament meeting to manifest their vision of creating a more warm and welcoming ward 30:00 Leadership needs to make their vision very very clear. All the leaders in the ward need to understand and see the vision. 34:20 Principle 3 - Propinquity. After covid, Travis’ ward needed to grow back together and they would get together as much as possible. Find the beautiful in other people. 41:30 Principle 4 - Lower the bar and increase participation. It might be controversial but let’s make the bar so low that it’s impossible not to reach it. People feel like the bar is so high that they are afraid to participate. So in some cases we really need to lower the bar. 44:30 We can also lower the bar with callings. Do people need to be perfectly worthy to have a calling? So many people are sitting on the sidelines that want to participate but aren’t given the chance. How can we enable people to serve instead of limiting them? 46:40 There is a temple standard of worthiness and a chapel standard of worthiness. Chapel worthiness is if you walk through the door then you are worthy. 47:20 When you are called as a leader you inevitably stretch. Being refined as a person. 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 700 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.

Simon Fagg lives in Colchester, England, and runs his own leadership development consultancy. He is an executive coach where he helps his clients lead their teams more purposefully. For the last 25 years he has been facilitating learning and strategy workshops to some of the world’s leading companies, enjoyed working in nearly 40 different countries across the globe, and has learned so much from different national and organizational cultures. A lifelong member of the Church, Simon's service includes a full-time mission to England Birmingham, bishop, stake president, stake Young Men president, and FSY director. He currently serves alongside his wife as an assistant national director for communications in the UK. Simon loves to learn, sing, read, walk, ski and play volleyball. He and his wife Leah are the blessed parents of six daughters and one son, and grandparents to three wonderful granddaughters. Their youngest daughter was stillborn 20 years ago and this bittersweet experience was transformational for their family and faith. Links LinkedIn: Simon Fagg With Leadership After Dinner Leadership 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 3:45 Introduction to Simon Fagg, his professional experience, and experience in church leadership 9:20 Simon’s perspective on the dynamic of church leadership. The differences between leadership in the church and in business. 12:30 How do we motivate people to get their ministering done or serve more? 16:30 Infusing individuals with purpose to help motivate them. Hearing vs. doing. 21:20 Come Follow Me was announced and we assume that everyone was on board but there is a lot more to be done and steps in between hearing about something and then actually doing it. 22:20 Identifying barriers that prevent you from achieving a goal. You have to take your foot off the break to be able to accelerate. 25:30 We have a great purpose in the church but sometimes we forget that individuals are finding purpose outside of it. These individuals aren't doing as much in the church. How can we help these people? 30:00 Think of what you are going to bring instead of what you are going to get. For example, instead of wondering what you are going to get out of sacrament meeting you should bring an open heart and mind. Reach out to someone new. 32:00 Building others to be able to serve in your capacity when you are released. How can we prepare our replacement? 36:45 The handbook says, “Being a faithful disciple in order to help others become faithful disciples is the purpose behind every calling in the church.” 38:20 Having tough conversations to help others in their discipleship and leadership 44:45 Jesus Christ sees people deeply. We need to figure out how to do this too. 49:00 Challenging others to change in a loving way. Seeing people with an eye of faith. 53:10 Simon shares a story of inviting someone to change. 56:50 Preparing the rising generation 1:07:00 Three leadership principles that Simon wished he knew sooner. The first is quiet leadership. 1:09:30 Simon shares his final thoughts on leadership and service. 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,

Former Marine and sales leader John Walters shares his mindset and vision for leading youth in the church. Discussions include the preparatory phase of the youth program, the purpose of the Aaronic Priesthood, and the importance of preparing youth for their future. Insights on intentional programs, discipleship, and effective leadership development are also highlighted.