Come Back Podcast

"I was playing football with my boys and my oldest said "Dad, I really want to go back to church. I miss it." And I asked "Why do you miss it?" And he says "I miss the feeling I had there." Then the other boys chimed in and said they really wanted to go back to Scouts. Then we all hugged and had that moment and they just said "Dad can you take us back to church?" And it just floored me, so I took them the next week." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia

Jared Halverson, an associate professor of ancient scripture at BYU and host of the Unshaken YouTube channel, dives deep into The Book of Mormon and discipleship. He discusses the importance of diverse perspectives, especially from the LGBTQ community and ex-Latter-day Saints. The conversation highlights the transformative power of faith crises, the nuances of scriptural interpretation, and the essential balance of love and law in fostering inclusivity within religious contexts. Halverson passionately emphasizes understanding as a key to unity in Christ.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains sensitive content that may be triggering or offensive to some audiences. Parental discretion is advised.  "I had never really completely lost my testimony. It was always back there, I would always say I didn't want it. I didn't want my testimony, it was so inconvenient. It frustrated me so bad that I couldn't shake it! I wanted to be able to do this and that and not feel guilty or like I was doing something wrong. It just wouldn't go away! But thank goodness that it didn't, The Savior was not going to give up on me." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia

"I was at a friend's house and on my way to a church activity and I had my scriptures. My friend asked me "What are those?" And I said it's my Bible, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. These are our sacred books in my faith. And he goes "What's the Book of Mormon?" I started to describe what we believe about the Book of Mormon. I specifically said, we believe that some ancient Israelites left Israel and migrated to the Americas. As I was talking with him about this, I got my witness and felt like my whole body was on fire." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia

"We all have the ability to impact one another's life. Life is full of making human connections, interacting with people, and helping one another. We all have trials and different experiences, but at the end of the day, we are here to love one another. We are here to lighten each others burdens. And when we see past ourselves that is when I think our Heavenly Parents are the happiest." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia

"I don't like things that are casual about freedom and I don't like things that are casual about the testimony of the gospel. It is real and it is true. There's no doubt in my mind." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains sensitive content that may be triggering or offensive to some audiences. Parental discretion is advised. "So I go into disobedience council and I told them my story. The love that these brethren had - how they treated this sinner, how they treated this gay man, was probably the most spiritual experience I have had, and I have had some big ones. These people loved me, this was the atonement. This is how it works. The Lord is going to bless me, He has continually blessed me and forgiven me." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia

"The greatest doctrinal truths, to me, is the atonement of Jesus Christ. It's in the Book of Mormon we get the phrase "the Infinite Atonement" and we learn all the ways the atonement is infinite, including being retroactive in time. We can be cleansed before the purchase price ever took place. In the Bible we know that Christ redeemed us from sin and death, but The Book of Mormon teaches us that it also had enabling powers and that He could comfort and strengthen us in our weaknesses and perfect our imperfections. It was not just designed to cleanse us, but to perfect us." Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia

One time my dad called me a few days after the seizure happened and I was trying to explain this feeling to him. I said "Dad I don't know what is going on, I have so much gratitude but at the same time I just had this life altering event. I don't know what happened, if I have some scary thing going on, but I just feel so much gratitude." He answered "I really think that is the spirit telling you that He is there with you and you are on the right track." That very second I connected the dots and I realized this was meant to happen. I had just prayed for an answer, and in the weirdest way, it felt so real to me. Ever since then I knew this was my answer. Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia

Being an African American in the church has always been interesting, and to say I have never experienced any prejudice from any members in the church would not be true. But my mom always says "Why would I let someone stand between me and God? I just let things like that roll off my back." And I do the same thing. Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia