Come Back Podcast

"Before Oliver passes away, he goes out of his way on several occasions to publicly and ardently bear testimony of the restoration of the Book of Mormon. One of the more well -known accounts is a guy named Jacob Gates. He's on his way to his mission and he stops in Richmond to visit Oliver Cowdery. Jacob Gates asks Oliver, 'Is it all true? Can you tell me if it's true?' Oliver Cowdery says, 'Jacob, I want you to remember what I say to you. I am a dying man. What would it profit me to tell you a lie? I know that this Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God. My eyes saw, my ears heard, and my understanding was touched. I know that whereof I testified is true. It was no dream, no vain imagination of the mind. It was real.' I think this was recorded two or three months before Oliver passed away. And he says, he doesn't have any reason to lie at this point. In fact, he wants to tell the truth because he knows he's about to meet his maker. And he still bears his testimony on the Book of Mormon." 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 Episode sponsor: Serve Clothing https://serveclothing.com/?gad_source=1

"I go and meet with my branch president. Just the nicest, goofiest, happiest person. I just felt so comfortable. I knew this guy loved me. He's not going to judge me. I went in and I confessed everything. I told him I messed up, but I wanted to go to the temple. I remember he said, 'Nate, you've confessed and you've forsaken. You are forgiven. But what's most important now is you need to forgive yourself.' That was the hardest part. I remember thinking 'God, if you could forgive me, maybe I can forgive myself' because I just felt so bad. I had missed so many opportunities to do good things. I messed up - I messed up really bad. And I didn't love myself. I remember after that meeting just thinking, 'I did it! I let it go, I let it go! I was able to do it with president Donnelly's help!' I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and if He was willing to pay the price to die for me, then I can have the courage to let it go. I can let my ego go and it's all on Him. So when I walked out of that office I remember just feeling like, yes! I felt so free, just so clean and happy and light." 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

Austin, who faced a decade-long faith crisis, shares his journey of doubt and discovery. He argues that belief in a higher power is both rational and reasonable, emphasizing the importance of balancing emotion and intellect in faith. Austin details his creation of the 'Light and Truth Letter,' aiming to provide evidence for the church's truth. He encourages those struggling with faith to explore their doubts while maintaining a relationship with God, promoting a thoughtful dialogue about belief within families and communities.

Jason, a former homeless addict turned rehabilitation program director, shares his remarkable journey of transformation. He recounts an inspiring moment of spiritual revelation that guided him toward rebaptism, symbolizing a fresh start. Jason discusses the pivotal role of family love and community support during his recovery, and the interplay of faith and spiritual heritage in overcoming addiction. His heartfelt reflections on repentance and healing provide insight into the profound challenges and triumphs faced on the road to redemption.

"I kept running into all of these things that for my whole life I had read and experienced something so powerfully. I felt so bad because I had forgotten everything that was in the book. It just made me really sad. I remember thinking back to when I first read the Book of Mormon -- the first time I ever cried while reading it was when Nihor slew Gideon in Alma chapter one. It seems like a silly, stupid thing, but that was a special experience on my bed early in the morning before school. Just learning these stories and the faith of all the people in it is so inspiring. There are verses that you read that are especially for you. When you read them, you just can't deny them. That's what my experience was when I reread it. The Holy Spirit is testified to me on every single page of the truthfulness of the teachings, the prophecies, and the testimony that is in there. There is no way that Joseph Smith could have just written this up." 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

"A lot of people hear my story and they're like, wow, you used heroin? Like what programs did you go through? And with my story, I'm not recommending this to people that have true addictions, but the gospel was my recovery. It really was. I'm not saying to just read your scriptures and you're fine. Seek professional help, go to AA, NA -- there's all these amazing programs. But for me, I didn't do that stuff. I went back to church. I engulfed myself in the gospel. There's a quote by Elder Packer, he says: studying the gospel will change behavior faster than a study of behavior can change behavior. I'm living proof of that. Again, not saying everybody should do that, but that was my recovery. God can change you. I'm a changed person because of God and Jesus Christ and the gospel. And I am so grateful." 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

"As I was going through these years of inactivity and darkness, I was making this list in my phone in my notes app of all these questions and concerns and doubts that I had. It got longer and longer -- it was a long list of things that I was upset about. The first day I went back to church and went to a class, the top question on my list was about patriarchal blessings. I had this question and for hours I had thought about it and tried to come up with an answer and I just didn't. It didn't make sense to me, and it was upsetting to me. In that first class this girl spoke about patriarchal blessings, within 10 minutes she had bore her testimony and explained it in a way that I'd never thought of. It was just this clear, simple answer for me. So I crossed that question off, and it continued that way. Every week I went to church there was another question crossed off. To me, that was just this huge testament that God knew me and He knew my concerns. He was waiting for my effort. It was like, you give me effort, I'll give you answers. I'll give you clarity, and it has continued that way." 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

"Going through years of therapy and working through adoption trauma for myself and placing my own baby for adoption has always been a very big pain point for me because I was placed for adoption and didn't have a choice. That choice was my birth mom's choice. And then I turned around and placed my baby for adoption and she didn't have that choice. Even though I felt like that was the best thing to do for us at the time, I still struggle with that. We actually have opened the adoption up more and we have had some deep discussions about what it means to be adopted, what it means to be a birth mom and how hard it can be. It's never that the baby is not wanted. They are always wanted. I always want to reiterate that with her and with all adoptees that might feel that way. That is always a bittersweet part of my story. But there is also joy, you know, what is sorrow and pain without joy and happiness? Even though I love my biological mom dearly and my half siblings, I can't imagine my life without my adopted family, who I'm sealed to. I love the life that I've created and the relationships I have with my siblings and my nieces and nephews and my sweet parents who raised me in the gospel. Who knows if I would have had that without being adopted." @thestoryofjori 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. "I asked the Lord and said 'if this is your church, tell me in this general conference. I want to know if this is your church.' I had never watched general conference in my life - this was like the Super Bowl for me. So I got my popcorn. I'm over there, got my drink, and ready to watch the conference. I remember President Nelson, he says, 'as we commemorate the restoration of the gospel we revere the Prophet Joseph Smith as a prophet, but this is not his church. And this is not Mormon's church. This is the church of Jesus Christ.' Let me tell you something - that scripture in the New Testament that talks about the Pentecostal feeling of the Spirit overcoming you, man, I had never felt that before. When it came over me, when he said that, I stood up, as if we scored a touchdown. Like if my team scored a touchdown. I stood up and I said, 'hey, the prophet just said this is his church!' I heard the Lord speak to me through his prophet. He said this is his church, right? That was it for me. I got on my knees and said 'thank you Lord, thank you for answering my question. You spoke to me.' At that moment of time I told the Lord that's it - I'm all yours. I'm all yours." 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 went on a three -day fast like I did when I needed to find answers and on the third morning of the fast I woke up. It was a Sunday morning, I just told the Lord 'I'm not getting up off my knees until you give me an answer.' I asked him because my uncle Owen, he was my dad's brother, was put in charge of the group after my dad was killed. I asked Heavenly Father if he was the prophet here on the earth or if he wasn't the prophet. I was shown a vision of a field, it was dark at night and my uncle Owen was wandering through the field. He had a dark suit on and his countenance was dark and then the voice of the Lord came into my mind and He said, 'by their fruit ye shall know them.' Then I started thinking about all the things that he had done throughout his life and things that were not always the greatest or the best. He had five or six wives and he was living polygamy. He had done some things that I didn't think were very noble or right.I kind of pondered about that for a little bit. Then I prayed again and asked if President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was the LDS church president at the time in 1997, if he was the prophet here on the earth. I was shown the same field only it was noon day, it was bright and sunny and there was wheat blowing in the wind. President Hinckley walked out into the field and he had a white suit on and a white tie and shirt and his face was just glowing and I had the same voice come into my head, 'by their fruits you shall know them.' I was shown the things that President Hinckley had done and everything that I was shown was all good fruits. I just had this burning in my bosom and was on fire from the top of my head to my feet. This was right. He was the prophet here on the earth. And the Lord was giving me that answer. I'd never felt anything so wonderful in my life." 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