Magnify

In this world, relief is a feeling that we all crave as we are dealing with life's burdens placed upon us and our loved ones. So, in this last General Conference, when Sister Camille Johnson shared that "Jesus Christ is Relief," it resonated with our community. The Savior's way is the only way to feel peace, and in turn, bring both temporal and spiritual relief and peace to others. "The Lord helps take our burdens until we can do it on our own." Kathryn joins Kaylen Nelson in this episode as they discuss what stood out about this specific talk, and how we can find our own relief in the Savior. Top Takeaways: The miracle that the Lord provides of not just physical relief, but spiritual relief from our sins and the fallen world can be just as impactful. We are often "stingy" with the burdens we carry in this life, but when we give those to the Savior, we find that it's easier to go through this life with him as our partner in peace. We sometimes blame God or ourselves for the natural consequences of living in a fallen world, so it's important to remember that we need to turn to him instead of away. Helping be a relief to others is how we partner with the Lord to bring relief and share in his work. Small and simple challenge: Read and study out Camille Johnson's talk, "Jesus Christ is Relief" and share your insights as to how the Savior is your relief! Join the Magnify Community online to study how these attributes can bring more peace into your life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Nelson's conference address, "Peacemakers Needed," felt like a landmark talk and it resonated so much with our community. Here at Magnify, one of our driving goals is to come together to cultivate what we need to LIVE DIFFRERENTLY! President Nelson has just given us the game plan for just that. Over the next few months we want dig into PEACE! What is peace? How do we find it? How do we create it? How do we share it? How do we receive it? How do we feel it? And mostly, how can we get more of it? Joining us to kick off the next six months of studying peace and all the attributes of a peacemaker are Nassari Everett and Lisanne Murphy. Top takeaways from this episode: Peace is a choice we make that we decide is a state of our hearts. We are responsible for the way we react to conflict in our lives. It is important to pause and ask yourself how you will react to the situations around you. Jesus Christ understands our struggles in this world, and he has come to bring peace. Sometimes that peace looks different from what you thought, but he will always be there, ready to provide it. The Lord is preparing us to live more like him and to respond and bring others to him through peace. Small and simple challenge: Our small and simple challenge looks a little different and will be the focus of the next six months on Magnify! Each week we will be exploring a different attribute as it relates to peace in an effort to find and share more peace. And the best part? We are doing the whole study on our Instagram, @magnifycommunity! All you need to do is follow along and you'll have completed each study one day, and one week at a time! Head to magnifythegood.com/peace to get your free download so you can follow along and enjoy some printable cards of our favorite quotes from the talk we discussed today! Stick them on your mirror, in your journal, or share them with a friend! We can't wait to pave the path to peace together! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If Mother's Day is hard for you, know that you're not alone! Mother's Day is this week and while it's a day to honor and celebrate moms—it's not always a happy day. In an article from Sharon Eubank titled, "The Idea of 'Mothers in Zion' Made Me Mad—Until I Learned What It Meant" she said, "Mother's Day … is often an emotional and spiritual minefield for almost everyone: Women who have no children, or who wanted more children, or maybe different children. Women who feel they are failing, or that someone failed them, or that failure is around the corner. Women who wished they were free to mother, or feel cut off from their mothers, or never had the mother they wanted, or can't be the mother they want to be." "This life is practice mothering, not to perfect it." Joining Kathryn in this episode is Lori Thurston. Lori and her husband Bob are preparing to serve a service mission in Pakistan. Top takeaways from this episode: No matter the circumstance you are in--a mom with many children, no children, mixed families, single mothers--you can learn the lessons of motherhood. Mother is both a noun and an adjective. Whether or not you have birthed children, you are able to mother God's children as part of your divine role here on earth. Our Heavenly Parents see all of eternity before us, so we have all of eternity to perfect mothering. The Savior has many qualities of a mother, and we can become more like the Savior as we participate in this mother-work. Small and simple challenge: Prayerfully consider who it is in your life that has helped to mother you or your community that isn't already on your mother's day list. Thank them for the mothering that they do that is unconventional. Let them know that they were helpful in mothering. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The call to parent in this life is one that Elder Uchtdorf said, "reflects the pattern of heaven." The opportunity to help raise the rising generation—both as parents and leaders—can be a privilege and a responsibility. Elder Uchtdorf taught in his April 2023 General Conference message that Jesus Christ can be our strength and our guide as we try to parent and teach like Him. "In the eternal perspective, it will all work out." - Shawni Pothier This episode features two sisters—Saren Loosli and Shawni Pothier—and Kathryn discussing Elder Uchtdorf's recent message in General Conference, April 2023. They discuss this message and how small and simple efforts as parents and leaders can be magnified by the Lord. Top takeaways from this episode: God has given us an enormous amount of trust as parents to raise his children, and we need to be able to trust our children as well as we follow the divine pattern of heaven. Look for miracles that happen as parents and celebrate our children's wins! God is a god of second chances, so when we feel like we've made a mistake in parenting, it's important to remember that he always gives us more chances. Life is long, and there is so much time to recover and repair relationships in this life. An apology for your child can go a long way. Small and simple invitation: Pray very specifically for an act of love that you can do on a regular basis with your families. Search for what the mighty change of heart that we find in the scriptures might be for this love. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we figure out how to discover meaning in the most mundane of tasks, we can find opportunities to feel closer to Christ, even when doing something as simple as the dishes or the laundry. Routines can become rituals when we take ordinary tasks and look for ways to make them sacred, and we will see the Lord in unexpected ways. "The intention is really easy when you want more Jesus in your life." Today's guest, Jennifer Brinkerhoff Platt, wrote "Rather than performing our day-to-day routines with little thought or effort, the most ordinary event can become rich in meaning." She's and Kathryn discuss ways we can get closer to Christ when we learn to turn everyday tasks into opportunities to connect with, serve, and love each other better. Top takeaways from this episode: You can take your everyday routines and turn them into rituals by putting intention behind what you're doing. The Savior is a great example of taking ordinary moments and turning them into sacred experiences, so look to him as the guide. If you're feeling overwhelmed by your routines, take one thing and simplify it to make it more sacred for you. Remember that intention can lead to desire, so just start with the intention to make your everyday mundaneness become more sacred. Small and simple challenge: Consider your daily routines, and look for one thing you want to address. Whether it be something that really challenges you, or something you don't enjoy doing, look for ways to find the Savior in those moments. Read Jennifer's Book here! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you had moments where you poured out your heart to God again and again and felt met with silence from heaven? When President Nelson told us that in the coming days we'll need the guiding influence of the Holy Ghost, Emily Robison Adams took his counsel to heart. But while seeking to understand how God speaks to her through prayer, Emily didn't get any answers and, in her words, "God felt gone." Through struggle, study, and with time, Emily came to understand that sometimes when we think heaven is silent, God is with us in a space of communion that she calls Divine Quiet. "I don't always feel the Spirit, but I show up to show God." Top takeaways from this episode: You're not alone in feeling like heaven is silent. It's important to share your struggles and feelings about getting answers to prayer. The moments in the silence can teach you lessons from heaven that you might not receive otherwise, but it still might feel difficult, so lean on these three things: Remember your past interactions and experiences with the Spirit. Drawing upon these moments will help you to recall that God has answered you before, and He will again. Change the way you look at the scriptures. The scriptures were written by imperfect people, and there are many different points of view within the scriptures, so embrace the differences and be okay not having an opinion about everything. Rethink prayer. You may just have to ask for God to be with you in the silence, even if you aren't feeling the divine revelation or answers you are seeking. Small and simple challenge: Find time to remember God this week. Look back on the moments and interactions you've already had with the scriptures and ponder on those moments as a strength to receive more guidance in God's timing. Links: Emily's Book See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As women, we are asked to do a lot, and sometimes it feels like we aren't doing enough. But President Nelson has said the Church and the world needs our strength. So, how do we act on this? "Christ spent his time advocating for women." Today's guest, Dr. Sarah Coyne, said in her BYU Devotional, "we are not placed on this earth to fall asleep." Our influence is needed as women in the Church, now more than ever! Our different experiences and talents and skills are what unite us and help us rise to that call. Today, Kathryn and Sarah discuss how we can do that. Top Takeaways from this episode: As a woman in the gospel and the Church, you are valued and your influence is needed. Our differences bring us together and make us better. While some women are working, others are staying at home, but we need everyone to build a Zion community. Sometimes it takes time to figure out our roles and our divine identity as women. You don't need to be doing more than you're doing, but ask yourself what you need and find your voice when it matters. Small and simple challenge: Get curious about how you can use your voice as a woman. Take five minutes to ponder on that, and then write it down and decide what your next step will be. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is springtime one of your busiest seasons of the year? Sometimes it's the small things that help us recenter our focus and find joy in Jesus. As we are nearing Easter, we want to celebrate the Savior and his resurrection. Spring is a time of renewal, rebirth, and reflection. It's a time that brings us joy. We often use the word "joy" around Christmastime, but it really deserves a place at Easter too. "The truth that I am a Child of God brings me joy." Today's guest is Nolong Bonner Bullock, the oldest of the musical Bonner family. Nolong is here to share small ways to joy in Jesus this holiday, even if you're feeling busier than ever. Top takeaways from this episode Look for simple ways to joy in Jesus during the springtime! As the weather warms up, this could be a good reminder to get outside and be with others, just as the Savior taught outside. We can joy in Jesus during small moments like hiking a mountain or going on a drive, but also by turning to him in our covenants. Easter is a time for new beginnings and to recenter on Christ. Small and simple challenge: Before you start your day, take a moment to be still with the Lord. Before you open any app, or start any of your to-do's, or even read the scriptures, take 10 minutes to just be still and receive his revelation. Links Listen to the Bonner Family music here! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The promised blessings in our life from the Lord are sure. So how do we learn to wait well as some of those blessings take more time to be fulfilled? We're all waiting on something from the Lord in our lives: peace, patience, a promise that has not yet been fulfilled. "Our worth is not determined by what we are waiting for." Our guest Heather Johnson has been studying out why we have those waiting periods and what we are supposed to learn about ourselves while we wait for the Lord to fulfill his promises. She joins us today to help us understand what it means to "wait well." Top takeaways from this episode: Relying on moments we have already had with the spirit is how we get through the waiting periods of our lives. Our worth is not determined by what blessings we might be waiting for from the Lord. We are already worthy of His love. Learning to control our emotions while enduring our waiting periods will bring us peace and the ability to wait well. Growth and closeness to God are blessings of learning to wait well. Small and simple challenge: try to not make the waiting period be connected to your worth. Anytime you have a thought that you aren't good enough because you haven't received promised blessings, redirect your thoughts to better recognize your worth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever felt like reading and studying the scriptures is just another item to add to your to-do list instead of feeling like the spiritual highlight of your day? Well, perhaps you can find yourself an "SOS scripture." This is a verse or set of verses from the scriptures that you can turn to whenever you might need a moment of peace or strength from the Lord. Perhaps it's one you've memorized or stuck to your bathroom mirror. These SOS scriptures are a perfect example of how to get a lot out of a little, and that's what today's guest Kristen Walker Smith is doing. She has made it a personal mission of hers to make scripture study the spiritual highlight of her day, and she has been sharing that mission with others! "How scripture study feels is so much more important than how it looks." Top takeaways: Having an "SOS scripture" can be helpful for us to have whenever we might need a moment of inspiration from the Lord, and it doesn't require reading an entire chapter to feel that spiritual nourishment! Even taking one minute a day to reflect on the scriptures can bring you closer to the Lord and feel the promises of scripture study. Opening up the scriptures is a way to receive personal revelation and learn how much God loves us. It's worth it to make a habit of scripture study, even when we don't feel like we're getting anything out of it, because those moments of peace will surely come. Small and simple challenge: as you study the scriptures, even just one verse, look for 1) the point of the passage, 2) how you can make it personal, and then 3) add power to the verse by taking action on it. Links The Power of Scripture by Elder Richard G. Scott Find Kristen's book here! Want more from Kristen? Listen and watch her Seek course! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.