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Have you ever wanted to feel a deeper friendship with Jesus Christ? To not only know about Him, but to really know Him? Today's episode explores the idea that knowing the Savior and really understanding who He is takes more than being familiar with the facts about His life. And when we truly come to know Jesus Christ as not just a figure, but a friend, we are changed. "He is calling and saying, 'I've got something better.'" A few months ago, Lizzy Jensen shared that she felt a hunger to get to know the Savior. In fact, she wrote, “I want to know Him. I want to have a closer relationship with Him. I want to think like Him and act like Him.” She decided to study the Savior in a way that would foster a closer relationship with him. She calls it #SaviorSundayStudies. We were inspired by her idea to become friends with Jesus Christ—to truly know him and not just know about him. Top takeaways from this episode Getting to know the Savior takes acting as his hands and serving others around you. Sometimes, it is uncomfortable to represent the Savior, but it is always worth bringing his light to others. He is never disappointed in us, and wants us to follow him so that we can have his joy. Spending time with him will change us for the better. Small and simple suggestion Kneel down in prayer and ask the Lord to help you feel that he is calling to you and that you matter to him. Then ask how you can serve and be his hands. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes it can be hard to know how we can use our time and energy for good in the world, but Heavenly Father has given us the choice in how we can bless others around us. As we consider all our to-do lists and wanting to put our energy into every good thing around us, we must choose where to put our efforts and even consciously choose to neglect things we can let go of. In this episode, we are giving ourselves permission to restructure the to-do lists and find what will guide us to blessings ourselves and others around us.   "We can do it all, we just can't do it all at once."   This conversation was inspired by Dr. Julie Valentine's speech at a BYU Devotional in 2021. Julie chooses to bless the lives of those around her by working as an Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Research in BYU's College of Nursing. She focuses her research on forensic nursing and sexual assault victims.   Top takeaways from this episode We need to consider the stage of our lives when we are considering how we can "do it all" as women. Sometimes it's okay to ignore parts of your life and focus on what is best for you in your season. Work with your loved ones to determine what is the best use of your time and energy right now. Take time to get to know yourself and be in tune with your needs, including time to recharge. Trust that the Lord is with us and will inspire us in our pursuits to bless others around us. God sees the good we are doing.   Small and simple challenge Start a selected neglect list. Write down what you will consciously neglect and work with your family to discuss about things that are great to focus on, but will be safe to put on the back burner until you can come back for them later.   Links Dr. Julie Valentine's BYU Devotional, November 2021 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all have moments when we feel stuck. When we feel like we are not getting the answers, blessings, and direction we desire from heaven. In these moments, or even seasons of longing, relying on the Lord for peace and patience while drawing strength from our covenants can help us through. Waiting on the Lord is always worth His promised blessings, so how do we find strength through seasons of waiting? "Waiting is not a result of anything you've done wrong" Morgan Jones Pearson took to Instagram with this idea. She shares, “I know what [waiting for God] feels like. I’m a believer that we’re all waiting for something but I’m also a believer that God’s promises are always fulfilled and always worth the wait.” Today's podcast discusses how we can all be strengthened in those waiting periods by relying on the covenants and promises we've made, and look for the blessings immediately surrounding us.   Top takeaways from this episode Our covenants and promises we make to God will strengthen us, especially in times of waiting for answers to our prayers. Everyone is waiting on some promised blessing from the Lord, and in our waiting, we can learn how to draw closer to heaven. A waiting period can become a sacred, sweet, and tender moment when the Lord is brought into that season. There is no timeline or restraint for us to receive blessings. God will always follow through with his promises. While we are waiting for promised blessings, we should focus on actively exercising our faith to get through the difficult times.   Something to think about It can be easy to get down on yourself and think that you have done something wrong if you're not seeing an answer to your prayers. God never wants you to feel like you are doing something wrong, and if you've felt like an outsider to God's blessings, you are not alone. Take the time to look around at the "early harvests" or blessings that are more immediate around you.   Small and simple challenge Turn to the scriptures with a sincere question in your heart and pray for divine inspiration. It's important to really get into the scriptures when you're in your waiting period.   Links Blessings: A Law of Increasing Returns by Henry B. Eyring See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Across many cultures, clapping is a way we show respect, gratitude, and encouragement. The finish line of a marathon is proof that people want to cheer one another on in their accomplishments. We all could use more clappers in our lives to encourage us in the big moments and the small. Someone to tell us to keep going, that we're doing great, and that we are loved and supported. And we can all be encouragers for others. The Savior wants us to cheer others on, and he is our greatest example of how to do that. In this episode, Kathryn and David Butler discuss what it means to be a clapper. "You can never annoy someone with a multiplicity of compliments." David Butler is constantly encouraging others through is work. If you know Dave even if it’s just through the screen, you know he’s a clapper. He’s a big fan of people! Dave is a dad, a teacher, an author, and a co-host of the popular YouTube channel, Don’t Miss This, where he encourages his listeners to better understand the scriptures.    Top takeaways from this episode The Savior wants us to show love by supporting one another--loudly and enthusiastically! When we see others the way God sees them, we'll be eager to encourage and cheer for their accomplishments Celebrating others does not take away from our own accomplishments. In fact, we receive more when we give more, which is what Dave calls "God's business model." Notice the abundance of blessings all around us, and we'll see more in ourselves and others. No matter how old or young we are, we all need to be reminded of the good we're doing and the value that our Heavenly Parents have given us.   Something to think about: God has given us the pattern in the scriptures for how he operates. He asks us to lose ourselves in order to find ourselves, and to give in order to receive. This might be counterintuitive, but the blessings we receive in return show us his great wisdom and love.   Small and simple takeaway: Speak kinder and be more uplifting to yourself. You will then be in a place to be able to do that for other people, and you'll start to gain an abundance mindset.   David's Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to ministering we often think of big acts of service, like showing up on a friend’s porch with a treat and a handwritten note, because at the very least, ministering requires food, right? This kind of service can be wonderful—we all love a thoughtful gift—but are we missing out on opportunities to serve because we feel overwhelmed when our own plates are full? Sometimes, though, one of the simplest ways we can minister is by offering them our undivided attention—the gift of listening. So in today’s episode, we explore how our capacity to love grows both when we take the time to listen and when we are heard in return.   “Our capacity to love is so much greater than we realize when we begin to listen.”   Mauli Bonner works as a vocal director, writer, producer, and author. He wrote and directed the award-winning film His Name is Green Flake and has worked with many music and film artists throughout his career. He and his wife Chantel live in Los Angeles with their two children, and he translates his listening skills in the music industry to his everyday life as a father, husband, and a disciple of Jesus Christ.   Top takeaways from this episode! When we listen to others and do our best to really feel what they are telling us, we are listening as the Savior does. Listening is a service that anyone can give, and we can all do it today! As we better understand what others are trying to tell us, both the speaker and the listener can increase their love and appreciation for one another. Listening can bring healing—even when we might disagree or feel resentment about what the other person is saying. Listening to others gives us a greater capacity to love.   Something to think about: You may have had interactions where you didn’t fully understand someone because neither of you felt listened to. How can you love others more by giving them a listening ear?   Small and simple challenge: This week’s challenge is simple but significant! Think about a friend or family member whose relationship has been strained in the last little bit. Take the time to reach out to them and ask how you could have listened better to the words they were saying and allow them to share without reservation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friendship is an essential and eternal part of our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness! We can develop these divine relationships in our lives right now, as we are, where we are. Friendships can help us experience heaven on earth today. In this episode, we discuss how we can start building these relationships by following Jesus Christ’s example, and loving our friends with genuine kindness and compassion the way He would. If you are ready for more soul-filling connection in your life (and who isn't!?)--this episode is for you!   "Wherever you are, be there." Melinda Brown is the author of Eve and Adam: Discovering the Beautiful Balance. She discusses faith and friendship with women of all ages and shares her insights on her Instagram account @BraveLikeEve. Mindy is a mother and grandmother, and she gives her friendship to her loved ones by spending time with her grandkids eating lots of delicious treats, including anything with frosting.   Top takeaways from this episode! Friendship is not only a part of this life but is an eternal and divine principle of heaven! We can build heaven on earth starting now. We can follow our Savior’s example of friendship by being loyal to people we love. Making friendships as an adult isn’t always easy, and sometimes you just have to step out of your comfort zone, but it will get easier! We were given time on this earth for human connection, and we need to make sure to carve out time for it. Life is a group project, and we all bring our own unique “bricks” to build a beautiful Zion community. Something to think about: We think of good friends as those who can be loyal and dependable, and our relationship with the Savior is the same. How can we show others our Savior’s love by emulating his example? Small and simple challenge: “Wherever you are, be there.” As you go throughout your week, try your best to be present to yourself and those around you. Don’t worry about what you need to do next, but just be present and open to relationships around you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Becoming friends with people who are like us is usually easy. But without realizing it, we might be missing out on opportunities to learn from people who are different from us simply because we want to stay in our comfort zones. We are commanded to love our neighbors—and that includes people who might lead a life different than our own. In this episode, we discuss what it means to truly love our neighbors and how both physical and emotional proximity to others can strengthen our love for them and our understanding of the Savior’s love for them.   “Everybody is different from you. Everybody is a unique individual. We have to reflect upon our love for each other and decide whether our love is conditional  on us thinking that they are the same as we are.”   Dean Carolina Nuñez is the co-founder of the J. Reuben Clark Law School’s Refugee and Immigration Initiative, and her work with refugees at the border in Texas has inspired her to discover what it means to truly take on the meaning of “loving your neighbors” no matter the physical distance. She seeks to reach out with charity in every aspect of her life, including being a mother and wife. Her experience being raised in Venezuela and the United States, learning two languages and two cultures makes her perspective on loving our neighbors so profound.   Top Takeaways from this episode! Physical proximity can help us understand our neighbors better. Take the time to get to know others by getting close to them and live out the Spanish translation of “love of neighbor,” which means, “love of the one who is in proximity.” By reaching out to those who are different, or not always that easy to love, we can learn to love our neighbors as the Savior would have us do. Taking the time to get to know those around you can sometimes be awkward, but we can decide to push through the awkward! We sometimes assume those around us are just like us, but everybody is a unique individual. Allowing others to give of themselves and share their love for us is a way we can increase our love for them.   Something to think about: How has physical proximity to someone increased your love for them as your friend and neighbor? What can you do to increase your love for others who might be physically near you, but feel distant from you in familiarity?   Small and simple weekly challenge: It’s okay to be uncomfortable as we are trying to get close to those we consider our neighbors. Be willing to accept a little bit of awkwardness and you’ll be surprised at what will come out of it! Listen to Carolina's BYU Speech from 2018 here! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting comfortable being a support to others in their times of grief and pain isn’t always natural. Mourning with those that mourn and comforting those who need comfort means simply showing up, asking how they are doing, providing a listening ear, and even sometimes sitting with them in their silence. In this episode, we discuss how we can show up for others—both near and far—and comfort one another as we rely on God’s miracles.   “The way we show up in the world is a gift to other people.”   Lisa is a freelance writer, producer, actress, and host of BYU Radio’s The Lisa Show. She wrote the book, Real Moms, Making It Up As We Go, co-hosted the feel-good service show “Random Acts,” and headlined the musical improv tv series Show Offs, for three seasons on BYUtv. Lisa and her late husband Christopher have 5 kids and a Labradoodle named Gus. You can find her on Instagram @yourfunnyvalentine   Top Takeaways from this episode! As women of God, we need to expect miracles and know that we are seen as individuals to Him; He will come to us in our specific needs. We can show up for people, even when we’re not physically there. When we know our loved ones better, we can be specific about our service to them. (Like dropping off cheese and Diet Coke for Lisa!) Sometimes we just need to sit in silence when we mourn with others instead of trying to problem solve. The Lord can make beautiful things out of the horrible and ugly and unfair things in life when we rely on his promises God will always bless us more than we deserve. Something to think about: How can you be more compassionate to yourself when you are going through a painful or grieving time?   Small and simple weekly challenge: Think of that person who is going through a really hard time right now and reach out to them. Put the phone away, give them your undivided attention, and ask them, “how are you feeling today—but really? I want to understand.”   Links: https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/lisa-valentine-clark/yes-and-the-creative-art-of-living/ https://www.ldsliving.com/act-ii-scene-i-lisa-valentine-clark-on-grief-laughter-and-love/s/94511 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We can talk all day about God’s love, but until we really experience it, a love that deep can seem like an abstract concept beyond our everyday reach. In this episode, however, Virginia helps us move God’s love from the abstract and put it into play in our lives. And the best part? We don’t have to add anything new to our schedule or routine to do it! “The things that is interesting about feeling god’s loved is that I feel empowered to change. I want to change and be better. It’s a kind of love that’s empowering. You can do this! It’s an empowering and motivating love.” Virginia is the mother of six children, the grandmother of twenty-seven grandchildren, and has many great-grandchildren too! You might recognize her as the daughter of President Gordon B. Hinckley and Sister Marjorie Hinckley. She worked as a marriage and family therapist and served as the first counselor in the General Young Women Presidency, and more recently as a full-time Public Affairs missionary for the Church.   Top Takeaways from this episode! We don’t have to DO MORE or BE MORE to feel and share God’s love in our lives. Simply opening our hearts to those around us will make an impact. We can’t meet everyone’s needs or solve every problem, but we can pass along God’s love—and that is enough. When we get hurt, we can close our hearts to protect ourselves, but in doing so we can close ourselves off from receiving love. We can learn to protect ourselves while also keeping our hearts open. God’s love is empowering and motivating. The more love we share the more love we feel and the more love we feel the more love we share! Say that 5 times fast! It’s a powerful cycle! God’s love is available to us always, but we don’t need to stress if we aren’t feeling it as much as we would like.   Something to think about: Have you closed your heart and put yourself on guard because of an experience you have had? What’s the next best step toward being able to open your heart? Small and simple weekly challenge: Notice people around you and think about opening a pathway from your heart to theirs! Links: A Heart Like His by Virginia Pearce Cowley Make sure you check out the full episode and then come tell us YOUR favorite takeaway over @magnifycommunity on Instagram! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all crave being seen, known, and loved for who we are. But where does that need come from? And how do we become people who can fill that need for others? We’ll be exploring those all-important questions in today’s episode. If you’ve been wanting new ideas on how to build connections and strengthen your relationships, this powerful conversation is for you. Let’s learn to see others for who they are and become a safe place for everyone around us! “Instead of looking passed things in other people maybe we can see it and embrace it and meet them where they are in that thing” Taylor Ricks has four amazing children: one daughter and three sons. Taylor has spent time as a foster parent and now volunteers with the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation to help children and families touched by Down syndrome in honor of her son Zane, whose bright spirit blesses their family in unimaginable ways. She enjoys writing, dabbling in woodworking, and going on walks. You can find Taylor on Facebook and Instagram @ToCheerAndToBless. Top takeaways from this episode! We aren’t alone in feeling alone! Satan wants us to believe we are alone in our problems but this is never true. When we feel alone or left out we can ask “who needs me!?” to help inspire us to reach out. Reaching out and creating a new connection is a wonderful way to resolve our own struggles. When we feel judgment and criticism toward others we can stop and see what we can learn from them instead. Knowing how God sees us gives us the courage and confidence to be ourselves and share love with others. When we observe and listen to those around us we will be inspired and prepared in knowing how to connect with and serve them. Something to think about: Have you taken the time to ask God how He sees you? Try it once a day this week! Small and simple challenge: Pray to know who needs you this week and have the courage to offer that love! Links: Everyday Disciples by Taylor Ricks See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.