Magnify

Welcome to the Magnify Book Club! This month’s pick was The Christ Child by Adam Miller. Every other month, our community also does a public Zoom where you—yes you!—can join in and participate. This month it was hosted by author and Magnify contributor Melinda Brown. We decided to post the recording as a bonus episode where you can hear the host and members of our community jump in and share their thoughts on the book.

As we’re getting into the Christmas spirit, I am sure many of us ponder and study the life and birth of Jesus Christ. Many families put together a Christmas pageant where everyone takes on a role in the nativity scene to help us reflect on the birth of the Savior. And one role in that story that we want to dive deeper into is Mary the mother of Jesus. Her background and mention in the scriptures is relatively small. But in today’s guest’s words: “Her story reminds us that God is aware of all of His children and that He calls ordinary men and women to participate in extraordinary ways to help build His kingdom.”    Brooke Walker hosts this episode with Gaye Strathearn. Gaye is a Professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. She grew up in Australia, and she says she loves the game of cricket. In her words, she loves to, “potter around the house and yard” and even though she’s a big BYU fan, she does drive a red car... (we’ll forgive her for it). Gaye wrote this beautiful article in January 2019 called “Mary, the Mother of Jesus” that serves as the basis of this conversation.   Join us for our Book Club Zoom this Thursday, December 5th at 7pm MT. https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMud-mrrDkvHN1uEb4tBB8uFOzpSMDPLtWC#/registration  

We wrapped up our Lift Up Your Heart events last weekend. It felt so uplifting to interact with women in our community. President Nelson asked us to "seek and expect miracles," and because we’ve been focusing on the miracles of peace, joy, courage, faith, and hope, they've become more prevalent in our every day. A goal here at Magnify is to build our community, so in this episode, you'll hear podcast host Courtney Spencer and producer Sarah Collins grab soundbites from both audience members and Lift Up Your Heart speakers share how they're seeking and expecting miracles.   Register for the Zoom book club where we'll be reading The Christ Child by Adam Miller. It will be hosted by contributor Melinda Brown.

It’s often easier in hindsight to see what God has orchestrated in our lives. President Eyring has even said, "When we find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness it will build our testimonies.” In theory we know this works. And we do it in practice as many of us make gratitude lists this time of year. But how do we make it so that we’re seeing God’s great work in our lives like it’s second nature, be it a moment of hardship or joy?   It’s something that’s on our minds and the mind of today’s guest, Emily Ann Adams, who wrote that she’s working to see God’s imprints all over the pages of her life—even when she’s in the thick of it. It’s a practice that has led her to more genuine gratitude and greater faith. Emily is an author, speaker, and mother to five—one of whom she lost as a stillborn. This plays into her story and she’s shared many of her experiences and perspectives in her books. She’s a hiker, a reader, a bit of a history lover, and she says that she tries to strengthen her relationship with Jesus and her Heavenly Father daily.   Join us for Lift Up Your Heart this weekend! Use code PODCAST10 at checkout for $10 off per registration. https://www.magnifythegood.com/events

Magnify just announced our book club pick for November and December and it’s The Christ Child by Adam Miller. And this book will make your Christmas. If you're looking for that thing that will bring you that "Christmasy" feeling you love during this season, this is just the thing. This book takes us on a meditative and poetic journey to answer the question, “why did Christ come to earth as a baby?” It's all about how we can become more like the Savior by becoming more like a child—and those attributes that go along with it.   Podcast producer Sarah Collins is joined by BYU professor and philosopher Dr. Katie Paxman.   Join us for the book club Zoom where you can join in the dialogue with host Mindy Brown! December 5th at 7:00pm MT. https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMud-mrrDkvHN1uEb4tBB8uFOzpSMDPLtWC#/registration   Register for our final Lift Up Your Heart event in Salt Lake City on November 22nd and 23rd. As a podcast listener, use code PODCAST10 at checkout for $10 off per registration.* https://www.magnifythegood.com/events *Does not work on already applied group discount.

In this enlightening conversation, Melinda Brown, an author and speaker, shares her personal journey after her child stepped away from the Church. She offers three key truths to navigate the emotional turmoil that accompanies such departures. Melinda emphasizes inclusivity, unconditional love, and the importance of patience in family relationships. The duo also discusses finding support during tough times and the healing power of community wisdom, portraying a hopeful message for all those facing similar challenges.

Part of our mission at Magnify is to help each other be a force for good in our own spheres of influence. Sometimes that happens in ways we least expect it to. Celeste Mergens, the founder of Days for Girls, grew up in poverty. It was her understanding of what children going hungry felt like that led her first to her knees, and then to fill a need. She believes that the things you go through don't define you, but they can always bless you. Her superpower? Gratitude, and that's how she has learned to ask the right questions, listen when others are speaking, and lead with assuredness.   Celeste is the founder of Days for Girls—a non-profit whose mission is to increase access to menstrual care and education throughout the world. She’s a speaker, who has been featured in magazines like Oprah’s O Magazine and Forbes, an author, and an award-winning businesswoman. Celeste is also a wife and a mother to 6 children and 19 grandchildren, and she loves spending time with her family. She’s currently serving with her husband as a mission leader in the Washington Everett mission.   Join us for our final Lift Up Your Heart events. Registration is open now for St. George on November 9th and Salt Lake City on November 22nd and 23rd. Use code PODCAST10 at checkout* for $10 off per registration. https://www.magnifythegood.com/events   *Does not stack with a group discount.

Did you know we have a bookclub? This month’s pick was Rock of Our Redeemer by Elder David A. Bednar. Our community also does a public Zoom where you—yes you!—can join in and participate. This month it was hosted by Tammy Uzelac Hall. We decided to post the recording as a bonus episode where you can hear the host and members of our community jump in and share their thoughts on the book.

Whitney Archibald has been rock climbing for more than 30 years. She felt experienced and always followed safety precautions. But in the summer of 2023, she had an accident that changed her entire life. Through a series of small, seemingly insignificant mistakes, Whitney fell 30 feet to the ground. Miraculously, Whitney survived and was not paralyzed. This experience doesn’t seem like the most obvious time to see miracles, but that’s just what happened. Even through our most difficult and painful moments, and our most damaging mistakes, we can witness the miracles happening all around us if we open our hearts and let God prevail.  In this episode, Whitney Archibald shares her experience and how she learned about the not-so-obvious miracles through a painful experience. Whitney is a mom of five, loves being outdoors, and she also hosts and produces two podcasts. One for BYU called the Y Magazine Podcast. Her own is called How She Moms.    Join us for our final two Lift Up Your Heart events. We will be in St. George on November 9th and Salt Lake City on November 22nd and 23rd. As a podcast listener, you can use code PODCAST10 at checkout to save $10 per registration. https://www.magnifythegood.com/events  

In our lives, there are many scenarios we run into that feel polarizing or tricky to navigate. You might have someone in your ward that you feel strongly about because you disagree with their political viewpoints in the upcoming election, even though they hold a trusted calling. Or with General Conference just last week, perhaps you’re running into conversations at the dinner table that get heated because of how some messages are being interpreted. Or as you’re heading into the holiday season, you’re gearing up for a snarky comment to be made at the extended family party about your parenting styles.  However, at Magnify, we strive to be a force for good, and a powerful way to do that is by being peacemakers, especially in these polarizing situations.  So, with this on our minds, we thought it would be timely to have a candid conversation about how to navigate polarizing situations in a more Christlike way. Brooke Walker is joined by Shima Baughman and Natalie Hill Jensen in this episode.   We've still got two Lift Up Your Heart events left! We're coming to St. George on November 9 and Salt Lake City on November 22 and 23! Register now and don't forget to use code PODCAST10 at checkout. https://www.magnifythegood.com/events