For All The Saints With Ben Hancock

Ray Robinson is the Director of Experiences for the Priesthood Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As part of his wide-spanning role, Ray advises the team creating the new hymnbook for the Church - the first general hymnbook since 1985. The Church looks a lot different than it did 1985, and I wanted to know how the new hymnbook project is reflecting that difference (that change primarily being a much more international membership). Some highlights include the crazy process of going through every submission, which hymns were the most requested, and if different cultures submitted vastly different styles of hymns.Follow For All The Saints on social media and sign up to the newsletter for updates and inspiring weekly messages:For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org

Spencer W McBride is a historian and author who wrote the fantastic book Joseph Smith For President. He is also an Associate Managing Historian of the Joseph Smith Papers and the voice of the Joseph Smith Papers podcast.I wanted to speak to Spencer about Joseph's presidential campaign and his motivations for running, and also what lessons we can learn from church history and the early pioneers of America as we know it today.Some highlights include what leading figures thought of Joseph Smith and his call to end slavery, which campaigns we could compare Joseph's to in today's society, and how Spencer feels the current state of religious freedom is in America. Follow For All The Saints on social media and sign up to the newsletter for updates and inspiring weekly messages:For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org

Michael Birkeland is a comedy actor known globally by Latter-day Saints for his roles in The Singles Ward, The RM, Church Ball, The Home Teachers, and more.A disclaimer - we did have some technical difficulties recording this episode, and our editor Sean has worked hard to iron them out in post-production, but we apologise if there are slight glitches in the audio here and there and hope you can still enjoy it!I'm a huge fan of Michael's, and also a huge fan of comedy. We've learnt before that comedians have a unique role in society and a unique perspective, so I wanted to chat with Michael and see how his career has shaped his views on faith.Some highlights include Michael's upcoming projects, his reflection on the success of The Singles Ward, and how the ability to poke fun at your own culture is healthy.Follow For All The Saints on social media and sign up to the newsletter for updates and inspiring weekly messages:For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org

Cassidy and Jordan Gundersen from Spiro Health and Wellness share their inspiring journey of reversing chronic health conditions with diet. They discuss topics such as the carnivore diet, the interpretation of hot drinks, and the spiritual blessings of living the Word of Wisdom. The podcast delves into their personal health struggles, meeting at BYU, embracing plant-based nutrition, and practical steps for aligning with the Word of Wisdom lifestyle.

Andrew Jones is the creator of Discovered Media and one of the lead researchers of the Noah's Ark site near Mount Ararat in Turkey.I wanted to speak to Andrew about the exciting new research that occurred at the end of 2023 that caused the site to be the subject of global media interest.Some highlights include how working around ancient Biblical sites has impacted Andrew's personal faith in Jesus Christ, how conclusive evidence of the Ark would influence the world, and the evidence of ancient human activity around the site. Follow For All The Saints on social media and sign up to the newsletter for updates and inspiring weekly messages:For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org

Happy New Year!I'm grateful that Tyler could join me for my new year's episode. As we know, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints each year the curriculum 'Come, Follow Me' changes. To prepare for a year focused on the Book of Mormon, Tyler lends a hand in helping us know how we can get the most out of 2024's gospel study.Highlights include how to manage a difficult person in class, how Taylor & Tyler prepare for a lesson, and why Come, Follow Me's format has changed this year. Tyler Griffin is an Associate Dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University and co-host of the popular Come, Follow Me Insights show alongside Taylor Halverson on Scripture Central. Tyler has authored several books: When Heaven Feels Distant, co-authored Come Unto Me: Illuminating the Savior's Life, Mission, Parables, and Miracles, and co-edited Millions Shall Know Brother Joseph Again.Follow For All The Saints on social media and sign up to the newsletter for updates and inspiring weekly messages:For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org

James Cooper is a Christmas expert and runs the website Why Christmas? There is nobody better to interrogate about all the strange traditions and rituals surrounding the end of December. Christmas comes around and we take it for what it is, but there is so much about it that we don't know, it is always interesting to see what influences the season over the years and what creeps in!Some highlights from this episode are the role of dragons and leopards in the Nativity scene, whether Christmas is actually pagan or not, and a very strange Christmas tradition which involves finding garlic in a hollow log. Merry Christmas!—----Follow For All The Saints on social media and sign up to the newsletter for updates and inspiring weekly messages:For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org

Amy Stevens Seal, otherwise known as the Latter Day Matchmaker, has been helping members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints find true love for a long time. She knows, more than most, what women and men want from a relationship, and whatever stage of romance you're in - you need to take note! Amy has set up Matchmaking Saints as a new, free dating app with a difference: it is overseen by a professional matchmaker. If you're looking for romance, you can sign up today - you can even organise group meet-ups if you're simply looking for a more casual gathering to make new friends. I loved this episode, it's different from my normal episodes, and you can see voluminously how awkward I am with the subject matter, but it's nonetheless important. Amy is aware of the common traits of successful courtships, and the common traits of unsuccessful ones - take notes as we all learn from her.Follow For All The Saints on social media and sign up to the newsletter for updates and inspiring weekly messages:For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org

Steven Harper is one of the foremost historians within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Having played a leading role in the Joseph Smith Papers project, the Saints project, and the Wilford Woodruff Papers project (amongst many others), Steven is more qualified than most to answer questions about the church's history and how learning about it can be a blessing. I wanted to talk to Steven about how the information and clickbait era is presenting a challenge to those who grow concerned about elements of church history, Steven has read it all and remains faithful: why and how? His insights and advice are priceless for growing your faith and coming to know the truth when learning about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some highlights from this episode are what we misunderstand about Joseph Smith, why we don't hear much about Wilford Woodruff, and what it means to be a 'seeker' of truth. Follow For All The Saints on social media and sign up to the newsletter for updates and inspiring weekly messages:For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org

Matty Jewitt is a student and staunch Sunderland Football Club supporter from Yorkshire, England. Matty's conversion story is one that has inspired me over and over, I was excited that he was willing to share it with the world on my podcast. We can never tire of conversion stories because they remind us of our own, lead us to our own, and strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ. Matty's story can aid those struggling with addiction, and provide hope to those who may feel lost in grief. Follow For All The Saints on social media and sign up to the newsletter for updates and inspiring weekly messages:For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. If you have any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org