Saints Unscripted

Sam and Justin grew up in different places with different ratios of Mormons to non-Mormons (‘Mormon’ being the informal term for a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Sam grew up surrounded by many members of the Church, which greatly influenced her friendships, moral standards, and gospel understanding. Justin, on the other hand, grew up as one of very few members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Such background influenced Justin’s dedication to the gospel and his ability to stand up for his beliefs.    There are many pros and cons to growing up with and without members of the Church and in this episode, we address the ones we experience the most.

 Is sin relative or universal? If I commit a sin, is the consequence the same if someone else commits the same sin? Does the severity of the sin change based on the knowledge of the person committing the sin? Can someone sin in ignorance? Today we discuss what we believe in regards to sin, if one can sing in ignorance, and how to navigate the question of sin.    The most important point: We are NOT judges to determine who goes to celestial kingdom. Fortunately, God is the judge and knows our individual circumstances. Jesus Christ knows every scenario and will judge us accordingly. Jesus forgave all kinds of people that would never have been forgiven by their communities.    From the Church’s website: “To commit sin is to willfully disobey God’s commandments or to fail to act righteously despite a knowledge of the truth (see James 4:17​).”

This episode isn’t to convince anyone to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church)... BUT we did want to talk about the benefits, in addition to spiritual benefits, that there are to living the gospel of Jesus Christ.    Some of the benefits include:   Instant community,  More support when you move, more support during difficult/big life events, Ministering (home teachers), Support for youth (weekly youth activities), Responsibility,  Focus on family,  Self reliance, Health, Less alcohol abuse, less lung disease caused by smoking, Emphasis on education,  Financial support (and responsibility),  Honesty, Service,  Sexual purity, Seminary (free study of the scriptures),  Structure

What is fate? What is destiny? Do members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as Mormons) believe in fate and/or destiny? This topic is TOUGH. Why? Because within this topic is the question of God’s omniscience, which isn’t something that the Church has clear doctrine on. But there is clear doctrine on agency -- the ability to choose for ourselves how we are going to live and know that we aren’t just playing our lives out as though they have already been written.    The Church clearly believes in agency and frequently emphasizes the importance of agency. We don’t believe in pre-determinism. God isn’t going to tell us everything that we should do. We have the ability to decide how we are going to live our lives. Fortunately, Jesus Christ has been through all that we’ll experience so he can help us make it through and be the judge through it all.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church) has long produced videos to promote different topics within the Church. But let’s be honest… some of the videos from the past are downright hilarious! And today we respond to one of the classics! This is both Taylor and Justin’s first time watching the video so their responses are genuine. And we want to hear your responses!! 

This is our SIXTH response to your comments! If you follow our channel, you know that we get some AMAZING comments and some INSANE comments. Whatever side of the spectrum you are on, we’re grateful that you’ve voiced your opinion and we encourage you to keep commenting— we love hearing from you! Really though, we love it. Even the comments from the haters.    As is usual with these types of episodes, we usually choose the insane comments to respond to but if you have only commented positive things, don’t think your comment hasn’t been read. We read ALL of the comments.

Prior to this episode, we asked our Instagram audience for their questions about pornography addiction so we could ask Nic. Nic says he has been addicted to pornography for over 2 decades, some of that time during his marriage. We filmed his story in Part One of this series that will certainly give you better background into his story and will definitely give more hope to your story, whatever it may be.    In this episode, we answer questions like:  "What can I do as a loved one to someone with a pornography addiction?"  "How do I stay strong when my significant other is addicted to pornography?"   "What do you say when someone reveals to you that they have a porn addiction?"   Nic talks about common lies told by pornography addicts, what loved ones can do for those afflicted with addiction, and more.

We LOVED having Nic on our show to tell his story of overcoming pornography. His story is so genuine and powerful. If you've ever struggled with pornography, know someone who has struggled with pornography, or simply want to better understand those who struggle, this is the episode for you!    This is part 1 of a 2-part series: The first part is Nic's story and the second part is Nic answering YOUR questions (from our Instagram page) about pornography.     In this part, Nic tells about struggling with pornography for more than 2 decades. He was first exposed to pornographic images when he was around 11 years old. Since his initial experience, Nic began consuming more and more pornographic material. He was very good at hiding his addiction and was even able to hide it from his wife for many years.    However, he know what he was doing was wrong and he thought he could fix it on his own until one day, he just couldn't take it anymore. Nic and his wife were putting their kids in bed when Nic asked his wife if he could confide in her about something.    And that's when things finally started changing.

In this episode, we brought back Izzy and Korinne (by popular demand) for another ALL GIRLS episode! Mimi, Izzy and Korinne talk about Mormon garments and the importance of modesty.    (PRO TIP: If you haven't seen our explanation on garments or 'magic Mormon underwear, check out this video first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMNwb...​)    The three girls discuss whether or not it's necessary to wear garments while working out. Izzy and Korinne choose not to wear the garment, saying that they don't want to dirty the garment. Mimi, on the other hand, chooses to wear the temple garment as often as possible.

Taylor and Sam were challenged to pray every day for 10 consecutive minutes for one week. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, prayer is strongly encouraged, as speaking to God is essential to understanding His will. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we don’t normally recite prayers but rather pray to God with the sentiments in our heart, as frequently as we need and even in times when we feel unwilling. God is our Father in Heaven and wants to hear from us. In this episode, Sam and Taylor talk about their experience with prayer prior to the challenge, how the challenge went, and what they will do moving forward with prayer.