Explore every episode of the podcast Cary 1st Ward's Podcast

In this episode of the Cary First Ward podcast, we sit down with Sister Susie Youd to talk about faith, family, service, revelation, and learning to move forward when the answers aren’t always clear.

Susie shares her journey from growing up in Maine and attending BYU to building a career in workplace experience, meeting her husband Nate in Manhattan, and raising a growing family. She reflects on how her understanding of revelation has evolved as life has become more complicated—and what it means to trust the Lord when prayer doesn’t bring an immediate answer.

We talk about overthinking, taking a step into the dark, serving in Young Women’s, journaling and gratitude, and recognizing that giving 100% effort can look different in different seasons of life.

And, naturally, we finish with the really important questions: Where should you sit in the chapel? Physical scriptures or audio? And where’s the best parking spot?

Today we're talking with Stephanie Nielsen. She is a marketing pro by day, aspiring cookie shop owner by nap break, and the woman responsible for renaming the Holy Ghost "the Holy Chicken" in her house (ask a Primary kid, it'll make sense).

She's also the one who once rewrote the entire "Under the Sea" as an out-of-office reply and bribed coworkers with cookies to sing it.

...But laughs aside, Stephanie gets real too: on losing her dad young, weekly temple trips that save her sanity, and why showing up on Sunday is basically just feeding a fire.

Stick around for this one. Let' s meet Stephanie.

Today we're sitting down with Justin Fawson. He's currently serving as Elders Quorum president... for the third time!

He's a former Utah state legislator, former church security guy, and current business strategist who somehow also picked up German, Italian, Spanish, and Arabic along the way.

Listen in to learn how his mission call to Italy came as no surprise to his dad, who'd dreamed it months earlier. Justin gets real about the fear of talking faith with people who don't share it, and offers a porch-light metaphor for losing your way that you won't forget.

Good, honest stuff here. Let's meet Justin.

Meet James Butler, a Palmyra-adjacent New Yorker turned Missouri farm kid turned BYU microbiologist who somehow ended up writing 23 books and building a career in franchise development.

Listen on to get to know James a little better.

What happens when a simple prompting leads to a powerful reminder of how God is watching over us?

In this episode, we sit down with Marcel Kinard—a longtime member of our congregation whose journey has taken him from a new convert discovering the Church to a lifetime of service, growth, and meaningful experiences.

Marcel shares stories of unexpected opportunities, including a moment when following a quiet prompting may have prevented a serious injury, and how those small spiritual nudges have shaped his faith. He also reflects on serving others, finding balance in a busy life, and the lessons learned through decades of callings and service.

With humor, humility, and a genuine love for the gospel, Marcel reminds us that the Lord often teaches us in both ordinary and extraordinary moments.

In this special Mother’s Day episode, children from our congregation share funny, surprising, and heartfelt thoughts about their moms—including a few discoveries about how moms apparently survive on hugs, prayers, and reminding people to clean things up. Through simple conversations, they describe love, kindness, comfort, faith, and the little things that make mothers so special. Their honest words remind us of the Christlike influence mothers have in our homes and lives.

Our guide in this episode is John White, a former bishop of our ward and now serving as a Sunday School instructor.

We chat about the Old Testament—this year’s curriculum, a focus that John admits he’s yet to teach.

We discuss about how he leads discussions on Sunday translates to how we lead in the home.

Stay tuned to find out why the best answer in class is often just awkward silence.

Today’s episode is a little different—and you won’t want to miss it. Bishop Luke Peterson sits down with his wife, Katie, for a conversation that includes competitive jump-roping, a childhood prediction that has kind of come true, and a few stories that may permanently change how you see the Peterson family.

It’s a warm and fun conversation. So stick around.

Our guide in this episode is Kendra Cope. You may know her as the Raleigh Stake Relief Society President. But what you may not know is that Kendra is also a pediatric speech pathologist with Wake County Public Schools. She works at Reading Creek Elementary with students from kindergarten through fifth grade, helping them communicate more effectively. In this episode, we talk about her career and her two and a half years serving in her stake calling. She'll also share a funny story about a $5 word that proves she is a true proprietor of language. Let's get to know Kendra.

What happens when an ordinary day turns into a life-altering moment?

In this episode, we sit down with Aaron Stander—a member of our congregation with an electrifying story and a shocking lesson about resilience, recovery, and the power of perspective.

He faced what most of us can’t even imagine… and lived to tell it with humor, humility, and hard-earned wisdom, and yes, throws around a few puns.

Trust me—you won’t want to miss a second of this powerful story.

McKensie Wilkinson has led as president of the Relief Society, the women’s organization of the Cary 1st Ward in North Carolina, for three years. 

She joins to discuss themes from the April 2025 General Conference which she found uplifted her spiritually, strengthening her resolve to continue striving toward living closer to the teachings of Christ despite life's challenges. She was inspired by messages about service, patience, and the importance of small daily acts of kindness and faith.

Listen on to discover the hilarious adventures of McKenzie as she shares tales of her past,  dining with dolls and cracking up over crackers—funny moments that’ll have you laughing out loud!

Luke Peterson has led as bishop of the Cary 1st Ward in North Carolina for nearly a year and recently sat down to share insights on creating this podcast, its mission to strengthen faith and foster community bonds.

Reflecting on themes from the April 2025 General Conference, Bishop Peterson discussed how messages about vulnerability in leadership deepened his approach with empathy. He shared how these teachings shape his counseling efforts, emphasizing understanding and connection.

Listen on to discover Bishop Peterson’s guilty-pleasure TV show obsession, joyful moments bonding with his daughter through her ballet performances, and a lighthearted reveal of just how much he knows (or doesn’t) about Taylor Swift!