Leading Saints Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Robert Ferrell recently returned from serving with his wife Lori Ann as mission leaders in the Peru Lima Central Mission. Prior to that service he was a dental surgeon/periodontist for 25 years in Ogden, Utah. He is currently a partner at [ACCEPTED], a full-service mental health clinic, and president of "Awaken”, a humanitarian foundation providing service at home and around the world for businesses, schools, families and youth. Robert's church leadership experience as a young single adult bishop, YSA stake president, and mission president—along with his professional careers—has given him unique experience and perspective to inspire young adults through some of the most important moments and difficult challenges of their lives. He has been a mentor/coach to thousands of young adults, a professional and inspirational speaker with over 500 presentations, and a presenter at BYU Education Week since 2017. Links Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power of Words Seekers Wanted There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Robert Ferrell discusses the importance of fostering a culture of trust and open communication, encouraging leaders to help those they work with to focus on strengths and talents rather than their weaknesses. He shares anecdotes about his interactions with missionaries, emphasizing the need for leaders to be approachable and to create an environment where it is safe to discuss struggles and failures. Throughout the episode, Robert reflects on the significance of connecting people to Jesus Christ, advocating for a shift in focus from mere mechanics to building genuine relationships with the Savior. He urges leaders to learn from those who struggle rather than solely focusing on those who succeed. The discussion also touches on the importance of time, training, teamwork, traditions, and theology in effective leadership. Ultimately, the conversation reminds us of the need for compassion, understanding, and a focus on personal growth in both leadership and discipleship. The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, Taysom Hill and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Devin Pope was raised in Springville, Utah, and studied Economics at Brigham Young University before earning a PhD in Economics from University of California, Berkeley. He worked at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and is now a professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago. Devin and his wife Linda have four children and have held a variety of callings in the Church. He is currently the bishop of the Hyde Park 2nd Ward in Chicago. Links The Power of Everyday Missionaries Rallying the Ward Around Sacrament Meeting | A How I Lead Interview with Ryan Webb There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Bishop Devin Pope leads the fastest-growing and most-baptizing ward in North America, located in Southside Chicago. He discusses his experiences and innovative approaches to missionary work, particularly in a diverse and densely-populated area with over a million residents. Devin recounts his journey from serving as a ward mission leader to becoming bishop, emphasizing the importance of community engagement through events that welcome families into the church without a proselytizing agenda. He describes various successful community events, such as movie nights, indoor carnivals, and a popular haunted house that attracts thousands of attendees each year. These events aim to create a sense of belonging and familiarity with the church, ultimately leading to increased interest in church attendance. He also addresses the challenges of retaining new converts, highlighting the need for the church to provide meaningful support and assistance to families, particularly single mothers and migrants, who often face significant struggles. Devin emphasizes the importance of creating a welcoming environment during sacrament meetings and adapting the format to engage attendees better. He shares strategies for making church services more dynamic and inclusive, such as varying the types of talks and encouraging participation from all members, regardless of their background. The discussion culminates in a focus on the recent influx of migrants to Chicago, with Devin advocating for compassion and support for these new neighbors, regardless of political views. This conversation serves as a powerful reminder of the church's mission to love and serve all individuals, fostering a sense of community and belonging within the church. 00:02:39 - Introduction with Bishop Devin Pope 00:04:57 - Devin's Background and Calling 00:06:40 - Missionary Work and Community Dynamics 00:08:43 - Community Events: Engaging the Local Population 00:11:45 - Creative Community Event Ideas 00:14:40 - No Proselytizing Zone: Building Relationships 00:16:04 - Frequency and Planning of Community Events 00:17:22 - Popular Community Events: Haunted House and More 00:20:01 - Utilizing Church Facilities for Community Engagement 00:21:02 - Learning from Failed Events 00:22:10 - Involvement of Missionaries and Ward Members 00:23:56 - Budgeting for Community Events 00:24:34 - Shifting Focus to Community Outreach 00:25:29 - Organic Growth: Inviting People to Church 00:27:18 - Pizza Nights: Informal Introductions to the Church 00:29:39 - The Role of Missionaries in the Ward 00:30:00 - Retaining New Converts: Importance of Community 00:31:04 - Enhancing Sacrament Meetings for Engagement 00:34:22 - Providing Value to New Members 00:36:14 - Long-Term Welfare Support for Families 00:39:25 - Balancing Welfare Needs and Community Support 00:40:17 - Creating a Welcoming Church Environment 00:44:19 - Addressing the Needs of Migrant Families 00:45:40 - Engaging with Local Migrant Communities The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be bette...

Andy Rosas was born in Argentina and at age six his family immigrated in pursuit of economic stability. They lived in Utah for five years and Italy for two years before moving to Dublin, Ireland, when he was 13. Andy also served in the France Lyon mission, and speaks English, Spanish, Italian, and French. He currently lives just outside of London, England. Andy studied Business Studies at the University College Dublin (UCD) and has worked in IT and Cybersecurity, but currently splits his time between working as a first responder/ground crew for a small private airfield, and running a cleaning agency he helped create with a friend. He attends the Britannia YSA Ward in London's Hyde Park Stake and has served as a YSA ward clerk, bishopric counselor, stake high councilor, and elders quorum president. He loves to pick up basketball games in London and is slowly learning to fly at the airfield. Links God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Andy provides insights into the Young Single Adult experience in the UK, highlighting the intimate and family-like atmosphere due to the small church community. He discusses his leadership roles in the YSA ward, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and building transformational relationships. Andy shares leadership principles and stresses the value of creating a safe and welcoming space in church, allowing individuals to share and teach in a supportive environment. He also touches on the concept of lowering expectations and focusing on building relationships rather than rigid structures in church settings. The episode concludes with a reflection on the power of giving space for others to speak and share in church settings, fostering a sense of community and connection among members. 00:03:43 - Andy Rosas' Background and YSA Experience in the UK 00:08:35 - Andy's Leadership Roles in the YSA Ward 00:26:36 - SPARC: Smile, Present, Admire, Represent, Christ 00:32:07 - Growing a Personality, Not Just a Testimony 00:42:24 - Let People Lead Themselves The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge leadership development author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. Ryan is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership and The Elevated Leader: Leveling Up Your Leadership Through Vertical Development. He is also a leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton. Links Newsletter message: "Moving" to Inactivity There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube What Every Leader Should Consider About Community in Their Ward | An Interview with Ryan Gottfredson Is Your Mindset Limiting Your Leadership? | An Interview with Ryan Gottfredson The Research Behind Becoming Christlike | An Interview with Ryan Gottfredson Ryan's articles at leadingsaints.org Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership The Elevated Leader: Leveling Up Your Leadership Through Vertical Development Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 2:00 Kurt introduces Ryan, his background, profession, and books. 4:40 A lot of people step away from the church and do it after a move. They don’t do it in front of people they know. The ward they were in had no idea they left the church. 11:40 How as leaders can we make sure there is life in our congregations? Is there a way to see when people are disengaging and will be leaving soon? Assume there is a problem in your ward even if you can’t see one. 13:40 How can we create a community where people can voice their doubts and concerns? Our church culture can get in the way of people asking questions and sharing their doubts. Our typical meetings don’t leave much room to have these types of discussions. 16:00 Bishops should just assume there are people in their ward that are struggling with their faith. Creating space apart from our regular meetings to have conversations about doubts and concerns. 19:00 It can be difficult to create a community at church that is open because there are different kinds of members with different perspectives. Some members might get up to give a talk and ruffle a few feathers. However, we have to create opportunities for everyone to be heard and feel like they belong. 21:30 Focusing on numbers isn’t bad but it's misguided. The more that leaders focus on numbers and outcomes the more they resist changing things for the future. Instead of focusing on results they should focus on how much life there is in the system. 24:30 Is your ward/stake growing in life and optimism or is it slowly dying? Are your church meetings lacking? Are the activities and church meetings something people actually want to attend and are excited about? 28:30 While you might love your ward, you can’t project your experience on someone else. There are probably people in your ward that don’t like it or feel like they don’t belong. 30:45 Identifying the slow-dying testimony. What do we do when we see people stepping back? Normally those that are stepping away feel like they don’t have a voice and don’t belong. 37:15 We have ministering but we haven’t learned to turn the key on. Is the engine even on in your ward? 39:10 We have a lot of "managers" but not a lot of leaders. Managers make sure that things run smoothly but leaders step out of their comfort zones and create change and new culture. 43:45 Questions to ask in your own ward council: Is there life in your ward? Does healing occur here? Does change occur here? 45:30 Ryan’s final encouragement and counsel to ward councils The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead.

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Natalie Cox currently lives in Gilbert, Arizona. She is the mother of five kids ages 10, 14, 16, 18, and 19, and a new missionary mom. Her son left for the Columbus Ohio mission last month and her daughter will leave for the Scotland Ireland mission next month. She is an entrepreneur at heart and has started a few businesses over the years. In 2019 she launched Māedn Bags and running that keeps her pretty busy during the week. At church, Natalie has served in many capacities in Primary, as the first counselor in stake Primary and then as the stake Primary president. She is currently serving as ward Young Women president and considers it an honor to work with the young women. She loves the youth and spending time with them on Wednesdays and Sundays is the highlight of her week. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 02:15 Kurt introduces Natalie and her background. 03:40 Getting called as Young Women president in her ward. Natalie felt very strongly that she needed to serve in Young Women even though she was the stake Primary president. She discussed it with her bishop. 09:20 Natalie started her calling terrified and unsure what to even say to the girls. 12:10 Establishing a relationship with the young women. Natalie describes what it looked like for her as she tried to build these relationships with each girl. 15:50 Silent ministering. No one knows who is ministering to whom. Not everyone had a silent minister but some girls that were struggling did. None of them knew the term silent minister because then they would question if it was authentic or not. 21:45 While it’s not allowed, Natalie personally believes in texting individuals. She says that there is nothing more powerful for her relationship with them. She sends encouragement, that she misses them, and asks them how school is going. 23:40 Should we always stick with the rules? What if we feel inspired to go against the rules? 26:00 Natalie takes some of the girls on one-on-ones. It started because a mother reached out to her and asked her to take her daughter on one. It’s an incredible way to get to know them, tell them why they matter, tell them what you see in them. 28:20 The positive development of any young person requires three additional adult influences other than their parents. 29:10 There are rules and we want to keep everyone safe but the things Natalie is trying to do are for the benefit of the youth and are deepening the relationships there. Maybe the best way is for leaders to always ask parent permission. 32:10 Natalie’s ward has a lot of girls. There have been 28 girls in just the oldest class (31 next January) and it’s nearly impossible to connect with all of them without taking extra steps. 33:10 Leaders are terrified of teenage girls. Just remember that it’s not about you and it’s all about them. 35:40 Some youth are so hard to reach. Natalie shares an experience she had with a girl in her young women. Natalie kept reaching out to her but never got a response until six months later. The girl sent her a heartfelt message thanking her. The moral of the story is that you might not be getting a lot of feedback but what you are doing matters. 38:30 Working together as Young Women and Young Men organizations 43:00 Natalie really wanted the young women to be greeters and help them have purpose and interact with the adults. The bishop said no but the feeling kept nagging her. She gave it some time and the bishop finally agreed. Remember that impressions can be different for each leader and to give it time. 46:45 Natalie explains how they involve the young women in ministering. They call it ministering bread. 49:00 Natalie shares her final thoughts on leadership and how serving has blessed her. The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latt...

Loren Grant Dalton graduated from the Harvard Business School and has served as the President or CEO of five different companies. One of his greatest loves is missionary work and he has served in a full-time mission for over 16 years of his life—as a missionary, president, or in a mission presidency, both in the U.S. and Brazil). He is married to his high school sweetheart, Annette Nielsen, and they are the parents of four children. While serving as mission president, Loren saw far too many missionaries and members who felt that they had never had a prompting through the Spirit. They wondered what was wrong with them. He was determined to help and wrote You Are Receiving Revelation: Now Act on It. Highlights 03:20 Loren speaks on being in a mission presidency and a mission president. 05:50 Speaking at Stake Conference and how he prepared to speak 08:00 Loren recently came out with his first book, You Are Receiving Revelation: Now Act on It. He talks about why he felt inspired to write it. 11:00 We all receive revelation in different ways. Many feel like we aren’t hearing the spirit because we don’t have these huge revelatory moments. We need to teach the youth how the spirit typically talks to us. 13:30 Kurt shares his own personal experience receiving revelation and how he doesn’t have these huge overwhelming moments. 14:20 The Holy Ghost is speaking to us spirit to spirit but as physical beings we’ve forgotten how the Spirit communicates. We have to relate to it as a physical being. A lot of times we miss the promptings we are having because we think it’s our own thought. 15:45 Was that the Spirit or was that me? Maybe it wasn’t the Spirit but we can still act on our promptings. Each time we act on the first prompting it’s like we are tuning in our celestial radio and each time we act on a prompting it gets easier to recognize. 17:00 Kurt shares his struggle listening to content constantly, such as a podcast or book. There is always something playing and he forgets to let his spirit and brain breathe and actually be able to listen to the Holy Spirit. 18:15 One thing that Loren used to tell the missionaries is not to just pop up after saying amen after your prayer. Take a minute and actually let God respond to you. 19:20 Teaching those that we lead how to receive revelation. How can we better teach this principle? 23:00 We also need to keep in mind that Satan is also a spirit and he can give us promptings. We need to recognize the difference between the Spirit and Satan. Follow your FIRST prompting. Satan will normally come second. 29:45 Even if they have sinned, God will still talk to them. Satan makes us feel like we are out of the reach of God because we sinned. 31:40 Kurt shares an experience that he had as a bishop helping a member know that God still loved him and wanted to speak to him even though he had made some bad choices and had been disfellowshipped. God doesn’t give anyone the silent treatment. 32:50 Well-intentioned family members and church leaders can accidentally be the voice of the adversary. 33:30 Remember that Satan is the second voice that comes and tries to convince us not to follow the first voice. Another way to recognize Satan is that he talks in the first person. Negative self talk is not us. It’s the adversary. 38:10 God doesn’t need logic but Satan uses logic to try to convince us not to follow God’s promptings. It didn’t make sense to build an ark on dry ground or cross the red sea but in the end people were able to see. 43:30 Act on a prompting right way because you never know how urgent it is. 43:45 Basketball analogy. Loren believes that God uses bank shots. The shots that are so far away that you are sure they will miss but then they don’t. Sometimes God sends you a way that just doesn’t make sense but then you see how God knew exactly what he was doing and makes the shot. 44:10 Loren shares inspiring stories of following the Spirit from the missionaries.

Jennifer Roach is a licensed mental health counselor living in American Fork, Utah. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints four years ago after being in the Protestant church her whole life. She currently serves as a Gospel Doctrine teacher in her ward. Jennifer is the recipient of this year's "John Taylor Defender of the Faith" award and the BH Robert's Research Grant. Her research primarily focuses on issues that arise when sexual abuse happens in churches. Jennifer does a weekly podcast for FAIR Latter-day Saints that focuses on questions that arise about our faith from Evangelicals. She also teaches as an adjunct for Brigham Young University-Idaho. Highlights 01:50 Kurt introduces Jennifer Roach and her background as a therapist for sexual abuse. 03:30 Jennifer will speak on four specific claims pertaining to the Church and sexual abuse and seven things that the Church does to go above and beyond what most churches do to help and protect youth. 7:00 Jennifer addresses some of the biggest questions that people have. One big question that people have is, “Is there more sexual abuse in our church or not?” Sometimes the media twists things to make it seem that way. 8:30 Boy Scout records data on abuse. Jennifer reviewed and researched all these cases from the past 80 years and was able to find how cases the Church of Jesus Christ has compared to other churches. Around 5.6% of the abuse cases were Latter-day Saint related. 19:10 Why doesn’t the Church do background checks? Jennifer explains the three issues with background checks. The issue of delayed disclosure. Most people don’t disclose the abuse they received until they’re in their 50s to 70s. Background checks are not thorough. It’s not a deep dive into someone's past. It only shows convicted crimes but not accusations. It only covers the past 7 years. 29:30 The danger of telling people that someone has been background checked. We believe that means this person is squeaky clean and they can be trusted. It really means that they don’t have convictions and they aren’t on the sex offenders list but it does not mean they are safe. 32:20 Jennifer talks about the case from the previous year. The man passed the federal background check every year despite doing horrific things to his own children and none of it was on his record. 34:20 The Church’s helpline. There have been a lot of claims accusing the Church’s helpline of hiding abuse but if we look deeper into the case we find most of these claims are untrue. 38:00 Why do we need a helpline? It helps leaders know what to report. Each state's laws are different. The helpline helps bishops fulfill their legal responsibilities and get the correct help for the victim. 48:00 There are standard best practices when working with youth and the Church follows all of them. They are all in the handbook. Another concern is there isn’t always a window in the bishop’s office. However, a youth can take a parent, leader, or friend into the bishop’s office. It’s in the handbook. 53:10 What is the Church doing that goes above and beyond those gold standard things in child protection? The helpline Disfellowshipping Gender specific leaders for young women The member number system Existing associations (go to church with your neighbors who know you) Being sustained Being called 1:10:50 How can we be better at detecting abuse that is currently going on? Most of the time kids disclose abuse by accident. They normally aren’t going to disclose it to you directly. 1:22:50 Is there anything else we can do to help stop abuse? Links Jennifer's Presentation Slides: PowerPoint format | PDF format 4 Reasons Why Bishops Should Be Meeting with Youth | An Interview with Jennifer Roach Reporting Abuse, Church Helpline, & the Bishop | An Interview with Jennifer Roach Jennifer's work at Public Square There is already a discussion started about this podcast.

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in October 2018. Scott Braithwaite has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and specializes in marriage counseling. He is a professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University, has a busy private practice, and also enjoys working with the BYU men's basketball team. Scott is a popular presenter at BYU Education Week, where he has taught about supporting loved ones through a faith crisis. He previously served as bishop of his ward and is currently serving on his stake high council. Highlights 10:10 The difference between sadness and depression 13:40 Leaders should ask for recommendations for good qualified counselors 14:15 You choose who to marry. God gives you agency. 17:40 Scott shares his experience going through a faith crisis 22:40 James Fowler’s Stages of Faith can be helpful in understanding what someone may be going through. Stage three faith identifies as a group, has rules, and is concrete. Most fall under this level of faith. Things also appear black and white. 29:00 During a faith crisis the bottom falls out, they can leave the faith and find community elsewhere. 30:35 Going through the stages of faith are not linear 33:00 Perfectionism shows up in our minds as rules, as all or nothing. 33:40 Doctrinal Latter-day Saints vs. Cultural Latter-day Saints 34:50 Sometimes struggling with faith comes from cultural issues 36:50 The idea of organic evolution showcases the different thought processes of doctrinal vs. cultural Latter-day Saints 38:10 You can’t go back to stage 3 40:30 Stage 5 is accepting the complexity of faith 40:50 Faith allows room for doubt 42:00 All faith allows room for wrestling 43:00 Stage 6 examples, such as Mother Teresa. Most people fall between stages 3, 4, and 5. 46:40 We can act as a midwife and help while people are in a faith crisis 48:30 Help others going through a faith crisis by listening to them. Listen more than talk. 50:50 Elder Ballard: Leaders ought to know and be able to address the difficult questions 56:00 There is a progression from stage 3 to stage 4 57:00 We should be able to talk about doubt at church 59:45 Help create a culture of faith 1:02:00 Elder Hafen's stages of faith Links "Like a Broken Vessel", by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, by Linda King Newell Stages of Faith, by James Fowler Planted, by Patrick Mason "On Dealing with Uncertainty", by Bruce C. Hafen "Help Build 'Unwavering Faith' in Students’ Lives, Elder Ballard Tells CES Teachers" Scott Braithwaite BYU Bio Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Listen on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 600 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Tom Roberts, PhD, DD, holds a BTh from Triune Biblical University, a MTh from Covenant Bible College and Seminary, as well as an MDiv and PhD in Theology from Hellenic Orthodox University in Athens, Greece, and is currently pursuing doctoral studies at EUCLID University. Dr. Roberts has published two books, From Sacral Kingship to Sacred Marriage – A Theological Analysis of Literary Borrowing, and Divorce and Remarriage – A Middle Eastern View. His articles have appeared in Ancient American, Convergent Streams, and other professional publications. Dr. Roberts has presented at Kent State University’s Communal Studies Group conference, and the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology, and reviewed books and articles for The Interpreter Foundation. Tom is also the co-author with Brent Schmidt for the BYU New Testament Commentary volume on Romans and recently taught at BYU Education Week. He and his wife reside in Big Piney, Wyoming. Highlights 01:40 Tom joined the Church in 2017 but has been familiar with the Church since the 1960's. Tom shares his faith journey. 12:00 The moment in 2017 that led him to be baptized. He read the Doctrine and Covenants thinking he was going to disprove it but it led him to be converted. 17:45 Tom’s cultural experience in the Church after being a Catholic Priest. 23:00 The importance of knowledge in the church. It’s important to gain the skills necessary to minister to others. We need to do better preparing people for callings instead of just handing them a handbook. 31:0 The guides and curriculum are there for us but we need to take advantage of them. Tom sees a lot of misinformation in gospel doctrine. 36:00 The effort of leadership development begins by acquiring a strong theological foundation of our beliefs. It’s not just for the sake of intellect. It’s to inform your heart and your growth. 39:15 People are afraid of intellectual pursuits in our culture. While doing seminary, come follow me, and going on a mission are all great, there is more. Giving youth powerful spiritual experiences is important but there is also the piece of gaining deep spiritual knowledge. 42:30 The church focuses more on a very young-oriented spirituality. We go through different spiritual spiritual steps throughout our lives. 44:00 Joseph Smith didn’t have a corporate view of the church. Tom explains what he means by ‘corporate.’ 45:30 Local leaders are afraid to step out of line from the 'corporate' church to also pursue more academic and theological information. We need to broaden LDS worship. Everything in our church is so streamlined and almost too much so. 53:10 Tom shares what he would share with a new bishop or Relief Society president that wants to move forward with some of these ideas. Tom recommends beginning with Friday or Saturday fireside to talk about more academic subjects. We want to mature the tradition of the church, not attack it. 55:30 Leaders that push the boundaries and create change. 1:03:10 Pushing this movement forward isn’t about any particular person or for self aggrandizement. It’s about unifying in the spirit within our faith and with other faiths too. We need a revolution of the heart. 1:06:00 The more you understand others, the more you understand yourself. Tom believes that this is what the saints need to do. We need to be asking more questions. Having questions is not a bad thing. We cannot question our faith in a faithful way. 1:10:00 Tom shares his final testimony and thoughts on his time as a leader. Links YouTube channel: Sacral Kingship of Christ BYU New Testament Commentary Facebook: Sacral Kingship of Christ Tom Roberts at Academia.edu Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Watch on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for fre...

YSAs often have questions and potential concerns regarding the Church’s history. In this episode, two church historians discuss how YSA leaders can respond to questions about church history and what resources are available. At the Table is a new podcast series produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find podcasts. Please give us your feedback about this episode by filling out this short questionnaire: https://research.churchofjesuschrist.org/jfe/form/SV_bqG61EEsAqjJ9n8 Highlights 1:50 Introduction to Clair and Matt, church historians 2:45 Clair explains what they hope to accomplish by speaking on church history. They hope to be able to provide helpful tips, guidance, and resources. 5:10 Leaders should seek to cultivate trust before they go to counsel someone. Trust is first and with trust comes influence. 11:20 Asking a question is a position of vulnerability for the questioner. Leaders should validate that vulnerability. Leaders should be a continual resource for people and not just give people a one-time quick answer. They should also be careful of making assumptions about the questions that people have. 14:50 What questions can leaders anticipate about church history? Church history questions can get complicated. Set the expectation that it might not be a quick answer. Some questions are going to come with a lot of study and prayer. 16:45 A lot of people have questions about translation and how revelation is received. There are also a lot of questions on the priesthood and temple ban and race restrictions. Not easy to answer. 18:10 The church has taken the time to create resources to answer difficult church history questions. Leaders don’t need to feel like they need a masters in history. You just need to be aware of the resources and where to point people. 20:30 When it comes to church history, it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole until all the questions snowball. It’s easy to lose perspective. It’s like when you hold a small rock close up it looks like a boulder. Help people take a step back and see the bigger picture. 22:45 How has learning about church history strengthened your faith? 29:00 The church historians have been working on the Joseph Smith papers for 20 years now. Matt shares what he has been able to learn while working on this project. 31:20 We are in the day and age where people are googling everything. Sometimes the things that we come across on the internet are only a tiny portion of a much bigger topic. We have to have the spirit and search out answers in the right places. 35:00 Where are you getting your information? Is it reliable? Are there biases? Who can we trust when everyone is saying something different? We have to be careful where we are learning about church history along with asking the spirit to help us. 40:30 What about the church’s resources? The church historians are very careful with all the information put out. They provide sources on everything. 43:40 When it comes to asking questions and for the leader that is answering, the most important thing is to foster an environment where the spirit can be present. Kindness, empathy, understanding, and humility are important on both sides. 47:20 Matt talks about why it’s so important to have humility as we approach questions on church history. People in church history had a much different experience than us that we might not understand. 51:10 The Lord does his work with complicated, imperfect humans. We have to approach the people of the past with love and understanding.