All In

Lovesac was the fastest-growing furniture company in America in 2019 according to Furniture Today. Shawn Nelson can't be certain if the company he founded would still be in existence if he hadn't served a Latter-day Saint mission, but he doesn't think it would be. After all, it was his ability to speak Mandarin that made fulfilling the company's first big order possible. But Nelson says his mission also taught independence, mental toughness, and how to build relationships of trust—all skills he has since used to build his business. "For missionaries...the blessing is the mission, the blessing is the experience. Sadly, I worry that I took a lot more than I probably ever gave because it blessed my life in so many ways." Show Notes 1:17- A Giant Bean Bag 10:42- A Mission in Mandarin 15:04- Everything Else is Dust 19:34- Highs and Lows 24:43- Sharing the Gospel Through YouTube 30:45- Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 36:40- What Does It Mean To Be "All In" the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have never heard of scrupulosity, but it is possible it has hijacked the religious experience of you or someone you love. In her September 2019 Ensign article, Dr. Debra Theobald McClendon wrote, "Scrupulosity masquerades as a desirable, higher standard of righteousness and personal worthiness—but it's not!" So, what is scrupulosity? How does it manifest itself? How is it treated? Dr. McClendon helps us answer all of these questions and more on this week's episode. "If it is a spiritual prompting, and you go through the things you need to repent, including a confession to an ecclesiastical leader if necessary, you will feel better. If it is driven by toxic anxiety, you will not feel better, because it's an anxiety issue. It's not a moral issue or a spiritual sensitivity issue." Show Notes 3:11- What is Scrupulosity? 8:34- How Does It Manifests Itself? 12:39- Confession 16:18- Therapy and Treatment 23:41- Correcting Sin While Not Giving Into Obsessions 26:18- Triggers 31:44- Godly Sorrow? 34:02- How to Help Others Who May Be Struggling 38:48- Too Late? 41:35- Repentance is Not a Checklist 43:31- The Atonement 45:16- What Does It Mean to be "All In" the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In February 2019, Lori Walker walked into her family's vacation home but never walked out, as the house exploded while she was trapped inside. She did, however, make it out alive thanks to countless miracles and three heroes. In the days, weeks, and months that have followed the explosion, Lori has become more convinced of the goodness of humanity, the omniscience of a loving Heavenly Father and the resilience that is found inside each one of us. "I don't remember the pain at all. I remember how amazing it felt to feel carried through that experience." Show Notes 2:06- February 15, 2019 11:35- Three Heroes 17:31- God's Hand 26:00- Receiving Service 33:39- Power of Prayer 36:48- God's Light 38:37- A Sweet Little Patting 42:31- Current Challenges 49:38- Changed 52:11- What Does It Mean To Be "All In" the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The complexities surrounding conversations of racism today are numberless but the root of the solution is the two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. On this week's episode, we talk with Abe Mills and Stephen Jones, two black Latter-day Saints, about their experiences with racism within Church culture, the faith of those who came before them, and why they don't hesitate to share their faith in Jesus Christ. "Understanding what He did for us, it gives us hope, which we live in a world with a lot of people that have no hope or they've lost their hope—whether it's hope in equality, hope in fairness, hope in whatever—they've lost their hope, but the gospel has taught us hope because we know what Jesus Christ did for us. It has taught us understanding because we know Christ was the example of understanding, and on top of that, it has taught us forgiveness, or how to forgive, in a time where forgiveness is needed greatly." Show Notes 3:40- Who Is Your Neighbor? 9:15- Mourn with Those That Mourn 14:33- Personal Experiences with Racism 30:14- The Body of Christ 41:06- Being a Diverse Voice in the Church 48:27- Pioneers 56:20- Peace and Hope in Troubled Times 1:02:16- What Does it Mean to be "All In" the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BBC dubbed them "the Christmas present that could tear your family apart." Family history DNA tests have been all the rage over the past several years and Randy Lindsay is one of millions who submitted his DNA in hopes of finding missing links in his family tree. However, like many others, Lindsey got more than he bargained for when he learned that the man he thought was his father was not actually his biological father. "Family is who we love and who loves us." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In February 2019, Charlie Bird published an op-ed through the Deseret News that revealed two secrets: 1. He was the man underneath the Cosmo the Cougar suit that made national headlines and led NBC Sports to dub 2017–2018 the "Year of the Mascot." 2. He is a gay member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Next month, Charlie will release a book called "Without the Mask," and on today's episode we talk with Charlie about what the gospel continues to teach him as he embraces a life that is very different than the one he planned for himself. "Connecting with God has helped me see that my faith and my orientation are not mutually exclusive. They are both integral parts of who I am and if I try to reject either one of those, I'm not really me." Show Notes 2:31- Being Cosmo the Cougar 7:01- Coming Out to God 11:46- The Words We Use 14:55- The Joy of the Told Story 17:19- No One Right Way to Respond 22:12- "The Adversary Works Best in Darkness" 24:32- One Day at a Time 27:00- Daily Bread 28:58- "Bridle Your Passions" 31:59- Spiritual Work 34:09- Latter-day Saint and Gay—A Continual Effort 38:14- What Does It Mean To Be "All In" the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When asked if she sees incongruity between her career as the drummer of the rock band Neon Trees and her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elaine Bradley has replied that she finds total incongruity between being a human and being a disciple of Jesus Christ. On today's episode, Bradley shares the foundations of her belief, how she has maintained perspective, and how Christ fills in the gap between where we are and where we are meant to be. "We really struggle as humans to find that line where Christ wants us to live between accepting yourself too much and not accepting yourself enough. That, to me, is the essence of navigating faith." Show Notes 2:30- The Complexities of Faith 4:36- Incongruity and Hope in Christ 12:04- Evolution of Faith 18:02- Grounding Impact of Family 21:45- Relationships of Respect Despite Differences 25:53- Deliberately Maintaining Perspective 30:00- Sebastian 36:15- Fame 37:21- Knowing Who You Are 40:30- What Does It Mean To Be "All In" the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We live in a world that seems to be constantly asking the question we often sing, "Where Can I Turn For Peace?" Along with the age old concerns, our society faces additional new challenges as a result of living in a technology-centered, social media world. Slap a pandemic on top of that and, as we've learned in recent weeks, the world truly feels like it is in pandemonium. But John Hilton, an author and associate professor of Ancient Scripture, believes that help for even the most current challenges can be found through the gospel of Jesus Christ and in the pages of scripture. "If we can shift our mentality from 'Okay, I'm going to pray and God's going to bless me with exactly what I want when I want it,' to 'I'm going to keep my covenants no matter what,' it's a powerful shift in our lives— when we remember it's okay if our kids don't do everything that we hope they will. It's okay if I lose this great opportunity. In the long run, Jesus Christ is going to wipe away all of my tears and I can focus my hope on Him." Show Notes 2:10- Bullying, Kindness and Resilience 6:48-Balancing Professional Help and Spiritual Tools 8:44- Aiming for Perfection/Legalism 10:50- Fence Laws 13:43- Scrupulosity 15:56- Patterns of Peace 20:40- Peace Amidst Pandemic 23:52- "Know the Church is True" or "Know Christ" 26:18- Why Have a Relationship with Christ? 28:18- Turning the Hearts of the Children to the Fathers 29:34- Why Understanding Grace Matters in Mental Health 33:05- What Does It Mean To You To Be "All In" the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was his love for God and country, that originally made Jennie Taylor fall in love with her husband, Brent. It was also that love and loyalty that took him from her as Maj. Brent Taylor was killed in Afghanistan in 2018. On this episode, Jennie shares the faith that has helped her through the loss of her husband and has given her hope that she will see him again. "My husband and thousands of others have died so that I have the opportunity to live. What I do every single day of my life decides whether or not his life was given in vain. What I do every single day of my life decides whether or not it's worth it that we keep sending soldiers into harm's way to defend freedom and liberty and justice for all around the world." Show Notes 1:42- November 3, 2018 16:02- Meeting Brent 21:10- Three Great Loyalties 31:04- All Enlisted 44:07- Spiritual Preparation 51:16- Honoring the Sacrifjce of Heroes 57:40- What Does It Mean To Be "All In" the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the 2019 BYU Marriott School Commencement, Qualtrics CEO and Co-Founder Ryan Smith said, "If you have one foot in and one foot out the door, you will never experience true happiness and fulfillment." It is a simple sentence but it sums up the way Ryan and Ashley Smith seek to live their lives. On today's episode, the couple shares the many byproducts they have discovered as a result of their decision to be "all in" their careers, "all in" their family, and "all in" their faith. "Nothing I've ever done has ever been great if I haven't gone all in." -Ryan Smith Show Notes 2:14- The Uphill 8:46- A Contrast and a Decision 14:00- What It Takes 18:46- All In on Your Career 25:46- Decision to Discipleship 31:40- Teaching Others to Go All In 38:10- All In on Your Family 41:32- What Does It Mean To Be "All In" the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.