Leading Saints Podcast

Braeden Jensen is a Mental Health Counselor and previously worked as a full-time Seminary teacher. Spending seven years in a high school classroom opened his eyes to a number of things. It changed his ability to listen and sharpened his aptitude for empathy. The more he sat with and listened to students, the more he saw and felt how many people are hurting in very real ways. At the same time, Braeden considered how therapy had helped him find hope and healing. The puzzle pieces quickly came together: "You can help more people in some tangible, substantial ways." After pursuing his Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree, he recently left the classroom full-time to find more fulfillment in helping others enjoy freedom, peace, and healing. He loves seeing people overcome trauma, depression, anxiety, and addiction, and heal their relationships along the way. Braeden shares insights on connecting with youth and helping them navigate their emotions and spiritual journeys. Driven by a desire to provide deeper su

Kristy Wheelwright Taylor serves as the board secretary for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation and helps with transcription and writing on the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. Her book, Prepare Me for Thy Use: Lessons from Wilford Woodruff's Mission Years, will be published on May 12 by Deseret Book and BYU's Religious Studies Center. Kristy has a masters degree in Humanities from Brigham Young University and has worked as an English Instructor at Purdue University, a copy editor, technical writer, travel writer, and historical researcher and writer. She has enjoyed serving in a variety of callings in Primary, Young Women, Relief Society, family history, and the stake communications council; she currently serves as the stake Relief Society president in Trophy Club, Texas. Links Prepare Me for Thy Use: Lessons from Wilford Woodruff's Mission Years Developing Wilford Woodruff as a Leader | An Interview with Steven Wheelwright Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Ge

Brian J. Willoughby, Ph.D. is a professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University and a research fellow at The Wheatley Institute. He received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from BYU and masters and doctoral degrees in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota. Brian's research generally focuses on how adolescents, young adults, and adults move toward and form long-term committed relationships, and has been widely cited in the media. He is also the author of The Millennial Marriage and The Marriage Paradox: Why Emerging Adults Love Marriage Yet Push it Aside. Brian and his wife Cassi have been married for 23 years and they have four children. Links Wheatley Institute research reports Addressing Pornography Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Kurt and Brian discuss the complexities of pornography use within religious contexts. Brian emphasizes that young adults will encounter porn

Ned McArthur is a fellow of the International Board of Functional Neurology, was in private practice as a chiropractor in Orem, Utah, for 25 years, and now works with Integrated Pain Specialists, a multidisciplinary pain clinic in South Jordan, Utah. He served a mission in Dallas, Texas, and has served in the Church as an elders quorum president, ward executive secretary, ward mission leader, Young Men president, Varsity Scout leader, and youth Sunday School teacher. He currently serves as priests quorum high adventure specialist, as a Primary teacher, and a temple worker. Links Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Scriptures referenced in this podcast: Moses 6:63, 1 Nephi 18:3 Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Ned explores the importance of high adventure activities in developing character and spiritual growth among youth. He shares his journey in youth leadership, emphasizing the need for proactive communication with parents and the significanc

John Eldredge is a New York Times bestselling author, counselor, and teacher who has inspired millions to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. He is also president of Wild at Heart, a ministry devoted to helping people discover the heart of God, recover their own hearts in God's love, and learn to live in God's kingdom. John and his wife, Stasi, live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His new book, Experience Jesus. Really. is available now. Links Reconnecting with God as a Distracted Church Leader | An Interview with John Eldredge Helping Others Restore Personal Worship & Connection with God | An Interview with John Eldredge Experience Jesus. Really: Finding Refuge, Strength, and Wonder through Everyday Encounters with God Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul WildatHeart.org Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights John shares insights from his extensive background as a therapist and author. He e

Adam Broderick served a mission in Kyiv, Ukraine. He went on to earn a PhD in Chemical Engineering, and is a devoted husband and father of four. Adam was recently released as an elders quorum president, has previously served as a counselor in the bishopric, ward mission leader, and stake Young Men counselor, and has just been called as stake Sunday School president. Adam enjoys outdoor adventures like peak bagging, rock climbing, backpacking, ice climbing, and canyoneering. A runner and cyclist, he also enjoys playing the piano. Links The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Adam reflects on his three years as elders quorum president, recalling the initial challenge of revitalizing a stagnant quorum after the pandemic. His quorum includes a diverse mix of young adults and seniors, which made fostering meaningful connections essential. To lead effectively, Adam priorit

What if your elders quorum could be completely transformed? One elders quorum president has a bold new vision that could reshape Latter-day Saint priesthood meetings, service efforts, and quorum unity. Hayden Holm, co-host of Salty Saints, and guest Daniel Ockey—an Elders Quorum president from Charlotte, North Carolina—shares an innovative approach to revitalizing the elders quorum experience. Daniel's bold new vision could reshape meetings, service efforts, and quorum unity, potentially changing ward culture, ministering, and priesthood responsibilities for the better. This is a rebroadcast of the original conversation from Salty Saints. Links Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Daniel shares his experiences in his newly formed ward, where he describes the challenges of leading a smaller elders quorum that lacked teachers and faced a diverse demographic, from new fathers to retirees. Daniel candidly

Justin Dyer received BA in Marriage and Family from Brigham Young University and a Master's and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also has expertise in statistics. Justin is a professor of religion at BYU, teaching religion and family classes, and focuses his research on religion and mental health. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed studies in scholarly journals. Justin has served in various Church callings including full-time missionary in Brazil, Primary teacher, early morning Seminary teacher, Young Men leader, and bishop. He currently serves as a ward missionary. Most importantly, Justin has been married for 22 years and has six children whom he loves to inundate with the most recent, intriguing research graphs he has created. Links Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Justin talks about toxic perfectionism, particularly within the conte

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in July 2020. David Butler is a religious educator at Utah Valley University. He also cohosts the popular YouTube scripture study channel Don't Miss This and is the author of many religious books, including Almighty: How the Most Powerful Being in the Universe Is Also Your Loving Father, Redeemer: Who He Is and Who He Will Always Be, and Spirit: The Gift that Connects You to Heaven. David has previously served as a bishop. He and his wife Jenny are the parents of six children. Links Don't Miss This Instagram: @mrdavebutler Instagram: @dontmissthisstudy Books by David Butler Y Religion podcast Seekers Wanted | An Interview with Anthony Sweat Church Doctrine, Policy, & Leadership | An Interview with Prof. Anthony Sweat Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Dave shares his journey into teaching, which began unexpectedly during his college years when h

Gary Miller is the host of the "Hope In Him Today" and "Outside The Lane" podcasts. Before joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served as an independent fundamental Baptist pastor. He spent 11 years in the United States Air Force, dividing his time between critical care medicine and professional development training as a master military training instructor. He holds a B.S. from Wayland Baptist University and studied theology at Liberty Theological Seminary. Currently, he works as a director of marketing for a Salt Lake City-based insurance firm and serves as a stake high councilor in the Katy Texas Stake. He and his wife, Crystal, live in Katy, Texas, with their four children. You’ll likely find him at a NASCAR race somewhere when he's not doing these things. Links From Baptist Preacher to Latter-day Saint | An Interview with Gary Miller Hope in Him Today podcast Outside the Lane podcast Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-d

Help Tanzanians get to the Kenya Temple Open House. DONATE HERE to support the Nairobi Temple Open House Trip. Brenda Angle has served as a Young Women president, Primary president, stake and ward Relief Society president, stake camp director, and as a service missionary teaching study skills at the Provo Missionary Training Center. She is an author and a certified faith-based life coach and speaker who has also trained and certified 200 other faith-based life coaches. Brenda has served as president of United Families for Arizona and as an NGO lobbyist at the United Nations. In her humanitarian work, she has served as vice president of Hearts and Hands for Humanity, vice president director of philanthropy for Legacy Giving Fund, and has traveled to Tanzania, Africa for eight years. She is the mother of nine children and grandmother of 40. Links Nairobi Temple Open House Trip Fundraiser Why Not Me? Breaking the Yokes that Bind Us Mully Hearts and Hands for Humanity Faith-Based Life Coaching Academy Share

Rabbi Chaim Zippel was born and raised in nearby Salt Lake City, and is the first-Utah born Chabad Rabbi. He attended Yeshivas in California and New York, and has extensive experience in outreach work and youth programming all over the country. Rabbi Chaim & Esty Zippel moved to Lehi, Utah in 2022 to launch Chabad of Utah County. Chabad of Utah County is dedicated to promoting and strengthening Jewish awareness, pride, and observance, by providing educational, cultural, and social services to all Jewish individuals regardless of background, philosophy or level of commitment. The fundamental principle of Chabad is unconditional love and acceptance of every Jew. Links JewishUtahCounty.com Instagram: @jewishutahcounty Facebook: @jewishutahcounty Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Rabbi Chaim Zippel, co-director of the Chabad of Utah County, shares about the unique experience of being Jewish in a predominantly La

Jon Holdaway was born and raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah. He served in the Korea Seoul Mission, where he met Sister Juliette Landsem. They have two children. Jon graduated from Brigham Young University and BYU Law, and served in the Utah Army National Guard. He later became an Army JAG officer with assignments including Charlottesville, Virginia, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Darmstadt, Germany, where he also served in church leadership roles including bishopric member, high council member, and stake mission president. After leaving the Army, Jon moved to Los Angeles and practiced law while serving as bishop in the Venice/Marina del Rey area. He later returned to government service, working in the national security field for 12 years and serving in various church leadership roles, including high priest group leader and stake young men president. Jon and his wife moved to Korea in 2020, where he works as a senior civilian attorney and legal advisor to the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. F

Frank Schwartz is a husband—for nearly 24 years—and a father of three girls. He was recently released from his elders quorum presidency and has served in several bishoprics, elders quorum presidencies, high councils, high priest group leaderships and Young Men presidencies (back when those were a thing), and a variety of other callings over the years. Frank did undergraduate and graduate work in Psychology and worked in television before starting a small, boutique, corporate communications firm. Most recently he has worked for a client in the healthcare payments space. Frank joined F3 in 2014 and has served in the national leadership in different capacities prior to taking over as Nant’an/CEO last year. Links F3 Nation Warrior Heart retreats Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Frank shares his personal journey with F3, which began when he was encouraged by friends to join a workout group after faci

Courtney Bush lives in the Utah Area, married her high school sweetheart, and together they have two kids. She graduated from Brigham Young University in Early Childhood Education and has a deep love for teaching and helping children. During her time teaching, some of her accomplishments included the Golden Apple Award and KSL Teacher Feature. Courtney currently serves as stake Young Women president. She has previously served as a Young Women president, second counselor, secretary, & advisor, as a Primary counselor, and a Relief Society teacher. Courtney recently started an Instagram and TikTok specifically for young women, parents, and leaders, where she simply shares the doctrine of Jesus Christ. She enjoys teaching, speaking, and testifying of the Savior, especially within her own home. It's never boring at Courtney's house, where they have a miniature pony and a school bus, and their home is always stocked with lots of treats for the youth. She loves serving with her whole heart. Links Instagram: @ywf

Mark Bell has over 20 years of experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), and has trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). Mark specializes in helping couples navigate relational and emotional intimacy challenges and much of his work is with men struggling with sexually compulsive behaviors, along with their loved ones affected by those behaviors. He focuses on healthy connections with ourselves, our God, and others in healing. Mark holds a graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern Mississippi and an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University, and works at the Arizona Family Institute (AFI) where he is also the clinical director. In the Church he has served as a missionary in the Chile, Santiago North mission, a Young Men advisor, Sunday School youth teacher, high priest group leader, scoutmaster, ward clerk, elders quorum counselor, and three times as a

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in July 2021. Andrea Lystrup is a licensed marriage and family therapist and owns a private practice—Andrea Lystrup Therapy—in Tucson, Arizona. She received her master’s degree from the University of Maryland in Couple and Family Therapy. She specializes in marriage therapy, particularly working with sexual issues, betrayal trauma, and mixed faith marriages. She has served as the stake sister support specialist for the Tucson stake, providing training to stake leaders on issues like abuse prevention and recognition of mental health struggles, as well as to advocate for sisters who need support addressing abuse in their own life. She has also served in her ward Young Women program. Andrea is mom to three boys and supports her husband in his career as a doctor in the Air Force. Links AndreaLystrup.com Instagram: @dancingfordesire Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlig

This podcast is a group discussion about the Heart of a Woman retreat, a 3-day intensive experience for women of faith. The retreat provides a space for women to connect with God, other women, and themselves. It includes presentations, time for reflection, and opportunities for prayer and worship. The guests discuss their own experiences with the retreat and how it has impacted their lives. They also share insights on the importance of women's leadership and the power of prayer. Melanie Meszaros is a wife, mother, grandmother, certified professional coach, business manager, and avid music lover. With a master’s in Education, Melanie has spent her adult life providing women and couples with opportunities to learn and develop skills to improve their lives, their relationships, and their families. As co-founder of Heart of a Woman, Melanie is passionate about helping women develop a profound connection with God, restore their feminine heart, and rediscover who God created them to be. In the Church she has enjoy

Matt Bardsley grew up in Montana, and after a mission to New Jersey moved to Utah to go to school and has been there ever since. He has a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in Sociology and a master’s degree from Utah State University in Education. He has been a seminary teacher for 19 years, 12 of those serving as a local faculty principal where he gets to train teachers. He is a former Young Men president, elders quorum president, ward mission leader, bishopric member, high councilor, and stake Young Men president, and currently serves as first counselor in his stake Young Men presidency.Kim Perkins is a coach with Accepted, passionate about guiding individuals on their journey to healing and fostering deep connections, and empowering them to unlock their true potential and lead fulfilling lives. Kim enjoys the great outdoors, hiking, volleyball, and embarking on exciting travel adventures with her husband and four children. She currently serves in her stake Young Women presidency. LinksAccepte

Parker Walbeck shares his journey as a millennial content creator who aims to engage both younger and older audiences with gospel messages through short, impactful videos. He emphasizes the significance of sharing simple, foundational doctrines and the power of personal testimony, noting that even small acts of sharing can have a profound impact on friends and family. Parker is a filmmaker, social media expert, and creator of the "True Millennial" YouTube channel, where he shares his insights on using social media to share the gospel. He has worked with the Church to help improve their online presence, and speaks frequently at local church events, where he teaches others how to use these tools effectively. Links YouTube: @TrueMillennial Instagram: @true.millennials Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Parker recounts his experience working with Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during a