The LDS Mission Podcast

Missionary parents and mission leaders, what do you do when your missionary says, "I think I want to come home"? Maybe they say it directly, maybe you hear it between the lines, or maybe you can just tell that something isn't going well. In that moment, it can be so easy to panic, jump into problem-solving, or immediately start trying to convince them to stay. In this episode, I'm sharing a practi...

LDS Missionary: Have you ever noticed that once your brain decides something is true, it suddenly seems to find evidence for it everywhere? Maybe you've decided your companion is annoying, you're not a good teacher, or your area is terrible, and before long, that's almost all you can see. In this episode, I'm talking about the idea that what you focus on grows. We'll look at how your brain natural...

Hey LDS missionary: have you ever noticed that when a big emotion shows up, you tend to do one of two things? Maybe you push it down, minimize it, or tell yourself you shouldn't feel that way. Or maybe you swing the other direction and suddenly the emotion feels urgent, scary, or like evidence that something has gone wrong. In this episode, I'm talking about what it looks like to put emotions in t...

As an LDS missionary, ave you ever had a picture in your head of how a transfer on your mission was supposed to go, only to have the actual experience look completely different? Maybe you expected a certain companion, a baptism, more confidence, better language skills, or a strong finish to your mission. And when reality doesn't match the version you imagined, it can be easy to feel disappointed,...

To all the LDS returned missionaries out there: have any of you come home from your mission and realized that some of your old relationships just don't fit quite the same anymore? You've changed. You've had new experiences, learned new ways of thinking, and maybe become more confident speaking up or trusting yourself. But the people you're coming home to may still expect you to step right back int...

Have you ever wondered whether the small, repetitive things you're doing actually matter? Maybe missionary work, school, dating, motherhood, personal growth, or simply showing up for your life has started to feel like a grind. You may not feel motivated, inspired, or especially confident, but you keep putting one foot in front of the other. In this episode, I'm sharing some tender, off-the-cuff th...

Have you ever wondered if becoming a more consecrated missionary means becoming less of yourself? Maybe you've started to feel like the things you love, the interests you had before your mission, or even parts of your personality need to disappear in order for you to truly be "set apart." In this episode, I want to explore the difference between laying aside worldly things and laying aside yoursel...

In Episode 272: Contention vs. Conversation , I explore a question that has come up repeatedly in my coaching sessions with missionaries: Does avoiding difficult conversations really create peace? Many missionaries have been taught that contention is not of Christ, but sometimes that belief leads them to stay silent, hide their thoughts, or avoid necessary conversations altogether. In this episode...

In Episode 271: The Outcomes Formula , I introduce a new coaching framework that represents a shift in the way I help missionaries and clients understand their thoughts, emotions, and actions. If you've listened to earlier episodes where I taught The Model , don't worry—I'm not throwing it out. Instead, I've simplified and refined the process into something I believe is more compassionate, more fl...

Have you ever wondered if you're leading well—or if you're accidentally taking over? In Episode 270: How to Lead Without Taking Over , I answer a thoughtful question from a sister missionary who worried she might be controlling as a senior companion. Her vulnerability opened the door to a conversation I think every leader needs to hear. Whether you're a trainer, district leader, mission leader, pa...

Episode 269: More on People Pleasing takes a fresh look at a topic I've taught before, but with new insights that have come from years of coaching preparing missionaries, currently serving missionaries, returned missionaries, parents, and mission leaders. People pleasing isn't simply about trying to make other people happy. More often, it's an attempt to manage how we feel about ourselves by seeki...

Welcome to The LDS Mission Podcast! Episode 268: Did I Ruin the Friendship? explores one of the most common questions I hear from preparing missionaries, currently serving missionaries, and returned missionaries after a relationship changes or ends. Whether it's a dating relationship, a friendship, a companionship, or even someone you're teaching on your mission, it's easy for your brain to search...

Episode 267: Five Considerations When Teaching Mission Prep came from a thoughtful question I received from a stake mission prep teacher who wanted to better prepare future missionaries to confidently open their mouths and share the gospel. As I thought about her question, I realized that preparing someone for missionary work isn't about teaching them to fit a certain mold. It's about helping them...

Episode 266: Your Emotional Thermostat explores why our brains naturally try to keep us in what's familiar, even when that means avoiding growth. Whether it's fear, self-doubt, vulnerability, or even joy and success, we all have an "emotional thermostat" that wants to pull us back to our comfort zone. In this episode, I explain why emotional discomfort isn't something to fear and how increasing yo...

Episode 265: When Missionaries Feel Fake explores a concern I hear from missionaries all the time: "I don't feel like myself." Whether it's teaching lessons, talking to strangers, leading discussions, or stepping into a new role, many missionaries worry they're being fake or simply going through the motions. In this episode, I share why feeling performative isn't necessarily the problem and how un...

Episode 264: I'm Not There Yet explores one of the most common thoughts missionaries have: "I thought I'd be farther along by now." Whether it's confidence, spirituality, boldness, or becoming the kind of missionary you hoped to be, it's easy to compare yourself to an idea of who you think you should be. In this episode, I share why those inner expectations often create unnecessary discouragement...

Episode 263: Reminders to Live By was inspired by one of my favorite General Conference talks, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's "Forget Me Not." As I revisited this talk, I couldn't stop thinking about how perfectly these five reminders apply to missionaries, returned missionaries, missionary moms, and anyone preparing to serve. In this episode, we talk about being patient with yourself, understanding t...

Episode 262: Face and Feel Your Fear is a reminder that fear isn't something to eliminate—it's something to understand, experience, and move through. In this episode, I share why fear, anxiety, self doubt, and uncertainty don't mean you're doing something wrong. Whether you're preparing to serve a mission, currently serving, or navigating life after your mission, I want to help you see fear as evi...

Episode 261: What If I Get Cold Feet? is for anyone who is preparing to serve a mission, nearing a big life transition, or wondering what to do when fear starts getting loud. In this episode, I talk about the very normal experience of getting "cold feet" before something important and why feeling fear, hesitation, uncertainty, homesickness, or anxiety doesn't automatically mean you've made the wro...

Episode 260: The Mission Bubble explores something I see all the time with missionaries, returned missionaries, and missionary moms: the tendency to get so immersed in the mission experience that we lose perspective. In this episode, I talk about the "mission bubble," the unique environment that helps us focus, grow spiritually, develop confidence, learn discipline, and deepen our relationship wit...

Episode 259: Before You "Wait For Each Other" is a conversation I've been wanting to have for a long time. Whether you're preparing to serve a mission, currently serving, a returned missionary, a missionary parent, or navigating a boyfriend or girlfriend relationship before a mission, this episode is for you. I dive into common questions about dating, waiting for each other, mission relationships,...

Episode 258: When You Feel Walked On is for missionaries, returned missionaries, missionary moms, and anyone who has ever felt exhausted, resentful, or quietly taken advantage of from always being the one who says yes. In this episode, I share a conversation I had with a missionary who asked me a powerful question: "What do you do when you feel like people are walking on you?" We talk about overgi...

Episode 257: A Simple Script for Missionary Moms  is for every missionary mom, dad, mission leader, or loved one who has ever wondered,  "What do I say when my missionary is struggling?"  In this episode, I share one simple but powerful script that can completely change the way you support missionaries, returned missionaries, and young adults through hard days, discouragement, anxiety, homesicknes...

Episode 256: Rethinking Mission Stress is all about understanding why stress shows up on the mission and how to work with it instead of feeling overwhelmed by it. In this episode, I share a real situation from a missionary mom and walk through what is actually happening in your brain when stress hits. We talk about how your brain is wired to see things as high stakes, even when they are not, and h...

Episode 255: How One Insight Can Change Everything is all about how a single shift in perspective can completely transform your confidence, your direction, and the way you see yourself as a missionary, returned missionary, or missionary mom. In this episode, I share a personal story about an identity shift I experienced and how something I once saw as a weakness became one of my greatest strengths...