A Latter-day Family Podcast

In Ep. 58., their first (published) episode since 2022, Todd & Amber explore the pushback they regularly hear from those who seem to have the idea that following counsel from God should only make life smooth. They also talk about the blessings they have seen as they continue to take their lives one step at a time through prayerful counsel with the Lord, and some of the lessons learned last yea...

Some folks seem to never acknowledge their blessings. Other folks seem to never admit when they're struggling. What if both extremes were equally lame? In this episode Todd & Amber talk about the value of admitting when you're stressed and acknowledging when you're blessed and how the two aren't mutually exclusive. They also relate their own recent blessings and stresses and how openly talking...

With their rudimentary understanding of how "computer and video games" worked in the mid to late 90's, Todd and Amber give their unsolicited and unqualified opinions on the pros and cons of letting your kids play video games. They discuss the pros and cons of erring on the side of being too restrictive, as well as the pros and cons of erring on the side of being too permissive with gaming. After r...

What do folks mean when they offer their "thoughts and prayers" to others? What are some examples of how people use that phrase vainly? What are some examples of why some people take issue with it being said publicly? If you use the phrase, what do you mean when you say it? Are there multiple applications of it? What is the relationship between offering thoughts and offering prayers? In this episo...

It seems that when it comes to talking about dating, women usually talk to other women, men talk to other men, and nobody seems to learn much of anything about "the other side." As for couples, they either don't feel compelled (or qualified) to comment, or they give overly generalized advice that doesn't actually apply to most situations. This week Todd and Amber do something they wish more adults...

What is your default response to being met with opposition? What about facing a trial of faith? How about a faith crisis? And a tragedy? Or an opportunity to take offense? In this week's episode Todd & Amber talk about the difference between turning challenging experiences into millstones that drive us farther from God and milestones that draw us closer to God. This episode is rated G, which m...

What does religious freedom look like in practice? How do we support the religious freedom of other religions? What are some of the most common ways Latter-day Saints interact with those of other faiths? What are some of the pitfalls of how we usually go about it? This week Todd and Amber dive into these and other questions relating to the article of faith that has as much to do with how we intent...

Now that Todd no longer works for a public school district, and now that Amber has more homeschooling experience, they give further thoughts on the pros of homeschooling and weigh in on some of the most common concerns and misconceptions. What if you're bad at a particular subject? Will your kids be socially awkward? How do you know what to teach? This episode is rated G, which means you can liste...

According to the Family Proclamation, mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children, but where does that leave dads? Is there anything precluding dads from taking an active role in the care and nurture of their children? What constitutes providing the necessities of life, and what causes some men to get wrapped up in working to make more money than is needful at the expense o...

How do you invite God into your marriage? What habits, mindset, and goals contribute to a marriage that lives up to its purpose as being ordained of God? How does your relationship with your spouse change when you have kids? How does your relationship with your spouse change over time? What are some of the obstacles to finding unity in marriage? In this power packed episode Amber and Todd welcome...

Is the Tenth Article of Faith to be taken literally? Will there really be a New Jerusalem? Will Christ really be a spiritual and governmental leader? How will the earth be transformed at the start of the millennium? How can we prepare to be a Zion people? What role do converts have in gathering Israel? What does the tenth article of faith have to do with Patriarchal blessings? What will the Millen...

What new year resolutions do you usually make? How often do you remember them throughout the year? How often do they have to do with your spiritual progression? How often do you involve God when setting and working on your resolutions? What are some temporal strategies you can use to craft more tangible goals? What spiritual strength can you draw upon to actually improve yourself throughout the ye...

With their very first guest, Shandy Cortes, Amber and Todd dive into the many precious and timeless doctrines contained in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Concepts they discuss include: What truths are often overlooked? What role should the Family Proclamation have in each member's life? Who does the proclamation apply to? What role does the family play in the Plan of Salvation? Is there...

What has God revealed? What does He now reveal? What might He yet reveal? How can we work to accept current revelations? How might we prepare to receive future revelations? What is our responsibility when it comes to revelations that we don't understand, or revelations that we don't agree with or particularly like? How do we know when something is from God? What role should personal revelation pla...

What Christmas traditions does your family have? What ones do you remember from growing up? How many of them were Christ centered? Were there any that you only realized had significance after the fact? What symbolism is already embedded in our common Christmas traditions? What traditions can you adopt to help your family focus on Christ? Todd and Amber share some that they've added in recent years...

What do Home Teaching, Visiting Teaching, #LightTheWorld, #GiveThanks, #LetGodPrevail, #HearHim, and Love, Share, Invite all have in common? How are all of these foci functioning as scaffolding for what the Lord actually wants us to build? Is "foci" really a word? How can we make ministering a fully integrated part of our daily lives? Who are we expected to minister to? What is meant by "ministeri...

After ten years of carrying debt and finding themselves in way too many tight financial spots, Todd and Amber received an unexpected blessing this week. What lessons have they learned through this experience? What hope can others find in learning of their experience? How can we hear the Lord's voice through small moments in our lives, and not just the large, more obvious ones? This episode is rate...

What kind of unity do you have in your home? Who else do you live with? Do you live alone? With roommates? Do you live with extended family members? Do you live with your parents, or with your kids, or both? What impacts the unity you do or don't feel in your home? How consistent is it? How can you go about improving it? Are there situations where the only thing that can be done is to cut your los...

Have you ever met someone who seems to have no problem saying yes to so many commitments and serving in so many ways that you could never see yourself living up to that level? What if the ability to say yes to reasonable invitations increases as you...wait for it...say yes to invitations. In this episode Amber and Todd explore the connection between their approach to parenting and their approach t...

In this week's episode, Todd and Amber come clean about honesty and why they have made a more concerted effort to be honest in every area of their lives. As this will be the first episode they share with their friends and family, they also talk about why they started out anonymous, their formerly anonymous Twitter accounts, and what made them decide to share this podcast with more people in their...

"On Your First Step" is a scary story told by a man by the name of Nolan Woods of Beautfort, South Carolina. The recording is taken from a set of cassette tapes (ask your dad to explain it to you) that Todd received from Nolan while serving his mission in Southern Georgia and South Carolina. Todd asked for the tapes so he could preserve these fantastic stories for future generations to enjoy, and...

Continuing their Article of Faith series, in this episode Todd & Amber discuss the 8th AoF and how it applies to everyday life. How does the Bible stack up as a testament of Jesus Christ? How does the Book of Mormon stack up as another testament of Jesus Christ? How do they stack up together (no quad jokes, please). How can we draw closer to Christ by reading these sacred volumes together? All...

Now that Todd and Amber are settling into their new home in Arkansas, it's time to get back into the swing of recording! This week they talk nosey neighbors, the drive across the country, their new ward, and the miracles they've seen as well as those for which they are still praying. They also talk about their new neighborhood and how it's ironically more yuppy than their last one in California. T...

What's your typical reaction to adversity? Is it to complain, or is it to laugh? Sometimes it can be both. In this week's episode Todd and Amber talk finding the humor, entertainment, and optimism in otherwise unpleasant situations. Life is too short to spend it being negative. This episode is rated G, which means you and the Holy Ghost can be entertained together. 

This week Todd and Amber take another break from the articles of faith to talk about the mountain they're currently moving. This episode documents the most recent developments including Todd quitting his job before having a new job lined up, Todd and Amber canceling their lease before having new housing lined up, and promptings to be mentally prepared to take actions that ended up being required t...