Beyond Coincidence Podcast

💭 What if the Lord really can help you? What if you’re wrong about how far away He feels? When David Butler was a young missionary in Seoul, Korea, he felt completely lost and alone — half a world away from home, unsure of himself, and wondering if God even knew where he was. Then one day, sitting on a random college campus, a song began to play over the loudspeakers — in English, no less — a son...

✨ What if the lowest point of your life became the turning point that defined your purpose? Portia Louder spent 5 years in federal prison—time that could have broken her. Instead, it became the place where she discovered who she truly was. Once trapped in addiction and shame, Portia found healing, faith, and purpose behind prison walls. She became known as the “sunshine girl” because of the light...

A story of loss, hope, and learning to trust God’s hand—even when the miracle looks different, and “but if not...” becomes the deepest kind of faith. Sunny Mahe, a former volleyball All-America, mother of ten, and speaker at BYU Women’s Conference, shares her powerful story of faith, loss, and miracles. When her daughter Elsie passed away in a tragic accident, Sunny’s family was faced with unimagi...

What happens when God asks you to not follow the plan you’ve always imagined for yourself? In this episode, Rachel Tucker—life coach, author, public speaker, and mom of four—shares her journey of unexpected faith. From preparing for a Spanish-speaking mission she never served, to later being called to use her Spanish in teaching and ministry, Rachel’s story is filled with God’s fingerprints in pla...

When Jennifer Davis lost her son Parker to suicide, her world shattered. He was just 23 years old, a firefighter, and her only son. In her grief, Jennifer turned to the Lord, pleading for the miracle of saving his life. Instead, the Lord whispered: “There are more miracles, bigger miracles, and better miracles than the one you are asking for.” At first, she didn’t understand. But over time, Jennif...

 📌 This episode contains discussion of a violent attack and serious injuries. Listener discretion is advised. At 24 years old, Lauren Willardson has already faced darkness most of us can’t imagine. Just weeks into her mission, an intruder broke into her apartment and stabbed her nine times, leaving her and her mission companion severely injured. But in the middle of the attack—bleeding, terrified...

"What if God never stopped chasing you—even when you ran the other way?" Dusty Smith has been a soldier, an attorney, a city councilman—and for 26 years, an outspoken critic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Raised in a devout multi-faith Christian home, Dusty’s faith collapsed after a tragic loss, and though a Book of Mormon literally fell from a bookshelf to start his...

"What if the Lord asked you to do something completely outside your comfort zone—would you do it?" In this special anniversary episode of Beyond Coincidence, host Sheila Layton steps out from behind the microphone to share her own story. While walking on a treadmill, Sheila felt an undeniable prompting from the Lord to create a podcast where people could share how they've seen His h...

💜 "No one should have to beg to belong." When Allison Dayton lost her beloved brother Preston to suicide, her world shifted. Preston had come out as gay at just 13 years old—in a time when being gay was often misunderstood, feared, or treated like something to “fix.” Years later, when her own son came out, Allison knew the Lord had been preparing her heart since she was a young girl to...

🌍 "I could’ve chased a career, but I felt prompted to chase something else—faith." When Paul Victor gave up the traditional path of further education and career for a life of solo travel, he didn’t expect to find so many divine appointments waiting for him across the globe. From being raised by a faithful mother in Utah to backpacking through unfamiliar cities, Paul has seen the unmista...

What happens when a busy dad of 8 stops waiting for change and starts chasing it—inside the temple? Entrepreneur and fatherhood influencer Bubba Page didn’t expect going to the temple weekly would take a full year before anything shifted. But he kept showing up. And somewhere along the way, “I should go” turned into “I need to go.” Nearly a decade later, the temple is where he hears God most clear...

She promised her grandma she’d read the Book of Mormon— She didn’t expect it to change everything. Lauren Rose grew up in the Church, but like many, life took some sharp turns. After her parents’ divorce, bad decisions, and low self-worth left her spiraling, she hit a point where something had to change. A new job. A deathbed promise. A nudge from the Spirit. Step by step, she found herself walkin...

Christine Mecham didn’t set out looking for a new religion. She was a teacher, a young mom, and had just come through a difficult divorce. Religion—at least structured religion—wasn’t something she thought she needed. But God had other plans. Through quiet examples from students, fellow teachers, good friends, and one incredibly kind family of a student in her classroom, Christine began to feel so...

B.J. Allen is a marketing professor, a father of six, and the author of the powerful book "The Compensating Power of Christ." But long before the book came to be, B.J. was just someone searching—trying to understand how the Atonement of Jesus Christ could possibly make things right in a world that feels so broken. In this interview, he shares the deeply personal journey that led him to w...

Barry Moore didn’t grow up with much religion in his life—but he did grow up with a deep desire to understand why he was here and who God was. In his late teens, he started searching for answers. That search led him to a conversation with missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and eventually to a truth that completely shifted his identity: he was a child of a loving Hea...

Emily Stewart—a gifted musician, devoted wife, and mother of four—never imagined a business trip with her husband would turn into a fight for her life. What started as a persistent headache turned out to be a stroke caused by a torn artery in her neck. In the middle of this terrifying experience, Emily found herself in exactly the right place, with exactly the right people: her husband by her side...

Dr. Wayne Burton wears many hats—family physician, father of five, and internationally recognized Christian singer and songwriter. In this interview, he shares how music became the divine thread weaving through every season of his life. From writing songs mid-flight to feeling divinely guided lyrics come through him, Wayne opens up about how God's hand has shaped his path both in clinics and...

What happens when your world flips upside down — and yet, somehow, you still feel peace? Janaca Seegrist shares her powerful journey of learning to see the hand of God in the smallest, most unexpected details of life… even while navigating one of the most painful experiences a daughter can face: her father’s arrest and 17-year prison sentence. She was at the temple when she got the news — and inst...

Sometimes, the quietest whispers from God lead to the loudest blessings. When Lynzi Clyde felt prompted to go on a triple blind date—despite it competing with a birthday party she really wanted to attend—she followed that nudge. Her actual date fell asleep (yes, really)... but someone else on that date asked her out. They fell in love, and the rest is history. That moment may have seemed small, bu...

Kathy Kinghorn always believed in the power of prayer. Raised Catholic, introduced to the restored gospel by neighbors, and drawn back to church after years of drifting, she had to relearn what it meant to go all in with God. But it wasn’t until she found out her daughter was in real danger — hundreds of miles away — that she truly saw what it meant to follow a divine prompting, no matter the cost...

When Andre Polonski was growing up in Kharkov, Ukraine, life was already hard. Raised by a single mother battling an undiagnosed illness, poverty was a daily reality. But then, a knock at the door changed everything — missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints introduced his family to a faith community that didn’t just bring spiritual healing… it brought life-saving help. Ye...

Natalie “Natty” O. Lewis — affectionately called the Unstoppable Woman of God — walks into prison not with judgment, but with purpose. In this deeply moving interview, Natty shares how teaching her class "Captain Your Story" to incarcerated men and women has transformed not just their lives — but her own. From identity to vision, from control to surrender, Natty teaches principles rooted...

What do you do when life throws you limitations before you even learn to walk? Elder Logan Castleton was born with a heart condition that led to three surgeries before he was two. Sports weren’t an option growing up, but that didn’t stop him from finding his own rhythm—through rap. Now serving a service mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Castleton is using his music...

Have you ever wondered if you were really hearing God’s voice—or if it was just your own thoughts? Kathy Jones shares powerful experiences where the hand of God touched her life, from a childhood moment on a swing set to one of the hardest seasons of motherhood. As she navigated overwhelming exhaustion, worry for her hospitalized son, and the pressure of a speaking assignment she wasn’t sure she c...

Peter Afemata grew up surrounded by influence—some good, some dangerous, and some devastating. As a young Samoan teen, he was pulled into gang life, shaped by his environment and scarred by loss. When his mother passed away, the pain pushed him deeper into drugs, anger, and self-destruction. But then something unexplainable happened—her spirit whispered for him to go back to church. And he did. Th...