LDS Living Podcasts

In December the Church announced an update in the general handbook concerning translations of the bible. So as our Come, Follow Me year of studying the Old Testament gets into swing we invited a couple of bible scholars to share their thoughts on what we can gain from different translations and how they can help us gain appreciation for the ancient context in which the bible was written. For those...

Eliza R. Snow and Zina D. H. Young served in the Church together, were friends and family, and were known in the early days of the Church as the head and the heart of the Relief Society. In this episode of Unnamed Women of the Doctrine and Covenants , we dive deep into the personal histories of the second and third presidents of the Relief Society. We will look at some of their own words about the...

In this episode of Unnamed Women of the Doctrine and Covenants, we explore the remarkable story of Amanda Barnes Smith, a courageous woman of faith whose trials during the early days of the Church helped lay the groundwork for an unshakable testimony. Amanda's life is a powerful testament to resilience and spiritual strength. Her life had both joys and sorrows, and her story inspires us to build o...

Church history is full of indomitable women. We are going to explore the story of the unlikely link between three such women today and how they refused to be defeated no matter what challenges they faced. Mercy Fielding Thompson, Mary Fielding Smith, and Jerusha Smith impacted early church history and their connected family left a legacy for generations of saints to come. Listen to full weekly epi...

On a wall in the Manti Utah Temple hangs part of the legacy of the woman in Church history we are talking about today. Diantha Morley Billings was living in Kirtland, Ohio, when Joseph Smith and the Saints arrived. She was also the first woman baptized in the Kirtland area. Diantha then started her exciting journey to Zion, which led her to Missouri, Nauvoo, and eventually across the plains to Uta...

Joseph Smith's history has been told and canonized in scripture. You may be familiar with the names of the women close to him, but what do you know about their stories and roles in the Restoration? Today, we are focusing on the women from his family: Lucy Mack Smith (his mother) and Sophronia, Katharine, and Lucy (his three sisters). Further reading: At the Pulpit: 185 Years of Discourses by Latte...

There are only two women named in the Doctrine and Covenants, but Church history is filled with stories of strong women of the Restoration. And thanks to diaries, recorded speeches, and family histories, we know many of their names. This bonus series will serve as a companion to our weekly Come, Follow Me podcast this year. And today's episode features two young sisters, without whom we wouldn't h...

Helaman went to battle with 2,000 young men and they needed every single one of them. They needed to be ready and they were prepared physically and spiritually by incredibly faithful mothers. What did it take to raise a stripling warrior and what can we learn from them? Find great Book of Mormon art at the Book of Mormon Art Catalog . Listen to full weekly episodes of Sunday on Monday with Bookshe...

Close your eyes and picture the wilderness. What does it look like to you, and what is or isn't there? If you had to live there, what would those living conditions be like? Today, we are going to study what the word wilderness means, looking at the Book of Mormon's named and unnamed women who not only lived in the wilderness but thrived. Listen to full weekly episodes of Sunday on Monday with Book...

Art forms an impression on our minds. When we visualize scripture stories, it's often in the style we've seen before through art. It's easy to picture Nephi's family on the boat, Moroni praying over the plates, Abinadi before King Noah, and more. But can you picture the women from the Book of Mormon? There's art for them, too. Find all the art mentioned in today's episode at  bookofmormonartcatalo...

The scriptures are filled with stories of women once you start looking for them. In conjunction with our weekly  Come, Follow Me  podcast, this bonus series will explore accounts of women throughout the standard works, focusing on the Book of Mormon this year. Did you know that the only time the word "sisters" is mentioned in the Book of Mormon is when it refers to Nephi's sisters? Today, we'll ta...

Mother Teresa said, "Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat." Today's story is about Tabitha, a woman who took Paul's charge in Acts 6 seriously and served widows who were neglected and marginalized. In this episode, we get to reflect on her story and discover how we, in our...

Have you ever shared something personal only to have someone dismiss or not believe you? Perhaps you tried offering more explanation or information but to no avail. Well, today's discussion includes the experience of a woman named Rhoda in the New Testament who had a spiritual witness to offer but was not taken seriously by the people around her. Rhoda's example may have lessons for us all in how...

Many of Christ's miracles in the New Testament have one special word accompanying them—compassion. It is one of those enduring Christlike attributes that conveys full and deep emotions and love for those around us. When He comes across the unnamed widow from Nain He immediately has compassion on her. And wouldn't we all love to stand in the compassion of Christ each day? Listen to full weekly epis...

Being offended is a universal experience, but how we react is a very individual matter. In this episode of Sunday on Monday's bonus series, Unnamed Women in the New Testament, we dive into the story of the Syrophoenician woman. She had every reason to be offended and lash out but instead responded with remarkable humility. Let's study her example in Matthew 15 and Mark 7 and see if we can't bring...

Linda K. Burton, then Relief Society General President, shared the following quote from  Daughters in My Kingdom  during general conference: "The New Testament includes accounts of [certain] women, named and unnamed, who exercised faith in Jesus Christ [and in His Atonement], learned and lived His teachings, and testified of His ministry, miracles, and majesty. These women became exemplary discipl...

Here's an interesting question: How many generations ago were your ancestors speaking a different language than you are now? When Dr. Joel Selway lost his mother when he was 12 years old, he also lost a tie to his Thai ancestry. But shortly before his mission he came across an old book about learning Thai, and something sparked inside of him. Little did he know then that he would embark on a decad...

What does sunshine have to do with family history? Well, besides helping our plants and vegetables grow, sunshine has a profound effect on our bodies. One of those effects is melanin production. Melanin is a dark pigment in our hair, skin, and iris of the eye that protects us from the sun's radiation. Tragically, throughout history some have used melanin to create caste systems that determine soci...

Have you ever heard the term "spill the tea"? In recent contexts, this phrase means to perpetuate gossip or rumors. But is spreading gossip and rumors always a bad thing? In family history, it might not be. For this episode, we invited Dr. Sharon Staples to discuss what gossip has to do with family history and whether it can be used as a clue to learn more about our lineage.

"Late at night when all the world is sleeping, I stay up and think of you. And I wish on a star that somewhere you are thinking of me too." These first lines of legendary singer Selena's "Dreaming of You" may have been written about a romantic relationship, but they also apply to family history work. Our ancestors think of us, and we think about them—and sometimes we even dream about them too. For...

An indigenous teaching in many communities around the world is that in nature, poison is often located very near the antidote. For example, in Mayan legend, the Chechen trees have a toxic sap that causes rashes or burns when touched, but the Chaca trees grow nearby and provide an antidote. This idea of sting and relief can also be found in family histories. In this episode, artist Jalynne Geddes s...

The Bible is full of stories about women—sometimes you just need to know where to look. In fact, both named and unnamed women are in the opening verses of the New Testament. This year during our  Come, Follow Me  study, we'll take time to focus on the stories of these women—stories that aren't often told. As we discuss their lives and learn from their examples, we'll see just how important women a...

When you think about the term "family history tools," images of gigantic binders, wrinkled family history charts, and dusty rolls of microfilm probably come to mind. While these items can be useful, there's another less obvious set of tools we need when we research—especially when we learn about challenging aspects of our family history. For this episode, we invited Dr. Ofa Hofaka to discuss emoti...

Here's a joke: What did the pickle do when it won the championship? He just stood there to relish the moment. If you're wondering what a pickle joke has to do with family history, just a wait a minute. Miya and Michelle invited Latter-day Saint comedian and actress Lisa Valentine Clark to discuss An American Pickle, a movie all about family history. And just like the movie, Miya, Michelle, and Lis...

Have you ever heard of Marie Kondo? She's a Japanese professional organizer known for her method of only keeping what "sparks joy" in her life. We can follow her example by becoming a transitional character—someone who breaks cycles of negativity and embraces joyful practices. In this episode, we talk with BYU professor Christopher Jones about what it means to be a transitional character, and how...