Leading Saints Podcast

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph. D. is a cutting-edge leadership development author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. He is also a leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton. He holds a Ph. D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana Universi...

Melanie Wellman Stroud hosts the popular podcast Come Follow Me for Us. She served in both the Kobe and Tokyo South missions and graduated with a degree in Special Education from Brigham Young University. She has served in numerous church callings including Relief Society president, Young Women president, stake Young Women president, Gospel Doctrine teacher, and her favorite: nursery leader. Melan...

Steven Shields, ACMHC CET1, is a therapist who acts as a guide to help others heal from trauma and addiction. As founder of Unashamed Unafraid, a non-profit organization, he hosts the podcast that shares hope for sexual addiction recovery. Unashamed funds scholarships for people to go to retreats and receive therapy. Steve works in his private practice in Salt Lake City, at OnSite in Nashville Ten...

Steven Shields, ACMHC CET1, is a therapist who acts as a guide to help others heal from trauma and addiction. As founder of Unashamed Unafraid, a non-profit organization, he hosts the podcast that shares hope for sexual addiction recovery. Unashamed funds scholarships for people to go to retreats and receive therapy. Steve works in his private practice in Salt Lake City, at OnSite in Nashville Ten...

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph. D. is a cutting-edge leadership development author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. He is also a leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton. He holds a Ph. D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana Universi...

Jamee Adams and Jody Steurer are sisters. A little over a year ago they began their podcast, Speak Up Sister, striving to strengthen men and women to speak up clearly and effectively at home, work, church, and in their communities. Jamee Adams holds a Master's in Public Policy from Tel Aviv University, Israel. She is a small business owner specializing in business systems development, and currentl...

Lewis Howarth was born and raised in the small European country of Luxembourg. His native language is English but he is also fluent in French and German. He studied at Brigham Young University before transferring to Penn State to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. Other than working as an MTC teacher for French-speaking missionaries in Provo, Lewis has worked in the technology...

Sarah Jane Weaver is the editor of the Church News and also hosts the Church News Podcast. Her favorite assignments include reporting on temple dedications and writing about members around the world. Sarah graduated from BYU with a degree in journalism and history and served as editor and chief of the BYU student newspaper, the Daily Universe. Before joining the Deseret News staff, she completed a...

Barb Venema has always worked with kids, coaching gymnastics, teaching Physical Education, and serving in Sunday School, Young Women, and Primary. Most recently she has served in the Primary as an instructor, chorister, and president. Her patriarchal blessing even mentions her time in the Primary. Recently retired, Barb lives in Kearns, Utah, and has five children and 20 adorable grandkids—of whic...

Jenny Reeder is a historian and writer, currently the nineteenth-century women’s history specialist at the Church History Department in the publications division, and was one of the first historians hired to specialize in women’s history. She holds a PhD in American history from George Mason University, specializing in women’s history, religious history, memory, and material culture. She also hold...

Keith Wonnacott is a former bishop, currently serving as Stake Young Men’s president as a member of his stake High Council. He lives in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C., and works in regulatory affairs for Pfizer. In this podcast he talks about a fifth Sunday presentation he did while serving as bishop, how it came about, and how parents can help lead their children through difficult con...

Note: We recognize that the doctrine of Mother in Heaven is a very sensitive topic for many individuals in our faith community. Many will come to this episode seeking hope and encouragement in their eternal faith journey (especially women). Both the host and interviewee intended this discussion to be hopeful and encouraging (especially to women). We also recognize that some women have felt margina...

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in September 2018.  Mark Mathews was born in Houston, TX. He served a mission in Guatemala and met his wife at Brigham Young University. He later earned a Ph. D. in education from Utah State University. He has been teaching for the Church Educational System for 17 years and has taught in Brigham City, Utah Valley, and at BYU. Highlights Temples * 5...

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 couples' therapy, particularly working with sexual issues, betrayal trauma, and mixed faith marriages. She serves as the stake sister support specialist for...

Maclain Nelson is the director, writer, and producer of Once I Was Engaged, the sequel to the film Once I Was a Beehive (which he also wrote, produced, and directed.) He is also known for The Saratov Approach and BYU TV's Show Offs, as well as many other films produced in Utah. Maclain earned a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts Studies from Brigham Young University and is married to Clare Niederpr...

Morgan Jones is the host of the All In podcast for LDS Living. She previously wrote for the Deseret News, where she published more than 480 stories and served as senior web producer. She is a passionate storyteller and loves having the opportunity to share stories that deserve to be told. Her new book, All In: Exploring What it Means to be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shares what she has lea...

Jeff Burningham is an entrepreneur, founder & chairman of Peak Ventures and Peak Capital Partners, an apartment investment and venture capital firm. He holds an MBA from Brigham Young University, where he started his first tech company, is an active philanthropist, and ran for governor of Utah as an "innovative outsider" in 2020. He also has a podcast called Extraordinary Us. Jeff was called a...

Brigette Heller was born in Alaska and raised all over the Western United States. She is a life coach and speaker, and is determined to share life-changing mindset techniques using radical motivation to women in her Strong and Capable community. Brigette and her sister also own Deco-Crate Event Design, an event planning business. She has served in a variety of church leadership positions, includin...

Brent L. Top is a professor of Church History & Doctrine at Brigham Young University, but will be retiring in July after 45 years as a religious educator within the Church Educational System, the last 34 years at BYU. He served for several years as Dean of Religious Education, and prior to that as department chair and associate dean. He is the author of more than 20 books, primarily directed to th...

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in December 2018.  Dustin Peterson was raised in Dallas, Texas, and served a mission in the Puerto Rico San Juan Mission. He graduated from BYU-Idaho in Communications where he met his beautiful wife and fellow Texan, Samye Martino, and later completed a Master's degree in Educational Leadership at Indiana University. Dustin has trained and coached...

Dan Duckworth is a master changemaker and founder of The Crucible Life, a global community for changemakers who are learning to master the hidden forces that shape leadership, communities, and change. He's the host of The Purpose Workshop and author of Stop Asking Why, a little book that answers life's biggest question in a surprising way. Dan is serves on the board of directors and is a frequent...

Rachel Wagner has served as the Beehive class president, Mia Maid 2nd counselor, stake youth council representative, and seminary council president. She enjoys composing uplifting music, baking and decorating cakes, dancing, playing soccer, and being with friends and family. Rachel is also excited to continue to help others come unto Christ by serving in the Benin Cotonou mission this fall. Highli...

Mike Houghtaling was raised in Bellevue, Washington, and Raleigh, North Carolina, and served in the Argentina Cordoba mission. Since entering recovery, he has served as a bishop's counselor, a high councilor, and is currently serving as the bishop of the Fayetteville Georgia YSA Ward. He worked for the Federal Aviation Administration for 37 years, most of those as an air traffic controller, retiri...

Jordan Romans served in the Australia Brisbane mission and graduated from BYU with a BA in English. He holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Phoenix and is the founder and managing director of JLR Creative & Consulting, with 15+ years in sales, marketing, training, and management roles in the medical and aesthetic sales industry. He is currently serving as a bishop in the Beaver Creek W...

Mitchell’s first book, Perfect in Christ: The Good News of God’s Grace, was published when he was seventeen years old. Mitchell graduated high school in 2021 and has been accepted to attend BYU-Idaho in the fall. He plans to serve a full time mission at the start of 2022. Mitchell has been homeschooled since the third grade but played soccer on the Rigby High School team. During his senior soccer...