Mission Stories

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn sits down with Thomas Harris , a missionary preparing to serve in Santiago, Chile , to discuss the vital transition from a "halted" or lukewarm state to a 10/10 commitment. The conversation centers on Principle One: Agency and Principle Two: Revelation , exploring how a young man move beyond spiritual stagnation by m...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mission Stories , Shawn sits down with Nick Spear , who served a unique and challenging mission "laboring in the country of Kazakhstan under the direction of the Russia Yekaterinburg Mission". Nick’s experience is a profound example of Principle One: Agency and Principle Three: An Open Mouth Finds Listeners , demonstrating how a missionary can thrive e...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mission Stories , Shawn sits down with Nick Smithson , who recently returned from serving in the Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission . Nick’s journey is a profound masterclass in moving from a state of hesitation and "cognitive-only" belief to a life governed by clear, personal revelation and intentional action. The conversation explores how a young m...

Send us Fan Mail Sister Lauren Allred recently returned from serving in Puebla, Mexico, carrying a fire that only comes from a deep, personal encounter with the Savior. In this episode, Shawn and Lauren explore the transition from being a "good kid" who simply "tows the line" to becoming a consecrated disciple who understands that repentance is the greatest gift available to ev...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mission Stories , Shawn welcomes Brady Hoggan , who recently returned from serving in the England Manchester Mission (2024–2026). The conversation explores the vital transition from possessing a "head knowledge" of the gospel to achieving a deep, internalized conversion through action. Brady illustrates through his experiences that while a primary-leve...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Shawn sits down with Sister Mackenzie Pyatt , who is currently in the home MTC preparing to serve in the Calgary, Canada Mission. Her story is a powerful testament to the transition from a passive, cultural "lukewarm" faith to a consecrated, "hot" discipleship rooted in personal revelation and a mighty change of heart. Mackenzie candidly shares...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mission Stories, Shawn is joined by AJ Luekenga , who served in the Bolivia Cochabamba Mission. The conversation centers on a powerful mental shift required for every missionary: graduating from the passive feeling of "I have two years to sacrifice" to the urgent, active realization of "I only have two years to sprint". AJ shares how moving f...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn welcomes Carson Brown , a recently returned missionary who served in the North Dakota Bismarck Mission . Carson shares a powerful, vulnerable account of his journey from a cultural, passive "lukewarm" faith to a consecrated, "hot" discipleship forged in what he calls the "refiner’s fire". Through...

Send us Fan Mail Sam Warner, a musician and skater from Encinitas, California, joins Shawn to reflect on the spiritual stretching he experienced while serving in the slums and favelas of São Paulo, Brazil. The core theme of this episode explores the transition from a "lukewarm" or "casual" faith to a "careful," intentional life of discipleship that invites constant re...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mission Stories , Shawn is joined by Sister Anna Gray , who recently returned from serving in the Mexico City North Mission . Anna shares how a mission transformed her from a "routine" churchgoer into a disciple who is truly "on fire" for the gospel. The conversation centers on the profound power of the sacrament and the reality of the Atonem...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn welcomes Megan Roberts Thomas , who served in the Trujillo Peru Mission . Once a self-described "punk kid," Megan shares her transformation into an ambitious and consecrated disciple who learned to see the hand of God in the smallest details of missionary life. The conversation centers on the shift from a "lukew...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn welcomes his best friend of 35 years, Trent Stock , to share a story decades in the making. While many episodes focus on recent returnees, this conversation dives deep into the "epic" journey of two lifelong friends preparing for their missions in the 1990s. The episode serves as a profound masterclass on Pr...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mission Stories , Shawn is joined by his long-time friend and former mission companion, Matt Miles . Having served together in Ukraine nearly 30 years ago, they reflect on the foundational principles that transformed their service from a mere duty into a life-defining spiritual labor. The discussion focuses on the transition from "lukewarm" participati...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn sits down with his nephew, Baden Record , and Baden’s fiancée, Brook O’Brien , to discuss their respective missions in California Arcadia and Minnesota Minneapolis . The conversation centers on transitioning from a "lukewarm," passive faith to an active, "hot" commitment to the Savior, illustrating how owni...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mission Stories , Shawn is joined by recently returned missionary Ashlyn Solano and her sister, co-host Laura Solano. Ashlyn, home just two weeks from the Australia Melbourne Mission, shares how the weight of a missionary’s identity is forged not by a plastic tag, but through the profound spiritual experiences that occur when a missionary learns to step aside an...

Send us Fan Mail

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn , guest Jamie Pyatt , and co-host Lauren explore the transformative power of Principle One: Choose Ye This Day and Principle Two: Revelation Leads to Conversion . Jamie, who served in both Honduras and Texas, shares a gripping narrative of moving from a state of resistance to becoming a consecrated disciple of Christ. The &quo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mission Stories podcast , shawn interviews his niece, Reese Wren , who recently returned from serving in the Chile South Mission . Reese describes her mission as a "magical" place characterized by German-influenced architecture, the constant smell of bread, and even penguins. While she is now "on fire" for the gospel, she candidly shares...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn sits down with Brynlee Brown , a BYU student from Carlsbad who is preparing to serve in the Bahía Blanca Argentina Mission . The conversation dives deep into the heart of missionary motivation, specifically exploring the power of actively choosing to serve versus simply being told to go. The "Why" Behind the Mission...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn and co-host Lauren are joined by Jack Eliason , a recently returned missionary who served in Las Vegas, and Shawn’s son, Evan. The discussion centers on the profound spiritual transition from the "natural man"—who is inherently focused inward and selfish—to a disciple of Christ who has forgotten themselves i...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn interviews Laura Neuhaus , a BYU student who recently returned from serving in the Curitiba, Brazil Mission . Shawn highlights that while Laura served in a relatively affluent area, her success came from her humility and her disciplined application of gospel principles. Throughout the episode, Shawn connects Laura’s extraordin...

Send us Fan Mail In this Part 2 episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn welcomes back Sister Kirra Eddington to discuss her service in the Texas Dallas South Mission . While the previous episode focused on her pre-mission conversion through repentance, this episode explores how that spiritual foundation sustained her through tragedy and fueled her success as a missionary. A Prophetic Warnin...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of the Mission Stories podcast features Shawn hosting two "Gen Z" guests, Izzi (16) and Lara (17), who have attended his mission prep classes for several years. Shawn affectionately labels them "punk rockers" because they rebel against the Southern California cultural norms of partying and vanity. Instead, they choose to read the Book of Mormon and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mission Stories podcast , Shawn and co-host Lauren welcome Carson Campbell , a returned missionary who served in the England Birmingham mission . The conversation focuses on Principle Two: Revelation Leads to Conversion , with a specific emphasis on how to define and recognize the Holy Ghost. The "Brick" of Revelation The episode centers on Carson’...

Send us Fan Mail This episode of the Mission Stories podcast features Shawn and guest Sister Kirra Eddington, who recently returned from serving in the Dallas, Texas mission . The conversation focuses on Principle Two: Revelation leads to conversion , specifically highlighting repentance not as a shameful burden, but as the "greatest gift" and a source of pure joy. The "Lukewarm&quo...