Tribe of Testimonies

It's time!

Woohoo! We made it to 200 episodes! I couldn't be happier with all the support and love shown over the past four years.  In this episode, I have invited four of my former guests to share hang out with me and talk about the Book of Mormon. We talk about how we first got our testimony of the Book of Mormon, some special experiences we've had, some questions we've had answered, and wha...

Dee was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was eight years old. Ever since then, she has looked for and found purpose in maintaining that membership. She has been so grateful to missionaries from her youth and missionaries she has served alongside as an adult. She reminds us of the story of the "dirty little Irish kid" and how she relates to...

We talked multiple times about how each of us walk with Jesus Christ *individually*. Our life stories are all different. But they should all draw us closer to our Savior Jesus Christ and to our Heavenly Father. Shon shares about how he has drawn so close to his ancestors and has had his own testimony strengthened by their lives. That, to me, is why family history is so power. It gives us strength...

It was such a privilege to have Jenae Nelson come to my home. Jenae is a professor of psychology, so our conversation was definitely unique. Some of the best parts included her analogy of trying to expand our vision and see things like bees' eyes do. Are we looking through a tunnel, or are we looking with compound vision? There is always room to expand our vision. Another thing that really st...

Creativity is a gift of the Spirit. Teaching is another gift of the Spirit. Being able to make connections between concepts is a gift of the Spirit. Michele has been blessed with these gifts and a myriad of others. She uses these gifts in all aspects of her life--especially in parenting and serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Michele begins this conversation with sharing ab...

I think artists look more carefully at the world around them. They see the beauty in landscapes, people, and experiences more clearly. Or with more reverence and appreciation for them. Leo Platero is awesome like that. He chose to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just like an artist purposely chooses colors to get a desired result, Leo has made decisions that have made his lif...

In this episode, Shiloh talks about all the blessings he has found by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He sums up how his life has changed and how he is implementing the Gospel in his daily and weekly routines. He bears testimony again and again of the goodness of the Savior Jesus Christ.  I hope if you haven't yet listened to the first two episodes, that you will now go back and listen to...

In this episode, Shiloh shares about how out of hand his addictions become. It spills into his family life big time. He shares, too, about how he didn't want to be there in the situation. He realizes how addiction has become an actual problem for not only himself but those around him. And then he shares about being ALONE. More empty and alone than he had ever, ever been. And then LIGHT happen...

In this episode, Shiloh talks about how he fondly first encountered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He doesn't talk about a firm testimony of the Gospel, however, because he was only in it superficially. He talks about how his first wife was so kind to him, as was her family. He saw how a family who lives the Gospel looks and acts. But eventually, he ended up back on the outs...

Way back when I was an undergraduate student, Kristina and I danced together in a performing group. I admired her then. She's become an even more wonderful woman in the years since then. Her heart is with her Savior, her husband, her family, and those she serves in her community. She is a mother of five children, and a teacher to many. But she's humble enough to learn from everyone aroun...

As a recent convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jon has found so many things that align between our teachings and practices and that of his Makah heritage. Especially the Potlatch. As he learns more about both, he wishes that his people could see that value in each. He feels like the traditional potlatch is going away--and wishes that he knew how to revive it. But he also s...

When Sonny returned from his mission, he wooed and married a good, strong woman. Sonny tried taking care of his body through exercise and weights--but that ended up in disaster. Of course, taking care of your body is good and healthy. But when Sonny got hurt lifting weights one day, the physician who should have been watching out and caring for Sonny gave bad advice and an addictive prescription....

Sonny LaFontaine was loved as a child. He was raised by two loving parents and extended family. He had a particular affinity towards his maternal grandmother (Navajo). He learned through her passing, that Heavenly Father was aware of him and that the Plan we so often talk about as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. Sonny is also a natural-born leader. This is a ble...

Life is not easy. It's not supposed to be. And some of the challenges we bring upon ourselves. Valerie has had challenges in her life that were from other people's decision. And she has also taken challenges, like major hikes. She is planning on hiking Mount Everest someday soon. How amazing will that be!?! She loves to volunteer. It adds to her simple life. She volunteers her talents, l...

There is a part in this conversation when Maribeth talks about her time in the temple. She said that the temple became more precious to her through the following steps: (1) Just going. Just being there. Giving it time. (2) Listening to the ordinances. She said that it didn't make sense to her at first. But she listened anyway. (3) Then she started memorizing the ordinances. They became someth...

Heavenly Father prepares us for different things. Harriet Whitmer was prepared for her educational career here and there. And then she was blessed by being willing to step into the Indian Education program in her community. She loved learning the children. She loved learning the people. She loved learning the history. She loved learning how things connected in her life. She was blessed by temple a...

Recently we read and talked about the Stripling Warriors in the war chapters in the book of Alma. We talked about the parents, actually, more than the youth. Why? Because the parents were the ones that we are more like right now. We have the youth--but we're the parents. Bartley Harris talked about his sacred roles of husband and father and how those are so precious to him because his family...

It is definitely interesting how some people come to the careers that they do. I read a book by one of my MPA professors who described that process--it isn't a straight line. Gordon Limb's career has not followed a "straight line." But he has been led to do what he does now. During our conversation, he talks about how he's so grateful for the matriarchs in his line who hav...

The honesty and pure testimony that Gayle shares in this episode is real and powerful. She just talks about her relationships with family and how God has always been a part of those relationships. She talks about how she has used prayer for personal strength and to bless the lives of those she loves and served. Gayle talks matter-of-factly about how having the Holy Ghost in your life with strength...

Some people have incredibly fascinating stories. Tolani's story is fascinating. She started life without a birth certificate. She's ending life with multiple graduate degrees. There's a moment when she talks about how she's not always made the most perfect decisions--but has used the Atonement of Jesus Christ and second chances to refocus and redirect. I love that. I love that...

Oh. My. Goodness! Nancy Bear Cloud is beaming! I'm the luckiest because I got to watch her face and eyes as she described her life and testified of Jesus Christ and the blessings found in the temple. She tells here about her life, about how it wasn't always rosy. She talks about trials of faith and of learning how to let go of past hurts and look for the lessons. She tells of praying ove...

In so many ways, DaNae feels like a sister to me. We both grew up so loved by both sides of our families, but yet there was a cultural disconnect. Not an intentional or harmful disconnect, but more situational. At BYU, DaNae started looking more into who she was as a whole person, and that included spending time with relatives she had really only just spent holiday time with. Now she embraces more...

A while back, my great aunt sent me the names of two people she thought would be amazing guests. Well, finally, someone else convinced Brother Macdonald that he needed to share his testimony more often and more boldly. Doug said things during this conversation that had me really thinking--like about the last days before Christ returns to the land. Like about the purposes of the Indian Placement Pr...

As I'm always keeping an eye out for possible guests, I was shocked to find out we had a gubernatorial candidate who fits this podcast! Sylvia was so kind and interesting to visit with. She's smart and quick. She's well-spoken and thoughtful. It was nice to bask in the truths she was sharing about people, the Gospel, and common sense. It was fun to listen to her describe her Taberna...