Leading Saints Podcast

Jason Hunt has a PhD in endocrine physiology and teaches pre-med classes at Brigham Young University-Idaho. He is currently serving as a young single adult bishop and has previously served in a stake presidency and a bishopric. Highlights 7:15 Culture and rules are not doctrinal 9:20 Keyholder applications are different from personal applications 11:00 Elder Bednar’s concept of applications: Doctrines are statements. Principles are embedded in the doctrines and tell us what we should do. They never change. Applications change. 14:50 Keyholder applications hold true when the keyholder is saying them and would apply to those who are within their responsibility, and they do not extend beyond 18:10 Cultural norms are applications that have extended beyond their boundaries 19:00 How you view these cultural norms depends on your personal moral theory. The most common are: * Consequential theorist: consequences * Obligation theorist: rules * Divine theorist: what God has said * Egoist: personal priorities 25:00 The best leadership should be able to move between these theories 27:30 When you understand these moral frameworks, how different people respond to the culture makes more sense. Cognitive development also applies. 30:30 Jason’s experience considering the story of Noah 34:30 It’s important to be open and talk about things, even if you don’t have the answers 36:30 Stephen R. Covey: Listen with the intent to understand, not to answer 39:30 Pornography, brain addiction science, and the bladder comparison. Identify the justifications. Ensure they trust and are comfortable and willing to share. 44:00 The response depends again on the personal moral theories of everyone involved 47:00 The Holy Ghost knows what needs to happen and we can be open to that and understand that there can be different consequences for different people 47:40 Have empathy for people with different moral theories and respect them for their approach 49:00 The divine command theorist must be doctrinally grounded or there can be misapplication within the culture. Examples that happen in a YSA ward. 53:20 Egoism: put the mask on first 55:30 When you are working with a leader who is coming from a different moral framework there will be friction and it requires greater empathy. We have to learn to step into different quadrants and embrace the differences of opinion 58:45 A mission is not a saving ordinance. The temple is the culminating event with the saving ordinances and that is where the focus needs to be. 1:00:10 Jason’s motorcycle example compared to technology use: youth do not have the ability to utilize their agency, so they need stages of responsibility Links Series of books by David A. Bednar: Increase in Learning - Spiritual Patterns for Obtaining Your Own Answers Act in Doctrine - Spiritual Patterns for Turning from Self to the Savior Power to Become - Spiritual Patterns for Pressing Forward with a Steadfastness in Christ

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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 involved with Seminaries and Institutes for 15 years. He is a favorite attraction teaching at BYU Education Week for many interested in learning about the temple experience.   Mark Mathews Highlights 2:50: Mark’s recent BYU Education Week presentation was on the temple, motivating Leading Saints to have a podcast on how best leaders can prepare members to attend the temple for the first time. How does Mark as a bishop help members have a positive first-time experience? 5:00: Members have a natural desire to better understand the temple. Early chapters in the Book of Moses are an excellent template and place to start when studying the endowment ceremony. 6:45: Experiencing the endowment by viewing the video combined with the attendance of the Holy Ghost is akin to having a vision. Joseph Smith did the same for the early saints when the endowment ceremony was acted out. 7:45: The “practical” approach of reviewing the worthiness standard, explaining what can be shared about temple clothing, is still very vague. 8:33: Elder Bednar’s talk Seek Learning by Faith: “The most important learnings of life are caught—not taught.” Speaking at or telling people what to do or how to prepare may not be fully absorbed. Providing members with materials that they can read over time and with the attendance of the Holy Ghost is far more effective in helping them “catch” and discover truth for themselves. See “Links” section below. 10:30: How we can better understand what leaders can say about the temple. 13:08: Quoting Elder Bednar: “Two basic guidelines can help us achieve the proper understanding emphasized by President Benson. “Guideline #1. Because we love the Lord, we always should speak about His holy house with reverence. We should not disclose or describe the special symbols associated with the covenants we receive in sacred temple ceremonies. Neither should we discuss the holy information that we specifically promise in the temple not to reveal. “Guideline #2. The temple is the house of the Lord. Everything in the temple points us to our Savior, Jesus Christ. We may discuss the basic purposes of and the doctrine and principles associated with temple ordinances and covenants.” 14:40: Preventing members from feeling uncomfortable about temple worship after their initial experience. Help members understand that “the ultimate purpose of the temple endowment is to bring us into the presence of God.” 19:37: How to come into the presence of God: one must be prepared through ancient ritual, instruction, and covenant--all of which are part of the endowment ceremony. Washing and anointing Symbolism of “pouring” Temple garments and other sacerdotal vestments Covenants Law of Obedience Law of Sacrifice Law of Gospel Law of Chastity Law of Consecration 24:39: Covenants provide us with “clean hands and a pure heart”; members are now ready for instruction. Creation Fall Atonement 25:40: Study the Book of Moses. 27:15: A focus on the law of consecration: one big misunderstandings that many Latter-day Saints have: the law of consecration is much broader than the United Order: tithing, time, means, generous fast offerings, responding to church callings and assignments. 30:35: More on the covenants we make. 32:23: How members experience the Plan of Salvation through the endowment ceremony, supported again by the pillars of Creation, Fall, and Atonement.

Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander, an emeritus general authority seventy since 2008, is presently a traveling patriarch in the Baltic region. Of Swiss heritage, he was born and raised in Utah, living in both Salt Lake City and Ogden. As a youth he was active in the church’s sports, music and speech activities and served a 30-month mission in Finland from 1959-1962. As a full-time missionary he was assigned to teach Finnish to fellow missionaries during much of his mission. Following missionary service, and without any defined career plans, Elder Neuenschwander earned degrees at Weber State and Brigham Young University. Subsequently he obtained masters and PhD degrees in Russian and Russian literature from Syracuse University in New York. He became a visiting professor at the University of Utah and BYU (one year each) before accepting full-time employment with what is now called the Family History Department of the Church. The latter employment required living abroad and involved the acquisition of genealogical documents in Eastern European countries by working with Catholic and Protestant archivists and religious officials. He was then called to serve as a mission president of the newly formed Austria Vienna East Mission before serving as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy and then the First Quorum of Seventy. As a seventy, Elder Neuenschwander served as president of the Europe East Area and as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. As a traveling patriarch he makes quarterly trips to the Baltic region, giving sometimes as many as four or five patriarchal blessings per day. He and the late LeAnn (Clement) raised four children. Highlights 11:00 Leadership patterns. Having never served in a bishopric, stake presidency or elder’s quorum presidency, where was he to turn? 12:45 Professional work in Eastern Europe; presentation to Russian Embassy in D.C. Five years abroad. 16:00 Called as mission president in Eastern Europe, 1987. Lived in Vienna but his responsibilities were in Poland, Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Cyprus and Czechoslovakia. What the Church was like at that time of communist rule. Traveling “light.” 20:35 Family life living in Europe with children prior to mission president calling. 22:25 Called to serve as mission president by Elder Russell M. Nelson. Five weeks to prepare. By then he had been living or traveling in the region for 13 years on professional assignments. 27:00 His missionary force initially included 12 elders and a dozen couples. The challenge to form relationships of trust with local governments to permit a growing church presence. Elders Russell M. Nelson and Hans B. Ringer had laid the groundwork. These were years (1987-1991) of tremendous change in Eastern Europe including the falling of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 29:45 Establishing a pattern of church development that would stand the test of time—the pattern of the priesthood. Many people who were not members began attending church. Insisting on speaking the language of the country. Organizing missionary zones and church branches in geographically large area. Structure vs. autonomy. 36:45 Being empowered to solve problems. A significant priesthood principle is taught by Elder Ringer re: the overwhelming challenge of having few laws to facilitate rental of properties, visas, missionary travel, getting money and materials to missionaries, etc. “President, we sent you there to solve those problems, not to complain about them.” 44:00 “Brethren, we are builders of the Kingdom, not its caretakers.” (Elder Carlos Asay) By the end of 1990 various independent missions had been created out of his mission and President Neuenschwander was left with Yugoslavia and 12 missionaries. In Oct. 1990 missionaries were placed in the Ukraine, then Bulgaria and Romania. Served four years as mission president until his miss...

Robert Millet, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and professor of ancient scripture and emeritus Dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University. Author of 76 published works, he has been involved in BYU Education Week for many years and is well-known as a commentator on the BYUTV Scripture Discussions program. He is also Manager of Outreach and Interfaith Relations for the LDS Church’s Public Affairs Department. Brother Millet's most recent book is The Holy Spirit: His Identity, Mission and Ministry. His decision to write about this topic is related to his fascination with the work of The Holy Spirit. It is so frequently referred to and discussed, but we might not appreciate all that it is. Highlights 3:00 Strategy for covering topics: he makes a list and works on it daily, narrowing it down over a period of weeks/months to develop the book. Work on prophetic statements that relate and continue narrowing the information. Also asking “what experiences have I had with this”. He wanted to cover the topics of sons of perdition, the light of Christ, and God's power. 13:00 How, as leaders, can we have a better understanding of the Holy Spirit: having it, losing it, etc. 13:47 What does it mean to “lose the Holy Ghost”? We lose feeling, we withdraw ourselves. You can’t take a vacation from the Spirit – you can’t sit still; you either fall back or move forward 19:45 The Holy Ghost “strives with us”. It “battles with us”. There will always be an element of the Spirit to help you; you can’t “lose it”. All people can have the Spirit. They may not have the gift of the Holy Ghost that comes from baptism, but they certainly can have the Spirit and inspiration. 25:40 How do you know when a sin is forgiven? Study Mosiah 4:1-3 (joy, peace of conscience, larger measure of the Spirit). “Just don’t do things that are offending to the Spirit.” 28:40 Where is “grace” in the doctrine? The Holy Ghost is an act of God's grace to us. We can put ourselves in a position to receive that gift by our actions. “The sun doesn’t stop shining just because I put a bag over my head, it continues to shine”. It is the same with God; He loves us through everything. 32:30 Justification and Sanctification 44:10 Be cautious about “I feel impressed that…” It is good to teach what you feel, but if you announce that it came from the Spirit, it comes across as boastful. 45:35 How about church callings and the Spirit? If you pray to start a meeting and pray for the Spirit to guide decisions, you don’t need to kneel individually about all decisions. As we strive to live our lives to keep the Spirit with us, we will see that the Holy Ghost has been guiding us in all decisions and shaped our lives. Those decisions were inspired, and hopefully good judgement. We don’t need to pray over every decision. “The spirit prepares us today for decisions we have to make in the future.” 53:00 Joseph McConkie story about calling Stake Presidents: The Lord fits us to our assignments. “God honors the servant”. Difference of being called “by God” or “of God”. 55:00 Final story related again to his friend Joseph McConkie, prior to him leaving to Scotland as a Mission President. Asked him if he had read everything and felt prepared. “What do you think?” He said, “What could cause us not to worry about 63 rules? I will teach my missionaries this: never do anything that would cost you the influence of the Holy Spirit.” That is a great standard to live by. Callings in the Church are not to be superheroes but to live in the way to be directed by the Holy Spirit. It is a solemn responsibility. Mosiah 26: Alma “feared that he would not do right”. As leaders we need to strive to do that. Links

Davis Smith is the founder-CEO of Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand based in Salt Lake City, Utah with a social mission at its core.  Cotopaxi focuses on using the power of business as a force for social, environmental, and economic good.  Davis is a serial e-commerce entrepreneur, having started and sold several businesses. His father worked for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Latin America and Davis grew up there.  He served a church mission to Bolivia, is married with 4 children, and currently serves in a Stake Presidency. Highlights 5:40 What is Cotopaxi 6:35 Davis Smith's childhood in Latin America 10:55 His faith development and church mission to Bolivia 15:20 After his mission 16:25 Being inspired by entrepreneur Steve Gibson 18:55 His first business in Brazil 20:00 Where Cotopaxi began 22:40 The social mission of Cotopaxi 27:15 How can we in church leadership find our missions and carry them out? 31:10 How to help others that don't see the vision of our mission 32:20 Leadership practices of a good leader 35:00 When you care about people, they are open to feedback 37:05 Culture in leadership: defining core values and traditions 41:15 "When we look outside ourselves we're able to connect with God" 42:40 Experience in a Stake Presidency 44:45 How to help those that have faith that has been challenged and changed 46:20 Compassionate leadership Links Radical Candor, by Kim Scott Cotopaxi.com Instagram: @davismsmith

Barbara Morgan Gardner is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University, and the author of The Priesthood Power of Women. Her research interests focus primarily on women in religious leadership, international education, and religious pedagogy. She holds a master's degree in educational leadership and foundations and a PhD in instructional psychology, and did post-doctoral work at Harvard University. Barbara was institute director in Boston, Massachusetts, serving more than 100 universities and colleges in the area and acting as chaplain at Harvard and MIT. She continues to serve as the chaplain-at-large in higher education for The Church, and on the BYU Interfaith Outreach Council. She and her husband, Dustin Gardner, live in Highland, Utah. Highlights 05:40 - Why was the book written: to help women and understand what priesthood is 09:25 - Barbara realized that many members and leaders didn’t separate the hierarchical structure of the priesthood and the patriarchal structure of the priesthood. She wanted to help women to understand the prophet has been asking us to learn more about the priesthood. 10:00 - Barbara became more frustrated with women who are not interested in learning about the priesthood than those who are and who may even be unhappy. 11:45 - Is this information on the priesthood power of women new, or would someone historical like David O.McKay be aware of it? 13:00 - Are we shoehorning this doctrine into today’s culture because more women are asking questions? 14:45 - Russell M. Nelson has been asking women to study and know this doctrine. 16:50 - What is the difference between the hierarchical and patriarchal structure of the priesthood? 19:10 - Why don’t we talk about the patriarchal structure of the priesthood? 21:05 - Elder and Sister Renlund’s notions of Big Earth and Little Earth priesthood ties in 23:40 - What are priesthood keys and who holds priesthood keys? 28:50 - How are keys different relating to the hierarchical and patriarchal priesthoods? Who is “in charge” in a family? What does presiding mean in a family vs the church structure? Who has keys in a temple? In a mission? 38:55 - What does it mean that keys will be revealed? 39:20 - General priesthood keys vs keys of presiding 41:15 - What priesthood keys do women have? 43:10 - What can a key holder do in a ward to highlight and enable the priesthood power and authority of women? 48:20 - List of questions that are found in the book 49:30 - Who outranks whom when men and women have disagreements at church? 50:35 - Someone has to preside, right? 53:00 - One way priesthood holders diminish authority of women in their homes 55:00 - How can we better understand and improve the revelatory process of submitting names for callings? 1:02:10 - Women of this time have been prophesied about 1:03:00 - It’s never a competition. Men can do more in partnership with women to save souls than they could alone. Links The Priesthood Power of Women: In the Temple, Church, and Family, by Barbara Morgan Gardner

In this podcast, Kurt interviews Mary Alice Hatch, who is serving as the Relief Society President in her California ward, and Søs Gram, who is serving as a Stake Relief Society President in Germany. Sister Mary Alice Hatch Mary Alice Hatch lives in San Clemente, California. She is originally from Potomac, Maryland, a mother of two, has previously served as a Young Women's president, twice in Relief Society presidencies and in a stake Relief Society presidency, and also serves as a temple worker. She co-hosts the What Now Podcast, addressing cultural stigmas surrounding topics in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in an effort to create more understanding, hope and healing. 9:00 Her son’s mission story and how that experience led to starting a podcast 16:25 Where the podcast has gone from there 22:00 Leaning on the Lord as a Relief Society President: confirmation and motivation that this was the right thing and the Lord would sustain her, and felt she needed to be even more thoughtful when choosing her counselors Principles: * 26:40 Delegation and empowerment: Allows her counselors to do what they want and need to do for meetings and other tasks without her direction or input; ask questions instead of commanding change when something seems questionable * 30:30 Maintaining composure: Others will mirror how you are behaving, so if there’s a crisis it’s important not to panic (and to have a sense of humor) * 33:30 Staying humble and going to the Lord: makes you more receptive and in tune with the Spirit 36:20 Mix of different people in her ward, including military wives. Created walking groups of women on the military base and weekly at the beach, a monthly birthday social, a cooking class, and a writing group. 42:15 Ministering interviews: split up between her and her counselors, meet with the same people every quarter, and make sure they connect Sister Søs Gram Søs Gram was born and raised in Denmark, and moved to Frankfurt, Germany, for her husband's job with the translation department of the Church about 20 years ago. She is a language teacher, teaching English and Danish, and has previously served as a ward Relief Society President. 48:10 Attended an international ward for many years, and are now in a German branch in Frankfurt. There are 14 stakes and 3 missions in Germany. Her farthest unit is about 90 minutes away by car. 50:15 Frankfurt temple reopening soon and Elder Uchtdorf will be there for the rededication 51:25 Her call as a stake Relief Society President came as a surprise following many years in music callings Principles: * 54:20 Counseling with stake president as well as counselors: maintains an open conversation with the stake president, participation in community activity, sitting on the stand at stake conference, working as a team with her counselors and the high council * 1:00:10 Delegation: ask others to return and report, and to do things their own way * 1:01:40 Enabling: Give others opportunities to do things that may be difficult, but will stretch them 1:02:15 Ministering is a real challenge with the travel involved. One ward had an all-day ministering interview plan, another uses WhatsApp. 1:07:00 Ministering interviews involved some ministering to the sisters in the interview, taking notes to refer to next time 1:08:45 Presidency meetings work better for them to meet in person, and they use WhatsApp for daily communication 1:11:30 Arranging temple trips for the sisters in the stake while the Frankfurt temple has been closed Links What Now Podcast on iTunes and

Tanya Bennion is a mother and graphic designer/web developer, and enjoys photography and travel. She grew up in Wyoming, served a mission in Fukuoka, Japan, and attended school at the University of Wyoming, BYU, and American University. Tanya and her first husband, Bailey, were married just over two years before he passed away. She and her second husband, Jeff, have one son and live in the Salt Lake City area. Highlights 06:45 Whirlwind romance; met and married Bailey in six months 07:45 He was a convert and they married in the Timpanogos temple 09:30 Six weeks into the marriage, they found a lump on his neck and he had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She knew she would be a widow soon. 11:00 Rollercoaster of medical problems during their short marriage, and he died shortly after being declared clear of cancer, two years three months into their marriage; she was 25 13:25 Experience finding him at home 16:40 He was her knight in shining armor, and she had to pick up the pieces 17:30 Grief group was run by nuns, for women 65 and younger, and no one in the group understood her experience, but she found that it was still very helpful for her because she was talking about it. Stayed for a year to reduce potential for additional trauma. 20:00 Social relationships changed because of the uncomfortable circumstances, but her visiting teachers were her rock and one young girl at church sat with her every week; any conversation is good and better than ignoring 23:00 Men can be sealed to multiple wives while they are living, but women can only be sealed to one man while living. This is difficult for young widows because young men don’t want to date and marry someone who is already sealed to someone else. 24:45 Her advice: Talk about it every chance you can because that is how you will heal 25:30 Created a support group for young Latter-day Saint widows without children, and began serving at the Washington, D.C. temple 29:30 Dating: almost everyone lost interest as soon as they learned she was sealed to someone else. How our religious culture plays into this and what it really means. 35:05 Difficulty because there are no resources for young widows in the Church, and some policies are roadblocks despite no problems with worthiness; she has always had to teach her leaders how to deal with it because they don’t know how it all works 39:30 You are not denied any blessings or temple blessings; if you’re not sealed in this lifetime you can be sealed after, and God is just; the gospel is all faith-based and we need to believe that everything works into God’s plan 42:00 Worries as she is considering breaking the first sealing because of concerns for Bailey’s place in the sealing; understanding that sealing is both horizontal and vertical 44:15 Thoughts and feelings of disloyalty when facing breaking the sealing, but understanding that everything can be fixed 49:00 What sealing and being born in the covenant really means; avoiding the spiritual calculus when you understand how it works 55:00 The process of breaking sealings has wrinkles for widows because it is designed around sealing cancellations with divorce; be aware of the process and sensitive to its likely effects on the widow 1:06:45 Being patient and sensitive to the issue within a marriage 1:09:20 You can find support groups online and network to find support 1:11:00 How this experience has strengthened her testimony of Jesus Christ

Reverend France A. Davis has been the pastor at the Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, since 1974. He was born and raised in Georgia and attended school at Tuskegee University in Alabama, during which time he participated in marches with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He then served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War era and later came to Salt Lake City as a teaching fellow in the Communications Department at the University of Utah. Highlights 08:00 His mentors all held the conviction that it is not enough to believe, but that you have to take action to make it a reality. They took the Bible as their guide and sought to change laws so that people were treated fairly and not mistreated due to skin color or place of origin. He has continued to do that in our community, working to make it better for everyone who might be treated unfairly. 11:15 Felt the call from God to become a leader at a young age, and was prepared when the time came and the actual call came to serve 15:30 Explanation of the process taking place now, looking for a new pastor to replace him 18:30 The process of becoming a part of the Calvary Baptist congregation 20:20 His early experience and some of the service programs the Calvary Baptist Church has worked on with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 24:15 All people need to realize that there are other people who are different, and to appreciate those differences in the religious setting. The leaders of whatever the dominant group is need to make efforts to include those people who are not part of that dominant group. 28:10 Some benefits and the more obvious negatives to having the Church so dominant in Utah 31:20 Reaching out means getting to know people and interacting with them, appreciating differences and working together, and does not mean having a hidden agenda of proselyting 35:35 The legislative process should also involve input from leaders from a diverse community and not from simply the dominant culture 37:45 Principles of leadership: Start with formal training and learning leadership * Everyone has something to say and the leader needs to listen to them * To be an effective leader, you must first be a good follower * Be willing to sacrifice your selfish wishes for the benefit of the total community * Have a vision for how to accomplish what you want to see in the community 39:30 Listen first before pronouncing your opinion 40:35 Every pastor needs a pastor, and in different settings you are a leader or a follower 42:00 Experience interviewing elderly church members who wanted a wheelchair ramp, but the congregation shot it down. He learned to talk to more people first so that everyone’s opinion is heard and they have a buy-in. 44:25 Vision is constantly changing, pointing the people forward to what they want to see happen in the future 46:40 How confession is handled between individuals and God 48:00 Spiritual counseling and financial or secular counseling handled separately 50:45 Being a full-time pastor means dealing with the people full-time 51:40 Worship services at the Calvary Baptist Church for those who wish to visit and worship 52:35 Leading a congregation for 45 years has helped him understand that he cannot do it alone Links Calvary Baptist Church

In this episode, Leading Saints Executive Director, Kurt Francom, shares his closing session from the Liberating Saints Virtual Summit. He approaches the subject of supporting and mentoring someone through a difficult struggle with pornography, from a doctrinal standpoint. Highlights 3:00 Approaching the topic from a doctrinal standpoint 4:20 Behaviors vs doctrine/heart 5:15 “The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. Preoccupation with unworthy behavior can lead to unworthy behavior. That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel.“—Boyd K. Packer 6:40 Change the heart, leading to a change in behavior 8:00 How Satan tempts us, catching us in our own traps by creating contention in our hearts (Doctrine & Covenants 10:12, 26, 63) * 11:10 Satan’s attack on our identity causes contention (Moses 4:11, Matthew 4:3) * 14:00 Setting our own trap (example from The Lion King) * 17:15 Steve’s story of overcoming addiction 19:40 Satan uses shame to alter identity * “As a shame researcher, I've learned that wherever perfectionism is driving us, shame is riding shotgun.”—Brene Brown * 22:20 “What does that say about you as a person?”—Sam Tielemans 23:15 The adversary’s work and glory is to destroy the agency of man. Shame leads to altered identity which leads to a lack of agency. 24:55 “I am an addict” * “No one wants to be defined by their hardest struggle, and so we have to find this really interesting space between owning it and identifying it but reject being labeled by it and reduced by it.”—Brene Brown * 27:00 Does this reduce or expand the individual’s identity? 29:50 Examples of Tom and Tim in the bishop’s office 33:10 A change of heart leads to good behavior * Offer hope * Explore doctrines (especially mercy and grace) * Admit you can’t “fix” them * Define the purpose of the behaviors (CPR: church, prayer, read scriptures) * Turn them towards their Father * Overwhelm them with connection 44:20 Story of James 47:45 Disappointment: another tactic of the adversary * The principal’s office, the dentist’s office, and the bishop’s office * 51:10 Contention created when we believe God is disappointed in us 52:30 Can God be disappointed? Can God be surprised? * Doctrine & Covenants 3:1-3 * Doctrine & Covenants 10:67 * “Repentance isn’t His backup plan in the event we might fail. Repentance is His plan, knowing that we will.”—Lynn G. Robbins 57:10 Example of learning to walk and falling down * “This shepherd, our Good Shepherd, finds joy in seeing His diseased sheep progress toward healing.”—Dale G. Renlund * “A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on himself. He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other.”—C.S. Lewis 1:01:15 Kurt’s scripture study shame cycle example: “You could _______ and I’d still love you.” 1:05:45 “The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”—C.S. Lewis 1:06:20 John 14:16 1:07:50 The Heart of Man movie clip: Think of the violin as commandments and covenants 1:10:10 If ye love me, hold on to my commandments * Abraham 3:26, Doctrine & Covenants 78:18 * Alma 33:16 * Romans 8:38-39 1:13:50 Luke 15:20 When he was yet a great way ...

Daniel Duckworth is a leadership professional. He works primarily as a transformational teacher to transform the leadership performance of executives and managers, and also as a transformational consultant to facilitate strategic execution of major change initiatives. He is affiliated with the University of Michigan Center for Positive Organizations. After a decade in Michigan, he returned to Utah, where he founded Crux Central, LLC in 2019 to facilitate his new mission to learn to make deep change accessible to the masses—not just to the executives. Highlights 07:00 Deep change for all: work experience is sucking the life out of people, and they can’t bring their best selves to their families and everything outside of work, such as church. His purpose is to help people get to the point where their work builds and motivates them instead of draining them. 09:30 Found these problems in Utah just as he had found everywhere else * We need to change * Utah doesn’t prioritize leadership development, despite a high-tech startup environment that claims to subscribe to a positive organizational culture * Nice guy syndrome: the ego shifts people’s true priorities and leads to poor leadership, micromanagement, and a negative cultural dynamic 18:40 Caring what other people think about you interferes with your ability to be a transformational leader 20:40 Church leadership creates subtle culture with hierarchy, but this is holding us back 22:35 Robert Quinn’s four strategies to change: * Telling * 24:30 Coercion * 27:45 Participation * 29:20 Transformation: transformational leadership lets go of control and focuses on building relationships while setting a vision and high standards 30:10 Example of the ward cleaning specialist: how can I get this person to do what I want them to do? Defeating assumptions that come with that question: * The task becomes more important than the relationship * There is one right way to complete that task, and it’s my way (church culture is the same everywhere: not a good thing) * If you don’t do it my way, there’s something wrong with you: people are problems 34:35 These assumptions limit your leadership and tools: let go of control and focus first on building a perfect relationship with the custodian * Get to that euphoric experience with the cleaning specialist first, and not from a hierarchical perspective: minister to the one and transform the relationship * Example of the ward and stake leaders cleaning the building before an apostle visits * This transformation is palpable and draws people in 42:15 Example from newsletter article of a phone call from the bishop/executive secretary * 46:30 Defies the culture and lets go of control * Jesus Christ defined transformational leadership * Trust in the personal line of revelation and the relationship * 50:35 Negative example of Relief Society President who was sent back seven times, and positive example of bishop and priest giving sacrament prayer with a speech impediment 54:00 Start with positive deviance: there are normal leadership behaviors that the culture enforces which reinforce mediocrity 57:00 The performance standard is the covenant path: we can both set that high expectation and also draw people in through transformational leadership 59:20 Break the cultural rules, not the commandments or the policies: peel back the cultural layers and look for opportunities to create a more powerful culture with better outcomes * Experiment, reflect, and learn: study how you can become better 1:04:00 Examples of individuals who created programs through posit...

Rob Eaton is originally from Auburn, Washington and now lives in Rexburg, Idaho, where he is an Associate Academic Vice President for Learning and Teaching and a member of the religious education faculty at BYU Idaho. Rob has served as an institute director and seminary teacher, a bishop, in a stake presidency, and as a mission president in the Washington, Federal Way mission, and previously oversaw Pathway and online learning at BYU Idaho. He also worked with President Hales and President Eyring on books they have written, and currently serves as a stake president for a YSA stake. Highlights 03:00 Work and service prior to his 2013 call as a mission president, and serving in his home mission where he lived for over 30 years 06:15 Change in the transition from mission president couple, modeled after what they taught their missionaries before they returned home from their missions 08:00 Asked missionaries to create their own “Work of Salvation plan” which they reviewed at an interview prior to their release: “Freelancing for God” 10:00 Keep your purpose in sight—God’s purpose should still be your purpose—and lean in to ministering to a smaller number of people 12:30 Actively look for and pray for those informal opportunities to be an instrument in the hands of God 14:30 Being quick to observe and to serve 18:25 Asking inspired questions and doing the Lord’s work at activities will open up opportunities for relationships and service 23:45 Two questions at dinner: What did you do for someone else today? and How often did you see the hand of the Lord in your life today? 24:50 “Holy boldness”: people will not likely change unless they are invited to do so, but questions can be catalysts to change and spiritual growth * Naturally-extended invitations stretch a little bit, but aren’t too uncomfortable and help instead of alienating * Doing those things outside of a calling is what we have covenanted to do 34:00 Introverts—those who are more naturally reserved—notice the subtle things. It is a strength, and while you may be stretched you will not be stretched too far. 38:15 Applying these principles while serving in a time-consuming calling such a bishop 43:45 Being mindful and intentional about looking for continued growth after being released from a demanding calling * Elder Hales quote: The quiet unnoticed corners of the kingdom * Family relationships * Following-up with people you served in previous callings * Look for ways to build ward unity Links David A. Bednar 2005 BYU Devotional, "Quick to Observe" Linda K. Burton 2012 conference talk, "First Observe , Then Serve" Richard G. Scott 2014 conference talk, "I Have Given You an Example"

Register for the Liberating Saints Virtual Summit Here This is a clip from the upcoming Liberating Saints Virtual Summit which begins on September 10, 2019. In this clip, you will hear Jonathan Daugherty who runs an organization called Be Broken Ministries. He is going to talk about how to stimulate healthy discussion about struggles with pornography in a church setting in order to stimulate healthy culture. To hear the full interview register for the Liberating Saints Virtual Summit

Register for the Liberating Saints Virtual Summit Here This is a clip from the upcoming Liberating Saints Virtual Summit which begins on September 10, 2019. In this clip, you will hear Geoff Streurer discuss the concept of patiently helping someone disclose their struggle with pornography and infidelity in order to help them effectively heal (and to help those around them heal as well). To hear the full interview register for the Liberating Saints Virtual Summit