Podcasts about elders quorum

What if your elders quorum could be completely transformed? One elders quorum president has a bold new vision that could reshape Latter-day Saint priesthood meetings, service efforts, and quorum unity. Hayden Holm, co-host of Salty Saints, and guest Daniel Ockey—an Elders Quorum president from Charlotte, North Carolina—shares an innovative approach to revitalizing the elders quorum experience. Daniel's bold new vision could reshape meetings, service efforts, and quorum unity, potentially changing ward culture, ministering, and priesthood responsibilities for the better. This is a rebroadcast of the original conversation from Salty Saints. Links Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Daniel shares his experiences in his newly formed ward, where he describes the challenges of leading a smaller elders quorum that lacked teachers and faced a diverse demographic, from new fathers to retirees. Daniel candidly reflects on his own disillusionment with traditional elders quorum meetings, which often felt unengaging and disconnected. Inspired by a Christian men's group he attended, he implemented a round-table format with snacks to foster socialization and brotherhood among the members. This approach encourages men to bond over food and engage in meaningful discussions, breaking away from the typical lecture-style meetings. Daniel also introduced anonymous surveys to identify the needs and challenges faced by the brethren, allowing for more relevant and impactful discussions during meetings. He shares examples of the types of questions raised, such as concerns about worthiness to take the sacrament and the struggle of helping children return to church. The episode emphasizes the importance of creating a welcoming and engaging environment in elders quorum, where members feel comfortable sharing their struggles and seeking support. Daniel's initiatives have led to increased attendance and participation, with even members from other wards joining in. He encourages other elders quorum presidencies to seek inspiration through prayer and to be open to change, ultimately aiming to create a more vibrant and supportive community within the church. 01:55 - Introduction to Salty Saints YouTube Channel 02:38 - Interview with Daniel Oki, Elders Quorum President 03:46 - Description of Daniel's Ward and Elders Quorum 05:05 - Discussion on the Demographics of the Ward 06:43 - Daniel's Experience with Elders Quorum 08:15 - Changing the Elders Quorum Experience 08:49 - Implementing Round Tables and Snacks 10:43 - Creating a Comfortable Social Environment 12:27 - Importance of Engaging Discussions 13:42 - Anonymous Surveys for Needs and Challenges 15:05 - Addressing Difficult Questions in Elders Quorum 16:15 - Moving Beyond Fluff in Lessons 17:15 - Utilizing Church Resources for Discussions 18:04 - Positive Changes in Elders Quorum Attendance 19:28 - Daniel's Approach to Leadership and Change 21:09 - Engagement and Feedback from the Relief Society 22:07 - Setting Up and Taking Down Tables 24:07 - Positive Reception from High Priests 25:12 - Sisters' Reactions to the Changes 26:09 - Advice for Elders Quorum Presidencies 29:34 - Encouragement for Elders Seeking Connection The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Kirby Heyborne,

Frank Schwartz is a husband—for nearly 24 years—and a father of three girls. He was recently released from his elders quorum presidency and has served in several bishoprics, elders quorum presidencies, high councils, high priest group leaderships and Young Men presidencies (back when those were a thing), and a variety of other callings over the years. Frank did undergraduate and graduate work in Psychology and worked in television before starting a small, boutique, corporate communications firm. Most recently he has worked for a client in the healthcare payments space. Frank joined F3 in 2014 and has served in the national leadership in different capacities prior to taking over as Nant'an/CEO last year. Links F3 Nation Warrior Heart retreats Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Frank shares his personal journey with F3, which began when he was encouraged by friends to join a workout group after facing health issues. He describes F3 as a community that not only promotes physical fitness but also fosters deep connections among men, encouraging them to support one another through challenges. The organization operates on five core principles: it is free, open to all men, conducted outdoors, peer-led, and concludes with a "circle of trust" where participants share personal struggles and support each other. Frank highlights the parallels between F3 and church leadership, particularly in how both rely on lay leadership and the importance of influence over authority. He discusses the decentralized nature of F3, where local groups operate independently while adhering to shared values, and emphasizes the transformative power of brotherhood and accountability in personal growth. Listen for insights on how church leaders, especially elders quorum presidents, can learn from and leverage F3 to enhance fellowship and support among men in their congregations, ultimately fostering a stronger sense of community and purpose. 04:03 - Frank Schwartz's Background 05:26 - What is F3? 07:33 - The Founding of F3 12:16 - Personal Journey to F3 16:35 - The Structure and Cadence of F3 Workouts 19:00 - Finding and Starting an F3 Group 21:30 - Leadership vs. Management in F3 25:07 - The Importance of Lay Leadership 30:14 - Starting Your Own F3 Group 36:23 - Inclusivity for All Fitness Levels 37:42 - Building Authentic Fellowship in F3 The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Kirby Heyborne, Taysom Hill Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 800 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Mark Bell has over 20 years of experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT), and has trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). Mark specializes in helping couples navigate relational and emotional intimacy challenges and much of his work is with men struggling with sexually compulsive behaviors, along with their loved ones affected by those behaviors. He focuses on healthy connections with ourselves, our God, and others in healing. Mark holds a graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern Mississippi and an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University, and works at the Arizona Family Institute (AFI) where he is also the clinical director. In the Church he has served as a missionary in the Chile, Santiago North mission, a Young Men advisor, Sunday School youth teacher, high priest group leader, scoutmaster, ward clerk, elders quorum counselor, and three times as a bishopric counselor. Mark and his wife Dyan have been married 22 years and have five sons. Links Arizona Family Institute Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Mark Bell shares his insights on the current state of men's mental health, noting a concerning epidemic of undiagnosed depression among men, which often goes unrecognized due to societal expectations that discourage vulnerability. He explains how men frequently resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as pornography, as a means of escaping deeper emotional struggles. The discussion touches on the stigma surrounding these behaviors and the need for men to connect with one another in meaningful ways. Bell advocates for the creation of supportive environments, such as small group settings within church activities, where men can openly share their experiences and challenges without fear of judgment. The episode also explores the significance of recreational activities in fostering connections among men, suggesting that engaging in shared experiences can lead to deeper bonds and healthier emotional outlets. Bell emphasizes the necessity of creating spaces where men can be both playful and serious, allowing them to express their true selves, and offers practical advice for church leaders—particularly elders quorum presidents—on how to facilitate genuine connections among members, encouraging vulnerability and open dialogue. The conversation is a call to action for men in elders quorum to seek connection and support, ultimately promoting better mental health and stronger relationships within their communities. 02:30 - Men's Mental Health Epidemic 04:00 - Undiagnosed Depression in Men 05:30 - The Link Between Depression and Suicide 07:00 - Challenges of Masculinity 09:00 - Compartmentalization of Men's Emotions 10:30 - Hidden Depression in Men 12:00 - Pornography as a Symptom 13:30 - The Need for Healthy Coping Mechanisms 15:00 - Stigma Around Men's Behaviors 16:30 - The Importance of Connection Among Men 18:00 - Creating Safe Spaces for Men 19:30 - The Fist of Five Concept 21:00 - The Role of Group Therapy 22:30 - Building Connection in Elders Quorum 24:00 - The Power of Vulnerability 25:30 - Check-Ins as a Tool for Connection 27:00 - The Importance of Confidentiality 28:30 - Designing Connection Therapy in Elders Quorum 30:00 - Effective Check-In Strategies 31:30 - The Value of Recreation and Play 33:00 - Low Maintenance Needs of Men 34:30 - Balancing Doctrine and Connection The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway,

Everything we say about Relief Society in this episode applies to the Elders Quorum! This episode is largely based on President Julie B. Beck's talk titled "Why We Are Organized into Quorums and Relief Societies." We discuss the purpose of Relief Society and how it has helped us come closer to the Savior. Mom quoted D&C 88:74-75 74 And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean; 75 That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will. Instagram: @consecratingpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConsecratingPod

"In the New Testament there is a story where Jesus heals a blind man and it says: Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. That's how it was for me, all the sudden it just hit me and I thought: I can't explain all these things, all I can say is I have felt God's love, I have felt Jesus's love and I have felt forgiven for my sins. I have felt the joy that comes from being able to change. I can't explain all these things, I can only know what has happened to me." https://www.plantwhys.com/free-1-week-meal-guide

Hailing from the heart of Utah, Joe Speredon's diverse background and experience led him into leadership within men's work. Having embarked on his own path of crisis and self-discovery, Joe discovered the healing nature of brotherhood and masculine support. From that place he founded the Utah Men's Circle and later the Algiz Guard. Working with Sacred Sons and many other influential leaders and groups, Joe has had the opportunity to travel all over the world, meet men from diverse backgrounds, and guide them through their own healing and evolution as a coach, leader and inspirational speaker. Joe currently serves in the Church as a Sunday School teacher and as a stake emergency preparedness specialist. Links UtahMensCircle.com Instagram: @utahmenscircle Facebook: Utah Men's Circle AlgizGuard.com Instagram: @thealgizguard Facebook: The Algiz Guard The Intentional Father: A Practical Guide to Raise Sons of Courage and Character There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts here. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Coming soon The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Aaron Jaussi grew up in Riverton, Utah, in "the best family that someone could ask for." He is the second of five children and grew up an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He earned a bachelor's degree in Plant Science/Horticulture from Utah State University and currently works for Intermountain Farmer's Association (IFA). Aaron and his amazing wife, Christa, have been married for nearly 14 years, have five great kids ranging in ages from 12 years to 10 months, and currently live in Payson, Utah. His church leadership has included service as a Young Men president, bishopric counselor, high councilor, and currently as elders quorum president. Links SonsofThunderProject.com There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Transcript coming soon Highlights Coming soon The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

This week we interview Dr. Matthew Godfrey, the Senior Managing Historian for Outreach and Engagement in the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Previously, he served for over eight years as the managing historian of the Joseph Smith Papers Project. In this episode we discuss how to have difficult conversations about what might seem as difficult subjects of the Church.

Today we sit down with Kurt Francom. You probably know him as the host of the Leading Saints Podcast. After interviewing hundreds of people about leading in the church and teaching hundreds of times, he knows a few things about teaching. We ask him about what he has learned as he has taught the saints and what others he has interviewed have learned as well.

Recently, the Sunday School General Presidency sat down with a group of people and talked about gospel teaching. We weren't there, but we have the notes of those who were there. Thanks to LDS LIVING for sharing those notes.

Julie recently trained all the missionaries in the Vancouver, Washington mission about how to use questions in teaching as a missionary. She walks us through her teaching experiences and show us how to ask good questions so the person learning is actually teaching themselves.

In this episode we talk with Dan and Bekah Dayley where we learn how they teach with the spirit, embracing awkward pauses, and foster an atmosphere of authentic comments —all in an organic Thursday night discussion group you have to hear about!

This episode is a lesson in the art of asking questions, appropriately responding with empathy, and the profound impact these skills can have in teaching the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Recently, Kevin attended Julie's adult religion class and wrote down the questions she asked. Then in this episode, Kevin showed why her questions were brilliant - whether she knew it or not.

Let's talk about the intricate dance between simplicity and complexity in learning and teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. https://teachingrestored.com

Bryan Hurd earned a Bachelor's of Science in Accounting from Utah State University and has been a realtor for almost 20 years. He lives his motto, "Be the most positive person I know," and attributes much of his success to a positive, can-do attitude and surrounding himself with "A" players. Bryan and his wife, Chandi, have four amazing boys and you can find the Hurd family at an RSL soccer game, the swimming pool, out on hiking trails, the library, or in the backyard enjoying life together. Links The Evolution Project Warrior Heart BHurd in Utah There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 1:45 Introduction to Bryan Hurd. Kurt's realtor and friend. Kurt's moving miracle! 6:30 Bryan has great relationships and connections with his clients. He makes everyone feel like they are his best friend. He takes time to listen and ask questions. He makes people feel important. 9:45 There are 3 types of guys in the elders quorum. Connecting with the guy that you don't normally see. The dude I never see The dude I see but he's checked out The dude that's there and trying to do the best he can. 13:30 The blessing of being with a youth. A youth leader can be as influential to a youth member as their parents or maybe in some cases more so. That is sacred. 14:10 What's sacred about elders quorum? Most men don't have more than 3 friends. We have the opportunity to create that connection. 15:45 Bryan felt the call to help more of the men around him and in his ward. Bryan shares his story and where this call came from. 19:45 A common fallacy is that external success creates internal happiness. Having divine discontentment. 22:15 The best way to heal a broken heart is to put it to work. Working on yourself. 28:30 What is The Evolution Project? How did it start? Bryan's job is to organize everything and God takes care of the rest. If a man goes in nature then God will find him. The Evolution Project isn't therapy but about providing men experiences that are transformational. 36:00 Bryan shares an experience of one of the men at one of The Evolution Project events. 38:45 Three principles or rules that The Evolution Project focuses on. Have a safe environment. Don't share people's personal stories outside the group. I statements: Own your story. When someone speaks, you don't have the right to cross-coach them. Ask first. 43:20 Men just need to talk it out. Someone to listen. They don't necessarily need therapy or coaching. 44:30 Seeing the 3 evolution project's rules in your next elders quorum meeting. Noticing when there is cross coaching and not using I statements. We need to create rules and boundaries in these meetings to create safety so that people feel safe to open up in front of others. 47:00 What do we need to understand about grace? 49:40 More on the next The Evolution Project events and Warrior Heart events. 52:45 You can't lead people where you haven't been. We have to go through hard times to help others. The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts,

Effective teaching is not just about what you know; it's about how well you connect with those you teach and facilitate their growth.

Julie takes us on a journey of teaching those with special needs. She provides an honest look at the fears, struggles, and triumphs that come with parenting a child who lives in the world differently.

Join us as we give in for a double feature - gospel learning and an example of how to teach talk less and teach more!

Do you dive in and teach the doctrine fully and run up against some contention and maybe even some confusion?

In this episode of Teaching Restored, Kevin & Julie dig deep into the impact that our own stories have on the way we teach, what we teach, and the relationship with those we teach. They'll challenge you to examine and, when necessary, rewrite your narratives to align with a more positive and peaceful outlook, drawing from personal experiences and spiritual insights.

Join hosts Julie Hillyard and Kevin Jones as they dive deep into the power of God's word in teaching and transforming lives. This episode is a testament to the need for embracing scriptures in our daily lives for profound experiences.

In this episode we talk with Greg and Brad Gillespie, brothers who currently both serve as seminary teachers.

Aaron Bujnowski is a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the Chile Concepción Mission and has served as a bishop, stake high councilor, stake Sunday School presidency member, and Seminary teacher. He's currently his ward's elders quorum president and is an ordinance worker in the Dallas Texas Temple. Aaron has bachelor and master of science degrees in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University Provo, a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas at Austin, and is currently a candidate to receive a Doctor of Science degree in Healthcare Leadership from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. He and his wife, Julie, are the co-authors of Discovering Your Temple Insights. They have two adult children and live in Frisco, Texas. Links Ministering is Love Discovering Your Temple Insights Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Transcript coming soon Highlights Coming soon The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 600 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

In this episode, hosts Kevin Jones and Julie Hilliard dive into the often overlooked, yet incredibly powerful, art of intentional invitations.

In this solo episode, Kurt talks about how to transform the culture in elders quorum and the entire ward by focusing on the heart of the men. Links Is Elders Quorum Working? Warrior Heart Retreats Cwic Show: The Problem with Men and Masculinity in the Church - feat. Kurt Francom Thoughtful Faith: Are We as a Church Failing Men? (With Kurt Francom) When the Bishop is Too Nice | An Interview with Dr. Robert Glover How I Lead with Priesthood Blessings | An Interview With Mike Novakovich One Couple's Journey Through Sexual Addiction | An Interview with Chris & Autumn Bennett Former Bishop, Recovering Addict | An Interview with Evan Hathaway Wild at Heart Waking the Dead: The Secret to a Heart Fully Alive No More Mr. Nice Guy The Alter Ego Effect The Heart of Man (streaming) Questions? Want to discuss this further with Kurt? Contact him here. There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 2:40 Introduction to the episode's topic: men at church 7:15 If we could crack the code with men to help them and strengthen them so that they can strengthen their own families. Turning to porn and other things for coping. 9:30 The media and social platforms attack masculinity and call it toxic. What does healthy masculinity look like? Does society know what to do with men? Does the Church know what to do with men? 11:50 When we unknowingly send the wrong message at church. Men hiding behind the perfect ironed suit and the huge smile. Unfortunately someone in the elders quorum is the most at risk of suicide. 14:00 How can we help men find brotherhood and connection at church? Kurt makes suggestions on things we can do. We need to offer more for men after they age out of Young Single Adult and mission programs. 17:20 If you want to fix the youth then walk down the hall and fix the elders quorum. Think of the impact that the elders quorum can have on the youth and their own children. 19:00 The nice guy vs. masculine man. Kurt dives into toxic masculinity and passive masculinity. 24:00 What does healthy masculinity look like? 27:45 What does the Church attempt to offer men? These are things that are offered on paper and with good intentions but sometimes seem more like assignments. Saving ordinances Spiritual development Community and brotherhood Service opportunities Leadership opportunities 32:15 What do men need from the church? What do they need from their quorum? While it's important to remind them of their duty and responsibility you have to start with a foundation. You have to start with heart. 34:00 There is no laziness in elders quorum, just a lack of fulfillment. How to help men turn back to their heart instead of duty. 39:50 According to author John Eldridge, every man has 3 core desires: A battle to fight An adventure to live A beauty to love 43:40 How to stimulate brotherhood We need to provide mentorship Pray together and for each other Invite people to share their story or share your own Offer men adventure. Organize activities for men to get out 50:00 Kurt shares resources: books, events, podcast talks 54:00 How has ministering to men made you a better follower of Jesus Christ? The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III,

In this solo episode, Kurt talks about how to transform the culture in elders quorum and the entire ward by focusing on the heart of the men. Links Is Elders Quorum Working? Warrior Heart Retreats Cwic Show: The Problem with Men and Masculinity in the Church - feat. Kurt Francom Thoughtful Faith: Are We as a Church Failing Men? (With Kurt Francom) When the Bishop is Too Nice | An Interview with Dr. Robert Glover How I Lead with Priesthood Blessings | An Interview With Mike Novakovich One Couple's Journey Through Sexual Addiction | An Interview with Chris & Autumn Bennett Former Bishop, Recovering Addict | An Interview with Evan Hathaway Wild at Heart Waking the Dead: The Secret to a Heart Fully Alive No More Mr. Nice Guy The Alter Ego Effect The Heart of Man (streaming) Questions? Want to discuss this further with Kurt? Contact him here. There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 2:40 Introduction to the episode's topic: men at church 7:15 If we could crack the code with men to help them and strengthen them so that they can strengthen their own families. Turning to porn and other things for coping. 9:30 The media and social platforms attack masculinity and call it toxic. What does healthy masculinity look like? Does society know what to do with men? Does the Church know what to do with men? 11:50 When we unknowingly send the wrong message at church. Men hiding behind the perfect ironed suit and the huge smile. Unfortunately someone in the elders quorum is the most at risk of suicide. 14:00 How can we help men find brotherhood and connection at church? Kurt makes suggestions on things we can do. We need to offer more for men after they age out of Young Single Adult and mission programs. 17:20 If you want to fix the youth then walk down the hall and fix the elders quorum. Think of the impact that the elders quorum can have on the youth and their own children. 19:00 The nice guy vs. masculine man. Kurt dives into toxic masculinity and passive masculinity. 24:00 What does healthy masculinity look like? 27:45 What does the Church attempt to offer men? These are things that are offered on paper and with good intentions but sometimes seem more like assignments. Saving ordinances Spiritual development Community and brotherhood Service opportunities Leadership opportunities 32:15 What do men need from the church? What do they need from their quorum? While it's important to remind them of their duty and responsibility you have to start with a foundation. You have to start with heart. 34:00 There is no laziness in elders quorum, just a lack of fulfillment. How to help men turn back to their heart instead of duty. 39:50 According to author John Eldridge, every man has 3 core desires: A battle to fight An adventure to live A beauty to love 43:40 How to stimulate brotherhood We need to provide mentorship Pray together and for each other Invite people to share their story or share your own Offer men adventure. Organize activities for men to get out 50:00 Kurt shares resources: books, events, podcast talks 54:00 How has ministering to men made you a better follower of Jesus Christ? The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III,

In this episode we are going to focus on what teachers can do to prepare effective lessons.

Dr. CK Bray is a cognitive behavioral researcher who specializes in change/adaption, human performance and potential, and their impact on organizations and individuals. Dr. Bray has a Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Learning, and a second Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology with an emphasis in the Cognitive Sciences (ABD). He bridges the gap between science, research, and organizations and is known for his ability to take complex research and make it understandable and applicable to clients. In the Church, Dr. Bray has served as a Young Men president, bishopric counselor, and stake executive secretary, and is currently the elders quorum president in his ward. Links The Adaption Institute The Dr. CK Bray Show How To Raise Remarkable Kids Without Talking To Them There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 04:40 Dr. Bray talks about his brain research, what he does, and why. 06:00 Brain research and how it relates to the gospel. They work together. 10:00 Where do we begin with brain science? What happens in our brain when we experience change? Threat or reward state. When we want to create change it needs to be small. 15:45 Can leaders get people to change? Change has to come internally vs externally. We can get external motivation and rewards but really the change has to come from our own wanting to do it to make it something that will last. 19:20 Doing lessons a little differently and helping people have the 'aha' moment and create change. They start with sharing wins and struggles they had that week. It opened up the quorum to help each other outside of the walls of the church. 28:50 As leaders we need to create aha moments and a community that is sharing those moments. It's really about helping people change their perception and how they show up. 32:50 We need to learn how to be more resilient in a world that is trying to tear us down. 35:45 How can a leader stimulate resilience? Helping people have a reset. Find moments of silence. Self reflection is one of the best things that we can do to become a better human. Stop focusing on doing but becoming! 42:40 This is a gospel of change. It's about doing smaller things more regularly. Then resilience gets us through the hard times that we all have. 46:30 One thing that Chris started doing in elders quorum is to change how they do lessons. It's more of a discussion and getting to know other men in the quorum. 50:00 Feeling uncomfortable changing old processes and ways of doing things. Elders quorum needs to change for us to grow. Chris shares tips on how to create these changes. Remember it's about small changes. 55:25 Monthly men's community activities. Things that Chris' ward does. 59:10 Once-a-week presidency ministering. They have informal visits on the doorstep that are more about getting to know people and creating friendships. 1:04:20 Let go of perfection and use your talents to do what you can. 1:06:50 Chris' final thoughts and testimony on leadership and becoming a better follower of Christ The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler,

Dr. CK Bray is a cognitive behavioral researcher who specializes in change/adaption, human performance and potential, and their impact on organizations and individuals. Dr. Bray has a Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Learning, and a second Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology with an emphasis in the Cognitive Sciences (ABD). He bridges the gap between science, research, and organizations and is known for his ability to take complex research and make it understandable and applicable to clients. In the Church, Dr. Bray has served as a Young Men president, bishopric counselor, and stake executive secretary, and is currently the elders quorum president in his ward. Links The Adaption Institute The Dr. CK Bray Show How To Raise Remarkable Kids Without Talking To Them There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts HERE. Watch on YouTube Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 04:40 Dr. Bray talks about his brain research, what he does, and why. 06:00 Brain research and how it relates to the gospel. They work together. 10:00 Where do we begin with brain science? What happens in our brain when we experience change? Threat or reward state. When we want to create change it needs to be small. 15:45 Can leaders get people to change? Change has to come internally vs externally. We can get external motivation and rewards but really the change has to come from our own wanting to do it to make it something that will last. 19:20 Doing lessons a little differently and helping people have the 'aha' moment and create change. They start with sharing wins and struggles they had that week. It opened up the quorum to help each other outside of the walls of the church. 28:50 As leaders we need to create aha moments and a community that is sharing those moments. It's really about helping people change their perception and how they show up. 32:50 We need to learn how to be more resilient in a world that is trying to tear us down. 35:45 How can a leader stimulate resilience? Helping people have a reset. Find moments of silence. Self reflection is one of the best things that we can do to become a better human. Stop focusing on doing but becoming! 42:40 This is a gospel of change. It's about doing smaller things more regularly. Then resilience gets us through the hard times that we all have. 46:30 One thing that Chris started doing in elders quorum is to change how they do lessons. It's more of a discussion and getting to know other men in the quorum. 50:00 Feeling uncomfortable changing old processes and ways of doing things. Elders quorum needs to change for us to grow. Chris shares tips on how to create these changes. Remember it's about small changes. 55:25 Monthly men's community activities. Things that Chris' ward does. 59:10 Once-a-week presidency ministering. They have informal visits on the doorstep that are more about getting to know people and creating friendships. 1:04:20 Let go of perfection and use your talents to do what you can. 1:06:50 Chris' final thoughts and testimony on leadership and becoming a better follower of Christ The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler,

In this episode of Teaching Restored, we talk about what Kevin calls the Ts & Cs. It has helped guid his method of teaching and sharing the restored gospel. Kevin & Julie walk through the deeper meaning of the Ts&Cs+ and find hidden gems to share information and testimony and bring the Spirit in a conversation. Grab the show notes at https://teachingrestored.com

In this episode of Teaching Restored, we tackle the common issue of lessons being derailed and provide practical advice on how to handle it.

In this episode of Teaching Restored, Kevin & Julie talk about the highlights of the October 2023 Conference from a teacher's perspective. From the power of temples to creating channels for God's love, we explore the importance of fostering good relationships and eliminating contention in our lives. We also discuss the challenges of recognizing and feeling the Spirit, addressing sensitive comments in the classroom, and the unexpected gems they found in the conference talks. Join us as we explore the practical insights and heartfelt reflections shared in this special edition episode. Get updates and connect on other platforms: https://teachingrestored.com

Join Kevin Jones and Julie Hillyard as they delve into the journey of seeking feedback to become more effective teachers. They uncover the priceless significance of both positive and constructive feedback. The essence of this practice lies in the art of posing targeted questions that pave the way for growth. By seeking the wisdom of trusted participants and embracing observations, we unearth the gems that propel our teaching journey forward.

Meghan is joined by Tom Holton, of the Words of Wonder Podcast, to discuss becoming spiritually awake. Topics include: - Laying a foundation of faith- Two things that keep us spiritually asleep- Raising the flag for Christ- Sacrifice and service- What it really means to keep our covenants Thomas Holton lives in Ireland. His University education is in the Social Sciences and in Financial Administration. He has tutored students in English/Mathematics/Writing and Taxation. He has worked as a manager in financial and legal administration for 24 years.His Church service includes a two-year mission in England, Temple Ordinance Worker, adult Sunday School teacher 4 times, Ward mission leader twice, Branch/District/Stake Sunday School president, Elders Quorum president twice, Branch young men president, first counselor to a Bishop, Branch president for ten years and Stake High Councilor. He presently serves as first counselor to a Branch president and the Church History Specialist for the island of Ireland.His health challenges over 26 years have taught him to appreciate life.He is the author of three books - “Alive in Christ” and “Cultivated in Christ” and “Perfected in Christ”.He and his wife, Veronica, are the grateful parents of one adult son. Register NOW for Awake and Ascend: The Mountain of the Lord, our virtual conference being held on November 3-4. The purpose of this event is to explore ancient and modern temple types and their patterns, to more deeply understand the significance of temple worship, and the application of temple living in our mortal journeys. Also, we have an EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT, which we will share during the Saturday session. You won't want to miss it!

In this episode of Teaching Restored, we dive into the transformative power of empathic listening. Join us as we explore the difference between attentive and empathic listening and discover how being vulnerable to the Spirit's guidance can enhance our teaching. Through personal stories and practical insights, we learn the importance of actively listening, summarizing responses, and providing emotional air to create a safe and engaging classroom environment. Tune in to learn how to foster understanding, gain valuable insights from others, and truly connect with our students through empathic listening.

In this question-provoking episode of Teaching Restored, we explore the profound impact of skillful questioning in the teaching process. Join us as we delve into the power of questioning assumptions and challenging beliefs, and discover how it can lead to growth and self-reflection. Through personal stories and examples, we learn how asking the right questions can foster engaging discussions, create transformative moments, and strengthen the connection between teacher and student. Elevate your teaching skills and unlock the potential for deeper learning by incorporating skillful questioning into your lessons.

As I prepare to lead the discussion in Elders Quorum this Sunday, I'm thinking about things that matter most.President Ballard spoke of this in last April's General Conference:https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/04/52ballard?lang=engHe focuses a lot on relationships. With God, with Christ, and with Family.How do you nurture your relationships that matter most? I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at ken@chocolatecakebytes.comPlease share th...

As I prepare to lead the discussion in Elders Quorum this Sunday, I'm thinking about things that matter most.President Ballard spoke of this in last April's General Conference:https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/04/52ballard?lang=engHe focuses a lot on relationships.  With God, with Christ, and with Family.How do you nurture your relationships that matter most? I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at ken@chocolatecakebytes.comPlease like, share, subscribe, and give us a review. You can email me at ken@chocolatecakebytes.com and follow me at https://www.facebook.com/ChocolateCakeByteshttps://www.instagram.com/chocolatecakebytes/Check out my new podcast: Bad Boss Podcast athttps://play.disctopia.com/podcasts/bad_boss_podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts

This is an introduction to the podcast - who we are, what we are doing, why we are we spending all this time to create this content.

Skyler Droubay has a bachelors degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration from Utah State University, and works at a trucking company, Double D Distribution. He is currently a counselor in his bishopric and has previously served as elders quorum secretary and counselor, Cub Scout leader, and teacher in Sunday School, elders quorum, and Primary (including nursery). Skyler and his wife live in Lehi, Utah, with their two daughters, ages 10 and 8. Highlights 02:30 Introduction to Skyler, former elders quorum secretary 06:30 Skyler shares an experience he had as a youth with an executive secretary that has influenced his time as a secretary. 12:30. The secretary takes care of the clerical and administrative aspects of the quorum to help enable the other members of the presidency to focus on ministering and the more spiritual aspects of the quorum. 14:50 The admin and clerical work is a very important part of the church too. There are many working pieces that go into making a meeting happen. 16:50 Never underestimate the spiritual power of doing temporal things well. You bring spiritual power to your presidency by taking care of the administration. 18:50 Taking notes is the most important part of being a secretary. You are a revelation recorder. Be proud of being the note taker. 23:30 Take the lead on organizing notes with google docs and google sheets. 26:40 Find a template that works for you and go with it. 28:30 Setting up interviews and appointments. Skylar found it easier to call people rather than text. Try to catch as many people as you can at church. 33:00 Don't underestimate your impact as a secretary. 34:10 Skyler shares his testimony on leadership and coming closer to Christ through his service. Links Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Watch on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Skyler Droubay has a bachelors degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration from Utah State University, and works at a trucking company, Double D Distribution. He is currently a counselor in his bishopric and has previously served as elders quorum secretary and counselor, Cub Scout leader, and teacher in Sunday School, elders quorum, and Primary (including nursery). Skyler and his wife live in Lehi, Utah, with their two daughters, ages 10 and 8. Highlights 02:30 Introduction to Skyler, former elders quorum secretary 06:30 Skyler shares an experience he had as a youth with an executive secretary that has influenced his time as a secretary. 12:30. The secretary takes care of the clerical and administrative aspects of the quorum to help enable the other members of the presidency to focus on ministering and the more spiritual aspects of the quorum. 14:50 The admin and clerical work is a very important part of the church too. There are many working pieces that go into making a meeting happen. 16:50 Never underestimate the spiritual power of doing temporal things well. You bring spiritual power to your presidency by taking care of the administration. 18:50 Taking notes is the most important part of being a secretary. You are a revelation recorder. Be proud of being the note taker. 23:30 Take the lead on organizing notes with google docs and google sheets. 26:40 Find a template that works for you and go with it. 28:30 Setting up interviews and appointments. Skylar found it easier to call people rather than text. Try to catch as many people as you can at church. 33:00 Don't underestimate your impact as a secretary. 34:10 Skyler shares his testimony on leadership and coming closer to Christ through his service. Links Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Watch on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Eli Nelson is originally from Seattle, Washington and is studying business at Brigham Young University. He has served as a counselor in an elders quorum presidency, ward temple and family history leader, and as a full time missionary in the Trinidad, Port of Spain Mission. He currently serves as elders quorum president in his young single adult ward in Provo, Utah, and is the soon-to-be husband to Claire Darby. Highlights 02:20 Eli's background and mission experience 06:10 Getting called as elders quorum president in a YSA BYU ward 10:10 Principle one: Loving the handbook 12:15 Principle two: Finding the balance between magnifying your calling while also being a good peer 16:00 Principle three: Fostering active leadership in the quorum and ward 17:20 Principle four: The oxygen mask analogy. In order to serve others you have to have something to give. You have to take care of yourself first. 22:00 Time management is very important to taking care of yourself. Eli explains what time boxing is and how he uses it to manage everything in his life. 22:55 Principle five: There's no substitute for a good secretary 25:05 Principle six: Delegation is critical 28:50 Principle seven: Sometimes you need to be a catalyst for change and push programs and initiatives from the ground up 32:30 Principle eight: The proper motives in church leadership are the two great commandments 36:15 Principle nine: Church leadership is 45% administration and 55% ministering 40:45 Eli shares his final thoughts on leadership and testimony. Links Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Watch on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Eli Nelson is originally from Seattle, Washington and is studying business at Brigham Young University. He has served as a counselor in an elders quorum presidency, ward temple and family history leader, and as a full time missionary in the Trinidad, Port of Spain Mission. He currently serves as elders quorum president in his young single adult ward in Provo, Utah, and is the soon-to-be husband to Claire Darby. Highlights 02:20 Eli's background and mission experience 06:10 Getting called as elders quorum president in a YSA BYU ward 10:10 Principle one: Loving the handbook 12:15 Principle two: Finding the balance between magnifying your calling while also being a good peer 16:00 Principle three: Fostering active leadership in the quorum and ward 17:20 Principle four: The oxygen mask analogy. In order to serve others you have to have something to give. You have to take care of yourself first. 22:00 Time management is very important to taking care of yourself. Eli explains what time boxing is and how he uses it to manage everything in his life. 22:55 Principle five: There's no substitute for a good secretary 25:05 Principle six: Delegation is critical 28:50 Principle seven: Sometimes you need to be a catalyst for change and push programs and initiatives from the ground up 32:30 Principle eight: The proper motives in church leadership are the two great commandments 36:15 Principle nine: Church leadership is 45% administration and 55% ministering 40:45 Eli shares his final thoughts on leadership and testimony. Links TRANSCRIPT coming soon Watch on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Over the last year, we have done a few episodes on men and masculinity in the church. They have always generated a lot of discussions online and in the comment section. And not just from men. Women have a lot to say on the subject as well. In the west, men are trying to find their way in an ever-increasingly feminine world. Even within the church, things have changed significantly over the years. Kurt Francom from Leading Saints Podcast joins us to discuss, "Where are all the men in the Church?" What is "Nice Guy Syndrome?" What does every man need even at church and Elders Quorum?  Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

This being the last episode of the year, Bobby and Jordan discuss the most important events of 2022 and their far reaching implications, perhaps affecting even your local Elders Quorum.

Ben Sabourin has over 25 years of experience managing people in various industries in the for-profit and nonprofit business worlds and was most recently employed by the second-largest health information management company in the U.S. as Director of Accounts Receivable. Currently, he is a Certified Life Coach, a Real Colors Certified Facilitator, and is back earning his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from BYU-Idaho through the Pathways Program. Ben has served as an assistant ward clerk, elders quorum president and counselor, and a ward mission leader. Ben served in the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo East Mission, where his love for the Spanish language, culture, and people was fostered. He is now a high counselor assigned to serve the Spanish Branch in the Green Bay, Wisconsin Stake. Ben and his wife Cindy have been married 23 years and have two children and three grandchildren. Highlights 02:30 Introduction to Ben Sabourin and his backstory 13:50 Leadership opportunities Ben has had outside the church 14:30 After 14 years of inactivity Ben came back to the church. He talks about his path to come back. 21:30 Getting called as elders quorum president 6 months after reactivating. It forced him to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ faster. 24:00 Ben knows how to meet people where they are because he himself has been there 25:00 Starting out as elders quorum president and what Ben needed and learned 29:30 As elders quorum president, Ben noticed that the men were very guarded and it wasn't easy to be vulnerable and talk to each other about their struggles. His goal was to create opportunities to fix that. 30:45 Service is the way that we build a bridge to unity. We have to be friends besides just the hour that we are at church. 32:00 Ben shares his ideas for socials for men and things that worked for him. Socials became a way that Ben was able to help create unity in his quorum. 36:25 Don't wait for people to ask for a blessing. Ask them if they need one. People, especially men, have the tendency to say, “I'm fine.” 39:00 Love, share, invite. People don't care unless they know how much you care. In order to teach and lead the people, you have to love the people. 41:50 What Ben has learned from his time on the high council serving in the Spanish ward You are there to love, share, and invite, not dictate Make yourself available and earn trust After you've earned trust, do what you say As a high councilman, stay out of their way and let them know what their resources are and that you are available to them 50:45 Ben's final thoughts and what he has learned from being a leader Links "Love, Share, Invite" by Elder Gary E. Stevenson Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Listen on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast has ranked in the top 20 Christianity podcasts in iTunes, gets over 500,000 listens each month, and has over 10 million total downloads as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help latter-day saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Ben Sabourin has over 25 years of experience managing people in various industries in the for-profit and nonprofit business worlds and was most recently employed by the second-largest health information management company in the U.S. as Director of Accounts Receivable. Currently, he is a Certified Life Coach, a Real Colors Certified Facilitator, and is back earning his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from BYU-Idaho through the Pathways Program. Ben has served as an assistant ward clerk, elders quorum president and counselor, and a ward mission leader. Ben served in the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo East Mission, where his love for the Spanish language, culture, and people was fostered. He is now a high counselor assigned to serve the Spanish Branch in the Green Bay, Wisconsin Stake. Ben and his wife Cindy have been married 23 years and have two children and three grandchildren. Highlights 02:30 Introduction to Ben Sabourin and his backstory 13:50 Leadership opportunities Ben has had outside the church 14:30 After 14 years of inactivity Ben came back to the church. He talks about his path to come back. 21:30 Getting called as elders quorum president 6 months after reactivating. It forced him to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ faster. 24:00 Ben knows how to meet people where they are because he himself has been there 25:00 Starting out as elders quorum president and what Ben needed and learned 29:30 As elders quorum president, Ben noticed that the men were very guarded and it wasn't easy to be vulnerable and talk to each other about their struggles. His goal was to create opportunities to fix that. 30:45 Service is the way that we build a bridge to unity. We have to be friends besides just the hour that we are at church. 32:00 Ben shares his ideas for socials for men and things that worked for him. Socials became a way that Ben was able to help create unity in his quorum. 36:25 Don't wait for people to ask for a blessing. Ask them if they need one. People, especially men, have the tendency to say, “I'm fine.” 39:00 Love, share, invite. People don't care unless they know how much you care. In order to teach and lead the people, you have to love the people. 41:50 What Ben has learned from his time on the high council serving in the Spanish ward You are there to love, share, and invite, not dictate Make yourself available and earn trust After you've earned trust, do what you say As a high councilman, stay out of their way and let them know what their resources are and that you are available to them 50:45 Ben's final thoughts and what he has learned from being a leader Links "Love, Share, Invite" by Elder Gary E. Stevenson TRANSCRIPT coming soon Listen on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast has ranked in the top 20 Christianity podcasts in iTunes, gets over 500,000 listens each month, and has over 10 million total downloads as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help latter-day saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Bronco Mendenhall has coached football for the past 34 years. The former head coach of Brigham Young University's football team, he surprised the football world when he stepped down as head coach of the University of Virginia team last year. Recently he has started co-hosting a podcast, HeadCoachU. At BYU, Bronco led the Cougars to win 99 games in eleven years—the second-most wins in school history—along with eleven consecutive bowl invitations. He has served in the Church as a Primary and Sunday School teacher, a Sunday School president and ward mission leader, Young Mens advisor, high councilor, and in a bishopric. He and his wife Holly have three sons and live in Montana. Highlights 01:20 Introduction to Bronco Mendenhall and his background 03:20 Bronco talks about what it's like to finally have a fall where he isn't coaching football. 07:00 Having courage and faith to step down as head coach of the University of Virginia. How Bronco knew it was time to step down. 11:45 Is it really true that fear and faith can't exist at the same time? 14:00 We all have so much going on everyday. Does your calendar reflect your priorities? It doesn't matter so much how much time you spend on something but that it's scheduled everyday. 16:30 Taking a pause from a successful career. Sometimes a pause accelerates the journey or outcome. Listen to the spirit to know if you should keep stepping or if it's time to pause. 20:45 Different times or days to take a pause. Sunday could be a good day to take a pause as a family. Other ideas could be family dinner and in the morning before everyone leaves. 22:45 Starting out coaching at the University of Virginia. It was more than just coaching football, it was building character. 27:00 What did your father teach you about leadership? 32:00 Advice that Bronco has for elders quorum presidents about creating an atmosphere of motivation and development. Apart from the lesson, there has to be a connection of true love and true caring that is undeniable. 38:15 If we can engage 5 to 15% to a new cultural movement it will spread to everyone else 38:30 How Bronco would do tryouts and recruiting for his Virginia team and how it applies to the church and activities. The activities need to be really well thought of in terms of the intent. You can learn a lot about people and the state of their heart through these activities. 42:40 Significant emotional experiences facilitate long term memory. What if we disrupt the normal lesson on Sunday to create an experience? 49:00 How do you begin to develop personal relationships with people when you become a new leader? 52:15 An open door policy is not good enough. Don't make people come to you. Be there with them. Make it effortless for them to talk to you. 56:40 Advice for doing one on ones with people. Bronco explains what carefrontation is. 1:01:50 Why Bronco started reading. As a leader he had to continually learn new things to help those he led. 1:05:30 A few books that Bronco would recommend to a new leader 1:10:00 Bronco's podcast, HeadCoachU 1:16:30 How being a leader and coach has made Bronco into a better disciple of Jesus Christ Links HeadCoachU podcast Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box, by the Arbinger Institute Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don't, by Jim Collins Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Watch the video on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast has ranked in the top 20 Christianity podcasts in iTunes, gets over 500,000 listens each month, and has over 10 million total downloads as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help latter-day saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey,

Bronco Mendenhall has coached football for the past 34 years. The former head coach of Brigham Young University's football team, he surprised the football world when he stepped down as head coach of the University of Virginia team last year. Recently he has started co-hosting a podcast, HeadCoachU. At BYU, Bronco led the Cougars to win 99 games in eleven years—the second-most wins in school history—along with eleven consecutive bowl invitations. He has served in the Church as a Primary and Sunday School teacher, a Sunday School president and ward mission leader, Young Mens advisor, high councilor, and in a bishopric. He and his wife Holly have three sons and live in Montana. Highlights 01:20 Introduction to Bronco Mendenhall and his background 03:20 Bronco talks about what it's like to finally have a fall where he isn't coaching football. 07:00 Having courage and faith to step down as head coach of the University of Virginia. How Bronco knew it was time to step down. 11:45 Is it really true that fear and faith can't exist at the same time? 14:00 We all have so much going on everyday. Does your calendar reflect your priorities? It doesn't matter so much how much time you spend on something but that it's scheduled everyday. 16:30 Taking a pause from a successful career. Sometimes a pause accelerates the journey or outcome. Listen to the spirit to know if you should keep stepping or if it's time to pause. 20:45 Different times or days to take a pause. Sunday could be a good day to take a pause as a family. Other ideas could be family dinner and in the morning before everyone leaves. 22:45 Starting out coaching at the University of Virginia. It was more than just coaching football, it was building character. 27:00 What did your father teach you about leadership? 32:00 Advice that Bronco has for elders quorum presidents about creating an atmosphere of motivation and development. Apart from the lesson, there has to be a connection of true love and true caring that is undeniable. 38:15 If we can engage 5 to 15% to a new cultural movement it will spread to everyone else 38:30 How Bronco would do tryouts and recruiting for his Virginia team and how it applies to the church and activities. The activities need to be really well thought of in terms of the intent. You can learn a lot about people and the state of their heart through these activities. 42:40 Significant emotional experiences facilitate long term memory. What if we disrupt the normal lesson on Sunday to create an experience? 49:00 How do you begin to develop personal relationships with people when you become a new leader? 52:15 An open door policy is not good enough. Don't make people come to you. Be there with them. Make it effortless for them to talk to you. 56:40 Advice for doing one on ones with people. Bronco explains what carefrontation is. 1:01:50 Why Bronco started reading. As a leader he had to continually learn new things to help those he led. 1:05:30 A few books that Bronco would recommend to a new leader 1:10:00 Bronco's podcast, HeadCoachU 1:16:30 How being a leader and coach has made Bronco into a better disciple of Jesus Christ Links HeadCoachU podcast Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box, by the Arbinger Institute Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don't, by Jim Collins TRANSCRIPT coming soon Listen on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast has ranked in the top 20 Christianity podcasts in iTunes, gets over 500,000 listens each month, and has over 10 million total downloads as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help latter-day saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox,

I'm one of the Elders Quorum instructors in my ward, and this Sunday, we're talking about Elder Uchtdorf's talk, "Jesus Christ is the Strength of Youth."https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/12uchtdorf?lang=engI've come up with a few questions that I'm asking myself about how I can deepen my connection with the Savior. Share your thoughts with me at ken@chocolatecakebytes.comPlease share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. You can email me at ke...

I'm one of the Elders Quorum instructors in my ward, and this Sunday, we're talking about Elder Uchtdorf's talk, "Jesus Christ is the Strength of Youth."https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/12uchtdorf?lang=engI've come up with a few questions that I'm asking myself about how I can deepen my connection with the Savior. Share your thoughts with me at ken@chocolatecakebytes.com

Mom and I discuss and ask ourselves how different church organizations can be more united. How can Young Women and Relief Society connect with each other more often? How can the Relief Society and Elders Quorum work together? These are questions we all can be asking ourselves continually.

Corry Perkins was born and raised in Boise, Idaho, graduating from Boise State University with a BA in Communications. He served a Spanish-speaking mission in the Canada Toronto Mission and has served as bishop over a traditional geographic area ward and as a temple ordinance worker, and is currently bishop in a married student ward. Corry owns an insurance and financial services agency. He and his wife have been married 42 years and have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren. Highlights 02:30 Background of Corry Perkins. He explains the dynamics of his ward. 09:45 Corry isn't in a traditional ward. His responsibilities are a little different as a bishop. His main responsibility is training and developing the next leaders of the church. He focuses on sacred daily routines to help those in his ward have strong relationships with Jesus Christ. 11:40 Corry has established a ward theme. They keep track of everyone's temporal and spiritual goals. 13:15 The ward has been broken into four committees Redeem the Dead Committee (temple and family history) Perfect the Saints Committee (service) Activities Committee Missionary Committee 15:30 How Corry keeps track of each committee and keeps each one going 17:10 How do all of the committees stay unified and the other organizations (Relief Society or Elders Quorum) fold into the committees? 21:00 On an annual basis everyone rotates committees. So freshmen serve in each committee by the time they are a senior and graduate. Everyone in the ward has the opportunity to serve on a committee. 23:45 Third Sunday of every month each committee meets for 15 to 30 minutes after church and then everyone eats together. 24:30 Corry tried to create and work with committees in a traditional ward but it failed. He goes into reasons why maybe it didn't work there. 26:55 The ward mission leader is the co-chair of the missionary committee. 27:30 Your ward can create committees according to your ward's needs. 28:30 Corry explains more on his ward's theme He gives each couple a magnet to write out their spiritual and temporal goal for that year's theme He puts each couple's goal on a big bulletin board On the fourth Sunday 3 couples speak in Sacrament meeting about their goals 34:00 Corry's mission president was President M. Russell Ballard. He shares some experiences he had and President Ballard's leadership style. 35:00 Corry shares more about the Redeem the Dead Committee and the amazing experiences that members of his ward have had. Links Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Listen on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast gets over 300,000 listens each month and has over10 million total downloads as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help latter-day saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Corry Perkins was born and raised in Boise, Idaho, graduating from Boise State University with a BA in Communications. He served a Spanish-speaking mission in the Canada Toronto Mission and has served as bishop over a traditional geographic area ward and as a temple ordinance worker, and is currently bishop in a married student ward. Corry owns an insurance and financial services agency. He and his wife have been married 42 years and have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren. Highlights 02:30 Background of Corry Perkins. He explains the dynamics of his ward. 09:45 Corry isn't in a traditional ward. His responsibilities are a little different as a bishop. His main responsibility is training and developing the next leaders of the church. He focuses on sacred daily routines to help those in his ward have strong relationships with Jesus Christ. 11:40 Corry has established a ward theme. They keep track of everyone's temporal and spiritual goals. 13:15 The ward has been broken into four committees Redeem the Dead Committee (temple and family history) Perfect the Saints Committee (service) Activities Committee Missionary Committee 15:30 How Corry keeps track of each committee and keeps each one going 17:10 How do all of the committees stay unified and the other organizations (Relief Society or Elders Quorum) fold into the committees? 21:00 On an annual basis everyone rotates committees. So freshmen serve in each committee by the time they are a senior and graduate. Everyone in the ward has the opportunity to serve on a committee. 23:45 Third Sunday of every month each committee meets for 15 to 30 minutes after church and then everyone eats together. 24:30 Corry tried to create and work with committees in a traditional ward but it failed. He goes into reasons why maybe it didn't work there. 26:55 The ward mission leader is the co-chair of the missionary committee. 27:30 Your ward can create committees according to your ward's needs. 28:30 Corry explains more on his ward's theme He gives each couple a magnet to write out their spiritual and temporal goal for that year's theme He puts each couple's goal on a big bulletin board On the fourth Sunday 3 couples speak in Sacrament meeting about their goals 34:00 Corry's mission president was President M. Russell Ballard. He shares some experiences he had and President Ballard's leadership style. 35:00 Corry shares more about the Redeem the Dead Committee and the amazing experiences that members of his ward have had. Links

Weston Robinson was born and raised in Las Vegas and served in the Ecuador Quito mission. He has since served as an elders quorum president twice, as a Sunday school teacher, an executive secretary, and currently as second counselor in a bishopric. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from UNLV and has worked in manufacturing, grading and demolition with heavy equipment, interior design, and as a light and sound tech for a local comedy production group. He currently works with a law firm and will begin his first year at UNLV's Boyd Law School next month. He is married to Kyra Ah Quin and his hobbies include reading, writing, anything outdoors, and lifting heavy things. Highlights 02:50 Introduction to Weston Robinson 06:20 Weston shares his experience as an elders quorum president 07:50 Principle 1: Striving to repent daily, our connection with the Spirit is enhanced and that allows us to discern the needs and concerns of others 10:00 Repentance is more than just changing behavior. It's turning to Christ and seeing ways we can center our lives on Him. 10:30 How can we repent day to day? 11:50 Weston shares a story and applies it to seeing the needs of others 14:00 Discerning the needs of others requires a lot of conversations. You need to be approachable and open. 16:15 Principle 2: Be a mentor 23:30 Don't be afraid of being a mentor despite age difference and different life experiences. Know what resources are available and be prepared to know what to share. 24:15 Principle 3: If an elders quorum meeting is properly facilitated then the quorum will engage and the connection will deepen 26:10 How can we facilitate better elders quorum meetings? Can you let go of your outline or notes and lean into the discussion and the organic nature of the Spirit? 28:50 Ask questions and be ok with the silence 29:30 Remember that it's a quorum meeting not a Sunday School lesson. It's a place for people to gather and to discuss more sensitive topics. 31:00 Weston shares his personal journey as an elders quorum president. It wasn't a perfect storybook experience. It was messy and full of ups and downs. Luckily he had brothers to lean on and reached out to his leaders. 40:00 It might sound simple but church is for everyone. No one has a perfect experience at church and many times there are struggles with leaders. Many might choose not to show up but you are welcome as you are. Links Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash the Greatness in Others Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast gets over 300,000 listens each month and has over 10 million total downloads as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help latter-day saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Weston Robinson was born and raised in Las Vegas and served in the Ecuador Quito mission. He has since served as an elders quorum president twice, as a Sunday school teacher, an executive secretary, and currently as second counselor in a bishopric. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from UNLV and has worked in manufacturing, grading and demolition with heavy equipment, interior design, and as a light and sound tech for a local comedy production group. He currently works with a law firm and will begin his first year at UNLV's Boyd Law School next month. He is married to Kyra Ah Quin and his hobbies include reading, writing, anything outdoors, and lifting heavy things. Highlights 02:50 Introduction to Weston Robinson 06:20 Weston shares his experience as an elders quorum president 07:50 Principle 1: Striving to repent daily, our connection with the Spirit is enhanced and that allows us to discern the needs and concerns of others 10:00 Repentance is more than just changing behavior. It's turning to Christ and seeing ways we can center our lives on Him. 10:30 How can we repent day to day? 11:50 Weston shares a story and applies it to seeing the needs of others 14:00 Discerning the needs of others requires a lot of conversations. You need to be approachable and open. 16:15 Principle 2: Be a mentor 23:30 Don't be afraid of being a mentor despite age difference and different life experiences. Know what resources are available and be prepared to know what to share. 24:15 Principle 3: If an elders quorum meeting is properly facilitated then the quorum will engage and the connection will deepen 26:10 How can we facilitate better elders quorum meetings? Can you let go of your outline or notes and lean into the discussion and the organic nature of the Spirit? 28:50 Ask questions and be ok with the silence 29:30 Remember that it's a quorum meeting not a Sunday School lesson. It's a place for people to gather and to discuss more sensitive topics. 31:00 Weston shares his personal journey as an elders quorum president. It wasn't a perfect storybook experience. It was messy and full of ups and downs. Luckily he had brothers to lean on and reached out to his leaders. 40:00 It might sound simple but church is for everyone. No one has a perfect experience at church and many times there are struggles with leaders. Many might choose not to show up but you are welcome as you are. Links Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash the Greatness in Others TRANSCRIPT coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast gets over 300,000 listens each month and has nearly 10 million total downloads as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help latter-day saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Co-host Harrison taught Elders Quorum last Sunday and started by asking "What is love?"I loved the question and invited him to continue the discussion.So, what is Love? Share your thoughts with us at ken@chocolatecakebytes.comPlease share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. You can email me at ken@chocolatecakebytes.com and follow me at https://www.facebook.com/ChocolateCakeByteshttps://www.instagram.com/chocolatecakebytes/Check out my new podcast: Bad Boss Podcast athttps://kenwi...

Co-host Harrison taught Elders Quorum last Sunday and started by asking "What is love?"I loved the question and invited him to continue the discussion.So, what is Love? Share your thoughts with us at ken@chocolatecakebytes.com

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in June 2019. We are instructed in the General Handbook (8.1.1) that “Members of the elders quorum work together to help accomplish the work of salvation and exaltation. They serve others, fulfill priesthood duties, build unity, and learn and live doctrine.” How effective is your quorum at succeeding in this purpose? Is there more that can be done to leverage the inspired quorum structure that has been restored in these latter days? The reality is, men live lives of quiet desperation even while attending elders quorum once a week. They attend elders quorum with the hope of brotherhood, unity, and a restoration of their heart. Every man is striving to answer one question, “Do I have what it takes?” They wonder if they have what it takes to support a family, keep their job, overcome addiction, maintain their worthiness. They know the restored gospel can help them answer that question but they don't know where to find the answer. In this episode, Kurt Francom discusses some points to consider related to the heart of men and how the adversary is winning the heart of many men in ways we may not expect. There is great opportunity to build brotherhood in our quorum in order to give more purpose in the lives of those who attend. Kurt also discusses the powerful experience he and others have had by attending a Wild at Heart Boot Camp and how it can help establish an effective model for increasing elders quorum brotherhood and unity. Next Boot Camp Details & Registration Highlights 02:45 Is Elder's quorum a revelatory experience? 04:20 The number one thing that men would change about Elder's Quorum, that isn't a policy, is to have more informal meetings and get togethers. They are seeking more connection and comradery. 06:25 What is the purpose of Elders Quorum? 08:20 Never let an Elders Quorum meeting turn into another Sunday School class. 9:45 As an Elders Quorum Presidency, are you fulfilling your purpose to: Serve others Build unity and brotherhood Instruct members on doctrines, principles, and duties 11:45 Kurt quotes a blog by Sheldon Lawrence, “A Quorum of Strangers.” Mormon men live isolated and lonely lives. 14:00 Kurt quotes proverbs 12:27 “The substance of a diligent man is precious.” 14:30 What is the biggest threat to men today? The heart of men is under attack. Everyday men ask themselves, “Do I have what it takes?” 16:25 How does the adversary work? 19:25 Kurt talks about how to help the men that are struggling and the things that are probably not going to help. 23:45 Kurt describes the book Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. The main three concepts of the book are: A battle to fight An adventure to live A beauty to rescue 28:00 Kurt relates his experience of going to the Wild at Heart boot camp, which Kurt describes as a leadership conference in the woods. 33:00 Chris shares his story of healing, doubting God, and going to the Wild at Heart men's retreat. 44:00 The thing that impressed Chris most about the retreat was how the men interacted with each other. They came together and “prayed on” each other. 46:40 One thing that Chris was introduced to at the retreat is worship music and it's something that he has been able to take home to keep changing. 48:00 Steve shares his experience at the Wild at Heart retreat and recovery from addiction. 50:30 The biggest thing that impacted Steve was experiencing God's love through brotherhood. 54:00 James White from Southern California shares his journey getting to boot camp and his experience there. 59:20 James from Utah shares his struggle with pornography, going through the shame cycle, and his anger with God. Boot camp changed the spiritual trajectory of his life. 1:06:35 Orin shares how going to boot camp helped him and how it strengthened his relationship with God. 1:11:40 Kurt concludes by sharing more about the retreat and how to s...

We are instructed in the General Handbook (8.1.1) that “Members of the elders quorum work together to help accomplish the work of salvation and exaltation. They serve others, fulfill priesthood duties, build unity, and learn and live doctrine.” How effective is your quorum at succeeding in this purpose? Is there more that can be done to leverage the inspired quorum structure that has been restored in these latter days? The reality is, men live lives of quiet desperation even while attending elders quorum once a week. They attend elders quorum with the hope of brotherhood, unity, and a restoration of their heart. Every man is striving to answer one question, “Do I have what it takes?” They wonder if they have what it takes to support a family, keep their job, overcome addiction, maintain their worthiness. They know the restored gospel can help them answer that question but they don't know where to find the answer. In this episode, Kurt Francom discusses some points to consider related to the heart of men and how the adversary is winning the heart of many men in ways we may not expect. There is great opportunity to build brotherhood in our quorum in order to give more purpose in the lives of those who attend. Kurt also discusses the powerful experience he and others have had by attending a Wild at Heart Boot Camp and how it can help establish an effective model for increasing elders quorum brotherhood and unity. Next Boot Camp Details & Registration Highlights 02:45 Is Elder's quorum a revelatory experience? 04:20 The number one thing that men would change about Elder's Quorum, that isn't a policy, is to have more informal meetings and get togethers. They are seeking more connection and comradery. 06:25 What is the purpose of Elders Quorum? 08:20 Never let an Elders Quorum meeting turn into another Sunday School class. 9:45 As an Elders Quorum Presidency, are you fulfilling your purpose to: Serve others Build unity and brotherhood Instruct members on doctrines, principles, and duties 11:45 Kurt quotes a blog by Sheldon Lawrence, “A Quorum of Strangers.” Mormon men live isolated and lonely lives. 14:00 Kurt quotes proverbs 12:27 “The substance of a diligent man is precious.” 14:30 What is the biggest threat to men today? The heart of men is under attack. Everyday men ask themselves, “Do I have what it takes?” 16:25 How does the adversary work? 19:25 Kurt talks about how to help the men that are struggling and the things that are probably not going to help. 23:45 Kurt describes the book Wild at Heart by John Eldridge. The main three concepts of the book are: A battle to fight An adventure to live A beauty to rescue 28:00 Kurt relates his experience of going to the Wild at Heart boot camp, which Kurt describes as a leadership conference in the woods. 33:00 Chris shares his story of healing, doubting God, and going to the Wild at Heart men's retreat. 44:00 The thing that impressed Chris most about the retreat was how the men interacted with each other. They came together and “prayed on” each other. 46:40 One thing that Chris was introduced to at the retreat is worship music and it's something that he has been able to take home to keep changing. 48:00 Steve shares his experience at the Wild at Heart retreat and recovery from addiction. 50:30 The biggest thing that impacted Steve was experiencing God's love through brotherhood. 54:00 James White from Southern California shares his journey getting to boot camp and his experience there. 59:20 James from Utah shares his struggle with pornography, going through the shame cycle, and his anger with God. Boot camp changed the spiritual trajectory of his life. 1:06:35 Orin shares how going to boot camp helped him and how it strengthened his relationship with God. 1:11:40 Kurt concludes by sharing more about the retreat and how to sign up. Links See Boot Camp Schedule & Register (Promo Code: Lea...

We sit down with Elgin, a recent addition to our Elders Quorum, and learn about how he met the missionaries along with his interests in travel, going to the gym, and hiking.

We sit down with Daniel, a new member of our Elders Quorum, and learn about his interests in reading fantasy books, biking, and ballroom dancing.

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 executives and leaders at a variety of organizations. He is currently the founder and CEO of Proof Leadership Group, a career coach, and the author of Talented: Discovering and Using Your God-given Talents to Find More Joy in Life and RESET: How to Get Paid and Love What You Do. Dustin lives in Houston with his wife and four kids and serves as the branch president of a Spanish unit in the Friendswood Texas Stake. He has previously served in a stake presidency, on a high council, and as an early morning seminary teacher. He loves bacon, Dallas sports teams, and is a believer that everyone has a God-given superpower! In this podcast, Dustin talks about why we often believe we don't have talents, and how to identify and put our talents to work to bless those we lead and serve. Highlights 8:00 Calling to the Stake Presidency 10:10 Talents: People believe they don't have them and don't know how to identify them; helping people identify their talents is a tremendous gift 11:35 Identifying talents first allows us to magnify them 12:20 Talents are superpowers. They are powerful skills that make you unique. 14:30 Men are that they might have joy (2 Nephi 2:25) 15:10 Parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) Every person has talents (verse 15) You can gain more talents (verse 15) Talents lead to joy (verse 21) When we are afraid, we tend to hide our talents (verse 25) Everyone that uses their talents gets more (verse 29) Those who bury them have them taken away (verse 29) 16:30 Elders Quorum discussion of talents vs. 6th-grade class discussion of talents 19:45 The Broken Paradigm: What's the problem with identifying our talents? Our mindsets Deficit perspective: we identify our weaknesses (22:30) Scarcity belief: a few people have talents and the rest are left behind (25:30) Humility complex: we overvalue humility when it comes to talent and talk ourselves out of our own talents 28:00 The secret is to be grateful. 29:00 How do we identify our talents? Definition: Things you do naturally, consistently well. Think energy. Skills are transferable and can be taught; talents are innate, energizing, and can be developed; a sign of talent is that it is instinctual 33:50 Talents energize and makes us feel good; we can become highly skilled at a weakness 34:20 What moments in my calling do I feel energized in? 36:00 God knows our talents and if we use our talents to serve, we will get where we need to be 36:30 Diversify your perspective on talents; talents come in three varieties, but we only give respect to “doing” talents Doing: arranging, organizing, developing, communicating, writing Thinking: connecting, influencing, positivity, relating, empathy Feeling: ideating, inputting information, learning, analyzing 41:30 What do you do when you don't have a talent in a certain area? God expects us to develop all of these talents 42:15 Examples of talents that are easy to identify, and talents that are more difficult to notice Easy: being a good athlete, gardening, singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument, drawing, painting, sculpting, cooking, baking, writing, public speaking, teaching, acting, composing songs, sewing, storytelling, repairing things, photography, bow hunting Less easy to notice: having empathy, being a peacemaker, being positive and energetic, communicating effectively, being a good listener, having self-control/discipline, being able to make decisions, setting goals, getting tasks accomplished, giving service,

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 executives and leaders at a variety of organizations. He is currently the founder and CEO of Proof Leadership Group, a career coach, and the author of Talented: Discovering and Using Your God-given Talents to Find More Joy in Life and RESET: How to Get Paid and Love What You Do. Dustin lives in Houston with his wife and four kids and serves as the branch president of a Spanish unit in the Friendswood Texas Stake. He has previously served in a stake presidency, on a high council, and as an early morning seminary teacher. He loves bacon, Dallas sports teams, and is a believer that everyone has a God-given superpower! In this podcast, Dustin talks about why we often believe we don't have talents, and how to identify and put our talents to work to bless those we lead and serve. Highlights 8:00 Calling to the Stake Presidency 10:10 Talents: People believe they don't have them and don't know how to identify them; helping people identify their talents is a tremendous gift 11:35 Identifying talents first allows us to magnify them 12:20 Talents are superpowers. They are powerful skills that make you unique. 14:30 Men are that they might have joy (2 Nephi 2:25) 15:10 Parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) Every person has talents (verse 15) You can gain more talents (verse 15) Talents lead to joy (verse 21) When we are afraid, we tend to hide our talents (verse 25) Everyone that uses their talents gets more (verse 29) Those who bury them have them taken away (verse 29) 16:30 Elders Quorum discussion of talents vs. 6th-grade class discussion of talents 19:45 The Broken Paradigm: What's the problem with identifying our talents? Our mindsets Deficit perspective: we identify our weaknesses (22:30) Scarcity belief: a few people have talents and the rest are left behind (25:30) Humility complex: we overvalue humility when it comes to talent and talk ourselves out of our own talents 28:00 The secret is to be grateful. 29:00 How do we identify our talents? Definition: Things you do naturally, consistently well. Think energy. Skills are transferable and can be taught; talents are innate, energizing, and can be developed; a sign of talent is that it is instinctual 33:50 Talents energize and makes us feel good; we can become highly skilled at a weakness 34:20 What moments in my calling do I feel energized in? 36:00 God knows our talents and if we use our talents to serve, we will get where we need to be 36:30 Diversify your perspective on talents; talents come in three varieties, but we only give respect to “doing” talents Doing: arranging, organizing, developing, communicating, writing Thinking: connecting, influencing, positivity, relating, empathy Feeling: ideating, inputting information, learning, analyzing 41:30 What do you do when you don't have a talent in a certain area? God expects us to develop all of these talents 42:15 Examples of talents that are easy to identify, and talents that are more difficult to notice Easy: being a good athlete, gardening, singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument, drawing, painting, sculpting, cooking, baking, writing, public speaking, teaching, acting, composing songs, sewing, storytelling, repairing things, photography, bow hunting Less easy to notice: having empathy, being a peacemaker, being positive and energetic, communicating effectively, being a good listener, having self-control/discipline, being able to make decisions, setting goals, getting tasks accomplished, giving service,

Brad Brockbank was born and raised in Lehi, Utah and served a mission in Salvador, Brazil. He attended the University of Utah, graduated with a BA in History, and has worked for Zions Bank in various positions for 18 years. Brad has served in the Church as a Sunday School teacher, in the nursery and Primary, as executive secretary, in elders quorum as a counselor, secretary, and president, and was recently called to be a counselor in his ward's bishopric. Brad and his wife Julie have been married for 19 years, live in Star, Idaho, and have four children. Highlights 4:30 Transitioning into the role of elders quorum president and learning to rely on the Spirit Principles of Leadership: Listen to Minister 5:20 Checking things off the lists can get in the way of listening We can Hear Him through others as we engage and listen Stagnant Water Loses its Purity 7:10 Involving others to continue to progress Don't Inhale 9:00 Elder Faust's advice to recognize that great things happen because of God, not because of what we have done Priesthood Keys are Real and Meant to be Used 11:15 Leaving a blessing or promise with those you lead 14:30 Being open and vulnerable as a quorum Creating a culture of sharing and celebrating success over addiction with the quorum Sharing redemption will strengthen others 21:30 Listening and building trust will help with understanding Building relationships creates opportunities for support in many areas 25:20 Leading has helped him learn to rely on Jesus Christ and how much the Lord loves each individual Links Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast. Note: This transcript was machine-produced. We would be grateful for help correcting errors. You can help! Simply copy/paste the transcript text into a document, make the corrections, and then copy/paste the corrected text into a comment on the page (below) and we will get the corrected text published!

Brad Brockbank was born and raised in Lehi, Utah and served a mission in Salvador, Brazil. He attended the University of Utah, graduated with a BA in History, and has worked for Zions Bank in various positions for 18 years. Brad has served in the Church as a Sunday School teacher, in the nursery and Primary, as executive secretary, in elders quorum as a counselor, secretary, and president, and was recently called to be a counselor in his ward's bishopric. Brad and his wife Julie have been married for 19 years, live in Star, Idaho, and have four children. Highlights 4:30 Transitioning into the role of elders quorum president and learning to rely on the Spirit Principles of Leadership: Listen to Minister 5:20 Checking things off the lists can get in the way of listening We can Hear Him through others as we engage and listen Stagnant Water Loses its Purity 7:10 Involving others to continue to progress Don't Inhale 9:00 Elder Faust's advice to recognize that great things happen because of God, not because of what we have done Priesthood Keys are Real and Meant to be Used 11:15 Leaving a blessing or promise with those you lead 14:30 Being open and vulnerable as a quorum Creating a culture of sharing and celebrating success over addiction with the quorum Sharing redemption will strengthen others 21:30 Listening and building trust will help with understanding Building relationships creates opportunities for support in many areas 25:20 Leading has helped him learn to rely on Jesus Christ and how much the Lord loves each individual Links TRANSCRIPT coming soon

I think the title is pretty self-explanatory.

This is a re-broadcast. The episode originally ran in February 2018. Dan Conway is a bishop in Newcastle, in northeast England, and has also served as an elders quorum president. He served a mission to Scotland and works as a digital marketing executive. In this episode, Dan walks us through his crisis of faith prior to being called as bishop, and how that affected how he leads now. Episode Summary 5:45 Mission to Scotland 8:45 Faith crisis 14:40 Reading and praying didn't work as a solution 19:20 Call as Elders Quorum president in the midst of a faith crisis 21:50 Finding the answers to his questions 28:30 Experience bearing his testimony of Joseph Smith 31:15 Becoming the bishop after a faith crisis 43:45 Understanding that people can change and become better 46:15 First year as a bishop 51:20 How he does ward council: short meetings every other week, then visits 56:35 Using an agenda and PPIs 1:01:00 Visiting people after ward council 1:04:00 PPIs Links Interview with Arthur Boutin FAIR Mormon Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Note: This transcript was machine-produced. We would be grateful for help correcting errors. You can help! Simply copy/paste the transcript text into a document, make the corrections, and then copy/paste the corrected text into a comment on the page (below) and we will get the corrected text published!

This is a re-broadcast. The episode originally ran in February 2018. Dan Conway is a bishop in Newcastle, in northeast England, and has also served as an elders quorum president. He served a mission to Scotland and works as a digital marketing executive. In this episode, Dan walks us through his crisis of faith prior to being called as bishop, and how that affected how he leads now. Episode Summary 5:45 Mission to Scotland 8:45 Faith crisis 14:40 Reading and praying didn’t work as a solution 19:20 Call as Elders Quorum president in the midst of a faith crisis 21:50 Finding the answers to his questions 28:30 Experience bearing his testimony of Joseph Smith 31:15 Becoming the bishop after a faith crisis 43:45 Understanding that people can change and become better 46:15 First year as a bishop 51:20 How he does ward council: short meetings every other week, then visits 56:35 Using an agenda and PPIs 1:01:00 Visiting people after ward council 1:04:00 PPIs Links Interview with Arthur Boutin FAIR Mormon

Kevin Pfleger is a lifelong member of the church residing in Boise, Idaho, with his wife and three kids. He has served in the bishopric of a student ward and in an Elders Quorum presidency. But his favorite callings by far, have been working with the young men of his ward. He served a full-time mission in the Arizona Phoenix Mission, Spanish- speaking. He enjoys playing soccer, running and making Christmas candy! Enter Kevin… In December I am busy making Christmas candy at home. With three children home all day doing virtual school, I have been making a LOT of Christmas candy- multiple batches of fudge, divinity and toffee. These candies are unique in that they are all made with a base of sugar syrup, heated to varying degrees depending on the recipe. For the uninitiated, cooking with sugar syrup involves heating sugar and other ingredients on the stovetop until a desired temperature is achieved. Sugar syrup behaves in different ways depending on the temperature. If you heat the syrup to 235 degrees, “soft ball” stage, you can make fudge. Continued heating of the syrup, to 250 degrees, will take the syrup to “hard ball” stage, required for making divinity. And if you heat the syrup even longer to 300 degrees, you get to “hard crack” stage, necessary to make toffee. Mortal Heating and Testing Our lives are a crucible wherein we are heated and tested and proved. The pressure and heat of our testing is most apparent in our service. Whether it is the difficulty in our labors as a bishop or as the leader of our family, the men and women of this Church give all and are sometimes bowed by the difficulty of the task. It is common for the families of a bishop to give much and sacrifice much, as well as the families of Elders Quorum presidents, Relief Society presidents, and anyone else who has a calling that requires a large time commitment. For the families of full-time missionaries, who may not all be active members of the church, the sacrifice of being without their young son or daughter for two years might say it is too much to ask of them. Remarkably, that is how it has always been, service in the kingdom often means: Service when it is not convenient Service when we are already tired Service when we have already given so much Service when the cost is high There are times when the life changing temperature is already high and rising. Sometimes as the heat is increased, like the bubbling sugar syrup on the stovetop, the temperature inches upward as we become something different than we were before. We become new. That is how it has always been. Service on Fire I think of the Savior who provided us with the best example of service under fire, or service on the fire. Our lives, and the service we provide as mothers and fathers, plus the formal callings we receive at church, makes us into new creatures. My vivid imagination conjures up images of our Father, bustling away in a heavenly kitchen, apron and all, monitoring the temperature while knowing exactly what the recipe demands. His recipes require much because He is making something great, much greater than fudge or divinity. This candy He is cooking will more appropriately reach Divinity as the spark within us grows, changes, and becomes. Christ did the same in his mortal crucible-serving even as He suffered. Some specific examples of His divine and difficult service remind us of the cost- the ingredients and heat required for God’s most special recipes. The Price of Service After the dark and lonely night of agony in Gethsemane, Christ is confronted with the most bitter betrayal. His three closest disciples, Peter, James and John, could not keep watch with him through the difficult hours of the night. Thus, he suffered alone through the dark. By morning, His strength is flagging, He is tired, His robes are stained with expiatory blood, that oozed from His body as he suffered seemingly endless pain,

Chris Yadon is the executive Director of the Younique Foundation in Lehi, Utah, and a former stake president. Their mission is to "inspire hope in women who were sexually abused as children or adolescents by providing healing services through educational retreats, support groups, and online resources. [They] educate and empower parents and caregivers to protect children from sexual abuse through community and online resources. [They also] advocate for open discussions about sexual abuse through community dialogue and social awareness." The Younique Foundation was founded by the same founders of the Younique Beauty Company due to their desire to fight against sexual abuse and it’s devastating consequences. Highlights 2:20 Background of the Younique Foundation. 4:27 How did you get involved in working with Non-profit organizations? “We need to become experts in combating pornography.” Finding a connection between pornography and sexual abuse or exploitation. 7:05 Statistics – realizing the magnitude of sexual abuse 1:4 girls and 1:6 boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18. 9:00 What constitutes abuse? “any unwanted coercion or force into sexual activity” 10:50 Where does sexual abuse come from? Who is doing it? 80-90% of sexual abuse is coming from trusted family relationships in other words someone in the family or someone the family knows. 10-20% is perpetrated by unknown individuals aka “stranger danger” What is often uncomfortable and hard for families to realize is that it is usually people in your circle ( ie.coach, teacher, uncle, older sibling, older sibling’s friend, a person at church, etc…) 12:00 Other foundational knowledge for leaders in the church. It happens in the church. It happens to church members. It happens to families that are engaged with their children. As a parent, you can do everything “right” and it can still happen. It happens in every race, religion, culture, every socio-economic group. The statistics do not change from one group to another. 13:15 Is there a correlation of sexual abuse to the church’s culture, structure, or habits of the church? The church as an organization has been putting a tremendous effort into addressing and preventing abuse in positive ways. How individual congregations can apply the church’s policies and guidelines can be more problematic. Sexual abuse is typically a crime of opportunity. 16:00 When a leader stands up against abuse it gives members permission to speak openly about their experiences. Distinguishing between a secondary issue (behavior) versus the primary issue (trauma). 20:00 Combating pornography In almost every case of pornography addiction or compulsion, there were some early trauma issues (death, divorce, sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect) A church leader’s role is not to combat the root trauma but to refer members to professionals who can 23:10 As a leader how approachable am I? How do I start talking about it? Have conversations of healthy sexuality that include sexual abuse as part of that conversation. Be direct. Educate parents on how to educate their children. The use of professionals in committees to aid leaders. 28:05 How do leaders get to root issues so members can receive the proper help they need? Listen first. Don’t dig into details initially. Ask good secondary open-ended questions. ( “tell me about when this started”, “What was going on in your life the first time this happened”, “tell me more”, “help me to understand”, etc.) 30:00 3 things a survivor of sexual abuse needs to hear. You are not crazy. I believe you. There is hope and healing. Resources that can help. 32:50 Repentance at its core is change. You can’t stay at the behavior level and expect true and lasting change 34:10 What can youth leaders, Elders Quorum, or Relief Society Presidents do to help?

My friend Alexander Baxter, RM, BYU Graduate and Grad Student at UC Davis, joins us to share his journey as a gay Latter-day Saint. I became aware of Alexander via his Twitter profile (@pionqueer47) with the words “Gay and Elder Quorum President – I guess its possible”. Alexander’s Bishop and Stake President knew he was gay before extending the call to serve as the Elders Quorum President. Alexander shares his journey, including how he realized he way probably gay during his mission (Tacoma, Washington) and how he came to accept this part of himself at BYU. Alexander has a unique family situation (which he talks about on the podcast) and reports supportive parents. I encourage everyone to listen to Alexander’s story on the podcast and his blog at alexanderbaxterblog.blogspot.com. Thanks for being on the podcast Alexander. You are a great man with a wonderful future

Reading of a paper I wrote in Jan 2019, that was sparked from a discussion in Elders Quorum during ward conference.

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

We are instructed in the General Handbook (8.1.1) that "Members of the elders quorum work together to help accomplish the work of salvation and exaltation. They serve others, fulfill priesthood duties, build unity, and learn and live doctrine." How effective is your quorum at succeeding in this purpose? Is the more that can be done to leverage the inspired quorum structure that has been restored in these latter days?  The reality is, men live lives of quiet desperation even while attending elders quorum once a week. They attend elders quorum with the hope of brotherhood, unity, and a restoration of their heart. Every man is striving to answer one question, "do I have what it takes?" They wonder if they have what it takes to support a family, keep their job, overcome addiction, maintain their worthiness. They know the restored gospel can help them answer that question but they don't know where to find the answer. In this episode, Kurt Francom discusses some points to consider related to the heart of men and how the adversary is winning the heart of many men in ways we may not expect. There is great opportunity to build brotherhood in our quorum in order to give more purpose in the lives of those who attend. Kurt also discusses the powerful experience he and others have had by attending a Wild at Heart Boot Camp and how it can help establish an effective model for increasing elders quorum brotherhood and unity. Next Boot Camp Details & Registration   Summary The typical elders quorum (1:40) What would you change about elders quorum? What is the purpose of a quorum? Handbook 2 - 7.1.2  (6:15) "The primary purposes of quorums are to serve others, build unity and brotherhood, and instruct members in doctrines, principles, and duties." President Kimball said, "We often do vigorous enlistment work to get members to come to church but then do not adequately watch over what they receive when they do come." A Quorum of Strangers: On the isolation of Mormon Men, by Sheldon Lawrence (11:30) "A recent article in the Atlantic points out that men, especially middle-aged white men, are increasingly dying from lives lived in isolation and addiction. I would like to believe that Mormon men somehow buck this trend. After all, aren’t we part of a tight-knit community capable of self-organizing in a moment’s notice? Just hand us a natural disaster and we’ll show up with rakes and shovels. But despite the Church’s obvious strength in organizing labor, it’s my observation that Mormon men lead surprisingly isolated and lonely lives. " "The substance of a diligent man is precious." Prov. 12:27 What is the biggest threat to men in our current day? (14:15) The hearts of men are under attack (16:25) "The devil has sought to lay a cunning plan, that he may destroy this work" Doctrine & Covenants 10:12 How the adversary works "Yea, he stirreth up [our] hearts" Doctrine & Covenants10:24 "And thus he flattereth them, and leadeth them along until he draggeth their souls down to hell; and thus he causeth them to catch themselves in [our] own snare." Doctrine & Covenants 10:26 Wild at Heart Boot Camp (21:05) Principles based on the Wild at Heart book A battle to fight An adventure to live A beauty to rescue Wild at Heart Boot Camp Story Continued (27:45) Real life experiences Chris (33:10) Steve (47:40) James (from California) (53:45) James (from Utah) (59:05) Orin (1:06:25) Conclusion (1:11:25) Links See Boot Camp Schedule & Register (Promo Code: LeadingSaints) Unashamed Unafraid Podcast Doug Nielsen Episode Steve Shields Episode Wild at Heart Book Heart of Man Movie A Quorum of Strangers: On the isolation of Mormon men Find a Wild at Heart Book Camp in your area

Wild at Heart in Elders Quorum

Today I talk about Historical events surrounding the current Section 89 in the Doctrine and Covenants called the Word of Wisdom. Sources: Oliver Cowdery Journal: https://eadview.lds.org/findingaid/MS%203429 (Journal Page 5) Chastised for not blessing: A President of the Elders’ Quorum, old father Baker, was called upon to visit a very sick woman, a sister in the Church; they sent for him to lay hands upon her. It was a very sickly time, and there were scarcely a person to attend upon the sick, for nearly all were afflicted. Father Baker was one of those tenacious, ignorant, self-willed, over-righteous Elders, and when he went into the house he enquired what the woman wanted. She told him that she wished him to lay hands upon her. Father Baker saw a tea-pot on the coals, and supposed that there was tea in it, and immediately turned upon his heels, saying, “God don’t want me to lay hands on those who do not keep the Word of Wisdom,” and he went out. He did not know whether the pot contained catnip, penny-royal, or some other mild herb, and he did not wait for any one to tell him. That class of people are ignorant and over-righteous, and they are not in the true line by any means. JD 4:24, Brigham Young, August 17, 1856 Lobelia: If the Saints of God actually have the faith of the ancients, let them practise the doctrine in their works. A man will tell me that he is a “Mormon,” that he believes in the faith of the ancients, when at the same time he practises everything else but their religion. My rule is to practise our religion. If I want a drink of catnip tea, or of composition, or of lobelia, it is all right, but I will first practise my religion. You know that it is hardly allowable in Utah to drink any more than five gallons of lobelia at once, for the Assembly of Deseret once had the matter under consideration. JD 2:276, Jedediah M. Grant, March 11, 1855 Juvinile Instructor 1866 Tea/Coffee and Meat in Summer: https://archive.org/stream/juvenileinstruct13geor#page/n3/mode/2up/ Poisoning: It may seem incredible especially to the young people of the Latter day Saints that men could be so wicked as to seek to destroy the Saints by poisoning them but such has been the case and but for the preserving care of God and their observance of the Word of Wisdom many would have died thus from poison placed by their enemies in tea coffee or other liquors which they were expected to drink The only absolute safety from such disaster is in entire abstinence from those things which our Heavenly Father declares are not good. https://books.google.com/books/content?id=oxQxAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA198&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U3v9kRpphNFCIkN5Ky7kLHp2_5Eug&ci=552%2C955%2C382%2C145&edge=0 Beer (Mild Drinks): Prophet, under date of April 19, 1843, states: “Levi Richards is one of the best physicians anyone was ever ac-quainted with.” On December 15, 1843, the Prophet journalized as follows: “I was seized with dryness of mouth and throat, sickness of stomach, and vomited freely; my wife waited on me, assisted by my scribe, Dr. Willard Richards, and his brother --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mormon-history-podcast/support

Dustin Peterson is a leadership trainer with Proof Leadership Group and works with organizations to help develop their culture. He is also the author of “Reset: How to Get Paid and Love What You Do”, and coaches individuals to help them get unstuck in their careers. He currently serves in a stake presidency in Houston, Texas, and has previously served on a high council and as an early morning seminary teacher. In this podcast, Dustin talks about why we often believe we don't have talents, and how to identify and put our talents to work to bless those we lead and serve. Highlights 8:00 Calling to the Stake Presidency 10:10 Talents: People believe they don’t have them and don’t know how to identify them; helping people identify their talents is a tremendous gift 11:35 Identifying talents first allows us to magnify them 12:20 Talents are superpowers. They are powerful skills that make you unique. 14:30 Men are that they might have joy (2 Nephi 2:25) 15:10 Parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) Every person has talents (verse 15) You can gain more talents (verse 15) Talents lead to joy (verse 21) When we are afraid, we tend to hide our talents (verse 25) Everyone that uses their talents gets more (verse 29) Those who bury them have them taken away (verse 29) 16:30 Elders Quorum discussion of talents vs. 6th-grade class discussion of talents 19:45 The Broken Paradigm: What’s the problem with identifying our talents? Our mindsets Deficit perspective: we identify our weaknesses (22:30) Scarcity belief: a few people have talents and the rest are left behind (25:30) Humility complex: we overvalue humility when it comes to talent and talk ourselves out of our own talents 28:00 The secret is to be grateful. 29:00 How do we identify our talents? Definition: Things you do naturally, consistently well. Think energy. Skills are transferable and can be taught; talents are innate, energizing, and can be developed; a sign of talent is that it is instinctual 33:50 Talents energize and makes us feel good; we can become highly skilled at a weakness 34:20 What moments in my calling do I feel energized in? 36:00 God knows our talents and if we use our talents to serve, we will get where we need to be 36:30 Diversify your perspective on talents; talents come in three varieties, but we only give respect to “doing” talents Doing: arranging, organizing, developing, communicating, writing Thinking: connecting, influencing, positivity, relating, empathy Feeling: ideating, inputting information, learning, analyzing 41:30 What do you do when you don’t have a talent in a certain area? God expects us to develop all of these talents 42:15 Examples of talents that are easy to identify, and talents that are more difficult to notice Easy: being a good athlete, gardening, singing, dancing, playing a musical instrument, drawing, painting, sculpting, cooking, baking, writing, public speaking, teaching, acting, composing songs, sewing, storytelling, repairing things, photography, bow hunting Less easy to notice: having empathy, being a peacemaker, being positive and energetic, communicating effectively, being a good listener, having self-control/discipline, being able to make decisions, setting goals, getting tasks accomplished, giving service, inputting or retaining information, mentally organizing information, analyzing and sorting data, being friendly and kind to others, putting others at ease, seeing the good in others, thrift, punctuality 45:00 Talent is the “How” (Simon Sinek’s concentric circles) and it remains the same through any “What” 46:40 Identify your best day in the past 6 months in your calling and take notes on it. What were you doing? Who was it with/to/for? Why was it so meaningful? Talents release motivation and energy: your talents are buried in all of this information 48:50 Artistic abilities as talents can extend beyond a sin...

As you start this journey, the adversary will try to keep you from reading and praying. This episode will give you the #1 way to protect yourself from sin so you can get your prayers answered. ---Transcript--- Hey everyone, this is Russell Brunson. I want to welcome you back to the Book of Mormon Challenge podcast. I hope that so far you have been taking the challenge, you have been reading, you have been praying and you have been trying to get an answer. I actually want to apologize, it's been a little while since I've done an episode and honestly, it's interesting, whenever you try to do something amazing in your life, and hopefully this is kind of a metaphor for you guys as well. It feels like the adversary wants to try to stop you. And it's crazy how the more I want to do this podcast and get in the right state and have the right spirit and all those kind of things, the more temptations and trials and things come up in my life that try to keep me from doing it. And I'm sure for a lot of you guys it's going to be similar as you try to go on this journey and try to read. The adversary is going to do everything in his power to keep you from actually doing it, to keep you from reading, to keep you from concentrating, to keep you from praying, to keep you from asking. And that's just kind of his pattern.I felt it, I know that so far since I've launched this podcast a lot of amazing things have happened, some huge amazing conversations have been opened with people, it's just been powerful and amazing. But as soon as anything amazing starts happening, the adversary tries to stop it. So I am here to kind of re-commit and to re-push forward and to be more consistent for you, but also for me as well. Also, just kind of, I'm going to make a couple of changes to the format, so I want to kind of explain that to you here. So this is going to be kind of the last big foundational episode for a while. I'm going to keep doing the bigger ones that are like 30 minutes to an hour, when I get excited about a topic I want to deep dive and go there because there's tons of stuff I want to share. But moving forward, I want to make sure that, sometimes the bigger episodes take me a lot longer to think through and get the notes and stories and get everything perfect, and then obviously praying to make sure I have the spirit, all those things to be able to deliver it to you and I don't want to keep that from progression and momentum. So what I'm going to be doing, I'll keep doing some of the longer ones, like this, where we deep dive into things. But after this one I'm going to start jumping into shorter episodes. And the goal with the shorter episodes, honestly is, my goal with the whole podcast is just to get you to read and to pray. That's it. I want you to read the Book of Mormon and I want you to pray. If I can get you to do that then I've succeeded, because that's my only goal. So as I shift from the episodes moving forward, you'll notice I'm going to be picking, for example, it might be 1 Nephi: chapter 1. And I'm going to go and study deep into the commentary and figure out the coolest, most exciting things possible that I can do to get you excited to read chapter one. That's my goal. Then chapter 2 I'm going to go and find the best, most amazing, most exciting things and preset the story and get you so excited that you have to go and read it. And I'm kind of good at this in my marketing background, at getting people hooked and excited, so my goal is to hook you, give you a story and then push you to go and actually read each of the chapters. So that's kind of the game plan. So I'm excited. Next episode will be coming out in a couple of days and we'll keep moving forward a little bit faster on those. And again, my goal with this is to get you into the book, reading and praying. So that's kind of the goal. After the last episode we talked about how to get your prayers answered. I got so much good feedback from all of you guys and I appreciate it. But honestly, the biggest feedback I got from people and it's also interestingly enough, the same thing that I struggle with the most and so I wanted to address it in this episode. The title of this episode is called “No more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” So the biggest question, the biggest problem people were messaging me with were, “Russell, I want to read and I want to pray but I don't feel worthy. I don't feel like I can get an answer.” Or “I know that I'm not living right in my life, and I struggle to repent and I don't know how to do it.” Or “I've tried to repent but I've fallen back in and the things that I try to do right, Is in and I make the mistake again.” Or all sorts of things like that. “I want to do good Russell, but I keep making mistakes and because I make mistakes I don't feel worthy to actually pray and get the answers.” And like I said, that's the pattern, what the adversary wants to do. As soon as you try to take a step towards the light and towards truth, he will immediately bombard you with everything he can to distract you, to make you sin, to make you feel guilty, to make you not feel worthy because those are the feelings and the thoughts and things that will keep you from reading and praying. So first off, I want to give some context and some things to kind of help you guys with, because it's something I have struggled with my entire life. I think I've been on this planet for 38ish years now and I struggle with this on a daily basis. So I know I'm not alone, and if I am alone then this episode is for me. But if I'm not alone, then hopefully this will be for you as well. Alright, some of the context to this and what, honestly it's the thing that, not frustrating. That's not the right word, but the thing that I struggle with the most is I want to do good. And there's a scripture in Mosiah and I'm going to read it and it comes back to the title of today's presentation. Again, the title is “No more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” So in Mosiah 5:1,2 if you've read the Book of Mormon, there's this amazing king, his name is King Benjamin. He's about to die and before he dies he gets all his people together and he starts preaching to them, kind of his last message, “What can I do to help you guys to make sure you're going to succeed in life, you're going to be good people, you're going to be able to return back to God?” And in this speech if you look at verse 1 and 2 of Mosiah Chapter 5 this is what he says, “And now, it came to pass that when King Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken to them. And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yeah, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. “ I remember reading that in seminary when I was a kid and thinking, “Oh my gosh. As I soon as I get the spirit, as soon as I know it's true, the most amazing thing is going to happen to me. I'm never going to have the desire to sin ever again.” That's what I interpreted this, King Benjamin's people heard his word, they were excited. They were like, “I'm going to do this.” And it said they had no more disposition to do evil but to do good continually. So I always thought that as soon as I repented, as soon as I was right, that I would have no more desire to do evil, but I'd only want to do good. And then suck us into the real world and guess what happened, I felt the spirit, I wanted to change, I did change. But what shocked me, what surprised me was that all the sudden my desire to do evil did not go away. Actually let me step back, my desire to do evil did go away, but my….how do I explain this right? I didn't want to do sin, but I still sinned. I still got tempted, I had temptations, I had trials, all these things that pulled me back into sin. So while I had a disposition to do good continually, I didn't want to do evil, I still sinned. And I kept sinning and I kept sinning and it was so hard and so frustrating. In fact, to this day I still struggle with this. I know, I think all of us have our temptations, our sins that we struggle with. And while I have desire, I'm going to point my life, I feel similar to how King Benjamin's people felt. I have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. But I want to add dot, dot, dot, yet I'm still tempted like crazy and I fall way too often. That's how, if it was me writing the scripture, that's what I would have said. “Russell has no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually, yet for some reason he's so weak he keeps screwing up, therefore he's yet to be perfect.” That's how I felt and I remember being frustrated by that and if you read in Matthew, Matthew 26: 41, in this scripture he's talking about this, he says, “Watch and pray that y enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.” When I read that I was like, okay, that's how I feel. I'm willing, my spirit is willing to do it, but my flesh is weak. And I was like, I'm frustrated, how do I….. I don't want my flesh to be weak. Why am I so weak? And it's funny, if you look at our problems, our issues, it all comes down to our flesh, our body. It's the temptations of the body we struggle with. So our flesh is weak, even though our spirit is willing. Our spirit wants to do what's right, but then the problem is our flesh. And as I started thinking about this a lot I realized that if you look at our lives here on Earth, what is the big test? We come to Earth, we have a chance to be here, we get these bodies, these amazing physical bodies and then our goal is to see what we're going to do with them. So if you look at what is the big test? The big test is 100% to do with our bodies. What are we going to do with these bodies? If you look at the commandments and everything, all of the commandments, everything leads to either how you're treating your own body, or how you're treating other people's bodies. So if you look at the commandments or the rules or whatever you want to call them, it's like what things we put into our bodies. There's codes of health that the Lord's given us, there's things that we're not supposed to do to our bodies. We're not supposed to injure ourselves, we're not supposed to do things like that. Then how we treat other people's bodies, thou shall not murder, thou shall not commit adultery. It's the big great test, if you want to look at the big secret of what is this life about, it's that. How are we going to treat our own bodies and other people's bodies. So we're given these bodies, this flesh that's weak, that wants to do sin, wants to do these bad things and the spirit wants to do what's right. So the big conundrum, the big problem, the big struggle, the big thing that we're fighting with is, what are we going to do? Are we going to give into the flesh or are we going to stay strong with the spirit? So I want you guys thinking about that, it all comes down to this. How we treat our bodies and how we treat other people's bodies. All the commandments somehow tie into that. Either the sins I'm making against my own body, or the sins I'm making against other people's bodies. There's not sins against other things, it's all tied to those, to our bodies. When I realized that I'm like, oh my gosh. I have to figure out how to be able to control, how to be able to control my flesh, how to control my body. So for me, that created an obsession with personal development. If you know anything about me or my background you know that I'm mildly obsessed with this. I built a big company that teaches entrepreneurs marketing and sales and things like that, but really in that journey over the last decade and a half of my life I've become obsessed with personal development. How do we develop ourselves? How do we control our habits, our problems, our mindset, our energy, all these kind of things? So if you ever came to my office and you saw, I've got a bookshelf with hundreds of thousands of dollars of books and courses teaching personal development. It's become an obsession with me. I think it stems back, the reason I have that obsession is because it comes back to this problem right here. I have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually, yet for some reason I keep messing up. So I'm like, I need to keep personally developing myself so I don't mess up. What is it going to be? So I could go on for days teaching personal development strategies and things like that, but there's a couple of principles and processes that had the biggest effect on me. And I think that when I took repentance, how do I forsake my sins, how do I repent, how do I try to do what's right? And I took these lessons I learned inside of personal development, the blend of those two things, is what's helped me to be able to control my flesh and to be able to do what the spirit actually wants me to do. And again, I'm not perfect. In fact, this episode is specifically for me to help remind me of these things. But it has been a huge help to me, and I hope it has helped you as well as you're going down this journey. Because if we're not careful, as soon as you start the path forward and start trying to do good, I promise you that temptations, the whirlwinds, the trials, all this stuff is going to beat on you because the adversary does not want you doing the right thing. So if I can give you guys some information and some stuff that helped me, hopefully it will help you guys as well on this journey. So that way you can go and you can read and you can feel the spirit and you can pray because if you do that, your life will change forever. We have to break free of the sins of our body if we're going to be able to do that. Alright so the thing I want to share with you, and again there's so much good stuff I could talk about but the thing I think is going to be the most impactful for you is something I learned from Tony Robbins. And if you know who Tony Robbins is, he's a 6'7” giant, he was on infomercials all throughout the 80's, if you've seen the movie Shallow Hal, he was in Shallow Hal, but I became a friend of his, me and him became friends about 10 years ago. I had consulted for his business and then I was in, I spoke at a couple of his events, he spoke at 2 of my events, I spoke at one of his events last month, so we've got a really good friendship and respect for each other. But I remember, there's so many good things that I learned from Tony, but one of the ones that had the biggest impact on me was at the very first event I went to of his. He started talking about this concept that he called the six human needs. And I'm going to kind of go through it with you guys, but for me, when I understood this, this had probably the most profound effect on me, my relationships, my spouse, my…more so than anything else, so I wanted to share with you because when you understand this process, it gives you guys the tools you need to not only have the disposition to not do evil, but to do good continually, but it gives the framework to be able to resist the temptations and be able to protect yourself and your family so you can actually do what's right. Okay, so six human needs, this is kind of the concept I want to teach about, and I wish I had a whiteboard I could show you and I could map this out and it'd make more sense. But maybe as I'm explaining it, if you have a piece of paper out, try to write these things down and it'll make more sense. So the six human needs, there are four needs of the body and there's two needs of the spirit. I'm going to spend most of the time today talking about the needs of the body because that's our goal right now, how do we overcome the body? I'll touch upon the needs of the spirit because they're important, but I'm not going to focus on that during this podcast. So there's four needs of the body, a couple of things to understand before I explain what these four needs are. First off, if you in any circumstance of your life, three of these four needs are met, it causes a physical addiction inside of your body. So if you get three of these four needs, you get a physical addiction. So that's the number one thing to understand. The number two thing to understand is that you'll notice that two of these things are opposites and the other two are opposites. So it causes this weird conundrum where it's like I need this and I need this but those two things are opposite, so because of that it causes all sorts of craziness that creates this amazing life that we live in right now. So if you're writing these things down, the first need of the body is called certainty. Every single one of us needs certainty. So write down the word certainty if you have a piece of paper out. Certainty. We want to feel certain. I want to feel certain that when I come home at night my wife's going to be there. I want to feel certain that there's food on my table. I want to feel certain that there's a paycheck coming home every day. We crave and we need certainty. So that's the first human need. The second human need is the exact opposite of certainty. It's variety. I need to be entertained, I need new stuff happening, I need to be… I get fired up and I have variety and excitement with things that are happening. So the second thing our body craves is we need variety. We need certainty, but we also need variety. So that's need number one, and that's need number two. Now need number three, this one is significance. I want to feel significant, I want to feel good about myself. When I walk in a room I want to feel good about myself, I want to feel good about my accomplishments, I want to feel significance. So significance is the third human need. Now if you look at the opposite of significance, significance is all about me, me, me, me, I want to feel great about myself. The opposite of that is love and connection. I want to show love and connection and affection towards somebody else. So that's the fourth human need, love and connection. So if you go write these down you've got, certainty and variety. Then you have significance and you have love and connection. And again, certainty and variety are opposites, significance and love and connection are opposites. So hopefully you've written those down. I'm going to kind of take you guys through an exercise that when he explained this to me, it just made so much sense. Remember earlier I mentioned that if any situation any three of these four needs are met, it will create an addiction, a physical addiction inside your body, inside your flesh. For example, think about, for those who are married think about your spouse. For those who aren't married yet, think about the last time you went on a date with somebody. So you meet this new person and you go on a date with them, and what happens? You're out on this date and there's variety, the first time you've been with them, you don't know them that well and you're asking them all these questions and there's this variety and excitement. And that person, if they like you back, they start asking you questions and all the sudden, “oh my gosh, I feel significant.” You feel significant. “They care about me and they're asking me questions about who I am.” And you feel that. And then the third one is at the end of the date, you take them to the doorstep and they give you a hug and a kiss and boom, you feel love and connection. And boom, what just happened? Variety happened, significance happened, and love and connection happened and all the sudden boom, that fast it creates a physical addiction, we fall in love with that person, we start dating them and eventually get married and it's amazing. What happens with most people after they get married? What happens is all the sudden now they are married to that person because they're craving certainty because they want the fourth human need, they want certainty. So they get that certainty, that person is married, they're going to be home when I get home.  But then what happens? Certainty starts driving our lives, and now variety disappears. Now I no longer want to go on dates with my wife, I no longer do things. We're certain, but the variety goes away. Year one maybe there's still variety, year two and by year three and four and five or by year seven, which is when most people start having their marital issues, variety is gone. You have tons of certainty, no variety. So that's gone. And at first your spouse loves you and talks about you all the time so you have all this significance and you feel special and all this stuff, but eventually the more you're around someone, the less significant they make you feel, you make them feel because you're not as enamored with them because eventually you've heard all their stories a million times and you're like, “Yep, it's the same person I wake up to every single day.” Suddenly that significance goes away and a lot of times love and connection drifts as well. What happens is all those things start falling apart and you lose that addiction to the body and that's why a lot of times marriages fall apart. For some people, and I have friends who have gone through this and it's a horrible thing, their marriages start falling apart because this physical addiction goes away. They lose variety, they lose significance, and now maybe they have certainty and love and connection, but they lost the other two. But that physical addiction goes away. And then they go to the office and they start working, and some people become workaholics, this is something I struggle with. I go to work and what happens? I go to work every single day and I sit at my desk and I feel certainty, I know exactly what I'm going to do every single day. And then I'm creating cool things, I feel really excited, I get this variety, it's amazing. And then people who listen to my podcast or read my emails or see my facebook comments or like my instagram things, I feel significance and I get love and connection from my customers. And all the sudden I'm getting four of my needs met and boom it creates this huge addiction and becomes a work addiction. And sometimes because we're not getting our needs met at home, we start shifting and get our needs met at work. Maybe we get our needs met at the gym. Some people start going and start working out and every single day they go and work out and they get this certainty working out, plus they get the variety, “I'm working out chest today, and triceps and new exercises, new things, new people.” People check them out, “Man, you're getting strong, you're looking good.” You're getting love and connection and all the sudden all your needs are met at the gym and because you're not getting them met at home you start shifting to the gym and get your needs met there. It's interesting. Or, and this is kind of the really negative side of it, is somebody goes to the office and their spouse is, they've got certainty with their spouse but variety, significance, love and connection are starting to wane, but they've got a secretary or they've got somebody they need at work and that person all the sudden thinks they're interesting and starts asking them questions and they get this significance. And then they start flirting with that person and they get variety and love and connection and boom, that's how divorces happen, that's how affairs happen because these needs are met somewhere else. So it's interesting, and it's not just in marriage though, it's in all aspects of life. Some people go to school and they love it, because they go to school and they wake up every morning and get certainty. They get the variety of learning new things, they get significance of getting A's on their test, they get love and connection of their study groups and school becomes an addiction. I've got family members who have got 800 doctorate degrees because they've got this physical addiction to school. Drugs are the same way, right. Drugs, you take this drug and you know with certainty you're going to feel a certain way, plus you get the variety of the amazing things that happen from the drugs, you get the love and connection of the people you're hanging out with, you're significant, and it causes a physical addiction. Same thing with food, every time you eat food, you get certainty of I'm going to feel full. But then you get the variety, like last night my wife and I went to sushi, I got the variety of this roll and this roll and it was amazing. And then I'm sitting there talking with my spouse and I get love and connection with the people I'm at dinner with and boom, it creates a food addiction. It doesn't matter what you struggle with, all of us have different things, but if you understand it all comes down to this. Our body is creating addictions when three of these four needs are met. And then we fall out of addiction when some of these things are not being met. And one thing that Tony said was amazing, when he said it, it was amazing. He said, “if you look at this, there was never a marriage that ever ended where all of the needs of somebody were being met. There's never been a kid who strayed if all their needs were met.” If you look at family life, and this is something I'm hyper aware of with my kids. If my kids are getting all these needs met at home, they're getting significance and love and connection and variety, and certainty in the home, they're not going to leave. It's when they start losing that addiction that go and start going after drugs or other friend groups or things like that, because they're craving these needs and they have to get them met somewhere. So people will give up their values, they'll give up their beliefs, they'll give up everything in order to get these needs met somewhere. And that's what's fascinating as humans. We will give up everything to get these needs met. You will get these needs met one way or the other. So if you're not getting them met in one aspect in your life, you're going to get them met somewhere else. It happens, we can't exist as humans without it. Our body is weak, we must have these. So when Tony told me that, he said, “No marriage ever ended when all the needs of the spouse are being met.” So my wife and I sat down and said, “Okay, how do we protect our marriage.” I said to my wife, Collette, “Collette, do you have certainty?” and she's like, “Yeah, I feel totally certain you're going to be here.” I'm like, “Cool, do you feel variety?” She's like, “Well, not like we used to.” I'm like, “Oh no, variety's down. Do you feel significant?” And she's like, “Yeah, yeah. You do a good job.” I'm like, “Do you feel love and connection?”  I'm looking at this like I need to create an addiction with my wife with me. How do I light her up? How do I give her variety so that she's excited? How do I give her certainty so that she feels certain? How do I make her feel significant? How do I give her love and connection? Because there's been no marriages ever ended where the needs of the spouse have all been met. And the same thing comes back to my wife. She's asking, “How do I make you feel certain Russell? How do I give you significance? How do I give you love and connection?” With my kids it's the same thing. When I'm looking at my kids I'm like, “Okay, how do I make sure my kids feel all of these things so they get the physical body addiction here, inside of our home?” For those of you guys who are trying to figure out, how do I get my kids to go to church, how do I get the people that I'm steward of at church, how do I get them connected? It's the same thing. When people are bored out of their minds at church they're not getting their needs met, they're going to leave, they're going to go do different things. But if you're in church and you get this certainty of knowing something, you get the variety of learning new things, you get the significance of being able to share, if you get the love and connection of people in the congregation, people you're around, that's what gets people to stick, because it creates a physical addiction there. So for you, I want you thinking about, think about the things that you're addicted to in your life. What TV shows, what foods, what exercises, what people? And start looking at this, are my needs being met by these people? And then look at things that are good that for some reason aren't the way that you want them to be, and think about are my needs being met there? And it's like, man if I struggle to go to church, if I struggle to read scriptures, if I struggle to whatever your issue is, my guess is because you're needs aren't being met somewhere else, so you're going there to get those needs met. So for me, this was the big secret, the big aha, understanding this. I started looking at my life and started realizing the reason why I keep going to my pet sin, the reason I keep having these issues is because my needs aren't being met here, therefore I'm trying to get those needs met over here.   When I became aware of that, I started saying, okay I need to figure things out. I'm going to talk about, I'm going to come back to this in a second, but first I want to talk about one more thing because I know some of you guys I left you with a cliffhanger. So those are the four needs of the body and then there are two needs of the spirit, and most people unfortunately never get to the needs of the spirit, because they're so focused on trying to get the needs of their body met. But the needs of the spirit, number one is growth. So I need to grow, I need to learn, I need to expand. And then number two is contribution, I need to help other people. So those are the needs of the spirit, growth and contribution. So after the needs of the body are met, that's when typically you start shifting from me, me, me, looking at your own internal desires, to shifting to external. I need to grow and contribute. So growth and contribution are the two needs of the spirit. So those are the six human needs. So the next thing I want you to think about is looking at the things you're struggling with, looking at yourself and saying, “I have no more disposition to evil but to do good continually, but I keep struggling, because this is where I keep going. I keep falling back into this thing.” And then start looking, “Why am I doing that? What's the addiction? This thing that I'm looking for, what's the addiction it's causing?” It's creating certainty….look at all the things, “Oh my gosh, it is creating addiction, I keep going back to it.” And then say, “Why am I going there? Where are my needs not being met? Is it with my spouse? With my family? With my church?” whatever the thing is. If you're struggling at work, I see people all the time they get burned out. I ask why they're burned out and when I look at it, the reason why they're burned out is because these needs aren't being met. It's not because they're tired. Our bodies and our minds can handle more, but it's because we're not getting the addiction, we're not getting the needs met in that spot, so we fall away. When our needs are met, we don't fall away. If you're getting burned out at work, it's like what's happening? I'm losing my variety, I'm losing my certainty, I'm losing my significance, I'm losing my love and connection, which one of these is fading? Then it's like, lets double down and create that. Alright, some of my notes here. So again, no kids ever strayed if their needs were met. So look at your children, how can I make sure their needs are met? No marriages ever ended when all of their needs were met. So look at your spouse, look at your significant other, how can you light them up, how can you make sure that their needs are being met? And then the last one is for you. What needs are not being met? If you are sinning, it needs your needs are not being met somewhere else, somewhere positive. What happens is we shift from here's the positive…because it's not necessarily bad to get our needs met, in fact we have to have it. Our bodies are built in this way where we have to have these four things. So it's not a bad thing, it's just that if we're not getting them in wholesome, good spots, then we're getting them from wicked, evil things. It transitions. So it's like, how do I break the addiction over here and how do I create the addiction with the positive things. So start looking for yourself. I'm looking for significance, that's why I keep going to this issue. I'm looking for love and connection and I keep going to this issue. How do I get it with the positive things? I've got a friend and he's an LDS author, well, he's not an LDS author. He's LDS and he's an author of an amazing book. His name is Ben Hardy and he wrote a book called Willpower Doesn't Work. It's interesting, as I've been on this journey in my life trying to figure out how in the world to break myself of these temptations because I want to do good continually, I've studied a ton about willpower and I've read a lot of books on here's how to do willpower. And what's interesting is I read Ben Hardy's book, he talked about when he was going in to get his doctorate, PHD or whatever his big degree was, his goal was to study willpower. And as he got into the study of it, he realized, oh my gosh, willpower actually doesn't help. It's not as white knuckle-ness and hoping we die before we break any sins. That's not willpower, that's not a way to live. Instead what he found is the only thing that actually has a measurable effect on change is actually changing your environment. Changing the things around you is what makes it easier. An easy example of this is your house. If I'm trying to lose weight and I walk in the house everyday and my cupboards are filled with cookies and ice cream and donuts, you're not going to lose weight, it's impossible because the environment will not let you do that. But if you come and take all that stuff out and you throw it in the garbage and you replace with actually healthy stuff, you change the environment, it becomes really easy to lose weight. Same thing in all aspects of life, in business and relationships, you change the environment, you change your life. So what I want to give you through that lens, if I want to break myself of these sins I keep struggling with, it's not going to be by me white-knuckling trying to “Don't look at bad pictures, don't talk to bad people, don't take that thing.” It's going to be you changing the environment in a way where your needs are being met somewhere else in a positive way. So become hyper, super conscious of this. The biggest thing I learned from Tony, when you become conscious of something and aware of it, then you can change it and affect it. So for you guys, now that you're aware of it, now you can affect it. Now you can make that change for yourself. So change the environment and then make sure these needs are being met in a positive way and that your body is not going to desire and pull to this other thing, and it's going to make it so you can focus on doing good continually because you're getting your needs met by doing good. So create an environment where your needs are already being met. Create an environment for your kids where your needs are being met. Create an environment for your spouse, for your marriage where your needs are being met. I'm talking about a physical environment. Look around you, look how things are set up, what's your room look like? If you're trying to figure out and read your scriptures, where are they at physically? Where are they at? If you're trying to break yourself of a TV addiction because you're getting your needs met, you're certain your show's going to be on, your favorite show. Variety of what's the story line today, the love and connection of sitting there watching with your spouse. Boom, it's an addiction instantly, TV. If your TV is in your room and it's keeping you from doing the right thing, you have to change the environment. You have to rip the TV out of the thing and throw it away. You need to create an environment where your needs are going to be met. When you do that it takes this pressure and this strain off of you trying to go and, the pressure and strain gets taken off of the thing you keep falling back into. Does that make sense? So all of us has these addictions, all of us have these temptations, all these things that we're struggling with. So I've given you some tools to understand how to beat it, how to change your environment, how to change these things so the needs of your body are being met in positive ways as opposed to negative ways. So that's the first thing. The second thing, I want to share with you a story, kind of a metaphor that hopefully help you understand why it's worth it. Now I taught an Elders Quorum class about a year ago and did this example for them and it was pretty impactful and I want to share with you guys. And I wish I could, again, if you were in front of me I could be even more impactful. So I need you to imagine this for a minute. I want you to imagine right now that in your hand you're holding a silver ounce. I'm kind of a nerd so I collect precious metals, gold and silver and things like that. But if you look at one ounce silver coin, I want you to hold that in your hand and kind of envision this is a one ounce silver coin. I'm going to tell you a story about silver because when you understand this it's pretty powerful. So if you look at a one ounce silver piece right now, and it fluctuates, everyday it's going up and down, but as of today it was $18.49 when I was looking at it online. One silver ounce is worth $18.49. I can go to any pawn shop in America, I could take that silver piece in and they would give me $18.49 back for it. That's the value of one piece of silver. Now the interesting thing about silver, silver holds its value. So if you look back at the US monetary system, when we first started making coins, we actually put silver inside of the coins. It wasn't 100% silver, but there was silver inside of them. So 1964 was the last year that quarters and stuff had silver in it. So 1964, if you find a quarter from 1964 or earlier, there's actually silver inside of there, and it was worth what that silver was actually worth. So 1964 if you went to buy a gallon of gas, guess how much it cost? It cost 25 cents. So that's how much it cost to buy a tank of gas in 1964. Now fast forward to today….actually sorry, let me step back. If you were to take that same 1964 quarter and you were to go to a pawn shop right now and give it to them and say, “Hey, here's a 1964 quarter, there's silver in here.” The pawn shop owner would say, “yes, there is.” And what he would do is actually give you $3.34 for a 1964 quarter, because that's how much silver is actually inside one of those quarters. So they will actually trade you that. Now what's interesting, if you look at today, if you were to actually drive by the gas station today, guess what? A tank of gas cost about that much, about $3.34, for that same quarter. So that means in 1964 a quarter bought a tank of gas, the silver equivalent of a quarter cost a tank of gas and today that same amount of silver still buys a tank of gas. So you look at inflation and how that stuff works, the value of silver is the same today as it was in 1964, as it was in 200 BC. Silver holds its value throughout time. Now I want to take you to a dark night in Jerusalem where Judas went to betray our Savior. And if you know the story, he traded the savior for 30 pieces of silver. So if you look at that, what's one piece of silver worth today? Now, obviously I don't know what size his silver was, but if you look at a silver coin today, as of this morning it was worth $18.49. If you look at 30 pieces of silver, it was $554.70. So Judas traded Christ for the equivalent, this is not $554 in Judas' time, which is worth $18 million today. No, no. The value of the silver that Judas traded Christ for back in his time was $554.70. How many of you guys would have happily given Judas $554 to leave Christ alone and not take him to his crucifixion. It's amazing. 30 pieces of silver. Now, when I did this lesson the first time, I actually had 30 pieces of silver on the desk and I looked at those things and I said, “Look guys, 30 pieces of silver, that's $554 in Judas' time, that's what he gave up for Christ. How many of you guys think that's ridiculous?” And everyone's like, “No, $500 to give up Christ, that wouldn't be worth a million dollars, ten million dollars.” I said, “I know.” Then I stopped and said, “I want you to look at this.” And I picked up one piece of silver and I said, “Right now what's the value of what you're addicted to instead of following Christ? This one piece of silver is worth $18.49, for some of you guys this is an addiction to TV. Some of you guys this is an addiction to pornography. Some of you guys it's an addiction to drugs or alcohol or whatever your sin is. Everyone's got different things, we all struggle. And anyone who tells you otherwise is not telling you the truth.” And I said, “What would you do to not trade this piece of silver for Christ?” So I wanted to give you that object lesson, and hopefully it makes sense explaining it this way. It's just I want you to understand that each of those coins is these little pet sins, these little things we have to give up. And we're giving up so little for so much. $18 worth of silver, $554 worth of silver is what Judas gave up Christ for. What's the value of your sins? Would you give up those things for Christ? That's the power I want you guys understanding behind here. And that's the whole vision of this podcast for me and for you. Reading the Book of Mormon is important. It's going to change your life, it's going to change your vision, but when it all comes back, it's coming down to Christ. He died for us, he died for our sins. He paid the ultimate price, the ultimate penalty so that we could someday return to live back with him. And right now, the thing that's keeping us from that, are these little pesky sins, these little things, these temptations, these trials, these things we have that are holding us back. I don't know about you, but as I listen to this podcast, my goal is similar to King Benjamin. I want to message you guys later and I want to find out. That's what Kind Benjamin said, I'll read it from Mosiah 5:1,2 again, he said, “And now, it came to pass that when King Benjamin had thus spoken to his people, he sent among them, desiring to know of his people if they believed the words which he had spoken to them. And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”  I want to come out and ask you guys, you've been listening to this podcast, you've been reading the Book of Mormon, you've been praying, how do you feel? I want you to say, “Russell, I feel different. I feel no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. All these things I'm doing right now, they're keeping me from Christ, they're keeping me from following him. I want to give them up. I don't want to give up Christ for the equivalent of $554 that Judas gave him up for.” That's how dumb it is, think about how stupid and how petty most of our sins and temptations are. They're ridiculous, yet they're keeping us from Christ. Judas gave him up for money, $554 in today's dollars, that's it. What are you giving him up for? Think about that for yourself. Now that you understand that, make this challenge real for you. Because it's the difference from struggling and it's the difference from actually having that impact on your life and your family's life forever. So if you listen back to the last episode we talked about how to get your prayers answered, and I think one of the biggest concerns most of you guys had was, “I want to but I don't feel worthy. I don't feel in a place where I'm clean.” And I understand that. So my challenge to you and my test to you is to go back and listen to this episode and figure out, okay I need to change my environment so my needs are getting met in positive ways, and when I do that, I'm not going to keep falling into sin and falling into these things that are pulling the spirit away. I'm going to feel worthy because I'm doing what's right. When you mess up, that's okay. We all are going to mess up, repent and then look at the environment. What do I need to change to make sure this doesn't happen again? What are the things I need to do to make sure my needs are being met here in my relationship or my family or my church or whatever it is, the rock, the thing that you need to be able to be successful, how do I make sure my needs are being met there? And if they're not, how do I make them met? If I'm in church right now and I'm bored out of my mind and I'm like, “I'm not going to go church anymore, I'm bored.” You look at that and say, “How do I create more certainty in church? What is it that I need to do? How do I create more variety in church? Maybe it's me, maybe it's not them. Let me come to church and let me, what can I do to light this up? How can I get more love and connection at church? Maybe I've been waiting for people to come talk to me, but maybe I go and talk to them? Maybe I create love and connection that way. How do I create an addiction in the positive things in life, so I don't create an addiction in the negative things?” And that's the goal, that's the goal of this podcast, that's the goal of everything I'm doing right now and I hope you guys take me up on the challenge. If not, I'm going to keep drilling this into your mind every single day until you do, because I promise you when you do, it'll change your life. I'm going to end with a quote from Ezra Taft Benson, the same one that we have at the intro of the podcast, he said, “There is a power in the book…” he's talking about the Book of Mormon, “There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of it. You will find greater power to resist temptation, you'll find the power to avoid deception, and you will find the power to stay on the straight and narrow path. When you begin to hunger and thirst after these words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.”  I promise you that if you do this challenge, if you follow me and you do it, you will change your life. With that said, what's going to start the next podcast episode, I'm starting on 1 Nephi, chapter 1. And I want you guys to jump in and listen to it and I'm going to do my best to get you so excited that you're going to go read the book. Now if I get you to listen to the podcast and think it's cool and not read the book, it means I failed. The podcast is not a replacement for the Book of Mormon. It never has been, it never will be. In fact, if you look at it that way, then everything I've done here not only is a failure, but it's pulling you away from it. And if that's the case I will stop this podcast and I will delete immediately, because that's not my vision or my mission. My vision and my mission with this is to get you enough belief and enough hope that you will open the book and you will read it, because like Ezra Taft Benson said here, the second you begin a serious study of the book there will be a power which will flow into your lives, the moment you begin a serious study of it. You will find greater power to resist temptation, which will bring you closer to Christ. You will find power to avoid deception, which will bring you closer to Christ. You'll have the power to stay on the straight and narrow path, which will bring you closer to Christ. Do not, you guys, give up the relationship with your savior for 30 pieces of silver. $554 in today's dollars, that's what he gave it up for. Don't give it up for your sin. Don't give it up for the thing that's holding you back. Change your environment, get your needs met and then let's go and let's change your life, let's change your world. I promise you guys that if you do that, life will become better for you in all aspects. With that said, go to bookofmormonchallenge.com, take the challenge, we're still working on the app, we've got a couple of other cool things coming out for you guys as well. I hope you enjoy it, I hope you take the challenge and I will see you next week when we start diving into 1 Nephi, Chapter 1.

Nate Checketts is the Co-Founder & CEO of Rhone, a premium men’s activewear company founded in 2014. Prior to Rhone, Nate worked for and consulted with some of the biggest technology and entertainment properties in the world including Cisco, The National Football League, Legends, FanVision and Sport Radar, and serves on the board of Veritone. Nate is also an avid entrepreneur who founded and launched 4 companies before the age of 30, including Rhone and Mangia Technologies, whose patents were later acquired by the San Francisco 49ers. Nate graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Finance. He and his wife Dayna reside in Connecticut with their three young boys, Gabriel, William, and Nicholas. He has served in a bishopric and as an Elders Quorum president and is currently serving as an early-morning seminary teacher. Highlights In this wide-ranging interview, Brother Checketts discusses principles of leadership that he uses daily in his church service as well as in the business world including: (16:00) How can we have an impact in our callings/positions? How can we create positive change? —Getting past the administration and focusing on helping those we serve feel like we love and care about them and helping them feel and recognize the spirit —Looking to other great leaders as examples (23:30) The importance of genuine empathy for those within our stewardship (28:30) Conducting one-on-one interviews —Asking what’s on their minds – starting with their concerns —Being clear about expectations prior to the meeting (30:15) Importance of building relationships of trust (31:00) Leading with love Links Rhone.com The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow John Adams, by David McCullough

0:00 = Introduction to LDS terms 2:44 = Technology (broadcasts, digital church, endowment films) 23:33= the new Ministering program 30:42= the new Elders Quorum organization 35:54= Women and the Priesthood and Dr. Martins 42:33 = Response of General Authorities and publishing Dr. Marcus Martins is an Associate Dean and Professor of Religion and Leadership at BYUH. Welcome to Xeno Podcast, where co-hosts Carly Stone and Jackson Grubbe talk about stories, society, and identity with professors and students from BYUH. Thanks for learning by listening! Instagram: @XenoPodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XenoPodcast/

How to create the right hook that’ll make it so that selling becomes almost super easy. On this episode Russell gives a condensed version of a training he did for Two Comma Club X, where he teaches about the hook, story and offer. Here are some of the things you will hear on today’s episode: Why it’s so important to have a hook that grabs people’s attention. What he used as the hook for his recently launched Book of Mormon Challenge Podcast. A few other examples of hooks people used to sell their own products, and why they were so effective. So listen here to get a quick idea of what you need to know about having a great hook and story to be able to really sell what you’re offering. ---Transcript--- What’s up everybody? This is Russell Brunson, welcome to the Marketing Secrets podcast. Today I’m going to be talking about a hook, a story, and an offer. Alright everybody, I hope that today has been amazing for you so far, whenever you’re listening to this. I want to share with you, a lot of you know that we launched, at the Funnel Hacking Live event we launched the Two Comma Club X coaching program, and it’s insanely good. It’s amazing, but there’s kind of the pros and the cons of it. The pros are it gives you everything you could possibly need to start, launch, scale, grow your company. The bad thing is there’s like so much stuff that people get overwhelmed. So I wanted to go through and record a fast track that kind of goes through a higher level, like fast track of all the courses in order so people kind of know where they’re going. So this week I recorded module number two, or fast track number two, which was called hook, story and offer. And went on for like 45 minutes, and I think it was pretty good, and then one of the guys in the group, he’s probably listening to this right now, so by the way, thank you. He said that, “I listened to every one of Russell’s podcasts, I’ve been to two Funnel Hacking Live events, I’ve done every course, every book, that was the best training I’ve ever done from Russell.” I was like, “That’s awesome.” And I had a 45 minute conversation with Dave Woodword and James Friel when we were lifting weights on Wednesday, talking about it as well. And unfortunately I have to jump on a video here in like an hour, so I can’t go too deep into this, but I did want to share some thoughts with you guys because I think it’s super, super, super essential and I wanted you guys to think through it for yourself. So what I want to talk about is, what’s the hook and the story of what it is you’re selling? Now, in the video that I did for our Two Comma Club X members, it was like, I was going into offer hacking. How to find people’s offers and hack them and all sorts of stuff like that, but one of the biggest things we talked about and we noticed is the key is like, for the really good offers, there’s three pieces. There’s the hook, the hook that grabs you. What’s the thing that grabs you? What’s the thing that grabs you? And then there’s the story you tell behind that, and then there’s the actual offer that they’re going to get. And then each component of the offer there’s a hook, a story and an offer for each component of the offer. I wish I had more time to share everything, but the thing I wanted to share with you guys today is, it’s one of the most important things. What’s the hook of the story that you’re sharing? And if you don’t have one yet, you need to create that. So in the video I went through and I took, if you guys know Drew Manning, he’s one of our Two Comma Club winners, he’s an awesome dude. He’s got a program called Fit to Fat to Fit. And his story is, he was a trainer for his whole life and helped a lot of people get skinny, but he never actually knew what it was like, so he’s like, “You know what, I’m going to get fat and then I’m going to try to get fit again.” So he went and gained like, I don’t know, 100 pounds and told the whole world. “This is what I’m doing, I’m gaining a bunch of weight, it’s going to be a huge thing. I’m going to fat and then I’m going to lose it again.” And because of this story, this hook of this story he got tons of PR, he was on Jay Leno, all sorts of stuff. And now it’s like, whatever he sells, it’s like, “Hey, I’m Drew, I’m the fit to fat to fit guy. I’m the guy who was a trainer who never knew what it was like to be fat so I gained a whole bunch of weight and then I lost it all again.” And then anything that he says after that, people will give him money. You want to know why? Because the hook of the story is so good. Drew, if you’re listening to this, there’s a lot of critiques I could give you to help you make your offers better, because that’s…but because the hook, it doesn’t really matter. A good hook and a good story will make up for a lot of other stuff. He’s killing it, and I was like, imagine, there’s stuff that…..anyway, someday I’m going to work with him personally and just be like, “This is how you ramp it up.” But his hook and his story is so good that he’s making millions of dollars now. I was thinking about this, throughout time. If you guys remember Robert Allen, he has sold over a billion dollars under the Robert Allen brand. And Robert Allen had a really good hook and a story. He told people, “you could take me anywhere in the world, throw me in any city without any contacts or whatever, and within a month I will have purchased a house with no money down.” Or whatever. He told people that and no one believed him. So he actually did it, did this big PR stunt, went and flew somewhere, did the whole thing and boom, he became Robert Allen because of that, the hook and the story. Natalie Hodson, Natalie spoke at Funnel Hacking Live, she’s amazing. What’s amazing about Natalie is the hook in her story. It’s funny, because there are people now who are trying to knock off one of her products, her first Two Comma Club product. It took her 4 months to go from zero to Two Comma Club with a $37 ebook, which was teaching women who, mothers how to not pee your pants. “Abs, Core, Pelvic Floor.” And she sold like 50 or 60 thousand copies of this ebook. It’s funny because there are a lot of people now trying to knock her off, and they’re all going to fail because they’re copying the offer but they’re missing the hook and the story. So what’s Natalie’s hook and story. Well she was on a…I think she was actually in a video with Drew, if I remember right, it’s a small world. Anyway, so she’s filming a video, a workout video and in the video she pees her pants. And instead of hiding it she decides this is a good, I don’t know if she consciously did this, but she put it out there and it’s an amazing hook. “I’m a fitness trainer, I’m teaching people how to lose weight and I’m sitting there live on camera and I peed my pants, here’s pictures of it, it’s so embarrassing.” So she tells that story, the hook and story and people get excited. And then boom, 60 thousand copies of her book later. The hook and the story were so, so good. And the better the hook and the story are, I’m not saying the offer can be worse, but like, the better hook the story is, you can sell anything. It’s funny, Drew is actually selling Ketosis stuff now which has nothing to do with his actual fit to fat to fit story, but the story and hook is so good, he tells the story, people are hooked and then boom, he can sell them whatever he wants at that point. So for you, I want you thinking, what’s my story, what’s the thing? Some of you guys may know, I launched my religion podcast this week actually, yeah this week. I went through the same process here, I could just make a podcast like, “Hey, I’m going to teach you what my beliefs are..” but the hook and story were horrible. I need a hook and I need a story. It’s got o be something that’s going to drag people in. The good thing about stories is people share stories. They’re like, “Oh, there’s this girl named Natalie..” “Oh this guy named Drew he went fit to fat…” and they tell the story right. So I was like, I need a story. I didn’t consciously do this, but this is what came out. I was like, I need something really, really cool. So the hook for my podcast was basically, “I’m Mormon, I believe in the Book of Mormon, and I look at my house, there’s all these Book of Mormon’s laying on the ground everywhere that I never read. They just sit there. And I realized this thing that’s so important to me, I’m not treating it…I’m treating it lightly.” And so I was like, I need to make this real to me. So I went online and I found on eBay a copy of one of the original 5000 Books of Mormon, I spent a small fortune on it, and now I’m reading it and sharing my journey because I want to make it special to you again, right. So that was the hook. And now I got all these people who are sharing my podcast that are like, “This dude Russell, he..” all my Mormon friends, it’s kind of fun watching. They’re sharing it and like, “my friend Russell, he’s a Mormon too..” so they’re sharing it in Seminaries and Elders Quorum. Anyway, it’s kind of fun how fast it’s growing inside the church because everyone’s like, they feel that same way. Like, “Man I feel the same way.” If you’re Mormon and you’re like, “I don’t treat the Book of Mormon like I should.” And all the sudden there’s this guy who felt the same way so now he spent a fortune, bought an original one and now he’s taking us on a journey.” And all the sudden people are like, “Oh, I want to be part of that story.” I’m sure there’s a lot of people who, I think about Drew and again, I don’t know Drew’s whole story, I don’t know him super well. But you know, one of the biggest things in the weight loss space, I see when people try to teach people how to lose weight, but they’ve never been fat in the past, it’s hard for them to get a lot of traction. A lot of times they can do personal training, but it’s hard for them to blow up as a celebrity, as a guru, as an expert or whatever you want to call it because the masses are like, “Well they don’t know what it’s like to be fat.” So he told that story and now everyone’s like, “Dude, this trainer who wanted to prove that he could do it. So he gained all this weight.” Now it’s a story worth sharing, it’s a good hook. Now the same thing happened with this, it was a story so it started getting spread. Then this week I was like, “I need another good hook and good story. What can I do to get people listening to this, now that it’s live and it’s launched?” Some of you guys saw yesterday, I actually, there’s this guy in the Mormon church, his name is Parley P. Pratt, he lived back in the 1800s. And someone gave him a copy of one of the original Book of Mormons, because that’s all that they had back when they first came out. And he started reading it and he read the entire thing in a day. He said that eating and sleeping became a nuisance to him. Anyway, I found out that yesterday was actually his birthday, so I was like, “I’m going to do a Parley P. Pratt day.” So I took the day off of work, and I went and read the entire, well I tried. I spend 18 hours, I almost got halfway done. It’s a big book. But I read the whole thing. I did a Facebook live where Italked about it. And this is something that I put zero dollars in advertizing behind, I just posted on my personal wall, “Hey, I’m doing this crazy thing.” And from that, I think this morning it had like 3.9 thousand views, over 1500 comments, likes, and shares, like interactions with it. And hundreds and hundreds of people subscribed to the podcast from it. So it was like this thing. I made a story, an event, a thing out of it and that’s what got people excited. It was the hook and the story. Now people are subscribing to the podcast. If you’re interested in my beliefs and my faith go to bookofmormonchallenge.com you can subscribe and listen in. But that’s kind of what it is right, you’re creating a story, you’re creating a hook and story that gets people interested.

Dan Conway is a bishop in Newcastle, in northeast England, and has also served as an elders quorum president. He served a mission to Scotland, and works as a digital marketing executive. In this episode Dan walks us through his crisis of faith prior to being called as bishop, and how that affected how he leads now. Episode Summary 5:45 Mission to Scotland 8:45 Faith crisis 14:40 Reading and praying didn’t work as a solution 19:20 Call as Elders Quorum president in the midst of a faith crisis 21:50 Finding the answers to his questions 28:30 Experience bearing his testimony of Joseph Smith 31:15 Becoming the bishop after a faith crisis 43:45 Understanding that people can change and become better 46:15 First year as a bishop 51:20 How he does ward council: short meetings every other week, then visits 56:35 Using an agenda and PPIs 1:01:00 Visiting people after ward council 1:04:00 PPIs  Links: Interview with Arthur Boutin FAIR Mormon  

Being a newly called elders quorum president can be nerve-racking! So many things to organize and consider. Thankfully, Leading Saints is here to help. In this episode we have gathered experiences from current and former elders quorum presidents from around the world sharing what they wish they knew before they were called as elders quorum president. You will find their advice inspiring and practical. Contribute Your Own WIWIK Experience In an effort to help other elders quorum presidents to learn some quick leadership experience on day 1, we are organizing future podcast episodes that will feature many current and past elders quorum presidents sharing what they wish they knew before they were called as elders quorum president. You will only have 5 minutes to record so write some thoughts on a paper and then record! How to record: Click the green button below Answer the following question in less than 5 minutes: What do you wish you knew before you were elders quorum president? Start your answer with “Before I was elders quorum president I wish I knew…” Stop recording Listen to recording and record again if you would like Enter name and email Submit recording by clicking “send” Episode Transcript KURT: Hello and welcome to [00:00:30] the Leading Saints podcast. My name is Kurt Frankham. I'm the executive director of Leading Saints and also the host of the Leading Saints podcast. If you're new to Leading Saints I welcome you. We produce a regular podcast where we discuss topics that will help lay leaders in the LDS Church enhance their leadership ability and capacity. And we do that through various methods. One of those being we interview really smart and intelligent people who have experience in leadership whether in or outside the church, and we talk about strong leadership principles in the context of the LDS church. We [00:01:00] also have a segment called “How I Lead” where we interview everyday leaders and ask them how they go about their day to day, week to week responsibilities as a lay leader in the church. And what you're bound to hear is that we weak segment where we crowdsource the community of Leading Saints and ask them to finish the sentence, what I wish I knew when I was Elder's quorum President, when I was Bishop, Relief Society President, Young Men's President, Young Women's President whatever it is and in this episode, we focus on what I wish I knew before I was Elders Quorum President. Each voice you'll hear we've given them [00:01:30] five minutes or less to talk about what they wish they knew before they're called as Elder's quorum President. Thank you for all the support you show to Leading Saints. And now what I wish I knew before I was Elder's quorum President. CALLER: My name is Adam Elsworth I'm currently an Elder's quorum President. I have been for about two years now. What I wish I knew before I was called or when I was called as an elders quorum president. It's a little bit of a challenging [00:02:00] question, so I feel like I had all the spiritual tools I needed to go to Heavenly Father and find out what my quorum needed and I already somehow, because I didn't have them had a strong sense that I shouldn't be having one on one interviews with my quorum members regularly. So we have done that and those have been very effective and very helpful for ministering in my quorum and to those we home teach. So I had those tools in place. But one thing that is maybe a little surprising or didn’t[00:02:30] suspect although it obvious  is that the more things that I can put on auto pilot, or better said the more things I can have pre scheduled that I don't have to go through the process of scheduling each month, the more effective I've been. So for example with my first elder’s quorum presidency my two counselors moved away, but with those two we didn't necessarily have a set time each month that we would have our presidency meeting.

Brett McKay founded The Art Of Manliness in 2008 while he was attending law school. It has grown into one of the largest men’s magazines on the web. Brett has also published several books and eBooks. He also hosts the popular podcast, The Art of Manliness. These podcasts cover a wide variety of topics, all centered around helping men. Brett grew up in the LDS Church and served a mission in Tijuana, Mexico. He has served in many capacities in the Church including Sunday School President. He is currently serving as the elders quorum president in his ward. Brett, his wife Kate, and their two children reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Episode Summary & Highlights What I learned as Sunday School President (16:31) The importance of good teachers (16:50) Discuss with your bishop the importance of calling the best teachers (18:03) Model what good teaching looks like and encourage good class discussion (18:25) Why more women are attending church vs. men The gender disparity in church and why more women are actively attending vs. men (21:30) How dating behavior changes among men and women. See Date-onomics: How Dating Became a Lopsided Numbers Game (23:25) Millennial dating is affected by gender ratios (26:05) How men express their spirituality (29:54) Ward Council: The relationships between the people in the ward (33:45) Introverts and extro`verts express their spirituality differently (35:40) Ways the Elders Quorum can serve on Sunday (39:33) Train future leaders during Elders Quorum (41:16) Resources and Sites: The Art of Manliness website The Art of Manliness Facebook page Brett McKay’s Books and eBooks The Art Of Manliness Podcast Why Men Hate Going to Church, by David Murrow Manhood In The Making, by David Gilmore Date-onomics, by Jon Birger

Toby Eborn was called as an Elder’s Quorum President in July 2016 in his Midvale, Utah-area ward. He was born and raised in Montpelier, Idaho, and was called to serve in the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission. Upon his return, he attended Utah State University for a time as well as culinary school before heading east and meeting his future-wife while living in Ohio. He has served as a primary and Sunday school teacher, a counselor in the Young Men’s presidency, ward executive secretary, co-ward mission leader, and most recently as a counselor in the Elders Quorum presidency. His approach as an Elders Quorum President is centered on helping people to get to know one another better (32:00). He looks for ways to get people together in a fun and relaxing atmosphere and has seen success in his quorum growing in their relationships with one another through these activities (46:00). In this podcast, he discusses five principles of leadership that he follows in his callings, as well as his approach to home teaching and quorum lessons. Principles of Leadership: 1. Love (35:00) It is easier to do things for people you love. By cultivating that type of brotherhood in the quorum, brethren understand that they are not alone in their struggles. President Eborn tries to have personal contact with each member of his quorum prior to the quorum meeting in the third hour block by greeting them with a handshake as they arrive for sacrament meeting. 2. Stewardship (37:30) Everyone has a stewardship, even if it is in our own family or even our own life. We can’t neglect the responsibility we’ve taken upon ourselves as priesthood holders to be the Savior’s representatives. We must make ourselves available to our stewardship and build that relationship with them. If we are good stewards it strengthens our priesthood power. 3. Faith (38:45) Are we remembering to encourage those experiencing a crisis of faith to do the “primary answers” – studying the scriptures daily, regular personal and family prayer, attending church – as a means of watering and nourishing the seed of testimony? Are we constantly working on our own faith? If we are, and we are conscious of the struggles of those in our stewardship, we are more equipped to assist them. 4. Accountability (40:55) We have agreed to and accepted callings to serve our stewardship and have made covenants to serve and follow through. Work to change our mindset from “it’s easier to not do the right thing” to “I really need to hold myself accountable to what I’ve committed to do.” 5. Discipline (42:15) How many days in a week are we “on the plan?” individually and as a family? Failure to be consistent in doing these things leads to lasting results and consequences. Turning Lessons into conversations (51:00) Improved quorum meeting attendance and participation has been a direct correlation to the brethren becoming friends and getting to know each other better. Approach to Home Teaching (52:00) Did not intend to talk about home teaching every week, but finds himself doing so. Avoids taking the “hey everyone, it’s the last week of the month, everybody get out and do your home teaching…” approach and then not saying anything for another month. Doesn’t talk about it because of a concern for numbers, but because he knows there are individuals and families in his quorum that need to be home taught. Focuses on the individual and helping the brethren to understand that people have struggles and need to be home taught – and that the home teachers can provide that strength. Just because someone is at church every week doesn’t mean they aren’t struggling. We don’t know and can’t help until we get to know each other and are able to open up safely to one another. Returning and reporting is important but ultimately President Eborn just wants them to be aware of how their home teaching families (their stewardship) are doing.

Intimate, behind-the-scenes, message from Russell to Russell. On this episode Russell talks about being under a lot of pressure and tries to coach himself through it before turning off “Business Russell mode” and turning on “Dad mode” for his kids' Halloween activities. Here are some interesting things you'll hear in today's episode: What are some of the things Russell has committed to that are making him feel the pressure. How Russell coaches himself through the pressure and what some of things he can do that will relieve it. And why it's important to remember that no matter how busy he is, that he should always make time for family. So listen below to hear how Russell plans to relieve some of the pressure he's currently under. ---Transcript--- Hey everyone this is Russell Brunson and I'm excited to have you here for Marketing In Your Car. It is Halloween, which is my favorite holiday and it's one day that I look forward to most in the year. It's funny because so far today has been a tough one. It's 2:17 and I'm heading to the kids school for the Halloween parade that I'm really looking forward to, and then the Halloween stuff tonight. I'm just curious, people always ask me all the time, “Russell, how do you get so much stuff done.” And I usually pride myself, I can usually handle a lot of weight on my shoulders, but today collapsed a little bit underneath that weight. I know we don't normally talk about those kind of things, but I just want to kind of talk through it because it'll make me feel better probably. But on the other side, hopefully it helps you guys somehow. Who knows? It's funny, Dan Gable, he's the Michael Jordan of wrestling. I was watching a thing one time when he was coaching, you know he was one of the best wrestlers of all time, but also one of the best coaches of all time, of any sport. He won like 20 or 30 NCA championships in a row. Someone asked him I f he believes in pressure. He said, “Well I believe that pressure is there, I just don't believe in putting myself underneath it.” I think for the most part, I try to take that approach. I'm not putting myself under pressure. Its there, but I'm dodging it. I'm getting around and we just keep moving forward. But today was one of those days where I thought I could get all just hit on my shoulders, and I just couldn't handle it all. It's actually good that I'm leaving. It's kind of crazy. We had the Inner Circle last week for 4 days, which is so much fun and I love it. It's hard though at the same time, because it's four day, pretty much 5, pretty much a whole week that you're not in the office moving things forward, so there's stuff happening, especially when you're running a big company there's a lot of stuff. And usually we have a couple of weeks between each mastermind, but this time, because the timing sucked, they had to be back to back. In fact, mastermind starts tomorrow. So basically I had one day today, well part of a day, til 2 to get it done, all of last week and all next week. So basically after that I'm kind of out of commission again. I had a whole bunch of stuff I'm trying to get done. Today was like, “Hey Russell, you're here.” And the brunt of everything is all falling and its tough because…..oh and then this weekend, we're trying to get the Expert Secrets book done in time for the live event. And they told me to do that we'd have to have it all done in the next two weeks. Which means I have to have it all done this weeks, which means, we don't have this week to do it. So I spent all day this weekend editing the book. I spent all day yesterday, and I spent half of today and so far I got the introduction and part of chapter one done. So I'm totally stressing about that because if I don't have the book for the event, it throws off this huge timeline sequence of events around that, so that's kind of crazy. And then for my church, I've got two callings. I am the eleven year old scout master, and I'm also the secretary for a group called the Elders Quorum, so that's two assignments. And then we called yesterday, they called us and asked if my wife and I would take on the ward Christmas party, which means basically you're in charge of throwing a party for 500 people. Plus my wife also has the company Christmas party a week after that. So it's like, there's new pressure there. If I told you all the things I'm doing, most people wouldn't believe me. There's a whole bunch of stuff on the Clickfunnels side. There's a whole bunch of stuff on the sales side. I've got tons of Inner Circle members messaging me questions. It's fun, I love going back and forth but sometimes it adds up. Right now I've got probably 30 messages from Inner circle members on Voxer that I'm behind. Half of them will be here tomorrow so I'm stressing, trying to catch up on those. And then the Funnel Hacker TV episodes we've been filming, it feels like a lot of the entrepreneurs we're doing stuff for coming back needing help and getting stuck and can't move through the process and need me to rewrite webinars or review things or check things. And then I got, I feel bad, one of the guys on my team, he wrote a book and wanted me to write the forward for, and I've been telling him for two or three months I was going to, but I haven't had time. So today he was asking me about that, and to meet about something else. All these things and it was just like, all these things just came to a point today where I was like, “I don't know what to do.” So yes, I feel pressure. Yes, some day's it's tough. Some day's it's really, today was really tough. Not gonna lie. It's funny because I'm so excited to go see my kids in the parade, but I'm feeling guilty because of that. I have so much to do, but what's the point of doing any of it if I can't go to my kids Halloween play? That's kind of where I'm at right now. But I don't want anyone to be concerned about me. It's funny, any time I do a podcast where I kind of rant a little bit, seems like I always get people messaging me trying to help. It's not that I need that; I just need a place to vent. And hopefully it gives you guys whatever it is you need. Because I know all you guys go through that as well. We all do it, where there's so many things happening. I'm the king of over committing. I get so excited by things so I say, “Yes, I'll do this.” And it gets to a point where I can't handle it all. Anyway, so before I left the office, there's a couple of things. I tried to buy myself an extra two weeks on the book, which is relieving pressure. I haven't heard back, but I just kind of trying to go back to all these commitments that I have and place more realistic timelines, and cutting some things out and do things like that. And it'll be good. By the time we've got mastermind this week, which again, I'm so excited. Two groups are coming, it's going to be nice. For me to just unplug and stop stressing about everything and just hang out with some amazing entrepreneurs. It's funny, I don't normally care about politics too much, even the stress of this election. Because I'm stressed out if either side wins. I don't want either of those, the election's coming. I'm really excited to hang out with entrepreneurs who are trying to change the world, for the next four days. I'm looking forward to that, and it's going to be good. I'm just going to kind of…..I think one of the problems that I have, one of the things that make me good at what I do, it also becomes one of the constraints, is I'm really good at placing…I've talked about this a lot in different trainings. Lead or Gold. I set deadlines for myself of when things have to happen. Sometimes I forget in my mind that I set those deadlines, and they're not actual deadlines. So I think it's me coming back to a lot of my lead or gold deadlines for things I have and re-shifting them, which is against what I tell you guys to do. It's like, set a lead or gold deadline and don't deviate from it unless you're going to kill yourself. I tell you guys that because it's true for me. When I set a deadline, this has to happen this day. It HAS to happen that day. It becomes so real for me, that I put myself in insane amounts of pressure because of that. For me, things come back and I just got to tonight, hopefully get some extensions like on the book and a couple of things like that. And then kind of reset some timelines. I gotta get better at telling people no. I get so excited about opportunities and everything that I just say yes to things way too easy. So I gotta get better at the magic word no. I feel like I'm coaching myself. If one of my Inner Circle members voxed me the last 7 minutes, I know exactly how I'd coach them. So I'm kind of coaching myself as if I'm me. “So Russell, the first thing I would do is, you gotta set realistic expectations. I know you think you're the man, but you're not. You can't survive everything. The second thing I would do is, you gotta go back to the people you made commitments to and you gotta tell some people no, and it's going to be hard, and it's going to hurt their feelings sometimes. But it's not personal, and you know it's not. You just have to tell them it's not and you love them. It's just not possible. You're going to crack and everything will fall apart for you and for everybody if you don't. So that's the second thing I would do. The third thing, Russell, that you should do is, you need to get your book extension. If you've got to pay more money, whatever it takes to just tell them that you gotta make the extension and that you will pay whatever it takes to make that work. And that money will hopefully help solve that problem, get that out of the way. With these other people, you're working with in Funnel Hacker TV. Remember these are businesses you're helping with; you're not doing those businesses, so you need to put the owners back on them. Get them to work harder, get them to think through things. You can't answer every question for them. And they need to understand that. Let them kind of run with it and just do it. And that's going to help them grow more. You're so stressed about them making money that you forget that it's not about money, it's about growth for them. And if they don't grow, every time you take your eye off the focus, it's all going to collapse on them again. Help them understand that. Leverage people on your team, everyone wants to help you, and sometimes you're scared to ask for help because you know that everyone is doing so much anyway and you just think you can add it to your plate and not worry about it, but they're there to support you and help you so make sure you leverage them. Because again, if you're not able to handle this, it's really bad for all of them. They've put their lives, and hearts and soul into it as well and it's important that they do what they need to do and you do what you need to do. And they want you to be there. So those are the things I'd recommend Russell. I hope that helps. We'll talk soon.” So that's how I'd vox myself. So there's my advice for myself. Hopefully take it for yourself as well. I actually feel a lot better just saying that out loud. So thank you guys for bearing with me. The other things that's interesting, we talk about hiring consultants all the time and it's funny, we're always like, “Well if we're going to hire a sales consultant, what would we tell ourselves?” And usually we know all the answers. You guys just saw me do it here live, I just consulted myself. You should try consulting yourself the next time you have an issue and you'll probably solve all your problems. So with that said, I'm at school. I'm about to run in and go see my kids dressed up  as Halloween costumes, which is going to amazing and a ton of fun. And everything else is going to fade away and I'm going to get into a state and be with my kids and family right now. Business Russell is turning off because none of that stuff actually matters, and Dad is turning on because that's what matters. With that said, you guys don't forget the famous quote from David O McKay. “No success can compensate for failure in the home.” So go to your kids Halloween parties, have some fun. Talk to you guys all again soon.

Intimate, behind-the-scenes, message from Russell to Russell. On this episode Russell talks about being under a lot of pressure and tries to coach himself through it before turning off “Business Russell mode” and turning on “Dad mode” for his kids’ Halloween activities. Here are some interesting things you’ll hear in today’s episode: What are some of the things Russell has committed to that are making him feel the pressure. How Russell coaches himself through the pressure and what some of things he can do that will relieve it. And why it’s important to remember that no matter how busy he is, that he should always make time for family. So listen below to hear how Russell plans to relieve some of the pressure he’s currently under. ---Transcript--- Hey everyone this is Russell Brunson and I’m excited to have you here for Marketing In Your Car. It is Halloween, which is my favorite holiday and it’s one day that I look forward to most in the year. It’s funny because so far today has been a tough one. It’s 2:17 and I’m heading to the kids school for the Halloween parade that I’m really looking forward to, and then the Halloween stuff tonight. I’m just curious, people always ask me all the time, “Russell, how do you get so much stuff done.” And I usually pride myself, I can usually handle a lot of weight on my shoulders, but today collapsed a little bit underneath that weight. I know we don’t normally talk about those kind of things, but I just want to kind of talk through it because it’ll make me feel better probably. But on the other side, hopefully it helps you guys somehow. Who knows? It’s funny, Dan Gable, he’s the Michael Jordan of wrestling. I was watching a thing one time when he was coaching, you know he was one of the best wrestlers of all time, but also one of the best coaches of all time, of any sport. He won like 20 or 30 NCA championships in a row. Someone asked him I f he believes in pressure. He said, “Well I believe that pressure is there, I just don’t believe in putting myself underneath it.” I think for the most part, I try to take that approach. I’m not putting myself under pressure. Its there, but I’m dodging it. I’m getting around and we just keep moving forward. But today was one of those days where I thought I could get all just hit on my shoulders, and I just couldn’t handle it all. It’s actually good that I’m leaving. It’s kind of crazy. We had the Inner Circle last week for 4 days, which is so much fun and I love it. It’s hard though at the same time, because it’s four day, pretty much 5, pretty much a whole week that you’re not in the office moving things forward, so there’s stuff happening, especially when you’re running a big company there’s a lot of stuff. And usually we have a couple of weeks between each mastermind, but this time, because the timing sucked, they had to be back to back. In fact, mastermind starts tomorrow. So basically I had one day today, well part of a day, til 2 to get it done, all of last week and all next week. So basically after that I’m kind of out of commission again. I had a whole bunch of stuff I’m trying to get done. Today was like, “Hey Russell, you’re here.” And the brunt of everything is all falling and its tough because…..oh and then this weekend, we’re trying to get the Expert Secrets book done in time for the live event. And they told me to do that we’d have to have it all done in the next two weeks. Which means I have to have it all done this weeks, which means, we don’t have this week to do it. So I spent all day this weekend editing the book. I spent all day yesterday, and I spent half of today and so far I got the introduction and part of chapter one done. So I’m totally stressing about that because if I don’t have the book for the event, it throws off this huge timeline sequence of events around that, so that’s kind of crazy. And then for my church, I’ve got two callings. I am the eleven year old scout master, and I’m also the secretary for a group called the Elders Quorum, so that’s two assignments. And then we called yesterday, they called us and asked if my wife and I would take on the ward Christmas party, which means basically you’re in charge of throwing a party for 500 people. Plus my wife also has the company Christmas party a week after that. So it’s like, there’s new pressure there. If I told you all the things I’m doing, most people wouldn’t believe me. There’s a whole bunch of stuff on the Clickfunnels side. There’s a whole bunch of stuff on the sales side. I’ve got tons of Inner Circle members messaging me questions. It’s fun, I love going back and forth but sometimes it adds up. Right now I’ve got probably 30 messages from Inner circle members on Voxer that I’m behind. Half of them will be here tomorrow so I’m stressing, trying to catch up on those. And then the Funnel Hacker TV episodes we’ve been filming, it feels like a lot of the entrepreneurs we’re doing stuff for coming back needing help and getting stuck and can’t move through the process and need me to rewrite webinars or review things or check things. And then I got, I feel bad, one of the guys on my team, he wrote a book and wanted me to write the forward for, and I’ve been telling him for two or three months I was going to, but I haven’t had time. So today he was asking me about that, and to meet about something else. All these things and it was just like, all these things just came to a point today where I was like, “I don’t know what to do.” So yes, I feel pressure. Yes, some day’s it’s tough. Some day’s it’s really, today was really tough. Not gonna lie. It’s funny because I’m so excited to go see my kids in the parade, but I’m feeling guilty because of that. I have so much to do, but what’s the point of doing any of it if I can’t go to my kids Halloween play? That’s kind of where I’m at right now. But I don’t want anyone to be concerned about me. It’s funny, any time I do a podcast where I kind of rant a little bit, seems like I always get people messaging me trying to help. It’s not that I need that; I just need a place to vent. And hopefully it gives you guys whatever it is you need. Because I know all you guys go through that as well. We all do it, where there’s so many things happening. I’m the king of over committing. I get so excited by things so I say, “Yes, I’ll do this.” And it gets to a point where I can’t handle it all. Anyway, so before I left the office, there’s a couple of things. I tried to buy myself an extra two weeks on the book, which is relieving pressure. I haven’t heard back, but I just kind of trying to go back to all these commitments that I have and place more realistic timelines, and cutting some things out and do things like that. And it’ll be good. By the time we’ve got mastermind this week, which again, I’m so excited. Two groups are coming, it’s going to be nice. For me to just unplug and stop stressing about everything and just hang out with some amazing entrepreneurs. It’s funny, I don’t normally care about politics too much, even the stress of this election. Because I’m stressed out if either side wins. I don’t want either of those, the election’s coming. I’m really excited to hang out with entrepreneurs who are trying to change the world, for the next four days. I’m looking forward to that, and it’s going to be good. I’m just going to kind of…..I think one of the problems that I have, one of the things that make me good at what I do, it also becomes one of the constraints, is I’m really good at placing…I’ve talked about this a lot in different trainings. Lead or Gold. I set deadlines for myself of when things have to happen. Sometimes I forget in my mind that I set those deadlines, and they’re not actual deadlines. So I think it’s me coming back to a lot of my lead or gold deadlines for things I have and re-shifting them, which is against what I tell you guys to do. It’s like, set a lead or gold deadline and don’t deviate from it unless you’re going to kill yourself. I tell you guys that because it’s true for me. When I set a deadline, this has to happen this day. It HAS to happen that day. It becomes so real for me, that I put myself in insane amounts of pressure because of that. For me, things come back and I just got to tonight, hopefully get some extensions like on the book and a couple of things like that. And then kind of reset some timelines. I gotta get better at telling people no. I get so excited about opportunities and everything that I just say yes to things way too easy. So I gotta get better at the magic word no. I feel like I’m coaching myself. If one of my Inner Circle members voxed me the last 7 minutes, I know exactly how I’d coach them. So I’m kind of coaching myself as if I’m me. “So Russell, the first thing I would do is, you gotta set realistic expectations. I know you think you’re the man, but you’re not. You can’t survive everything. The second thing I would do is, you gotta go back to the people you made commitments to and you gotta tell some people no, and it’s going to be hard, and it’s going to hurt their feelings sometimes. But it’s not personal, and you know it’s not. You just have to tell them it’s not and you love them. It’s just not possible. You’re going to crack and everything will fall apart for you and for everybody if you don’t. So that’s the second thing I would do. The third thing, Russell, that you should do is, you need to get your book extension. If you’ve got to pay more money, whatever it takes to just tell them that you gotta make the extension and that you will pay whatever it takes to make that work. And that money will hopefully help solve that problem, get that out of the way. With these other people, you’re working with in Funnel Hacker TV. Remember these are businesses you’re helping with; you’re not doing those businesses, so you need to put the owners back on them. Get them to work harder, get them to think through things. You can’t answer every question for them. And they need to understand that. Let them kind of run with it and just do it. And that’s going to help them grow more. You’re so stressed about them making money that you forget that it’s not about money, it’s about growth for them. And if they don’t grow, every time you take your eye off the focus, it’s all going to collapse on them again. Help them understand that. Leverage people on your team, everyone wants to help you, and sometimes you’re scared to ask for help because you know that everyone is doing so much anyway and you just think you can add it to your plate and not worry about it, but they’re there to support you and help you so make sure you leverage them. Because again, if you’re not able to handle this, it’s really bad for all of them. They’ve put their lives, and hearts and soul into it as well and it’s important that they do what they need to do and you do what you need to do. And they want you to be there. So those are the things I’d recommend Russell. I hope that helps. We’ll talk soon.” So that’s how I’d vox myself. So there’s my advice for myself. Hopefully take it for yourself as well. I actually feel a lot better just saying that out loud. So thank you guys for bearing with me. The other things that’s interesting, we talk about hiring consultants all the time and it’s funny, we’re always like, “Well if we’re going to hire a sales consultant, what would we tell ourselves?” And usually we know all the answers. You guys just saw me do it here live, I just consulted myself. You should try consulting yourself the next time you have an issue and you’ll probably solve all your problems. So with that said, I’m at school. I’m about to run in and go see my kids dressed up  as Halloween costumes, which is going to amazing and a ton of fun. And everything else is going to fade away and I’m going to get into a state and be with my kids and family right now. Business Russell is turning off because none of that stuff actually matters, and Dad is turning on because that’s what matters. With that said, you guys don’t forget the famous quote from David O McKay. “No success can compensate for failure in the home.” So go to your kids Halloween parties, have some fun. Talk to you guys all again soon.