What Elder Kearon Is Really Like Behind The Scenes & What is an Area Seventy? - Martin Turvey | 154

In this episode of For All The Saints, I sit down with Martin Turvey, a former Area Seventy in the Europe Area, former England Leeds Mission President, and long-time Church leader. I wanted to chat with him about his five-year tenure as an Area Seventy and get an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like to serve in high-level leadership across the UK, Europe, and beyond. From traveling to small districts in Romania and large stakes in Portugal to visiting the island nation of Cape Verde for his first personal window into the African continent, Martin shares profound personal insights on the quiet operations of the priesthood, the heavy weight of stake presidency reorganizations, and the vibrant future of the Church in Britain. A tech CEO in the data-quality sector and a second-generation Latter-day Saint, Martin brings a deeply grounded, compassionate perspective on leadership, being a disciple of Jesus Christ, and seeing people through Heavenly Father’s eyes.We explore the spiritual mechanics behind priesthood callings, the realities of managing a "part-time" assignment that spans across continents, and the powerful, modern fulfillment of apostolic promises regarding the revival of the Church in Europe.Some highlights from this episode include:Serving Alongside Elder Patrick Kieran: Martin reflects on his time serving as a counselor to Elder Patrick Kieran when he was a newly called stake president in Bristol. He shares what it was like working with him before he became an Apostle, highlighting Elder Kieran’s extraordinary ability to connect with people and make everyone feel like his best friend.Behind the Scenes of an Area Seventy: A transparent look at what the calling actually entails—from juggling weekday Zoom meetings and weekend travel across Europe to managing coordinating councils, overseeing service missions, and expanding British Sign Language resources in the Gospel Library.The Sacred Weight of Reorganizing Stake Presidencies: Martin shares the profound, spiritual process of calling new stake presidencies in areas where he didn't know a single soul, illustrating how the Spirit speaks in completely unanimous and undeniable ways when discerning the Lord’s chosen leaders.A Quiet Moment with President Nelson & The Birmingham Temple: The incredible, personal story behind the announcement of the Birmingham England Temple. Martin recounts a powerful spiritual impression about growth in Birmingham, followed by a surprise lunchtime conversation where President Nelson whispered the upcoming temple announcement to him days before General Conference.Life After the Calling: A candid conversation on what it feels like to transition out of such an intense, multi-year leadership responsibility, balancing family life, and adjusting to the sudden quiet of open weekend calendars.The Divine Future of the Church in the UK & Europe: Addressing the common "persecution complex" or minority mindset members can fall into, Martin echoes apostolic promises from Elder Holland and President Nelson, sharing why he firmly believes the best days of the Church in Britain and wider Europe are right ahead of us.Articles and Media Links:Calling Announcement Article (2020): "Martin J Turvey to serve as Area Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" https://news-uk.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/martin-j-turvey-to-serve-as-area-seventy-for-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saintsEnsign Local Pages Link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/06/eur-eng-local-pages/local-news-002?lang=engGeneral Conference Sustaining (April 2020): "Sustaining of General Authorities, Area Seventies, and General Officers".https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/21oaks?lang=engArea Leadership Message (October 2025): "Charity, the Pure Love of Christ" by Elder Martin J. Turvey.https://uk.churchofjesuschrist.org/charity-the-pure-love-of-christFor further Information of serving in Prison Ministry as a member of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints see the link:https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/prison-ministry/general-principles/1-1-introduction?lang=engFollow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspodhttps://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Qhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via [email protected] or DM on InstagramConversations to Refresh Your Faith.