Why We Believe

What does a United States Senator say when asked why he believes? For John Curtis, it starts on a mountaintop in Galilee, where at 19 he went 48 hours without food or water and climbed alone to ask if God would forgive him. He walked down certain the answer was yes, and the first to say he would not recommend the method.In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam sits down with Senator John Curtis of Utah, a direct descendant of Brigham Young and former mayor of Provo. Curtis shares the story of a great-great-grandmother who chose the gospel over her oldest son, a family legacy where all eight sons served as mission presidents, and how a 30-year-old bishop in Richmond, Virginia learned that constant inspiration is the only way to lead beyond your experience. He talks about serving a mission in Taiwan, returning decades later to sit with Taiwan's president as a senator, and why a pattern from those early mission days has guided every chapter since.Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who has wondered if their road back to faith is still open. Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere!  Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Senator John Curtis:Website: https://curtis.senate.govYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SenatorJohnCurtisTwitter/X: https://x.com/SenJohnCurtisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/senjohncurtis/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenJohnCurtisLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-r-curtis/

What happens when a Grammy-winning artist wakes up paralyzed from the neck down the day after auditioning for Disney? Adassa Candiani couldn't walk, couldn't talk, couldn't eat. Doctors had no answers. She went home to die. The next morning, she woke up alive and got the call: she had landed the role of Dolores in Encanto.In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam sits down with the voice behind We Don't Talk About Bruno to hear how premature birth with underdeveloped lungs became Grammy-winning vocals, how her successful reggaeton career led to temple covenants, and why her husband refusing to hang up on a Disney casting director changed everything. Adassa shares what it means to live every day as your last, why your talent isn't yours, and how the Atonement turns backward lives into something better than you could ever create yourself.Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that God's plan is better than perfection. Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere!Download your FREE guide, 13 Strategies to Increase Faith in Jesus Christ, at WhyWeBelieve.com to support you as you strengthen your own testimony of Jesus Christ. Follow the Why We Believe Show -Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Follow Nathan Gwilliam -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Adassa Candiani -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adassa-candiani-39047769/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adassaofficial/Website: https://www.adassa-official.com/TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@adassaofficialFacebook: https://facebook.com/adassaofficialpageTwitter/X: https://x.com/adassaofficialLinktree: https://solo.to/adassa

Brad Wilcox was born on Christmas Day, spent his earliest childhood in Ethiopia, and grew up to write the most-viewed BYU devotional in history. He has served as a mission president in Chile, a member of the Young Men General Presidency, and a BYU professor whose teachings on grace have reshaped how a generation of Latter-day Saints understand the Atonement. In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam, sits down with Brad to talk about the end of scouting in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and why the fruits are already showing. They discuss why the new Eagle is a temple recommend, how bishopric involvement with the youth is changing everything, and what Brad learned from a childhood in Africa, a mission in South America, and a lifetime of teaching. Along the way, Brad teaches what grace really is, why faith is a choice rather than pretending, and how Christ does not wait for you to finish changing. He walks with you while you do. Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to know that Christ meets us right where we are. Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Visit WhyWeBelieve.com to download Your FREE guide on 13 Strategies to Increase Faith in Jesus Christ, to support you as you strengthen your own testimony of Jesus Christ. Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/ Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Brad Wilcox: Church profile: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/bradley-r-wilcoxInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradrwilcox/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YM1stCounselor/Twitter/X: https://x.com/BradleyRWil

A 19-year-old missionary was locked in a customs shed in Fiji with pigs and cows. No one knew where he was. No one was coming. He knelt down and heard his mother's voice praying for him from thousands of miles away, and every fear disappeared. That young man was Elder John H. Groberg, the general authority whose mission to Tonga inspired the movie The Other Side of Heaven.In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam sits down with Elder Groberg to hear what a lifetime of faith looks like from someone who has lived it at every extreme. Elder Groberg shares how a testimony meeting interrupted a game of hangman and changed his life, how he nearly starved to death on a tiny island and fell asleep unsure which side of the veil he would wake up on, and how one quiet decision on a wharf, when he thought no one was watching, brought a man and his family back to the gospel years later. He baptized seven people on a small island, and one of those converts now has over 300 great-grandchildren and an entire stake traces back to her faithfulness. Elder Groberg's message is simple: Jesus Christ is your closest friend, and staying faithful is all He asks.Loved this episode?If this episode reminded you that Jesus Christ knows exactly where you are, please help share it. Leave a rating and review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, add a comment with the moment from Elder Groberg's story that strengthened your faith, and don't forget to download your free guide, 13 Strategies to Increase Faith in Jesus Christ, at WhyWeBelieve.com to support you as you strengthen your own testimony of Jesus Christ.Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Elder John H. Groberg:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnhgroberg/Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001JP8HO6

Eva Timothy grew up in communist Bulgaria where religion was banned, Christmas did not exist, and her father hid a copy of the U.S. Constitution like a treasure. At 14, after the Berlin Wall fell, she saw two missionaries on the street carrying a picture of Jesus Christ. A prompting told her to stop and talk to them. She had never prayed in her life, but at her first church meeting in a rented room above a soccer stadium, she spoke to God for the first time and felt His love fill her entire body. In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam sits down with Eva to hear how she and her family were baptized just weeks later as some of the earliest members in Bulgaria, how her father became a district president and defended the Church before government officials, and how she eventually made it to America through a series of quiet miracles. Eva also shares how her faith now shapes her art, including the story behind her decision never to show the Savior's face in her photography. Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that God can reach anyone, anywhere. Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/ Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Eva Timothy: Website: https://www.evatimothy.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eva_timothy/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Eva_TimothyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/eva.k.timothy/

How do you find God in your everyday life? Rob Call has spent a lifetime answering that question, and his answer is simpler than you think: you look. Rob has trained himself to spot the hand of the Lord in every chapter of his story, and every time he looks, he finds it.In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam sits down with Rob to hear how baptizing his little brother at 16 first awakened his testimony, how God sent him back to the exact city he mocked as a missionary, and how a desperate prayer at 10 PM saved his newborn son's life in a way that left no room for doubt. Rob also shares how a name that would not leave his mind for years led a family to the temple, and how an ancestor's handwritten journal from the earliest days of the Church still strengthens his faith today. His secret is not complicated. Pay attention, write it down, and trust that God is already there.Loved this episode?Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that the Spirit still speaks today! Leave a review forWhy We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere!Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Rob Call:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-call-mba-a270917/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rdcall/Twitter/X: https://x.com/rdcall

What happens when 17 years of saving other people's lives nearly destroys your own?  Jeremy Claridge spent nearly two decades as a paramedic with his hands in trauma every single day. When severe PTSD brought him to his breaking point, he told his doctor he was done with emergency medicine and that he was going to be a crop duster. His wife looked at him and asked if he was serious. He was.In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam sits down with Jeremy to hear how that decision launched a chain of events only God could have planned. Jeremy and his wife drove across Idaho looking for a place to fly, and the moment they hit Main Street in Rexburg, they both knew it was the place. They moved with no job, no connections, and no plan beyond following the Spirit. Jeremy shares how walking into the Far West temple site on his mission gave him a testimony he could never deny, how a late-night walk as a new bishop brought him the only instruction he needed, and why he believes God cares just as much about a little girl's dinosaur tutu as He does about the biggest problems in the world.Loved this episode?Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that God has a plan even when yours falls apart! Leave a review forWhy We BelieveonApple Podcasts,Spotify, orYouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Looking for practical ways to strengthen your testimony? Get your FREE guide, 13 Strategies to Increase Faith in Jesus Christ by subscribing to the Why We Believe newsletter at WhyWeBelieve.com.Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Jeremy Claridge:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jyclaridge/

What happens when a lifelong church member realizes he has never truly tested his own testimony? Jason Barney grew up in a family with roots reaching back to Nauvoo and Joseph Smith himself. He knew the stories. He had the heritage. But when his high school friends asked him point blank if he really believed in Joseph Smith, he walked away unsure. Years later, kneeling in a remote Japanese town on his mission, Jason asked God directly and received a vivid, unmistakable witness of the First Vision. In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam sits down with the composer and land developer to hear how recreating Third Nephi scenes in the Honduran jungle made the Savior feel unmistakably real, how a family prayer hours after his father's death replaced fear with clarity, and why being a grandfather is the greatest success of his life.Loved this episode?Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that personal revelation can turn inherited belief into unshakable conviction! Leave a review forWhy We BelieveonApple Podcasts,Spotify, orYouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere!Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Jason Barney:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talmage/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/t.jason.barneyWebsite: https://www.jasonbarney.com/Talmage Music: https://www.talmagemusic.com/Highbridge Land: https://www.highbridgeland.com/

Twelve years ago, Ganel-Lyn Condie's 40-year-old sister Meg died by suicide after a lifetime of mental health struggle. Six weeks later, Ganel-Lyn submitted her first manuscript. That grief became 20 books, more than 2,000 keynotes, and a mission she never planned. In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam talks with Ganel-Lyn about how the woman with the issue of blood reframed 13 years of unanswered prayers as the very definition of faith, how the stewardship principle changed the way she parents with lupus, and the day God left a green sticky note on her windshield at the temple when prayer alone was not enough. Ganel-Lyn carries her sister Meg as a mission companion in every conversation about mental health. Her message to anyone who feels done trying: today is not your forever. Even the thread of His robe is enough. Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that God sees them in the struggle. Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/ Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Ganel-Lyn Condie: Website: https://www.ganellyn.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ganel-lyn-condie-11645213/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ganellyn/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ganellyn

What happens when an MBA graduate feels prompted to NOT get a job? Russell Banz told his wife he wasn't supposed to look for work after finishing his degree. The in-laws weren't thrilled. But following that prompting led him to discover the internet at a trade show, start his own company, and eventually build KSL.com and KSL Classifieds, the only major market in America that beat Craigslist.In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam sits down with his former colleague to hear how God prepared Russell for decades before his biggest assignment. As a teenager, he felt prompted to read the entire classified section every Sunday. Years later, he knew exactly how to organize KSL Classifieds without opening a newspaper. Russell shares how a mission baptism of a Hell's Angels biker taught him about the Atonement, how golf became a gospel platform for his four kids, and why he refuses to take credit for any of it. "If I were to say this was my idea, I would be stealing from the Lord."Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that following the Spirit leads somewhere! Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere!Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Russell Banz:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Russell-Banz/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Russell.Banz/Twitter/X: https://x.com/RussellBanzFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Banz.Russell/Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/RussellBanzWebsite: https://coachBanz.com/

What if the foundation of your testimony is not built on one dramatic miracle but on a lifetime of quiet answers? Dr. Kendall Peck , Online Vice President at Brigham Young University - Idaho , shares how daily repentance became the anchor of his faith. A sixth-generation Church member raised on an Idaho farm, he learned early from his mother not just how to pray, but why prayer matters. In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam explores Dr. Peck's journey, including a defining lesson from Elder Kikuchi, and what it means to be a striving but imperfect disciple who clings to the Atonement. His story is a powerful reminder that the healing and enabling power of Christ is not reserved for extraordinary moments but is available every single day. Loved this episode?   Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that imperfect disciples can still cling to Christ! Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or YouTube . Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/ Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Dr. Kendall Peck: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-peck-213a0722/

What happens when doctors spend 27 years running tests and still can't explain why your body is in constant pain? Crystal Gwilliam has lived that reality since she was 16 years old. Bedridden for months at a time, wheelchair-bound, and facing brain surgery that cost her 70% of her field of vision, she still raised three daughters on a foundation of faith and consistency. In this episode of Why We Believe, host Nathan Gwilliam sits down with his wife of 27 years to hear her story of finding Christ on the top bunk of her childhood bedroom, learning to savor moments as the molecules of eternity, and the day she flew to Portland, went into a doctor's office in a wheelchair, and walked out healed. Her family was so confident in the miracle that they left the wheelchair behind. Crystal shares how chronic illness taught her to focus on what matters most and why she still chooses to believe despite decades of unexplained suffering.Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that God still sends miracles! Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Crystal Gwilliam:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socialentrepreneurshipLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal-gwilliam-2a00408/

What happens when a violinist catches a searing hot curling iron with her bare hand hours before a music video shoot? Jenny Oaks Baker, Grammy-nominated Billboard #1 artist and daughter of President Dallin H. Oaks, watched her bright red, shiny hand heal completely within 20 minutes after praying for a miracle. In this episode of Why We Believe with host Nathan Gwilliam, Jenny shares the email her father sent from the BYU Jerusalem Center that taught her the difference between faith in outcomes and faith in Jesus Christ when her mother was dying of cancer. She reveals how walking the Grammys red carpet taught her that the world erases your name the moment you pass, but God keeps ours written on His hands forever. Jenny also opens up about the moment she realized God had solved her impossible dream of being a concert violinist AND a present mother, 46 years before she even knew the answer. Her story reveals that when we follow the Spirit without knowing the destination, God creates paths we never could have imagined. Loved this episode? Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that they belong to Christ no matter where they come from! Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6T9DjmWBXJZPFyIFXUCdhmApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-we-believe/id1751537256 Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Jenny Oaks Baker: Website: https://www.jennyoaksbaker.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-oaks-baker-64315918/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyoaksbaker/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JennyOaksBakerTwitter/X: https://x.com/jennyoaksbaker

Two years ago multiple myeloma threatened to end his life's work before completion. Sculpting to music, a song came on with the lyrics have a little faith. The Lord said you're not done yet. After one month of treatment, his cancer markers dropped from one in a thousand to one in one. He's been in remission for over eight hundred days, racing to finish sixty Book of Mormon sculptures by 2028. In this episode of the Why We Believe show with host Nathan Gwilliam, Dr. Steven Neal shares how a temple vision thirty years ago changed everything for him. Alone in the Portland Temple, he saw a bird's eye view of a sculpted park with an eighteen-foot Christ at the center. The Spirit told him this explained his patriarchal blessing he never understood. You shall hold a light where it may be seen from afar. That light is the Savior, not him.Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that their life's work isn't finished even when time seems short! Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere!#WhyWeBelieve #DrStevenNeal #MonumentOfTheAmericas #HaveALittleFaith #CancerSurvivor #MultipleMyeloma #LehiWasReal #BookOfMormon #TempleVision #PatriarchalBlessing #SculptureGarden #ChristStatue #MedicalMiracle #BuildingForChrist #SacredArt #LifesWork Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6T9DjmWBXJZPFyIFXUCdhm Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-we-believe/id1751537256Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Dr. Steven Neal:Website: https://www.monumentoftheamericas.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monument_of_the_americas/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevennealmd/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@monumentoftheamericas

A depressed Palestinian teenager who thought God had abandoned her people found peace after following a prompting to attend BYU instead of accepting a $56,000 scholarship elsewhere. In this episode of Why We Believe with host Nathan Gwilliam, Sahar Qumsiyeh shares how she spent 12 years climbing 10-foot walls, hiding from soldiers, and paying watchmen to spot military shifts just to attend the Latter-day Saints church in Jerusalem. One day soldiers spotted her on a hill and started shooting. A stranger said he would distract them so she could escape. She made it to church that day because he took the risk for her. Sahar grew up five minutes from Bethlehem but had to travel to Utah to find Christ. After her bishop told her not to join the church because it would be hard, she ignored him and contacted missionaries herself. Walking toward Golgotha years later she heard divine words that transformed her identity. Sahar is author of Peace for a Palestinian and faculty at BYU Idaho. Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear that they belong to Christ no matter where they come from! Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or YouTube . Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! EndFragment Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6T9DjmWBXJZPFyIFXUCdhm Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-we-believe/id1751537256 Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Sahar Qumsiyeh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saharq/Sahar's Book: https://amzn.to/4iuK6KB

In this episode of Why We Believe,with host Nathan Gwilliam, award-winning songwriter Melanie Hoffman shares the canyon drive when words for Gethsemane hit her like a thunderbolt after months of fearing how to explain Christ's suffering to children. She sat at her kitchen table and words poured out as she wept through writing the bridge about the hardest thing ever done and the greatest pain ever known. Every child who received the album wanted to sing that one song.Years later, a Tabernacle Choir member told Nathan this would go down in history as their greatest recording. After videos by an Oregon couple, Jenny Phillips, and three-year-old Claire Crosby built momentum, the church included it in Children's Friend and selected it for the new hymnbook. Steve Schenk called the night before release to tell her personally. Melanie reveals how 47 years of self-employment walking by faith fulfilled her patriarchal blessing promise that she would never want.Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear the story behind the brilliance of the song Gethsemane! Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6T9DjmWBXJZPFyIFXUCdhm Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-we-believe/id1751537256Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Melanie Hoffman:Website: https://www.hoffmanhouse.com/Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/melanie-hoffman/208147108Gethsemane: https://www.hoffmanhouse.com/gethsemane

In this episode of Why We Believe, speaker and author Leta Greene shares the moment her husband died in her arms at a hospital and a voice whispered about covenants before silvery light reanimated him. After moderate severe heart damage left him with less than five years to live, fifteen doctors witnessed a provable miracle when all dead heart tissue completely healed with no medical explanation. Leta reveals how childhood molestation from age two taught her to differentiate between God's voice and shame, why being named "Lead Them On" became her freshman spirit queen breakthrough, and how nine-year-old prayer in dangerous woods established her testimony when a boy ran past saying "I can't see her." Her journey proves that temple covenants provide supernatural peace during impossible trials, and simple gospel practices create miracles modern medicine cannot explain. Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear Leta Greene 's story! Leave a review for Why We Believe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or YouTube . Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6T9DjmWBXJZPFyIFXUCdhmApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-we-believe/id1751537256 Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Leta Greene: Website:https://letagreene.com/https://hotnesscosmetics.com/https://jeddito.letagreene.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hotness/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LetaGreeneInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/leta_greene/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leta.greene/

In this episode of Why We Believe   with   host Nathan Gwilliam , professional entertainer Jason Hewlett shares how a bus full of strangers in Florianopolis , Brazil became his first audience for opening his mouth boldly. After the Spirit prompted him to sing "How Great Thou Art" in English on public transportation, that courage defined his mission and eventual career performing G-rated shows for corporate audiences worldwide including PGA pros and military troops. Jason reveals how defending the Book of Mormon at age 15 against a teacher's attacks built testimony foundations, why a BYU director disqualified his standing-ovation Michael Jackson performance, and how a misunderstood church camp lesson taught him about bearing crosses like Christ. His story demonstrates that early promises to God create guardrails preventing compromise when worldly opportunities demand we choose sides. Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear Jason Hewlett's story! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6T9DjmWBXJZPFyIFXUCdhm Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-we-believe/id1751537256 Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Jason Hewlett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonhewlett/Website: https://jasonhewlett.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasonhewlettentertainer/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonhewlett/

In this episode of Why We Believe with host Nathan Gwilliam, discover the miraculous true stories behind gospel musician Garth Smith's sacred compositions. Each hymn arrangement carries personal testimony of divine intervention, from childhood prayers that brought angels to a bizarre 7-Eleven spiritual experience predicting adoption miracles twenty years before they happened. His music ministry emerged from choosing sacred service over Nashville fame. Garth reveals how early morning seminary teaching sparked nationwide Christ-centered firesides blessing thousands, why infertility heartbreak prepared his family for adoption blessings beyond imagination, and how temple service as an ordinance worker expanded his testimony. His journey demonstrates that music becomes most meaningful when it points listeners toward Christ rather than applauding the performer, transforming personal struggles into ministry opportunities. Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear Garth Smith's story! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube - your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere! Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6T9DjmWBXJZPFyIFXUCdhmApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-we-believe/id1751537256 Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Garth W. Smith: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garth.w.smith/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garth.w.smith/Website: https://www.garthsmithmusic.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@garthsmithmusic2663

Professional MMA fighter Westin Wilson shares how listening to the Holy Ghost transformed his UFC career and what martial artists can teach us about spiritual discipline. From getting his first calling to teach self-defense at girls camp to receiving a prompting at a gas station that led to his UFC debut, Westin reveals how staying in tune with the Spirit opened doors he never expected. In this episode of Why We Believe with host Nathan Gwilliam, Westin discusses three lessons from the cage that changed his faith: why your spiritual coach matters more than your technique, how small and simple repetitions build both knockouts and testimonies, and why true freedom comes through commandments rather than breaking them. After serving a mission in Rochester, New York, surviving a devastating loss in Shanghai, and building a software career alongside his fighting, Westin shows how enduring to the end means getting back up when doors slam shut. His story proves that whether you're cutting 30 pounds in three weeks or raking leaves in a suit as a missionary, God uses our disciplined efforts to prepare us for opportunities we can't yet see.Loved this episode? Hit Follow and share it with someone who needs to hear Westin's story! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube — your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations like this to listeners everywhere!Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-we-believe/id1751537256Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6T9DjmWBXJZPFyIFXUCdhm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Westin Wilson:Website: https://westinwilson.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/westin-wilson/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westinwilsonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/westinwilson22Twitter/X: https://x.com/westinwilson22

What happens when a homeless teenager eating from London trash cans encounters Latter-day Saint missionaries and transforms into an international recording artist who presents The Book of Mormon to the future King of England? Alex Boyé's journey through foster care, abandonment, and abuse became the foundation for an unshakable testimony that has taken him to stages worldwide. After his mother left for Nigeria and never returned, Alex survived eight years of homelessness and guardian abuse before discovering the Latter-day Saints church through the missionary efforts of McDonald's manager.In this episode of Why We Believe with host Nathan Gwilliam, Alex shares how trials became his greatest gifts, the miraculous two-day healing from pornography addiction through daily Book of Mormon reading, and the divine courage required to approach royalty with scripture. His story reveals that God's refining fire burns hottest when preparing us for extraordinary purposes, and that covenant-based scripture study provides healing power beyond human capability.  Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Alex Boyé :Website: https://AlexBoye.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexBoyeRealInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@AlexBoyeMusic/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@AlexBoyeReal/Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/@AlexBoyeReal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/@AlexB2/Email: [email protected]#WhyWeBelieve #AlexBoye #RefinersFile #FaithThroughTrials #AddictionRecovery #FosterCareStory #PurposeThroughPain #SpiritualGrowth #Latter-day SaintsTestimony #BookOfMormon #TrialsToTriumphs #DivineRefinement #RecoveryStory #FaithJourney #ChristianTestimony #OvercomingAddiction #Inspiration #Hope #Faith #Recovery #Testimony #SpiritualTransformation #NeverGiveUp #GodsLove

What happens when a woman who considered herself "human garbage" discovers she's actually a treasure worth saving? Jen Spencer spent two decades trapped in methamphetamine addiction and homelessness, convinced God hated her as much as she hated herself. Her warped understanding of repentance left her buried under mountains of shame, believing she was born bad and beyond redemption. In this episode of Why We Believe with host Nathan Gwilliam, Jen shares the desperate prayer behind a storage unit that changed everything, the divine encounter that felt like God running toward her instead of away, and the moment she realized she'd been living in a hell of her own making through self-judgment. After 10 years of sobriety, she now leads the Turtle Shelter Project, creating over 6,000 thermal survival vests for homeless individuals. Jen's transformation reveals that no one is too broken for divine love, and sometimes our lowest moments become launching pads for missions that save thousands of lives. Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/ Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ Follow Jen Spencer: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennspencer5/Website: https://turtleshelterproject.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/turtleshelterproject/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turtle-shelter-project-6aa0aa1a4/

What drives a young mother to travel alone to Romania and rescue orphaned children after watching a single TV show? Dr. Holly Joy Richardson's adoption journey began with undeniable spiritual confirmation that changed everything. After adopting 20 children from eight different countries and giving birth to four more, Holly became a fierce advocate for families while serving as a Utah state legislator. In this episode of the Why We Believe with host Nathan Gwilliam, Holly shares the divine moment that sent her to Romanian orphanages, the heartbreak of losing three daughters, and the immigration bill that tested her conviction that God sees humanity in everyone. She reveals the grief that nearly broke her faith, the deliberate choices that rebuilt her testimony stronger than before, and the political battles where she refused to separate spiritual conviction from public service. Holly's story proves that following spiritual promptings can lead to a life beyond anything we imagine possible, even when the path includes unthinkable sacrifice and loss.Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Dr. Holly Joy Richardson:Website: https://www.hollyrichardson.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyonthehill/Twitter/X: https://www.instagram.com/hollyonthehill/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollyjoyrichardsonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollyonthehill/

What happens when a struggling LDS musician sits down at a church piano and receives one of the most beloved sacred songs ever written? Roger Hoffman's faith journey as a BYU employee turned acclaimed LDS composer seemed impossible until divine intervention changed everything. In this episode of the Why We Believe with host Nathan Gwilliam, discover the miraculous testimony behind "Consider the Lilies" and the exact moment when both music and lyrics flowed through him at his ward's piano. Roger shares the leap of faith that led him and his wife Melanie to leave steady employment, the mysterious grocery deliveries that appeared on their doorstep, and the $50 bills that would magically appear in his pocket after church. Roger reveals the divine partnership behind decades of LDS sacred music creation, including Scripture Scouts and collaborating on "Gethsemane." His story proves that when we trust God's timing, our greatest struggles often become our most beautiful testimonies and lasting legacies.Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Roger Hoffman:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-hoffman-97686617/Primary Website: https://www.hoffmanhouse.com (Hoffman House Music)Personal Website: https://www.rogerandmelaniehoffman.comBusiness Email: [email protected]: https://www.youtube.com/@latterdayhymnstories

What happens when a teenage science lover discovers that DNA testing can unlock family secrets and spiritual truth? In this episode of Why We Believe with Nathan Gwilliam, meet Diahan Southard, founder of Your DNA Guide, who built three successful DNA businesses while helping thousands find their birth families. Her story includes converting to the LDS Church, becoming a RootsTech speaker, and using her expertise to reunite her adopted mother with over 30 biological relatives. Diahan shares how she went from drawing blood samples at BYU to becoming an author and entrepreneur who proves faith and science work together in God's plan. This episode explores DNA testing, adoption mysteries, and faith-based entrepreneurship for anyone interested in seeing how God uses modern technology for eternal purposes. Follow the Why We Believe Show: Website: www.whywebelieve.comYouTube: www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram: www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcastLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam Diahan Southard's Social Media: Website: Your DNA Guide: www.yourdnaguide.com Twitter/X: www.twitter.com/dnadiahanInstagram: www.instagram.com/diahansouthardFacebook: www.facebook.com/diahan.southardLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/diahan-southardYour DNA Guide - The Book (goodreads.com/book/show/52270572-your-dna-guide-the-book)

When Bill Norton dropped out of high school and worked construction, no one predicted he'd become a constitutional scholar with a master's degree earned without ever getting a bachelor's. In this episode of Why We Believe with Nathan Gwilliam, Bill shares his transformation from an inactive teenager smoking cigarettes to a missionary called to study America's founding documents through direct revelation. His journey includes battling cancer, navigating divorce and remarriage through spiritual guidance, and discovering how constitutional principles actually strengthen testimony rather than compete with it, showing that God can use anyone willing to ask sincere questions and act on divine answers.Follow the Why We Believe show:Website: whywebelieve.comYouTube: youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram: instagram.com/whywebelievepodcastLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-showFollow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam

What happens when a lifelong artist discovers something he loves even more than creating art? David Bowman thought that his whole life was laid out in front of him, an illustration career after graduating from BYU, however, one summer as an EFY counselor completely transformed his calling. In this episode of the Why We Believe with Nathan Gwilliam, David reveals the moment he realized his true calling wasn't making art but teaching teenagers about faith. He opens up about abandoning the security of his artistic path to become a seminary teacher, then later taking an even bigger leap to create the viral "DRAWN IN!" video series. David shares the touching story behind his most famous painting that helped a Sandy Hook family heal, the mission experience that taught him love can only grow through service, and the divine timing that launched his family-focused ministry just before COVID hit. His journey shows that sometimes our greatest talents are just stepping stones to our real purpose, and that following spiritual promptings can lead to impact we never imagined possible.Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow David Bowman:Website: https://www.davidbowmanart.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidbowmanart/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@davidbowmanart3513LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bowman-74900127/DRAWN IN! Series: https://www.davidbowmanart.com/pages/drawn-in

What happens when an Air Force kid who struggled socially becomes a 15-year missionary with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir? Michael Young shares his journey from childhood awkwardness through moving every few years to finding his voice on the world's stage. In this episode, Michael reveals the sacred experiences that come with being set apart as a missionary in the choir, performing for millions worldwide, and using music to minister to individuals. He opens up about his challenging mission in Germany, where cultural barriers made sharing the gospel difficult, yet led to a baptism on his final day that changed everything. Michael also shares the heart-wrenching story of his daughter Maggie, born after years of secondary infertility and a miraculous 76-day hospital stay during COVID. Through IVF treatments paid for by a former missionary companion, emergency deliveries, and countless prayers answered, Michael's family experienced firsthand that God's plan isn't always easy, but it's always worth it. His story shows that faith grows through both everyday steadiness and extraordinary miracles.Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: whywebelieve.comYouTube: youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram: instagram.com/whywebelievepodcastLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-showFollow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Michael D Young:Twitter/X: x.com/mdybyuFacebook: facebook.com/mdybyuYouTube: youtube.com/@MikeDropMusicWebsite: authormichaelyoung.com/aboutFacebook: facebook.com/authormichaelyoungThe Tabernacle Choir Page: thetabernaclechoir.orgVocal Coach Website: micdropauditions.wordpress.comSheet Music Website: thesongoftherighteous.wordpress.com

When a BMX accident at 14 ended Kelly Loosli's NFL dreams, it redirected his path toward animation and eventually to co-creating BYU's nationally recognized animation program. In this episode, Kelly shares how a spiritual experience while working on a church film led him to embrace missionary service in Portugal after initially rejecting it. After building a successful career at DreamWorks and Disney, Kelly made the surprising decision to leave Hollywood behind when family tragedy struck. Now 25 years into teaching at BYU, he reveals how his students have taught him that his talents were meant to bless others, not himself. Kelly opens up about his family's fertility struggles, the grace he discovered on his mission that transformed his Old Testament view of God, and why he believes love is the most transformative principle of the gospel. His journey shows that sometimes God closes doors to open better ones, leading us exactly where we need to be.Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website:https://www.whywebelieve.com/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Kelly Loosli:BYU Animation: https://animation.byu.edu/

When an inactive teenager named Jason received an unexpected challenge from his bishop, who happened to be named Moroni, everything changed. After years away from church, this single conversation sparked a mission to France that transformed his entire life trajectory. But Jason's real test of faith came later as a father and bishop. In this episode, Jason shares his family's journey through his son's premature birth and over 20 brain surgeries for hydrocephalus, the devastating loss of his business during COVID, and the unthinkable tragedy of losing his daughter in a car accident. Now serving as a bishop himself, Jason reveals how these trials taught him that we can either turn away from God or fall to our knees, and why choosing to turn toward Him brings a peace that nothing else can provide. His story shows that even in our darkest moments, God's compensatory blessings and the healing power of Christ's atonement can carry us through anything.Follow the Why We Believe Show:Website: https://www.whywebelieve.com/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShowInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/Follow Nathan Gwilliam:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/Follow Jason Bringhurst:LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbringhurst/

What happens when a malnourished toddler abandoned on a Costa Rican mountain grows up with an unshakeable desire to return home? Ana Katia's story begins in a tin shack where she and her siblings survived alone for months while their mentally ill birth mother wandered for days. Adopted at age three and raised in America, Ana spent years making birthday wishes to "fly home" to Costa Rica. When she finally embarked on a 14-day search with only her birth mother's name, what followed defied all odds. Through divine timing and miraculous encounters, Ana discovered that her real journey wasn't about finding her birth mother—it was about understanding her worth as a daughter of God. Her emotional reunion, marked by an unexpected gift of a simple cucumber, revealed truths about divine love that changed everything.

When tanks rolled through Dejan Tahic's hometown at 7 AM on what should have been a normal school day, his childhood ended instantly. This Bosnian teenager spent months separated from his parents across three different refugee camps, surviving on Red Cross donations while 100,000 people died in the civil war around him. After resettling in Canada speaking zero English, Dejan never expected that meeting one girl would introduce him to a 2,000-year-old book about ancient wars that would change everything. The Book of Mormon's battle chapters resonated with someone who had lived through modern conflict, and the church's teachings about eternal families spoke directly to a young man who had lost all sense of home and belonging. Today, as a father of four daughters pursuing his degree at BYU-Idaho, Dejan's temple sealing gave him what war had stolen: roots, future, and the promise that families can be forever. His transformation from a displaced Muslim refugee to a devoted Latter-day Saint proves that sometimes the most unexpected spiritual journeys begin in the darkest circumstances.

What happens when a successful wedding photographer's perfect life crumbles into a federal indictment and maximum prison sentence? Portia Louder's story takes you through photographing 200 weddings a year, then hearing "84 months in federal prison" echo through a federal courtroom. But this isn't just another cautionary tale about mortgage fraud and poor choices. Inside those concrete walls, Portia discovered something that would forever change her understanding of grace, redemption, and divine love. Her spiritual awakening behind bars led to extraordinary connections with fellow inmates, including a remarkable young woman whose faith journey would span prison cells and temple walls. Through heartbreak, separation during her seven children's formative years, and the darkest moments of despair, Portia found sacred ground in the most unlikely place. Her story proves that sometimes our greatest failures become the foundation for our most beautiful transformations, and that there's no depth too deep for divine love to reach.

Award-winning author Heidi Tucker never planned to write books until a vivid dream on an airplane changed everything. After battling severe postpartum depression that left her hiding under her baby's crib, she discovered how to transform life's darkest moments into sources of strength and service. Her latest book, "A Necessary Lie," tells the harrowing story of North Korean defectors and is now being developed into a worldwide feature film. Through her father's examples of secret service and her own journey through mental health struggles, Heidi learned that faith isn't just about believing but about taking action on those beliefs. Listen as she shares how God continues to bring her the stories she's meant to tell and why she sees Christ as the steady lighthouse guiding us through life's storms. Her insights on patience, service, and finding purpose after trauma will inspire anyone seeking hope in their own difficult seasons.Connect with Heidi Tucker:LinkedIn: Heidi TuckerWebsite: The Pickled SunflowerInstagram: heidi_tucker_/Youtube: @heiditucker897Facebook: heidi.tucker.10

What do you do when suicide claims both your father and your 19-year-old son? Former Fortune 500 top sales executive Lark Galley shares her journey through unimaginable grief and the unexpected spiritual experiences that followed. After losing her brilliant engineering student son Christian, Lark discovered that death wasn't the end of their relationship – it was the beginning of something deeper. Through messages from beyond and divine encounters, she learned that love transcends the veil and that even our darkest moments can become catalysts for spiritual growth. Her story challenges everything we think we know about mental health, suicide, and the plan of salvation. Lark's insights about becoming more Christ-like through adversity and finding joy again after devastating loss will transform how you view both trials and eternity.

Professional artist and five-time American Ninja Warrior competitor Jenedy Paige shares her extraordinary journey through unimaginable heartbreak to unexpected strength. After losing her three-year-old son Victory in a tragic drowning accident, Jenedy found herself at a crossroads with her faith - choosing to show up to her relationship with God "just mad" rather than walking away. What followed was a spiritual education that would transform her life in ways she never imagined. From receiving divine inspiration to paint sacred art depicting Christ's birth and sacrifice to feeling a mysterious prompting to apply for American Ninja Warrior despite having zero athletic background, Jenedy's story reveals how God can consecrate our deepest sufferings for our greatest good. Her paintings have been featured in LDS temples and church publications, while her ninja journey has led to creating the Strong Women Experience -a groundbreaking conference combining spiritual and physical strength. This powerful conversation explores grief, faith, artistic inspiration, and the miraculous ways God can use our broken hearts to strengthen others.

In this heartfelt conversation, author and speaker Brooke Romney shares how embracing imperfection led to deeper spiritual connections in her life as a mother of four boys. She recounts a pivotal moment when God personally assured her that temple attendance recommendations didn't apply to her season of life with a nursing baby, highlighting how faith must fit individual circumstances. Brooke discusses the transformative power of undistracted presence, illustrating this through a story of a friend who waited in the rain to truly listen during a difficult time. With insights from her book and work with teenagers, she explores how God communicates love differently to each person - through music, service, learning, or connection - just as parents must discover unique ways to reach their children. This episode offers a refreshing perspective on finding divine connection amid life's messiness and variety.

Join host Nathan Gwilliam and Dr. Jamie Jensen of BYU for a thought-provoking conversation that bridges the gap between lab benches and living rooms. Discover how a leading biology education researcher uses the tools of science - surveys, videography, data - to hear God's voice on her own terms. Jamie unveils reasoning patterns that keep faith and evolution in harmony, from respecting each epistemology's limits to resisting "God-of-the-gaps" thinking. She shares personal trials - from a broken engagement to life-threatening pregnancies - and how logical, research-driven insights became her spiritual compass. Learn why uncertainty isn't a threat but a pathway to deeper testimony, and how evidence both tangible and spiritual confirms her belief. Whether you wrestle with reconciling scripture and science or seek fresh perspectives on revelation, this episode offers a roadmap to blend both worlds with confidence.

In this episode of the Why We Believe Show, Kacey McCallister shares his journey after losing both legs in a tragic accident at just six years old. Raised with his parents' philosophy that "can't never did anything," Kacey developed incredible resilience-completing a 50-mile hike on his hands, winning wrestling competitions, and eventually serving a full-time mission in Arizona. He recounts how his faith sustained him through life's challenges, including his path to becoming a motivational speaker and author of the book "Rise Up." Kacey's story reveals how failing forward led to his greatest successes, from losing every middle school wrestling match to later taking second place at state. The conversation highlights how his faith provides peace during difficulties and his understanding that God's love drives everything. As Kacey explains simply: "What greater gift is there than to help His children?"

In this episode, Russell Osguthorpe takes us behind the scenes of his lifelong journey of faith. Growing up as President Hinckley's neighbor, Russell shares delightful stories about the prophet's down-to-earth nature, including a memorable moment when Hinckley asked his Secret Service agents to grab shovels and help in the garden. Russell recalls his missionary experiences in Tahiti—from having a rifle pointed at his head to returning decades later as a senior missionary. He speaks about his unexpected testimony at age 12 and the daily practice of scripture study that has sustained him since. The conversation takes a touching turn as Russell reveals his brother's 33-year absence from the church and the transformative reunion that followed. Through personal stories spanning generations, Russell illustrates why he believes: "I see His hand in my life every day."

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom: 12.0pt;margin-left:0in">In this episode, Whitney Murdock shares how her journey as an introverted missionary shaped her unique approach to mentoring others. Born into a blended family with deep faith roots, Whitney discusses how her parents' divorce at age 11 led her to find solace in scripture, building the foundation for her testimony. She reveals the surprising challenges of preparing for missionary service while grieving her brother's suicide just two weeks before her departure date. Whitney details her struggles with perfectionism during her Portland, Oregon mission, and how a mission president's blessing about "finding the one" helped her overcome social anxiety. Her insights about mental preparation for missionaries offer practical guidance for introverts facing similar challenges. Whitney's story highlights how God works through our authentic personalities rather than despite them, demonstrating that our "loaves and fishes" offerings become magnified when surrendered to divine purpose. This conversation provides valuable perspective for anyone feeling inadequate in their spiritual journey or questioning if they have what it takes to serve effectively.

In this episode, May Lundy shares her journey from childhood faith to adult conviction. Born in Mexico to educator parents, May describes how her grandmother's swift conversion set the spiritual foundation for generations to follow. Her father, a stake president, instilled the vital importance of intentional faith—gathering the family to vote on making Christ the center of their lives. May details her decade-long sprint through dual college degrees across two countries, leading to her eventual physical and emotional collapse while working at Deseret Digital Media. The turning point came during a desperate prayer on her living room floor, when three simple words changed her approach to discipleship. May discusses the misconception that grace only arrives at the finish line, instead discovering that Christ walks beside us through every step of our trials. Her insights on finding joy within hardship, not just beyond it, offer a fresh perspective on living with intention. May also shares wisdom gleaned from working with Elder Clark Gilbert and practical approaches to creating a home centered on Christ. This conversation invites listeners to reconsider what it truly means to walk hand-in-hand with the Savior in both struggle and success.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom: 12.0pt;margin-left:0in">Unveiling the mind behind a literary phenomenon! In this episode of Why We Believe, Nathan Gwilliam sits down with Chris Heimerdinger, the mastermind of the "Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites" series that has captivated millions of readers. Heimerdinger reveals how a childhood obsession with finding a mythical "rainbow room" in Wyoming's Frost Cave sparked his imagination, leading to a dream during his mission that launched his writing career. His conversion story takes unexpected turns—from skeptical teenager to BYU film student who fasted and prayed in a secluded grove seeking truth. Heimerdinger shares intimate details about crafting emotionally charged scenes, admitting he wept throughout the writing process of his most impactful chapters. With surprising vulnerability, he discusses personal struggles including divorce, emphasizing that success as a religious author doesn't provide immunity from life's trials. This fascinating conversation explores how following unexpected spiritual guidance transformed Heimerdinger from aspiring stand-up comedian into a bestselling author whose work continues bringing readers back to scripture decades after its first publication.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom: 12.0pt;margin-left:0in">"I didn't throw footballs anymore, but I still play the piano as the organist in the Arizona Temple"—an unexpected career path for Dallas Cowboys legend Danny White, who credits his mom's stubborn piano lessons for his NFL success. White takes us behind the scenes of his controversial decision to skip a College World Series game on Sunday due to religious beliefs—a choice that led to striking out in the championship but ultimately directed him toward football stardom. He offers an insider's perspective on competing alongside Roger Staubach (who once added a paper cup to a barbell to outdo White's bench press record) and playing for legendary coach Tom Landry, highlighting how both men excelled without compromising their principles. White speaks openly about the infamous fumble that cost the Cowboys a Super Bowl appearance and shares how his faith sustained him through losing his son and wife within months of each other. With wisdom gained from triumph and tragedy, White reminds us that true success requires ensuring our ladder of achievement is "leaning against the right tree.”

"I don't know what that book's doing to me," confessed the teenager to BJ Allen during his mission - a moment that revealed the transformative power of scripture. BYU marketing professor Allen shares how understanding Christ's atonement helped him overcome perfectionism and religious OCD. In this conversation, Allen discusses insights from his book, The Compensating Power of Christ, about how Jesus makes up for our weaknesses an aspect of the atonement often overlooked. Through stories of his brother's missionary challenges and personal struggles, Allen shows how Christ's grace completes our insufficient  efforts. His perspective invites listeners to stop measuring worth through achievement and  instead accept that Christ works in our daily lives. This episode speaks to anyone who has felt  they weren't "enough" and explains how the restored gospel uniquely clarifies Christ's role in  healing life's unfairness.

In this episode, Nate Alder, founder of Klymit and CEO of Skavengerz, shares his momentous journey of faith and entrepreneurship. Experience the power of divine timing as he recounts a providential flight to Brazil that changed his life forever, leading to both love and conversion. Through his mission experiences in Peru, Nate reveals how deep scripture study transformed his testimony and prepared him for future challenges. His story includes the incredible conversion of a Jehovah's Witness family whose faith revolutionized their local ward, and powerful insights about maintaining spiritual strength while building successful businesses. Nate's unique perspective on viewing the world through a gospel lens offers fresh inspiration for anyone navigating their own path of faith. Join us for an episode filled with riveting stories of divine guidance, perseverance, and the unexpected ways the gospel touches lives around the world.

Meet Tami Hymas, a hairstylist whose spiritual journey began with a simple challenge and a 25-cent soda. In this episode, Tami shares how a devastating ski accident transformed her from a successful salon owner into someone who sees beauty in an entirely new way. Through her companies BeUtofullness and inUpowers, she now teaches others to embrace both their inner and outer beauty using innovative approaches, including cartoon characters that help people process difficult emotions. Her remarkable story demonstrates how life's greatest challenges can become divine stepping stones to discovering one's true purpose and shows us that real beauty begins with understanding our inherent worth as children of God.

Discover how BYU law professor Shima Baughman's journey from Iran to America became a testament to divine intervention. Through her mother's prophetic dream in an Iranian prison to their last-minute escape, Shima's path to finding Christ is nothing short of miraculous. She shares how temple attendance transformed her marriage, why she boldly shares her faith on TikTok, and how her research proves faith's power in solving society's challenges. Experience a story of divine timing, unexpected miracles, and the profound truth that God's plans surpass our own. This conversation will renew your faith in miracles and inspire you to trust in divine guidance.

What happens when God's plan looks nothing like we expected? In this powerful episode, award-winning author AL Carraway shares how becoming homeless with three young children transformed her understanding of divine timing. Through vibrant storytelling, she reveals how seeing God in unexpected places – from hotel rooms to church history sites – deepened her faith in remarkable ways. Get ready for fresh perspectives on familiar scripture stories, candid insights about embracing life's disruptions, and inspiring revelations about finding your own "sacred spots" with God. This conversation will challenge everything you thought you knew about trials, teaching that sometimes our greatest setbacks are actually divine setups.

What does it take to balance faith and high-powered success? Join me as I sit down with Jonathan Guynn, a partner at Jones Day and advocate for religious liberty, who learned profound lessons about faith from an unexpected source - a ward filled with corporate titans who put God first. Through stories of his grandfather's pivotal challenge to be in the "top 10%" and personal trials that reshaped his understanding of God's "deal" with us, Jonathan reveals how true success isn't measured in achievements but in becoming more Christlike. His journey shows how embracing God's love in unexpected places transforms both our professional and spiritual lives.