We Are All Enlisted

07/08/2021

Update - You might have noticed it's been a while since I published an episode. Moving around the world from Korea back to the US will do that to you :) Even though we're getting settled in our new area, I can't say for certain when or even if the next episode will be published. I need to do some work first on making sure that this project doesn't interfere with my new work assignment. I'd still like to continue the Conference talk discussions with Dana, and I still have a long-term desire to do some interviews, so if everything works out those would be the most likely things to come out this year if I'm able. As always, if I do end up publishing anything, it'll be listed here with links to the audio so feel free to check back from time to time. And to whoever is out there listening to the old episodes, I hope they're still helpful and glad someone is finding them of use. Take care!

01/03/2021

The next "Conference Conversation" is almost here! Dana and I actually recorded it about a week ago, but due to work constraints and a crashed computer I haven't been able to mix and post it yet. If you'd like to get a jump on the conversation, we are discussing Michelle D. Craig's "Eyes to See." Coming soon!

06/02/2021

18/01/2021

Episode 48 is up! This is the first of a series Dana and I have been wanting to try. She picked one of her favorite talks from the last General Conference, Elder Uchtdorf's "God Will Do Something Unimaginable," and we had a conversation about what we found meaningful about it, especially given the struggle of these days. If you know and love Dana, this is a great chance to hear her thoughts on a talk that truly seems meant for us today. Give it a listen and let me know what you think!

This is the first of a series of conversations I've been wanting to have with my wife Dana about talks from General Conference (in this case, the most recent one in October of 2020). Here's our conversation about Elder Uchtdorf's "God Will Do Some...

02/01/2021

Episode 47 is up! This isn't a normal "Come Follow Me" episode. Instead, it's a quick commentary to wrap up 2020 and the Book of Mormon Season, and to take a quick look ahead at what changes I'm planning for the podcast in 2021. Here's the quick TL;DR - yes I will continue, no they're not going to be as long as the Book of Mormon episodes. I anticipate I'll probably do something more along the lines of shorter "devotional" type episodes that can be quickly listened to. Unless, of course, I get super excited about a section and decide to geek out on it again. Hopefully that will be the exception to the rule! Also, I'm hoping to eventually work in some interviews with LDS chaplains to hear their stories, and conversations with my wife Dana about General Conference talks. So stay tuned - the first episode of season 2 should be coming out tomorrow!

This isn't a normal "Come Follow Me" episode. Instead, I take a few mintues to talk about WHY I did the podcast last year, what changes will be made for the podcast this year, and what to look forward to. If you don't want to listen, here's the su...

29/12/2020

So...you might have noticed there was no Christmas episode. Dana says my Christmas present to her was not doing an episode and spending time with the family instead :)

I'll be recording a "state of the podcast" episode and putting it up sometime this week with any luck, and we'll start getting after the new year!

20/12/2020

If you're interested, here's a few images of the tools and techniques that helped me organize my thoughts for these podcasts. The first is just the Gospel Library app on windows - I use a different color to highlight each phrase that has a distinct meaning to me. Sometimes I keep the same color constant with a certain theme (like using orange here for Moroni's "I exhort you to..." And I'll keep the same color to highlight sections that are continuous regarding the same subject, but other than that the colors don't have specific meanings - i just switch colors every time I want to mark a distinction from the idea before that stood out to me. And I repeat when I go through the 10 or so colors on the highlight tool.

The second image is of the mindmapping sofware I use. Most weeks there's more of a "timeline" to it, covering each chapter from left to right, with the verses going from top to bottom. But this week there's only one chapter, so it's more of a logic chart. I really like the outlining possibilities of it, and also the ability to reference different ideas and even draw parallels. I'm not a visual person at all, so using this helps me to visualize connections that I can't make visually in my head, but that I'm sure exist. The software I use is called "Xmind," and the trial version is free for pretty much as long as you want to use it (and don't mind the nag screen to subscribe), so I recommend it as a pretty great tool. If you have any questions about this or any other part of this podcast's production, feel free to ask!

20/12/2020

Episode 46 is up! This completes our study of the Book of Mormon for 2020. What's coming next? Keep watching this space to find out 😀

This week we get the last reading assignment for 2020, Moroni chapter 10. We talk about what it means to exhort, and why Moroni keeps using that word. Also, why we're exhorted not to pray and ask if the Book of Mormon is true, but to ask if these ...

19/12/2020

Almost to the end of the year! I've been getting a few questions about whether or not this podcast will continue with the Doctrine and Covenants next year. The short answer is "probably," but not in the same way as this year. I'll publish the last episode for this year's "Come Follow Me" on Moroni 10 in the next 36 hrs, and then I'm tentatively planning on a brief Christmas episode and a "State of the Podcast" episode talking more about the way forward in the new year. In the meantime, have a fantastic weekend and a wonderful start to the Christmas week!

12/12/2020

Some weeks, everything seems to flow easily for this podcast. Other weeks, I know from the beginning that it's going to be a struggle. Sometimes the struggle is from external issues - Soldiers needing me, or Army events taking up time, or family events. But more often, the struggle is in my mind and in my heart - it's me trying not to overthink this (Dana would be grinning at that). I absolutely LOVE this section of the Book of Mormon - especially Moroni 7, probably my single favorite chapter. Because of that, I'm more than a little worried about doing it justice. Which I can't, of course - no mortal really can. And yet, with the Spirit, whatever I can manage will be enough. I KNOW that with my head, but the intellectual knowledge doesn't fully dispell the instinctual fear. Thankfully, this section talks about just what WILL dispell fear - love. So I'm working on trying to feel love for all of you who may listen to this, and I hope you'll have grace toward whatever I'm able to end up posting. In the meantime, I hope your study is going great!

06/12/2020

The next episode is coming out shortly (before midnight this time!), but in the meantime I have been meaning for about a week to take a moment and thank all of you for listening. I'm still kind of shocked when I think about it that anybody besides my family actually listens to this. Thank you for sharing it with your friends, and for the kind comments you send me and (more often) my parents :) If nothing else, at least it helps my mom be proud of me :)

I really am grateful that you let this be part of your week and I hope it's helpful!

29/11/2020

Episode 43 is up!

This week gives us one of the greatest sermons ever on faith - Ether chapter 12. I take some time to compare Ether 12 with other concepts from Alma 32, Moroni 7, and Hebrews 11-12 to show what the scriptures are trying to teach us about faith (as ...

15/11/2020

Episode 41 is up!

This week we start the Jaredite record, and now it's Moroni providing editorial commentary to us instead of his father Mormon. We talk about how even though Moroni leaves out the first chapters of Genesis, Joseph Smith gives them back in the Book ...

09/11/2020

Episode 40 is up! Thanks for your patience :)

This week we come to the end of Mormon's mission, but thankfully this isn't the last we'll hear from him. We also get our first words from his son Moroni, who will finish this record from here on out, with some help from his father's writings. We ...

25/10/2020

Episode 38 is up!

This week concludes the personal ministry of Jesus Christ among the Nephites, and gives us both the greatest period of peace and prosperity experienced in the whole book (in less than a dozen or so verses no less), as well as it's eventual downfal...

18/10/2020

Episode 37 is up!

This week, we get the best Sacrament meeting ever - one you wouldn't be tempted to fall asleep in :) See what we can learn from it about how to have our meetings be more inspiring. Also, the Savior teaches us about why the promised land was given...

20/09/2020

Episode 34 is up! If you're interested at all in what the Book of Mormon teaches us about how to survive the events leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, this is probably a good one to listen to. Also - for anybody seeking healing of any sort, this section has one of the most beautiful scriptures I've ever read to give us hope. Enjoy!

This week we have the terrible destruction that takes place in the land of the Nephites and Lamanites as a sign of the Savior's death in Jerusalem. We talk about some similarities between living in that day and living in our day, so close (as we a...

13/09/2020

Episode 33 is up!

This is one of my FAVORITE sections of the Book of Mormon, because we get the contrast between incrdedible highs and lows. Listen as we talk (again) about how signs make terrible foundations for lasting conversion, how consecration societies have ...

05/09/2020

Episode 32 is up! And I didn't even "everlastingly procrastinate the day...until it is everlastingly too late" - I still have a day to go in the week 🙂 Stay tuned, I'm excited about next week, one of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon.

This week we wrap up the Book of Helaman with Samuel the Lamanite preaching to the Nephites in Zarahemla. Talk about role reversal! One of the things that sticks out to me here is how much Samuel's teachings reinforce the concept of agency, someth...

28/08/2020

Episode 31 is up!

Continuing through the book of Helaman, this week we get Nephi giving a prophetic play-by-play of the chief jduge's murder, receiving full access to the Lord's power, and using it to smite the land with famine to encourage people to repent. Listen...

23/08/2020

Episode 30 is up!

This week we start the book of Helaman, and there is a TON going on in here, including the introduction of the Gadianton robbbers and their secret combinations, the largest expansion of the Church during a Nephite golden era, the Nephites subseque...

16/08/2020

Episode 29 is up!

This week we look at the second half of the "war chapters" in the Book of Mormon, taking us to the end of Alma. Once again, I totally geek out on Nephite tactics and try to draw spiritual lessons from physical battles. Come listen and learn about ...

09/08/2020

Episode 28 is up! This is a long one, but hopefully it gives you something to think about while you're reading the war chapters. I can't help it, I'm a Soldier :) (and so are you!)

I've been waiting all year to get to the war chapters, and we're finally here - and we have TEN chapters to go through! Accordingly, this is the longest episode yet, but I hope it's worth it for you. I try to describe some of the Nephite and Laman...

01/08/2020

Finally, episode 27 is up! This is a double episode, covering the reading for last week AND this week.

This episode covers two weeks of reading, and includes Alma's parting instructions to all three of his sons. Although I didn't intentionally plan to put these two weeks together into one episode, I'm glad it worked out that way, because some of th...

26/07/2020

Podcast update: Thanks so much for all of you who have been patiently waiting. Alma 36-38 is going to have to get combined with 39-42, this week's reading. The combined episode will come out later this week (hopefully before NEXT Sunday!!!). I already know what I want to talk about for the episode, just can't get enough white space to sit down and record - busy time to be a chaplain! Thanks again to all who have shown interest and given feedback, I know you're waiting so I appreciate your patience. It's coming!

18/07/2020

Episode 26 is up!

This week Alma and Amulek preach the word in Zoram, and many of the poor people listen and are converted. What does it mean to be "poor in heart," and how does that relate to the essential principles and ordinances of the Gospel? How does faith wo...

11/07/2020

Episode 25 is up!

This week we get to see Alma in a mirror match against his evil alter-ego, Korihor. I think it's worth looking at the parallels between the two to understand that we could all go down either road, and it's our choice. Then, Alma assembles the miss...

05/07/2020

Episode 24 is up!

This week the Lamanite converts change their names to the Anti-Nephi-Lehis (who are not anti-Nephi or anti-Lehi at all). How do we learn to be converted like people who go from being gleeful murderers to believers who willingly sacrifice their own...

27/06/2020

Episode 23 is up!

This week we get Ammon's disarming ability to preach the gospel :) And we get one of my favorite scriptures, Alma 17:31, that represents a collection of symbols that help encapsulate missionary work as a whole for me. Be patient, it takes a minut...

17/06/2020

Episode 22 is up! This covers the readings for both last week and this week, Alma 8-16.

This week is a double-episode: we're covering two weeks of Come Follow Me readings by looking at Alma 8-16. That way we get the whole story of Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah. The conversion of Zeezrom (or "Z-money" as I will forever think of him now...