Come Back Podcast (2025)

13/01/2025

“I grew up in a home that did not fit into ‘Church Culture’.

I had a single mother with powerful faith, but we were not always treated kindly by church members and leaders.

In fact, sometimes their behavior could be quite hurtful.

I was a single mother by the age of 18, alone, afraid, and ex-communicated from the church.

There was a time I believed I deserved to be an outcast, that I didn’t ‘fit’ into the church.

Following the promptings of the spirit, I came back into the church, was married and sealed in the temple.

Later, learning about church history, that I found hurtful and harmful, led me to completely withdraw.

I left again and delved into the many spiritual practices available to all those who wander.

Some good, some priestcrafts, and some distractions from the everlasting life available through Jesus Christ and his infinite atonement.

I was hitting rock bottom.

I didn’t know what else to do but pray for divine intervention, and Christ showed up and saved me.

My prayers were answered in a way that took me on a journey back to Jesus Christ and his church.

I now find peace and joy in teaching Kundalini Yoga.

I have found healing from codependency.

I have survived abuse, heartbreak and divorce.

And I have experienced the amazing healing power of Jesus Christ.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to share my story of how the Savior stepped in and brought me back.”

06/01/2025

*TRIGGER WARNING*

“I am a recovered alcoholic and drug addict of six years, and I just got home from my mission about a month and a half ago.

When I was 11 I started struggling with explicit content online.

That developed into a self harm addiction that spiraled when I started dating a non-member when I was 16.

Upon finding that out, my parents planned to move me to Utah against my will.

I ran away, stole a car, drove two states away, was charged with a class three felony, and wound up getting sent to a wilderness camp for 2 months.

After the wilderness program, I came home and fell heavily into drugs and alcohol.

I threw a party at my parents house and I ended up getting sent to juvenile detention for two months.

As time went on, I got into selling harder drugs, and had some very scary experiences.

On August 20th 2021 I had a dream, and this was the first step in me coming back to church.

Just before hitting 1 year of sobriety I received my mission call after being instructed to serve through my patriarchal blessing.

I was assigned to serve in the Washington Everett mission under the direction of Mission President, Dan Oakes.

After discovering that my Mission President professionally helped individuals overcoming the destructive effects of explicit content, I knew my mission call had been divinely inspired.

I have seen the hand of the Lord through the many angels, trials, and miracles that have taken place in my life.”

22/12/2024

It is an absolute honor to be able to provide such a sacred platform for people from all walks of life to be able to bravely bare their souls to the world.

If you have listened to the podcast, you have seen how the Savior comes for His people.

No one is too far from his reach.

He meets us in our lowest moments, and His grace pours into the lives of those who turn to Him.

We have had the sacred privilege to witness miracle after miracle, as we’ve poured our hearts into this podcast.

It has been humbling to see how God has helped this podcast reach those who need it.

To play a small role in bringing His sheep back to the fold, is the honor of a lifetime.

We do this for Him, and for you.

“Some may have had experiences that make you feel you do not belong.

“The Savior’s message to you and me is the same: ‘come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’

“The gospel of Jesus Christ is the perfect place for us.

“Coming to church offers the hope of better days, the promise that you are not alone, and a family who needs us as much as we need them.

“To any who have stepped away and are seeking a chance to return, I offer an eternal truth and invitation: You belong. Come back. It is time.” -Elder David A Buckner

This week’s episode we get to hear from some of the Come Back Podcast team, and what it’s been like helping with this incredible work.

We love you all and wish you a very merry Christmas. ❤️

16/12/2024

*TRIGGER WARNING*

Austin was born with hypochondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, which made his early life unique and challenging.

He was raised in the church but at 16 started feeling disconnected and misunderstood and he decided to leave the church.

He briefly returned at 18, but by 19, he stepped away for good, unsure of where he belonged.

Over the next several years, Austin struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse.

He turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the overwhelming pain.

Despite the darkness, Austin fought hard to survive.

After years of battling addiction, he achieved a major victory—he’s now been sober for 4 years from alcohol and 10 years from drugs.

After 25 years away from the church, Austin had a transformative experience on the grounds of the temple.

There, he met an apostle of the church, and the encounter deeply reignited his faith.

This moment marked a turning point in his healing and personal growth, leading him to return to the church.

Austin’s return wasn’t a simple or easy choice, but it played a significant role in his ongoing journey of healing.

It helped him reconnect with hope, rebuild his life, and find peace and purpose.

Through it all, Austin has learned that personal growth comes not from avoiding struggles, but from facing them head-on and continuing to move forward.

Austin’s story is out now.

10/12/2024

“Steven was adopted at just three days old by an LDS couple.

From a young age, Steven struggled with po*******hy, which spiraled into a decade-long addiction.

By high school, he was high every day at school and questioned his faith deeply, even experiencing an atheistic crisis.

After graduation, he spent time with a neighbor, Emily Belle Freeman, whose influence slowly helped him rebuild his testimony.

He eventually served a mission in Atlanta, where he was a true and honest servant, but once home, his struggles resurfaced.

He went to his YSA bishop for help, but the shame and judgment he felt led him down a darker path of drinking, smoking, and more challenges with the law of chastity.

Still, he never lost his belief in God, but he felt trapped and resigned to a future without a temple marriage.

When we met, Steven was focused on healing.

He told me that he was so sick of the party life, and just gave it up and started turning toward God again.

We matched on Mutual, and despite my initial reservations, we quickly became inseparable.

On the fifth day of knowing me, Steven confessed his past struggles with po*******hy and chastity.

I remember thinking, ‘I’m so thankful for him telling me. How brave and honest that was.’

We married civilly in 2019, but Steven’s addiction resurfaced shortly after.

I was hurt, but I didn’t fault him for the relapse.

I started learning about addiction, and it helped me separate his behavior from my love for him.

After a few relapses, we reached a breaking point.

I was ready to leave, but then my brother sent me a message about Elder Gong’s talk on rebuilding trust.

His words hit home: ‘Trust again... relationships can be mended.’

I prayed, and I felt a deep peace that Steven was truly committed to change.

He cut his hair, went back to therapy, and committed to the church’s addiction recovery program.

Since then, things have been better, though not perfect.

We’re now blessed with a beautiful son and a home.

Through it all, we’ve learned that love, trust, and faith in God are the foundation of our marriage, and I’m forever grateful for the way God has guided us.”

-Kayla & Steven

02/12/2024

“For years I was struggling to stay active and raise my children in the church.

I was lost and sad- searching for peace.

I had a built an Instagram following, but the numbers didn’t matter.

I felt so alone.

My Instagram following was built on being an advocate that there was room in the church for people like me.

Desperately trying to find my place in the gospel but not following his commandments in return.

I humbled myself and realized I knew the missing pieces.

But it was just going to take work to get there.

I pushed aside everything else in my life and made my repentance and conversion a priority.

I put my garments back on.

Even though I felt like a hypocrite because I had preached not to judge those who don’t wear them.

As I did, I felt the spirit come back to my life.

The blessings in store when we keep our covenants are unmatched.

As I made the changes, I felt the burden lifted.

My heart is joyful.

I know I am ready for this next chapter in my life.

It feels good to know Jesus Christ loves me enough that he paid the price for me and I can be cleansed.

Here’s to the next chapter- I will always advocate you can sit with me.

There is room in the gospel and there is room in His heart to always give you grace.”

Tara’s story is out now.

24/11/2024

I had the awesome opportunity to hang out with .millennials this week.

We discussed some of the things that I’ve learned interviewing people who have come back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We hear a lot about reasons people leave the church on social media, things that they don’t like about the church, or its members.

As I sat watching my kids in the primary program last Sunday, I listened to them sing:

He will guide me
When I’m in my wilderness
And stay beside me
On stormy seas
I am learning how He speaks to me
And I will follow where He leads

My heart was overflowing with love and absolute JOY.

Joy that my children are learning who they can turn to for peace when they are navigating the stormy seas of life.

Joy in knowing that the fruits of the gospel are so evident in my life, and I continue to learn and grow with the spirit as my guide.

I can’t even imagine giving up the gift of the gospel in my life, especially after living my life without it.

Sometimes we become distracted.

With hard questions in church history, something someone said online that made us question our faith, or maybe we’re going through a trial and we try to manage it on our own and life is just hard.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned since starting the podcast, is that God shows up for those who turn to him.

Even if it’s been weeks, months, or years since you have spoken to Him.

He will show up for you.

He will bring a joy and light to your life that you didn’t even realize you were missing.

You will see your life with new eyes.

He loves you more than you could ever imagine.

And He is waiting for you to come back to Him.

The hard questions, the trials, the comments online..

They are actually an INVITATION to come to Him, and find out for yourself that he is there.

You can make the choice to explore what God, and His church, have to offer you.

Not because it’s the cultural norm, not because it’s how you were raised, not because it’s what is expected of you…

But because YOU have decided to partake of the fruits of the gospel.

And if you do this, He will be there.

Ready to welcome you home with open arms.

18/11/2024

“Growing up in the church I only had one goal, leave as soon as I graduate.

But I learned a couple of years into a crazy college experience that ‘life according to Holly’ was not nearly as fun as I thought it would be.

Run ins with cops, scary doctor’s appointments, living life on the edge of alcoholism…it was too much!

And then God placed a fork in the road and said ‘you can keep living life according to Holly, or come this way and see what I’ve got in store for you here.’

Oddly enough, I was grateful for the awful situation I had gotten myself in because it led me back to Him.

I came back to the church, met and married my husband in the temple, then brought 5 babies into the world with him.

I’ve always prided myself on having a ‘simple’ testimony—which, is true—and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But since my initial comeback I just coasted in this ‘simple’ space.

Never fully proclaiming the gospel because I really didn’t want to have to defend it.

I never felt equipped to anyways.

But then I learned that I have to put in the work to grow my testimony.

No one was going to do it for me.

I walked away from a lucrative influencing career on Instagram so that I could share my journey with Christ…no strings attached.

Just a girl with a simple testimony wanting to go deeper and grow closer to her Savior, realizing that when you do that—all you want to do after that is bring everyone with you!”

Holly’s story is out now.

11/11/2024

Amaiya’s story is out now.

04/11/2024

Such an honor to have these awesome defenders of truth on the podcast!

Hayden shares his story of going through a faith crisis, dissecting his faith, and ultimately coming out stronger than ever on the other side.

We discuss how Hayden’s faith journey impacted his brother Jackson, and how they now use their experiences to share the gospel with the world.

These two are incredible humans, and the work they are doing is making a massive difference.

Grateful to know these awesome brothers!

28/10/2024

“We converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and were baptized in 2014, originally members of the Southern Baptist church.

We had been trying for a couple of years to have children and received a priesthood blessing.

We ended up with twins in 2016.

In 2018, we had a surprise and our youngest was born.

The closest church is about 40 minutes away, so we started missing church because it was hard to get there with 3 small kiddos.

In 2020, with Covid, churches seemed to shut down.

I was sucked into the ‘science is the answer’ and became sort of agnostic.

During my agnostic phase, my wife and I separated.

We were married in the LDS chapel in 2014, so I guess I was revolting against everything and ended up removing my name from church membership.

We thankfully got back together after about a month or two.

With the Covid lockdowns, mask mandates, etc, I slowly became more conservative… although not quite believing in God yet.

About Christmas of 2023, I began to realize there is a God and as the LDS doctrine makes the most sense in Christendom I was contemplating returning to church.

There always seemed to be an excuse as to why we couldn’t make it that weekend.

On Feb 1st, I received a call that my best friend had committed su***de.

I realized how fragile life is.

A small voice told me that I needed to get back into church.

I needed to point my children in the right direction, because they would be tempted, and without a firm foundation they could succumb.

I knew then that there could be no more excuses and finally went back to church on March 3rd and haven’t missed a Sunday since.

I was officially re-baptized on April 20th, 2024.

I was baptized on a Saturday and received the Aaronic priesthood that following Sunday.

My twins had just turned 8.

I had been gone for years but God began drawing me back to His church just in time for me to baptize my boys.

I baptized them on the following week.”

Matthew’s story is out now.

20/10/2024

“I was born into the church but my family left when I was about 12, which was a few years after my parents divorced.

I spent the rest of my childhood feeling angry at the church.

I had a really rough adolescence, self harmed and attempted su***de at 16.

Fast forward to when I was 22 and had my second child.

I had an unassisted homebirth and it was an incredibly spiritual experience.

I started to wonder about God and what I believed in.

I started having missionaries over and went to the LDS church for about 3 weeks.

I reached out to an old LDS friend from childhood, thinking she’d be so happy for me.

She let me know she had actually left the church and sent me the CES letter and some anti-Mormon books.

I read those, believed every word and started going to a non denominational church instead.

That only lasted for a few weeks and then I got sucked into New Age spirituality.

I believed the “universe” was the higher power.

I became an energy healer and tarot card reader.

I was really into manifestation, past lives and occult witchcraft.

That path of deconstruction led me to deconstructing EVERYTHING, including my beliefs around marriage, monogamy, sexuality, etc.

I started to identify as bisexual and polyamorous and was just so so lost.

My marriage was falling apart.

I started pulling away from all the new age stuff.

I was realizing it was all bogus, it wasn’t making me any happier and I didn’t believe in it anymore.

I had become so numb, narcissistic and lost.

Finally, I broke down, prayed and asked Heavenly Father if he was there.

I begged Him to tell me if He was real, if Jesus was real, just needed some sort of answer I could trust.

The spirit was really guiding me to go back to church.

We had weekly lessons with the missionaries while going to church every week.

I had done so much work and research on my own that by the time I physically went back to church I was already spiritually committed.

I haven’t looked back.”

Kelsea’s story is out now.

14/10/2024

Oliver Cowdery was a key figure in the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Initially a close companion of Joseph Smith, he played a significant role in translating the Book of Mormon and served as one of the church’s first leaders.

However, in 1838, he left the church.

After years of reflection and searching for truth, Cowdery felt a deep sense of remorse for his departure.

In 1848, he formally returned to the church, seeking forgiveness and reaffirming his commitment to its teachings.

His return was marked by a spirit of reconciliation and a renewed dedication to his faith.

My favorite part of this episode was how incredibly applicable Oliver’s story is to navigating hard challenges in life today.

It is a story of overcoming one’s ego, putting aside differences, and focusing on the greater purpose.

30/09/2024

“I grew up in Wyoming.

My parents were, and are, fairly strict followers of the gospel.

My friends could go drink, smoke w**d, and experiment with girlfriends and substances.

The majority of life at home involved doing chores, attending church, and avoiding anything genuinely fun, and especially anything that would potentially cost any money.

I started to harbor a secret feeling of superiority to the chaining life style of members of the church.

I began experimenting with smoking and drinking.

I hit a point where it just wasn’t bringing me the sense of joy I really hungered for.

When I was beginning my junior year in high school I came home from school and noticed my scriptures on my bed that had been left there from the previous Sunday.

I was now in a mind set of being willing to try anything just to feel something resembling joy.

I kneeled down beside my bed like I had been taught to do, to literally to ask God a question, and expecting an answer.

I asked if Joseph was real, I asked if He really saw Him, I asked if angels were real, and the Book of Mormon was true.

Before I could even close the prayer my soul was filled with something.

It came with a very recognizable force, enough that I started crying.

Then I had one simple thought come into my mind, a dark thought, a damning thought, the thought went something like, “I don’t deserve this feeling”, I haven’t’ done anything to deserve to feel this good.

I fell into addictions of various kinds.

I think it was because my soul was hungry for the real kind of relationship a person can have with our Father in Heaven.

I had some miracles happen that led to me taking a leap of faith and attending church as a 20 year old.

Once I took a step in the door it wasn’t long before I remembered my experience asking God about Joseph and the Book of Mormon, which became part of my testimony.

Now I am 32 years old, sealed in the temple, 3 kids, served a mission in the Jacksonville, Florida mission, and I am happier than I have ever been.”

Nate’s story is out now.

23/09/2024

“In January of 2014, I lost my faith.

I confessed to my wife that I no longer believed in God, much less a Church of Jesus Christ.

The conversation hurt but was a long time coming.

My loss of faith was gradual and then all at once.

It felt like my whole world had turned upside down.

It hurt.

I felt confused and lost.

My wife’s reaction surprised me; she did not panic or get defensive.

Instead, she told me how excited she was for my faith journey.

I thought I was leaving the Church, but she reframed what I was feeling as the start of a journey.

Then she made me a promise: If I could find more light and truth outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she would follow me.

And she meant it.

It has been ten years. I have read the CES Letter several times and listened to many interviews on Mormon Stories.

I spent countless hours hearing and reading from ex-Mormons and other critical Christians.

I have learned a lot in my honest and exhaustive 10-year search.

Over time, I felt unsettled about atheism or agnosticism, and I discovered things that forced me to reexamine my unbelief.

I was ready to leave, but there was a problem.

I am not sure when it happened, but eventually, I started noticing a long list of techniques being employed against me by critics of the Church.

I could begin to see that I was being tricked into accepting false premises and half-truths.

That is when I developed serious concerns about how critics made their case.

The sheer hatred in the critical community alarmed me.

I could not identify with that.

I have learned that the information is not the problem.

The real issue is in the interpretation.

Critics tried to convince me that they only shared what the Church did not want me to know.

When examined carefully, I realized that most everything “new” the critics shared was relatively innocuous or came from church sources.

Ultimately, the manipulation happens in the presentation of data and history, not the data and history itself.”

Austin’s story is out now.

16/09/2024

As the grandson of President James E Faust, Jason had a strong foundation & upbringing in the church.

Jason served a mission, was married in the temple, graduated from the University of Utah, and started a career at KSL television.

Despite a loving childhood and early adherence to his faith, Jason found himself in the grip of addiction after a car accident led him to using OxyContin.

This led him down a road of homelessness, crack co***ne addiction, jails, excommunication from the church, and rehabs.

Jason experienced a true change of heart, he was rebaptized, and now shares his story to help others.

His story illustrates the Christlike love of amazing parents that never gave up, ancestors from the other side of the veil supporting us through our trials here on earth, and how no soul is too far gone for the Savior’s loving reach.

He has made a huge impact for good in the behavioral health world, and founded Brick House Recovery, a mental health and substance abuse treatment center.

Jason wrote the book “Unhooked” that tells his story in depth, as well as giving counsel to family members with addicted loved ones, and the different stages of recovery.

We are giving away 10 copies of his book- if you would like a copy, tag friends in this post and we will pick 10 people to send books to! ❤️

09/09/2024

“I grew up in Manti, loved church all growing up, had a great experience with leaders and made a lot of friends.

I served a faithful mission in Nebraska.

My testimony of the restored gospel was so strong that nothing could shake it.

I think Satan took that as a challenge.

I always loved going to church.

But year after year went by and I became busier and busier with work.

By year 4 in my new business I now had 3 kids, was making quite a bit of money and life juust seemed good.

Looking back at those 8 years after my mission I now see the work the adversary did.

He patted me on my back for my faithful missionary service and scripture memorization and knowledge of the scriptures and told me ‘you’re right, you know the truth’.

Convincing me, indirectly, that reading the scriptures or studying the scriptures wasn’t necessary for me.

I had a recommendation from a friend’s dad to follow this Tiktoker and one night I went on a bender.

It wasn’t anti but it contained a lot of things I had never even thought about the bible and raised some concerns and questions even about the validity of the resurrection of Jesus.

I normally didn’t have Tiktok but the algorithm really started to change and that’s when a lot of these voices about the Book of Mormon and the restored gospel started to have my attention.

It got to the point where I was deciding whether or not to pay my tithing when I started to experience just some really great anxiety.

I didn’t know anything anymore.

I didn’t know whether the Book of Mormon was true or if Joseph restored the gospel or if priesthood was restored.

One day in the summer of 2022 I decided I’m just going to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover and kneel and pray every day and ask God if he called Joseph as the prophet to restore the gospel, if he helped Joseph translate the Book of Mormon using seer stones, and if those who have succeeded him were called of Him as well.

My prayers were answered— all of them. And I am just so grateful for the restored gospel and for the Book of Mormon.”

Come Back Podcast