Today we sit down with Ferma Howard, San Carlos Apache by birth and a beloved pillar of the Gila River Indian Community for the last 50 years. As a child, Ferma left home at age eight through the LDS Indian Student Placement Program. Her journey wasn't easy. Early foster homes meant long chore lists and loneliness, but she found her voice, her faith, and eventually a true family who helped her thrive.

You'll hear how a coyote-howled proposal under a mesquite tree led to a Salt Lake Temple marriage, how she and her husband Dean Howard built a life in Sacaton, adopted their first son before welcoming more children, and opened their home to nieces and nephews who needed love and stability.

Ferma became Relief Society president at age 20, served in nearly every calling, and watched the Santan Branch grow through triumphs and trials—including a church fire. Her perspective on youth, tradition, and fellowship is tender, practical, and deeply rooted: Be there for your relatives, create the right traditions, and prayer is our guide.

Stay tuned for a conversation full of heart—stories of resilience, community, and quiet leadership. Ferma’s life is a mission of love, and you're about to hear why her branch, and everyone who meets her, feels at home.

Today's episode is a tender and powerful one. I'm sitting down with Luke Ingram, born in New Mexico, raised on the beaches of Oahu, and now rooted here in Champlain, Arizona. Luke shares stories from his childhood of surfing and fishing, the path that eventually brought him to Arizona, meeting his wife Ashley, and becoming a dad in a big blended family. But the center of this conversation is their daughter Evelyn. At just 13 to 14 weeks along, Luke and Ashley learned she had anencephaly.

Ashley chose to carry her to full term and Evelyn passed at birth exactly two years ago today. Luke opens up about the helplessness he felt, the quiet strength he witnessed in his wife, and the months of hearing congratulations during the pregnancy from others while privately knowing how their story would end. Out of that grief came a turning point, Luke's gradual conversion to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He talks about how ward members and missionaries walked with him, how peace came quiet and still why he took his time before choosing baptism in February, and a simple line of counsel that reframed everything for him. "You're not closer to Christ because of hard things. You're closer because you chose to lean into him during them. "

We also hear about his time as a new member, preparing for the temple, receiving his patriarchal blessing, serving the youth, and the hope of being sealed as a family. Stay with us.

Lukes' story is honest, vulnerable, and ultimately full of hope. It's about choosing faith when fixing isn't an option and discovering a peace that changes the path forward.

Today's guest is Linda Pablo, a lifelong member of the Gila River Indian community. Linda grew up along the Gila River with 10 siblings surrounded by family, language, and tradition. She learned Pima from her parents and grandparents, and she still treasures the dances, stories, and cultural practices that shaped her childhood. As a young adult, Linda left home for boarding school in California, later lived in Phoenix, and eventually returned to the community she loves. Professionally, she spent decades serving her people, first in court administration, later as an associate judge for 12 years, where she worked to strengthen the community's response to domestic violence and support victims and families in crisis. Linda joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in her 30s after feeling a deep sense of belonging among the members. Her faith grew through personal trials, priesthood blessings for her children, and sacred experiences in the temple. Alma 32's teaching on nurturing faith had become a guiding principle throughout her life.

She's the mother of three, grandmother of 12, and great-grandmother of two. She spends her Sundays bringing grandchildren to church and hopes to see more youth, especially young men, stay strong in the gospel and become leaders in their families and community. In today's episode, Linda shares what life was like growing up on the reservation and speaking Pima : Lessons she carried from her years in the courtroom, spiritual moments that anchored her testimony and practical advice for new converts and those preparing for the temple.

Today's episode features Bishop Jeff Anderson of the Leighton Lakes Second Ward, a father, missionary, and leader whose story is rooted in faith, family, and the quiet power of ministering to the One.

Bishop Anderson shares a moving snapshot of his family, his convert wife Lori, their twins Zach and Ellie, and their youngest Avery, and the traditions that keep them close. We talk about his mission to Denmark and Iceland, including a powerful story in Keflavik that began with a simple prayer and led to the first baptism in that city. As a bishop, he opens up about feeling unqualified, learning to listen more than talk, and discovering that the real miracles happen in one-on-one moments. He unpacks leadership lessons, delegating, counseling together in the humble, hungry, framework, and how promptings, even as small as making chicken noodle soup, can become answers to someone's prayer.

We dive into his vision for temple-centered discipleship, clear partnerships between parents and leaders, and the courage of today's youth as they take ownership for their own decisions and faith. Above all, Bishop Anderson testifies to the Savior's mercy and the invitation to keep moving forward. Stay with us for a conversation filled with practical wisdom, tender stories, and a deeper call to hear him and ask.

Today's episode features Rob Dean, who is currently serving on our State High Council and is a lifelong disciple of Deep Roots in Germany and a powerful testimony shaped by prayer, obedience, and miracles. Rob grew up in a family that found the gospel when missionaries knocked the wrong door and that providential mistakes set a course for generations. Rob shares a former childhood story, a family prayer and a quiet prompting that led them to leave a sunny fishing spot, only to learn the next day that a flash flood had claimed over hundred lives there.

It's a witness of how prayer and heeding the spirit protect and Called to the Frankfurt, Germany mission, was late later among the first missionaries welcomed into East Germany after decades without proselyting. He recounts checkpoints, sacred meetings with church leaders and the faith of saints who had waited 50 years. You'll hear about cottage meetings, member led invitations and the midnight baptism of a local communist youth leader who found the courage to pray and followed Christ despite real personal risk. Rob's message is simple and actionable: love, share, invite.

From university friends in Freiburg to colleagues in corporate America, he shows how small acts of kindness open hearts to Jesus Christ. Stay tuned to hear how obedience brought miracles, how a hand-written copy of President Monson's Dressed in Prayer was fulfilled before Rob's eyes, and how the fall of the Berlin Wall reshaped missionary work overnight. This conversation will strengthen your faith and give you practical ways to be a peacemaker and a national missionary wherever you are.

Today I'm thrilled to introduce our guest, Monica Shumway. Monica grew up in Sholoway, Arizona as the fourth of 12 children, learning courage and service from her parents. And together her husband, Kurt, raised six amazing daughters and now cheers on 13 grandkids. She served across the church from primary to young women's to the Relief Society, and today supports interfaith and community outreach as our state communications director. She also has a deep love for the temple and for her pioneer ancestors whose faith fuels her own.

In our conversation, Monica shares how seeing herself as a steward of God's children reshaped her motherhood in ministry. A pivotal moment when the Spirit asked, who are you trying to make look good and how that changed how she serves. Beautiful experiences in the temple baptistries such as White Fridays packed with youth that fill her with hope. What she calls holy envy of other Christians who pray on the spot and who are more open with their faith and how we also can be more open, welcoming and bold in our discipleship.

She also shares simple ways to gather, love, and invite, like sitting with someone new, hosting on low-key chips and salsa FHE, or posting activities so neighbors can find them. It's a light, faith-filled, and practical conversation about choosing faith over fear, trusting the Lord of outcomes, and seeing other people through the Savior's eyes. Stick around. Monica's stories will inspire you to act on those small promptings and help you bring a little more light to your corner of the world.

Today I'm speaking with Hannah Hale, who recently returned home from serving in the Texas Houston East Mission. Now, Hannah's mission story isn't your typical 18-month experience - she served for about four months before receiving a clear spiritual prompting to return home early due to mental health challenges, specifically OCD.

But here's what makes Hannah's story so remarkable: in each of her three transfers, she was able to help someone find and accept the gospel, culminating in baptisms that changed lives forever. From Laura, a woman in her 70s who had been taught on and off for eight years, to Howard and Kathy - a couple whose story spans 49 years from first contact with missionaries to finally being sealed as an eternal family.

Hannah's experience teaches us that the Lord's plan doesn't always match our expectations, but it's always perfect. Her mission may have been shorter than anticipated, but the impact was profound - both on those she taught and on her own understanding of faith, the Atonement, and what it truly means to serve the Lord.

Today, Hannah shares these powerful conversion stories and opens up about the difficult but inspired decision to come home early, reminding us that sometimes the most important lessons come through our greatest challenges. Let's dive into her remarkable mission experience.

Welcome to today's episode where we have the pleasure of speaking with Chris and Pat Freestone, a couple whose lives have been deeply intertwined with service and leadership within the Church. Over the years, Chris has held various positions, including Elders Quorum President, Bishop, Stake Presidency Counselor, Patriarch, and Temple Sealer. Together, they have navigated numerous moves, each guided by spiritual promptings, which have led them to new opportunities for growth and service.

In this discussion, we delve into their experiences, focusing on Chris's role as a patriarch and Pat's as scribe, where he has given over 450 blessings, and their shared journey in that calling and now as temple workers. They share insights into the importance of spiritual preparation, the power of revelation, and the significance of maintaining a strong marriage through mutual respect and communication. As they prepare for their next calling as temple workers in the Nauvoo, Illinois Temple, Chris and Pat offer valuable advice on strengthening family ties and living a life of service. Join us as we explore their inspiring story and the lessons they've learned along the way.