Raised by hippies and shaken by anti-Mormon views, Amber shares the miracles that strengthened her.
“So here I am just one after another. I was smart enough to recognize Satan should have been a little more subtle because this was way too obvious. It was clear that I was under attack and especially that my husband had just been called to be bishop. I’m like, okay. So I had enough wisdom to step back and recognize that. It still didn’t take away from the fact that I cried myself to sleep every night. I didn’t know the answers to all this information that I had been overwhelmed with. And my husband could answer some of it, but not all of it. He was a new bishop and I just didn’t know what to do. For the first time, my faith was really shaken.” – Amber’s Hope Smiling Brightly podcast: – Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Cara Reed Assistant Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia Episode Sponsor: Brick House Recovery https://brickhouserecovery.com/
Nia was single and pregnant in the Church. How her struggles brought her closer to Jesus Christ.
“Don’t put blame on anyone else. If you’ve done things that are wrong, fix them. If things have been done to you that are wrong, forgive them. Which is so hard to do, depending on the situation. I’ve had to do that with people in my past. it’s the most liberating thing that you can do to let go of that hate and let go of blaming them. Because you can blame them all you want, but it’s not going to allow you to progress. And so be honest with yourself. Be honest with what you need to change and take back your power. You have all the power in the world. God has given you this free agency. You can do whatever you want with it. Why not do something amazing that brings you so much joy and happiness? And it’s so liberating to let go of what everyone thinks about you. It’s so liberating. I literally do whatever the heck I want, which happens to be living the gospel. And living the gospel and living the standards of the gospel has made me the most free person I’ve ever been in my life.” https://mikesautoshack.com/ Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Cara Reed Assistant Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia Episode sponsor: Serve Clothing https://serveclothing.com/?gad_source=1
Dana was excommunicated for a teen pregnancy – but that didn’t stop her from following the Savior.
“If you were to ask me to translate an ancient document and to organize the people and a whole religion — I would never want that kind of authority thrust on me. I know I would misuse it, I absolutely would. So this process has really brought me to this place of grace for those who have come before in the gospel. And also, these things that I get so frustrated about or that I don’t understand, they’re not mine to understand right now and it’s okay because it’s temporary. The reality is that Christ is our savior and the gospel is real. And when we turn to Him, the peace that is there, and the love, and the understanding surpasses everything else. There is no substitute.” Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Cara Reed Assistant Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia Episode sponsor: Serve Clothing https://serveclothing.com/?gad_source=1
Jori was adopted at birth, then she gave up her daughter for adoption. How these events brought her closer to her Heavenly Father.
“Going through years of therapy and working through adoption trauma for myself and placing my own baby for adoption has always been a very big pain point for me because I was placed for adoption and didn’t have a choice. That choice was my birth mom’s choice. And then I turned around and placed my baby for adoption and she didn’t have that choice. Even though I felt like that was the best thing to do for us at the time, I still struggle with that. We actually have opened the adoption up more and we have had some deep discussions about what it means to be adopted, what it means to be a birth mom and how hard it can be. It’s never that the baby is not wanted. They are always wanted. I always want to reiterate that with her and with all adoptees that might feel that way. That is always a bittersweet part of my story. But there is also joy, you know, what is sorrow and pain without joy and happiness? Even though I love my biological mom dearly and my half siblings, I can’t imagine my life without my adopted family, who I’m sealed to. I love the life that I’ve created and the relationships I have with my siblings and my nieces and nephews and my sweet parents who raised me in the gospel. Who knows if I would have had that without being adopted.” @thestoryofjori Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Peter left church for a gang, after grieving the loss of his mother and son he returns to Jesus Christ and is redeemed.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains sensitive content that may be triggering or offensive to some audiences. Parental discretion is advised. “I asked the Lord and said, ‘If this is your church, tell me in this General Conference. I want to know if this is your church.’ I had never watched General Conference in my life – this was like the Super Bowl for me. So I got my popcorn. I’m over there, got my drink, and ready to watch the conference. I remember President Nelson, he says, ‘As we commemorate the restoration of the gospel we revere the Prophet Joseph Smith as a prophet, but this is not his church. And this is not Mormon’s church. This is the church of Jesus Christ.’ Let me tell you something – that scripture in the New Testament that talks about the Pentecostal feeling of the Spirit overcoming you, man, I had never felt that before. When it came over me, when he said that, I stood up, as if we scored a touchdown. Like if my team scored a touchdown. I stood up and I said, ‘Hey, the prophet just said this is his church!’ I heard the Lord speak to me through his prophet. He said this is His church, right? That was it for me. I got on my knees and said ‘Thank you Lord, thank you for answering my question. You spoke to me.’ At that moment of time I told the Lord, ‘That’s it – I’m all yours. I’m all yours.’” Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Kyle’s journey through his struggles and triumphs as he experiences tragedy at a young age. His testimony of God the Father and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains sensitive content that may be triggering or offensive to some audiences. Parental discretion is advised. “These miracles that I have had in my life will never lead me astray from the church again. I cannot deny these things and it is because of the strength and relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father.” – Recommended: Poem: “The Race” by D. H. Groberg – Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Amber grew up in a troubled home, after finding joy reading the Book of Mormon she comes back to the church. She now volunteers with youth and loves being a foster parent.
“I love watching Jesus Christ work in the hard things. I love watching Him heal others from these hard places. I can go to the temple and feel the Spirit, I know I can and I should be there. In the heavy I know I can bring my 5 loaves and 2 fishes. I have so little things that I can offer. My husband and I are in no way perfect foster parents, but our heart is there. If we bring what we have to offer to God He is going to sanctify it and he’s going to make it enough.” – For inquiries contact info.comebackpodcast@gmail.com – Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Cheryl Hill shares her inspirational story of overcoming adversity and coming back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains sensitive content that may be triggering or offensive to some audiences. Parental discretion is advised. “Let me tell you something Ashly, one of the most painful, soul ripping things that happened to me, was the day I took off my garments. I can’t even begin to tell you… did I have a testimony? Apparently I did. Because, when I took those garments off, and I still have the picture in my head of those garments laying in a heap on the floor. When I took them off I knew I wasn’t going to put them back on.” After being sexually abused as a child, Cheryl dealt with many trials in her younger years. Eventually she left the church, and grew to hate it. Cheryl experienced many small miracles that pushed her back to the church. This is her story of coming back. Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Portia Louder’s incredible journey of coming back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Portia shares her experience of growing up in a non traditional home and coming back to the church after going through teen pregnancy, drugs, adoption, getting sober, and then eventually going to prison. Portia is an incredible person who puts her heart into sharing her story to influence for good. She helps run the “Worldwide United” page on Facebook that has over 500k members. She shares her story with missionaries at the MTC, works with recovering addicts, and many others who are trying to find their way. Her story is one you don’t want to miss. — Recommended book: Living Louder, by Portia Louder Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Editor: Michelle Berger Art Director: Jeremy Garcia