Trevor came back after years of struggling for a direction in life – his inspiring testimony of Jesus Christ
“They sang this song called ‘Jesus Comes to Fight For Me’ and when I heard that song it was the first time I had felt the Spirit in ten years. It was very emotional for me. I had not felt the Spirit for a really long time and had been through many trials and tribulations. I was lost and to feel that again was rewarding and it meant there was something out there, that being sober was going to be ok, and that eventually everything would be ok.” Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Mandy’s powerful conversion and how she found The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the help of so many around her.
“I ran track so I would go on long runs out in the country by myself. On one run I had stopped to walk for a little bit and I could feel God’s presence. I just knew God was trying to say something to me. I felt that He knew me and that He loved me, and that He had a plan for me. There were going to be some scary things that He was going to ask me to do, but I just had to face my fears and if I did I would find out that He was bigger than anything I was afraid of.” – Recommended book: The Uses of Adversity, by Carlfred Broderick – Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Don Bradley, a church historian that was disillusioned by Joseph Smith, removed his records. After more studying, he discovered his faith being strengthened and returned to the LDS church.
“I was seeing all these things where I was like ‘Wow – what is the Nauvoo endowment doing in the Book of Mormon?’ I had been convinced that Joseph Smith didn’t know anything about the endowment until he became a Freemason in 1842, instead I was seeing it all over the Book of Mormon. I was seeing it in accounts of Joseph Smith’s first vision and acquiring his seer stone. I was seeing it in the accounts of the lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon. My mind was kind of blown.” – 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 Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Brooke’s family left the church when the beliefs of a fringe group appeal to their own ideas. Brooke came back and was soon faced with unresolved questions. Her enlightening story back
“The church is alive, it is a living gospel. The way to know the difference between a live houseplant and a fake houseplant is that the real one has brown spots and dead leaves. There’s going to be imperfections in anything that is alive and growing and living. It’s just a fact of life. We are all human and make mistakes. The church is a living organism.” — Recommended: Article: “I’m a Mormon Because I’m a Feminist,” by Valerie Hudson https://latterdaysaintmag.com/article-1-12563/ — Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Alicia opens up about her struggle with same gender attraction and her reconversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
There is absolutely a place for LGBTQ+ in the church. That is because this is Jesus Christ’s church and they are children of God, it is that simple. There are a lot of facets to it, but it really is that simple. My testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is founded on my testimony of Jesus Christ being my savior. He is the savior of all mankind. Of everyone who is living, who has ever lived, and who will ever live. Anyone in LBGTQ+ community is not excluded from that. It doesn’t make it easy, but I know it is possible because of Him. Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
“The Crucible of Doubt” featuring Terryl Givens – October Book Club
“When the dust settles the only question that really arises to the forefront of my mind is: Does the Restoration make God present to me? Do I see God’s hand in evidence in the good that the church does, in the good that the gospel accomplishes, in the lives of individuals, and the access that it gives me to the gifts of the Spirit, and to the beauties and the truths of eternity? Well, then all the rest is just secondary to that.” Join us with guests Lauren Rose and Alba Lucia as we discuss October’s book club choice: The Crucible of Doubt, with author Terryl Givens. — Recommended books: The Crucible of Doubt, by Terryl and Fiona Givens The God Who Weeps, by Terryl and Fiona Givens The Christ Who Heals, by Terryl and Fiona Givens Letter to a Doubter (essay, available as a Kindle ebook), by Terryl Givens The Showings of Julian of Norwich, by Julian of Norwich (Terryl has over 20 books that he has written or edited) Also recommended: -books by Neal A. Maxwell -sermons by Gorge MacDonald -General Conference talk: “No Time for Contention” Faith Matters podcast The Joseph Smith Papers project “Stand Forever” talk by Elder Lawrence Corbridge — Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Emma’s touching story on her struggle with gender dysphoria and returning to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“People ask me how I do this – well, the church is true, and Joseph Smith was a prophet. I have been out in the world and I’ve looked at so many different things, I have explored a very secular world and there is nothing and nowhere that brings me the kind of joy that I get from going to church.” Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Nichelle Nelson shares her story of coming back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as her experience in a mixed faith marriage.
Nichelle Nelson shares her amazing story of why she chose to come back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after exploring other religions, and being out of the church for a number of years. Nichelle reconverted to the church without her husband, and she shares her experience of a mixed faith marriage. You will love this story of faith & hope. “I prayed so hard for the desire to want to change. I know without a doubt I could not have done that without our savior Jesus Christ. There was another force, another power that made it possible for me to change because I, myself, could not have done that.” – Nichelle Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Dusty Smith: From anti-Mormon, to coming back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Dusty Smith converted to the church, served a mission, and was pen pals with Elder Perry. After encountering “anti-Mormons” for the first time, he started researching church topics that he had never heard before in church history. Dusty left the church for 26 years. He spent those years doing everything he could to tear down the church. He debated In online forums with members, trying to prove the church wasn’t true. After many miracles, including a priesthood blessing and a miraculous healing. Dusty came back. One of his favorite people to debate the church with, had been putting his name on the temple prayer roll for years. Dusty says his love and prayers led to his coming back. Dusty baptized, and was sealed to his wife. Now he does everything he can to make up for his years of attacking… including having his story of redemption told by Elder Uchtdorf in conference. Dusty’s message to you: “Remember, Heavenly Father love you as much as if you were the only person on the planet. No matter what happens in your life, Heavenly Father will always believe in you.” Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Art Director: Jeremy Garcia
Lauren Rose shares her experience of finding hope in returning to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
“When I came back to the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I was so humble and so broken. I didn’t go to the church just wanting it to be true. I wanted to find the truth wherever it was, and I was willing to go anywhere to find it. I didn’t have an agenda. I wasn’t searching for a church that fit with MY ideas – I had no ideas. I knew I was wrong. I was genuinely searching for the truth and that is what made the difference for me. I was like this sponge that was just soaking everything in. I kept thinking about how different my family’s lives would have been had we stayed in the church. I was filled with regret. I was also so freed, because I had so much hope. Once I found out there was a God, everything changed and there was a light inside of me. People could see it. I was so genuinely happy.” -Lauren Come Back Team: Director, Founder & Host: Ashly Stone Producer and Senior Editor: Lauren Rose Outreach Manager: Jenna Carlson Art Director: Jeremy Garcia