When Claire Nielson was 8 years old, her parents were involved in a small plane accident that left both her mom and dad badly injured, including burns that covered 80 percent of her mother’s body. Immediately following the accident, Claire’s mother, Stephanie, was barely recognizable but then Claire saw something she knew completely: Her mother’s eyes. On this week’s episode, Stephanie and Claire Nielson testify of God’s goodness even amidst the unthinkable and love’s power to conquer all things.

2:46- Growing Up Quickly
6:32- The Power of Eyes
11:40- Meant To Be Their Mom
15:31- Pulling Out the Box
20:17- Finding Healing Through Burns
24:28- The Process
28:21- Looking Away From the Mirror and Out the Window
32:57- Intentional Parenting
36:35- Bittersweet
46:12- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“It’s the bitter and the sweet, the happy and the sad, the helping and the healing and we do both at the same time and we become more because of it.” -Claire Nielson

Links:

Stephanie’s book, “Heaven Is Here”

“God Needs Mothers of All Kinds” (Previous All In Mother’s Day episode):

Show notes and audio

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While sitting in a class at the theological seminary he attended, Michael Huston was floored when he heard his teacher say these words: “Lament is faithfully complaining to God.” The teacher went on to say, “Lament is the way you worship to God from within pain.” Huston describes the feeling he felt that day as exhaling a breath he had been holding for a very long time. On this week’s episode, he explains why he hopes to help others find that same relief in the concept of lament.

1:51- What is Lament and Why the Interest?
9:26- Structure of Lament
12:47- Murmuring or Complaining Vs. Lament
15:17- The Necessity of Expressing Pain and Grief
18:25- Men Are That They Might Have Joy
22:12- Post 9/11—A Modern Example of Lament
27:29- The Importance of Allowing Yourself to Lament
31:05- Lament—A Sacred Offering
37:08- A Note on Lament and “Faith Crisis”
39:52- A God For All Seasons
42:06- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“Lament, in a sense, is the most sacred of offerings. …It’s those moments when we are most vulnerable, most exposed, most uncertain, when our legs are the shakiest. We’re taking that and we’re saying, ‘God this is all I have left.’” —Michael Huston

Links & References:

Michael’s book

Elder Maxwell’s talk about murmuring

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Identity, creating understanding, covenants, a worldwide Church, faith crises, change in the Church—these are topics Melissa Inouye, a scholar, addresses in an effort to explain how she has “found the fruits of this life (the life of a Latter-day Saint) to be worthwhile—costly, to be sure, but also rich and nourishing, a source of deep joy.”

To honor the life of Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye we are revisiting this episode from the All In archives. This episode originally aired on July 10, 2019.

1:51- A Latter-day Saint Seven Days a Week
2:56- The Church Influencing Worldview
6:38- Lessons Learned From Being a Missionary
12:14- Belonging and Identity
18:44- Wins and Losses
20:57- Creating Unity in the Church
23:41- Helping Amidst Faith Crises
29:56- An Evolving Church
34:48- Cancer
36:47- What Does It Mean to Be All In The Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“I believe that Christ is here in the Church and I've felt the power of God. And so, having had those experiences, I am absolutely committed to being where I am.” —Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye

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