Jenny Oaks Baker began playing the violin before elementary school and she has not stopped since. Her violin has taken her all around the world and given her opportunities she’d never dreamed of. But there have also been opportunities she has sought that have never come to fruition and other opportunities she didn’t even know to seek that have made her life much richer than it would have been otherwise. On this week’s episode, Jenny shares her witness that sometimes the Lord’s plans are much better than the plans we have for ourselves.

2:59- The Role of Parents
10:10- Music Education
11:41- Trusting the Lord
16:40- Choices as a Young Mom
27:36- Hard Work and Dreams
30:30- Performances Behind the Scenes
37:32- Identity and Talents
41:55- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

"It's hard to not know the future. I still want what I want and want to know what's going to happen. But the Lord provides"

Links:

Jenny’s Christmas Tour Dates and Ticket Information: https://www.jennyoaksbaker.com/upcoming-events

Jenny’s album, “The Redeemer”: https://www.deseretbook.com/product/P6002668.html

When she was just 7 years old, Ore Kaffo was abducted from her foster family—the only family she had ever known—by her birth mother. After living her entire life in England, a place that had always been happy for her, she found herself back in her home country of Nigeria. Her entire world was changed, and along with that, she struggled to make sense of her identity. As she wrestled to understand her new existence, she came to realize that she is, first and foremost, a child of God. On this week’s episode, Ore shares her remarkable story and her undeniable light.

2:17- White Nanny, Black Child
15:01- Lessons From Foster Father
18:15- Learning From Missionaries and Becoming One
29:00- Reunited
33:07- No Heroes and No Villains
40:50- Identity as Children of God
44:47- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“It doesn’t matter if somebody is from Zibwabwe or Tokyo or Pakistan or from America, if we all identify as children of God then we are one people.”

Links:
Ore’s website: https://ore-lou.com/

For UK listeners, here’s a link to “White Nanny Black Child,” the documentary that tells Ore’s story on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81789241?s=i&trkid=258593161&vlang=en

“White Nanny Black Child” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDiilPLxs6k&pp=ygUXd2hpdGUgY2hpbGQgYmxhY2sgbmFubnk%3D

Ore on Good Morning Britain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpZWDzdGoNA&pp=ygUXd2hpdGUgY2hpbGQgYmxhY2sgbmFubnk%3D

Olympic silver medalist Kenneth Rooks shocked the world when he worked his way from the back of the pack to become the second American to medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase since 1984. But those who recognized Rooks’ name know that this isn’t the first time he’s come from behind. In fact, in 2023, Rooks fell in his third lap at the USA Track and Field Nationals but came back to win the race. Both races were a spectacle—incredible athletic feats—and, on today’s episode, we talk with Rooks about what he’s learned from them.

2:13- If Ye Are Prepared
7:10- Gospel Allegories in the Race
13:22- Self-Improvement Vs. Comparison
18:36- The Patience To Stick To The Game Plan
25:25- Being Coached By Ed Eyestone
32:03- Faith and Running
37:02- Pre-game Ritual
40:50- A Large Latter-day Saint Contingent
43:26- Discipline and Consistency
47:19- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“All In doesn’t mean that you’re not going to forget sometimes. You might forget what matters most. Being all in is being able to recognize when you forget and trying to remember. …Those who are all in try to remember quickly.”

Links:

2023 USATF Nationals Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT1ody_cpCA&t=190s

2024 Paris Olympic Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNgzHlE3Hko

Church News article about Kenneth:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/book-of-mormon-kenneth-rooks-byu-steeplechase-olympic-silver-medal

Other links:
https://www.deseret.com/sports/2024/08/07/kenneth-rooks-latter-day-saint-silver-medalist/
https://www.deseret.com/sports/2024/08/07/byu-cougars-runner-kenneth-rooks-wins-silver-medal-in-olympics/

Ryan Shupe: Big Dreams and Little Decisions

Ryan Shupe is best-known as the singer of a hit song called “Dream Big” but on today’s episode, Ryan shares with us his take on small decisions and how those small decisions can have big, lasting impacts. Ryan shares that these decisions are often the result of trusting in personal revelation and acting on that inspiration. So, while Ryan’s life has certainly been impacted by a single song, he recognizes that it has been many decisions along the way that have made all the difference.

1:54- The Father of Ryan and Bluegrass in Utah
5:15- 5 A.M. Fiddle Practice
10:16- Changed By a Mission
14:19- The Kind of Hit Dreams Are Made Of
21:15- Decisions for Life
31:53- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“The only thing you can’t buy is time and so you can only spend so much time in your life on any one thing so whenever you’re doing something, you’re just taking time away from something else, right? So it’s just this balancing act of how far do you push something because you know if you keep pushing maybe you could get that but it would be at the expense of something else.”

Links:

Deseret News articles referenced:
https://www.deseret.com/2006/11/24/19987240/the-unique-sounds-of-ryan-shupe/
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/7/4/22554176/all-eyes-on-wallsburg-utah-as-the-father-of-bluegrass-music-readies-for-a-festival-of-a-lifetime/

Dream Big Music Video- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3KwEuNapzt0&pp=ygUJRHJlYW0gYmln

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Join us for Magnify's Lift Up Your Heart coming this fall! Registration is open for Idaho Falls, St. George, and Salt Lake City by heading to magnifythegood.com/events. Remember to use code PODCAST10 at checkout (not as the access code). This discount excludes the already discounted group pricing.

Clay Sheffield’s life is a miracle. Perhaps because of the faith of his three older siblings, the nearly 2-year-old little boy with a million dollar smile is still alive more than a year longer than doctors ever expected. Still, Clay’s life doesn’t look quite the way his family anticipated or hoped. Instead, the Sheffields are learning that sometimes the miracle is in the gift of ordinary days and in knowing that where covenants are made and kept, stories always end in happily ever after.

1:58- Clay’s Emergency Delivery
8:49- Then To Now
16:09- Redefining the Miracle
19:29- The Power of “And”
22:20- The Faith of Children
29:14- Choose This Day
31:29- Covenants
33:18- Making Intentional Memories
39:45- Ordinary Days
44:43- Being Pruned
47:54- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“I already know the ending of this story and this story is pretty great. We have made covenants that whatever happens this story ends up that we’re going to be together so we’re just going to live.”

As a former Young Single Adult ward bishop and institute teacher, Tyler Johnson has worked with many young adults who have questions and concerns regarding their faith and/or their belief in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has observed that many of these concerns stem not from rebellious desires but rather from a place of integrity and that often where there is a question, there is often an underlying emotion. On today’s episode, Tyler shares his insights into how to approach seasons of life “when church is hard” and how to help others in those seasons.

1:24- The Questions at the Base of the Iceberg
6:19- A Generation Seeking to Have High Integrity
12:52- Addressing Emotion Before Cognitive Gaps
18:40- Doubt: Good or Bad?
25:23- Wagering Everything on a Belief that the Gospel is True
33:43- People Not Statistics
41:50- Mary Magdalene
50:41- Certainty is Not the Point
57:42- What Does It Mean to Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

“To some degree, we have to choose to commit and then make the thing to which we commit beautiful and true by virtue of the way that we are committed to it.”

Links:
“When Church is Hard”- https://www.deseretbook.com/product/6020541.html

President Ballard talk mentioned: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org › ...By Study and by Faith - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

On September 9th, President Russell M. Nelson will turn 100 years old, becoming the first prophet of this dispensation to become a centenarian. In celebration of this remarkable milestone, on this week's episode, we visited with President Nelson's two youngest children who offer a rare and intimate look into the life, legacy, and personal moments of a leader who continues to shape the Church in our day.

“It’s been beautiful to see…he’s himself but just more.”

3:20- A Church Led Like a Home
5:36- A Change in Job Location
9:54- Consistency
15:24- Respect for Women
18:53- Making the Mundane Special and Understanding the Why
23:31- Invitations
27:46- Approaching Grief
33:09- Good at Following Instructions
37:41- Maximizing the Time Given
40:47- A Dynamic and Multifaceted Man
52:07- What’s In a Name?
59:23- What Does It Mean to Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

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Join us for Magnify's Lift Up Your Heart coming this fall! First event is on September 24th in Plano, TX. Registration is open now by heading to magnifythegood.com/events. Remember to use code PODCAST10 at checkout (not as the access code). This discount excludes the already discounted group pricing.

Lance Funk was just 51-years-old when he was diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Over the past few years, his wife, Sharley, has watched as her once strong, vivacious husband has all but disappeared from before her eyes and yet, for now, he is still with her physically and she is determined to cherish the time they have left together. On this week’s episode, Sharley explains why she has tried to be open and honest in documenting her family’s experience with Alzheimer’s.

2:03- Signs and the Release of a Diagnosis
8:05- Falling in Love with Lance
11:29- Open and Honest
14:13- Receiving Service
17:11- Disappearing
20:26- Still There
22:45- The Honor of Caregiving
26:00- Going to Work
29:30- Anxiety and the Darkest Parts of Alzheimers
32:19- Anticipatory Grief and Fatigue
37:28- Preparing to Let Go
42:24- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

"I’m going to take this time...and just enjoy this and just lay my head on his shoulder and just remember what it feels like to sit next to him and to hear him breathe."

Links:

Sharley's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/the_moment_of_funk/