Leading Saints Podcast

Russell T. Osguthorpe has served as Sunday School General President, Area Seventy, and with his wife Lolly as mission leaders and temple president and matron. They are currently serving as virtual BYU-Pathway missionaries for students in the Caribbean. He holds a Ph.D. in instructional psychology and has served as a professor and administrator at Brigham Young University. He speaks several languages and enjoys swimming, hiking, and biking. He and his wife are the parents of five children and live in Provo, Utah. Highlights 01:30 Brother Osguthorpe relates his experience of how he got called to be Sunday School General President. 07:00 His calling is equal parts revelation and using his professional background of education and teaching. The Lord prepares us with gifts to help us in our callings. 10:30 Brother Osguthorpe’s professional background 12:30 Brother Osguthorpe explains how he balanced using his professional background and using revelation from God when making decisions about Come Follow Me. 15:3

Lisa Valentine Clark is a writer, actress, and the host of The Lisa Show on BYUradio. She is a founding member of the theater-as-improv comedy troupe, The Thrillionaries; a writer, producer, and actress on the film Once I Was a Beehive; a host for 3 seasons on the TV show Random Acts; and a star in the BYUtv production Show Offs. She is the mother of five and author of Real Moms: Making It Up As We Go. Lisa is currently serving as the Young Women president in her ward. Highlights 01:30 Introduction to Lisa and her background 06:00 The difference between the old and new young women’s program. The new program is more young women led. 09:15 Principle one: Belief in the purpose Know your why Talk about your purpose with your presidency Be open with the young women and ask them why they are there 16:40 Principle two: Focus on the individual Take care of each girl one by one Everyone has different needs and needs you to show up in different ways for them. It’s not a one size fits all. 21:00 Principle three:

Dr. Mark McConville is a Clinical Psychologist licensed by the State of Ohio with over 30 years of professional experience in adult, adolescent, emerging adult, and family psychology. Mark serves as a senior faculty member of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland (GIC), a world renowned post-graduate training source for consulting and counseling professionals, and currently chairs GIC’s Advanced Training Program for Working With Children and Adolescents. Mark is the author of Failure to Launch: Why Your Twentysomething Hasn't Grown Up...and What to Do About It, a guide for parents of the 2.2 million young adults in America who are struggling to find their way in the world. Highlights 02:30 Introduction to Mark and his background 09:15 The demands on youth today as they enter into adulthood are much greater. Parents and grandparents shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that it's as easy as going out and getting a job. 11:20 Kurt and Mark discuss young missionaries and if it’s a good idea to send them on m

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in February 2020. Diljeet Taylor is the Brigham Young University Head Women's Cross Country Coach and Associate Director of Track & Field, and has been with BYU since 2016. She ran for Cal State Stanislaus and for the Nike Farm Olympic Development Team, then coached at Menlo College and later replaced her own coach at Cal State Stanislaus. A three-time All-American herself, she has coached 43 All-Americans and led the BYU Women's Cross Country team to first and second place NCAA titles the past three years. In 2021 she coached Whittni Orton (XC individual), the DMR team, Courtney Wayment (3000m), and Anna Camp-Bennett (1500m) to national titles. Diljeet and her husband Ira have two children, Taj and Avi. Highlights 04:35 Running and coaching history and how she ended up at BYU 06:30 Embraced the standards because it is similar to how she was raised, even though she is not a member of the Church 07:40 Coaching cross country involves both the physical and espe

Register for FREE to watch the Young Saints Virtual Conference Dan Duckworth is a disciple, family man, and changemaker. As a teacher and coach, he guides elite leaders to the top of their game. He’s the author of Stop Asking Why: Your Purpose is Self-Evident, and president of the Leading Saints Board of Directors. This podcast is the second of a 2-part presentation for the Young Saints Virtual Conference. Listen to PART 1: Why Testimony is Not the Only Goal for Latter-day Youth—Part 1 Highlights 00:40 In general, our goal for the youth is to develop disciples of Jesus Christ. We want people who show up for Christ and contribute to the kingdom. We are looking for leaders and contributors that can be productive and effective leaders, missionaries, parents, and spouses. 04:20 Kurt and Dan talk about character building and why it’s important to leadership. Youth development could also be considered character development. 06:25 Youth development isn’t about knowledge or skills. Character is the most importa

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Register for FREE to watch the Young Saints Virtual Conference Dan Duckworth is a disciple, family man, and changemaker. As a teacher and coach, he guides elite leaders to the top of their game. He’s the author of Stop Asking Why: Your Purpose is Self-Evident, and president of the Leading Saints Board of Directors. This podcast is the first of a 2-part presentation for the Young Saints Virtual Conference. Highlights 6:10 What’s the difference between being a youth worker vs a youth mentor? Mentorship is a state. You are only a leader if someone is following. Leadership and mentorship are synonymous. 9:45 Too often in youth programs there is a lot of teen check out and adult burnout. The overall goals are not being accomplished despite all the hard work that is getting put into it. Dan’s goal in this session is to help leaders be effective mentors and not just youth workers. 13:30 One thing that is fundamental to youth development is letting go of control and letting the natural processes take plac

Register for free at: https://leadingsaints.org/youth

Register for free at: https://leadingsaints.org/youth

Register for free at: https://leadingsaints.org/youth

Register for FREE to watch the Young Saints Virtual Conference Smith Alley is an 18-year-old high school senior who struggled with the harmful effects of pornography and social media for five years. Deciding to change the course of his life at 14, he went through an addiction recovery program and fell in love with helping other people. He now speaks to groups on how to establish internal filters and use technology in a balanced and intentional way to avoid negative mental health effects and achieve their goals. Smith has started a nonprofit organization called Live Life Bigger Foundation. His mission is to help kids live life bigger and rise up to their true potential. At age 16, he also started a company for parents called ProtechtStrong that helps families set up parental restrictions on devices and create healthy social media habits. Highlights 3:30 Story about papercuts to the heart. 5:25 Smith’s story being exposed to pornography at a very young age, dealing with social media, and with depression. 8:00 S

Kessa Merrill is a young single adult member originally from Gilbert, Arizona, and is currently serving as stake Relief Society first counselor. Professionally she is an esthetician, studied public relations at Arizona State University, and is currently pursuing both of those passions as she works as the Operations Manager for the SkinBoss SkinSpa in Provo, Utah. During her time in Arizona she served as both the Latter-day Saint Student Association president and Interfaith Student Council president, and prior to that she served as her YSA ward Relief Society president. She has also served in several presidencies as secretary and held many music callings. In her free time she likes to cook dinners with friends, sing karaoke, and redecorate her home. Highlights 5:30 Kessa shares her experience working on the institute council and interfaith council at Arizona State University. 8:30 Getting called as a Relief Society president at 21 years old in her YSA ward 10:00 The most difficult thing about being Relief Soci

Chris Raleigh grew up in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, and served in the Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Mission. He has a bachelor’s degree in business, a master’s degree in education, and has taught for 28 years in both public and private school settings—including 23 years as a seminary and institute instructor. His Church assignments have included callings in the elders quorum, Sunday School, high council, bishopric, and as a bishop and stake president. In his current assignment he serves with his wife, Peggy, on the Church’s Corrections Committee ministering to both Church leaders and inmates in six county jails and the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison, Utah. Chris and Peggy have nine children and 14 grandchildren. In this podcast, Chris candidly shares a decades-long struggle. His desire is to lend hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ to the many men and women who feel trapped within the grasp of the illness called addiction. Trying to reverse four generations of addiction within his family h

Randy Lonsdale and his wife Linda (Mendenhall) are Canadians living near Calgary, Alberta. They are thrilled to have six wonderful children and nine practically-perfect grandchildren. Randy is an in-house attorney handling engineering and construction contracts for a supermajor energy company. Randy's law career has taken his family to Vancouver (Canada), twice to South Korea, and to the island of Saipan (CNMI), and he still speaks Korean first learned during his mission to Seoul, Korea. He has served as bishop as well as a counselor in a stake presidency and a military district presidency. For the past 5 years he has served as a stake president. Highlights 3:00 Introduction and Randy’s background 5:00 Story of how Randy was called to be a Stake President and Stake demographics 11:45 The most important things that Randy has learned in his leadership Showing people love is always number one Teach people how to build a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ through teaching and by example 13:30 In Randy’s

Elaine Dalton was born and raised in Ogden, Utah, and received her bachelor's degree in English from Brigham Young University. She served alongside her husband, Stephen, in a singles ward bishopric and in stake callings, then at the general level of the Church for ten years on the Young Women general board and as the first and second counselor of the Young Women general presidency. She was called as Young Women general president from 2008 to 2013. Elaine and Stephen are the parents of five sons and one daughter and the grandparents of 16 grandchildren. Highlights 4:00 Elaine introduces herself and tells about her background. 10:00 Getting called into the general Young Women presidency 14:00 Elaine’s experience calling counselors. 17:00 Advice for Young Women’s Presidents and how they can help the young women the most. Help them know their worth and true identity The power of prayer 22:00 Elaine shares special experiences that she has had serving. 28:40 From all her travels Elaine has learned that th

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in June 2019. Dr. Robert Ferrell has served as an elders quorum president, high councilor, YSA bishop, and YSA stake president, and has presented at firesides and conferences—including BYU Education Week—about connecting with young single adults. He grew up in the Bay Area of California but lives in Mountain Green, Utah, and worked as a periodontist in the Ogden area prior to leaving to serve as a mission president in the Peru Lima Central Mission. He has a bachelor's degree in family sciences and a doctoral degree in dental surgery, and he and his wife Lori are the parents of eight children. Highlights 7:30 His call as a YSA stake president came while serving as a bishop, forming a new YSA stake 11:00 He saw a need for a greater understanding of young adults today, and decided to present at BYU Education Week as an advocate for young adults 13:10 Stigmas of the Millennial generation in and outside of the Church 14:20 The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not lo

Brandon Comstock has been teaching seminary for the past fourteen years in Southern Utah, and has also taught religion courses online for BYU-Idaho and Pathways International for five years. He has a bachelors degree in Business Management from BYU-Idaho, a masters in Instructional Technology from Utah State, and a doctorate in Educational Technology from Boise State, where his research focused on using smartphones in religious classrooms. Brandon has previously served as a Sunbeam teacher, four times as a Gospel Doctrine teacher, and as Sunday School president and Young Mens president. He current serves as elders quorum president and on the Gospel Library Awareness and User Education Committee. Brandon and his wife Carly live with their five children in St. George, Utah. Highlights 05:30 Is using a cell phone to study the scriptures too distracting? 10:15 Scientific research regarding cell phones and how they affect our relationships and study. 12:20 Putting away devices at church or banning devices is

Darren Bush is a husband, father, and paddler who advocates outdoor activities to feel the Spirit. Darren served a mission to southern Italy, met his wife, Stephanie, at Brigham Young University, and completed degrees in Italian and Psychology at University of Wisconsin–Madison after discovering it was the best place in the world. After completing a master's degree at the University of Rochester the family moved back to Wisconsin where he eventually bought Rutabaga Paddlesports. He has previously served as a Primary teacher and nursery leader, elders quorum and Young Men president, ward missionary, high councilor, in a young single adult bishopric, and as an executive secretary and financial clerk. He currently serves as Bishop Darren and loves every individual he meets. Highlights 3:15 Darren’s story of how he was called to be a bishop. He doesn’t feel like the typical bishop. 5:55 Darren’s ward dynamic having both an English and Spanish ward combined. 15:15 Principle One - Ignore everything administrative

Kirk Weisler is a leadership coach and trainer focused on team building and culture training. He is currently Chief Morale Officer for companies and organizations around the globe, offering coaching, keynote addresses, and workshops. A past leader of the National Speakers Association, Kirk is a master team builder and a professional storyteller, and has been a part of seven start-ups. He previously served in the 19th Special Forces and as a US Army Ranger. Kirk and his wife have been married over 30 years, have six children, and reside in Gilbert, Arizona. Highlights 3:30 Thoughts on becoming a bishop. 7:20 Implementing a positive culture in your ward. 14:00 Examples of implementing positive culture. Give people a story to tell. 24:30 How do you actually apply this principle of implementing positive culture? What are the actionable steps? 30:00 Example of creating moments and positive culture. 32:00 Unite your presidencies. It’s not enough just to go and do your calling but it’s about creating unity be

Nick Greer has been interested in all kinds of business and helping others his entire life. After serving a mission in Romania, Nick finished a degree in Finance at Brigham Young University and later shared his business-building passion as an adjunct professor. He has started multiple businesses, including Skipio–a customer-messaging platform—and Built Bar—low-calorie, high-protein bars that taste like candy. Nick and his wife, Deborah, also created the Five12 Foundation that provides a weekend meal backpack that feeds thousands of children in his community every week. Over 50,000 bags of food will be provided to kids this school year. Nick and Deborah have seven children, who Nick loves to travel and spend time with. He is currently serving as a bishop. Highlights 4:45 Nick’s principle of "Me too doesn’t work". You can’t do the work the same way that it has always been done. 12:30 We are scared to do things differently. If you are comfortable, maybe you need to get a little uncomfortable. If you are safe t