The LDS Mission Podcast

In Episode 233 – Not So Happy Mission Memories, I'm diving into a topic I know so many missionaries and returned missionaries quietly carry: the moments from the mission that didn't feel joyful, spiritual, or "life-changing" in the way we were told they would. In this episode, I talk openly about disappointment, unmet expectations, mission culture, emotional complexity, grief, and the real challenges that come when people—including mission presidents, companions, district leaders, roommates, or members—don't show up the way we hoped they would. I also share more about the new article I wrote for the Church and why this emotional work matters so deeply, especially with the recent age-change for sister missionaries. I walk you through five gentle but powerful themes for healing: finding safe support, grieving unmet expectations, exploring your inner narrative, understanding others through compassion, and offering yourself the same gentleness that the Savior offers you. Together, we'll talk about reframing your mission experience, processing emotions instead of avoiding them, navigating disappointment, creating new meaning, and how faith, agency, and emotional resilience help you move forward with confidence. Healing doesn't mean condoning what happened—it means reclaiming your power, your peace, and your future. Whether you're freshly returned, years post-mission, preparing to leave, or supporting someone who served, this episode will help you feel seen, validated, understood, and reminded that transformation often comes through the messiest parts of our story. You are not behind. You're not broken. And you're never alone as you sort through your not-so-happy mission memories. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends. Website | Instagram | Facebook 5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

Episode 232 — "Intentions and Attitudes." In this episode, I dig into why an attitude of gratitude actually works on your brain and your day-to-day experience. We talk about the lower "caveman brain" (seek pleasure, avoid pain, conserve energy), confirmation bias (what you focus on grows), and how setting intentions ahead of time can shape the attitudes you'll have later—in district meetings, at family gatherings, on the mission, and post-mission. I share simple ways to direct your higher brain to look for connection, faith, abundance, calm, and purpose—especially during Thanksgiving week when emotions and expectations can run high. I also explore how prayer functions as powerful intention setting—expressing gratitude and asking for blessings tells your brain what to pay attention to while inviting divine help. We connect this with Doctrine & Covenants 29: creating things spiritually first (in thought and feeling) so they're more likely to appear physically in your life. Whether you're a preparing missionary, currently serving, a returned missionary, or a missionary mama, you'll get practical tools to train your focus, regulate emotions, and choose thoughts that fuel connection over comparison. You'll leave with doable practices: pre-deciding what you want to notice, choosing language your brain understands ("I want more peace" vs. "I don't want stress"), and building a simple gratitude rhythm that resets perspective fast. If you're ready to experience more calm, clarity, and Christ-centered confidence this season, this conversation on intentions and attitudes will help you create it. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends. Website | Instagram | Facebook Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In Episode #231: About Wasting Time, I dive into one of the most common thoughts I hear from missionaries, returned missionaries, and even missionary moms — the fear that we're somehow "wasting time." Whether it's not being productive enough, not using P-day perfectly, or feeling like we should always be doing more, this mindset creates unnecessary stress, guilt, and disconnection from what really matters. In this episode, I explore where that pressure comes from, why it's so common, and how we can start seeing time through a more peaceful, purposeful lens. I'll share my own story of struggling with "time guilt," how I learned to trust divine timing, and what it means to stop labeling time as wasted or productive. Together, we'll talk about how every season has a purpose, how to recognize your internal clock, and how to align with your own divine rhythm — whether you're serving a mission, transitioning home, or managing the busy pace of post-mission life. If you've ever felt behind, lazy, or like you're not doing enough, this episode will help you breathe easier and reconnect with the truth that you're not behind — you're right on time. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends. Website | Instagram | Facebook Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In this episode, #230 - There's No Place Like Home, I dive into one of my favorite stories of all time — The Wizard of Oz — and explore the lessons it holds for missionaries, returned missionaries, and anyone navigating the twists and turns of personal growth. Drawing on the symbolism of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion, and even Elphaba from Wicked, we'll talk about what it really means to come "home." Spoiler alert: home isn't a place — it's you. If you've ever felt caught in a tornado of emotions, uncertain about your path, or searching for peace after change or transition, this episode will help you find your footing again. I'll share practical tools for pulling yourself out of the whirlwind, learning to observe your thoughts without judgment, and remembering that you already have everything you need — the heart, courage, and wisdom — within you. We'll also talk about the yellow brick road as a metaphor for your journey — how detours, delays, and unexpected turns are all part of your divine path. Whether you're serving a mission, coming home, or figuring out what's next, this episode will help you reconnect with your inner power, create emotional safety within yourself, and rediscover the truth that you are your own safe place. Because truly, there's no place like home. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends. Website | Instagram | Facebook Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In this new episode, 229. When Friendships Change, I'm diving into something we all experience but rarely talk about — the evolving nature of friendships. Whether you're serving a mission, have recently returned home, or are navigating changes in your ward or family relationships, this episode will help you understand why friendships shift and how to move through those transitions with compassion, honesty, and emotional maturity. I'll share real coaching stories from missionaries and RMs who've felt guilt or confusion as their friendships started to look different — and what it means when you're no longer aligned with the same people or interests. We'll talk about how to release that pressure to "keep things the same," why friendships have seasons and cycles, and how letting go of people-pleasing allows for more authentic, Christlike love. If you've ever wondered how to handle a friendship that's changing, or you've felt guilty for growing in a new direction, this episode will help you find peace. You'll learn why honesty with yourself is the kindest path, how to redefine connection without overexplaining or "DTR-ing" every shift, and how to hold gratitude for what was — while making space for what's next. As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends. Website | Instagram | Facebook Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here