The LDS Mission Podcast

Latest Episodes:

278. What You Focus On Grows Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

LDS Missionary: Have you ever noticed that once your brain decides something is true, it suddenly seems to find evidence for it everywhere? Maybe you've decided your companion is annoying, you're not a good teacher, or your area is terrible, and before long, that's almost all you can see.

In this episode, I'm talking about the idea that what you focus on grows. We'll look at how your brain naturally filters information, how confirmation bias can keep strengthening what you already believe, and why being intentional about where you place your attention can change the way you experience your mission, your relationships, and even yourself. This isn't about pretending hard things aren't hard or forcing yourself to be positive. It's about noticing what you're repeatedly training your brain to find.

I'll also talk about the difference between feeling an emotion and feeding an emotion, why redirecting your focus doesn't mean avoiding your problems, and how being present with whatever is right in front of you can create more peace, connection, joy, and meaning. My hope is that you start noticing where your attention is going and remember that you get to be intentional about what you want to grow.

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.

00:00 – Introduction

02:24 – Your Brain Is Always Looking for Something

03:12 – Your Brain Will Find Evidence for What You Believe

05:30 – Which Wolf Are You Feeding?

06:49 – What Are You Training Your Brain to Look For?

08:44 – Focusing on What Is Good

10:40 – Your Circumstances Don't Have to Change First

12:01 – Redirecting Your Focus

13:47 – Feeling an Emotion vs. Feeding an Emotion

16:40 – Focus Brings You Into the Present

18:32 – There Is No "Right" Way to Focus

21:45 – What Are You Feeding With Your Attention?

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

277. Emotions in Their Proper Place Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Hey LDS missionary: have you ever noticed that when a big emotion shows up, you tend to do one of two things? Maybe you push it down, minimize it, or tell yourself you shouldn't feel that way. Or maybe you swing the other direction and suddenly the emotion feels urgent, scary, or like evidence that something has gone wrong.

In this episode, I'm talking about what it looks like to put emotions in their proper place. We'll explore the difference between underpaying and overpaying attention to what you feel, why emotions can be useful information without always being perfectly accurate, and how a little calm curiosity can help you understand what's actually going on instead of immediately trying to fix, suppress, or obey the feeling.

I'll also walk you through five ways to work with emotion: normalize it, get curious, stop resisting yourself, remove the morality, and listen to what the emotion is trying to tell you. My hope is that you learn to let your emotions have a voice without giving them the final decision. You don't have to leave them on the side of the road, stuff them in the trunk, or let them drive. You can give them a seat in the car and still stay in the driver's seat.

00:00 – Introduction

02:38 – What Does It Mean to Put Emotions in Their Proper Place?

04:36 – When We Underpay Attention to Emotion

07:24 – When We Overpay Attention to Emotion

10:13 – Calm Curiosity Instead of Urgency

11:49 – Emotions Are Information

15:51 – Five Ways to Put Emotion in Its Proper Place

19:06 – Stop Resisting Yourself

21:02 – Your Feelings Are Not a Measure of Your Worth

23:20 – Give the Emotion a Voice, Not the Final Decision

27:03 – How This Builds Self-Trust and Resilience

30:20 – Give Emotions a Seat, But Keep Driving

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

276. Transfer Expectations Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

As an LDS missionary, ave you ever had a picture in your head of how a transfer on your mission was supposed to go, only to have the actual experience look completely different? Maybe you expected a certain companion, a baptism, more confidence, better language skills, or a strong finish to your mission. And when reality doesn't match the version you imagined, it can be easy to feel disappointed, stressed, or like something has gone wrong.

In this episode, I'm talking about transfer expectations and the difference between having a hope or preference and turning that preference into a requirement for you to feel okay. We'll look at the expectations we put on our companions, mission leaders, areas, outcomes, and even ourselves, and how those expectations can quietly become a measuring stick we use against the mission we're actually having.

I also want to help you hold your expectations a little more loosely. You can want something without needing it to happen. You can accept the reality of your transfer without pretending you love everything about it. And you don't have to wait for the baptism, the next transfer, or the end of your mission to finally feel successful, satisfied, or at peace. Those feelings are available to you now. My hope is that you can spend a little less time comparing your mission to the one you imagined and a little more time actually living the one you have.

00:00 – Introduction

03:56 – The Transfer You Expected vs. the Transfer You're Having

05:31 – Is Reality Disappointing, or Is the Expectation?

06:50 – When Expectations Become a Measuring Stick

09:07 – Preference vs. Requirement

10:27 – The Unwritten Scripts We Give Other People

11:57 – Expectations You Put on Yourself

13:41 – Hold the Expectation Loosely

16:12 – Acceptance Doesn't Mean You Have to Like It

18:17 – The Feeling You Want Is Available Now

19:58 – It's Okay to Feel Trunky

21:05 – Live the Transfer You're Actually Having

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

275. An RM's Guide to Tough Relationships Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

To all the LDS returned missionaries out there: have any of you come home from your mission and realized that some of your old relationships just don't fit quite the same anymore? You've changed. You've had new experiences, learned new ways of thinking, and maybe become more confident speaking up or trusting yourself. But the people you're coming home to may still expect you to step right back into the role you played before your mission.

In this episode, I'm talking about how to navigate tough relationships as a returned missionary without feeling like you have to fix everyone around you. We'll talk about staying in your own lane, checking the "fuel" behind your actions, knowing when to speak up and when silence might actually be the more powerful choice, and remembering that even when you come from love and compassion, you still don't get to control someone else's outcome.

I also want to help you think differently about boundaries, forgiveness, and trusting yourself after your mission. Loving someone doesn't require you to participate in every difficult dynamic. You can love people, forgive people, create space when you need it, and make choices that honor everyone in the story, including you. My hope is that you leave this episode feeling more confident in your ability to stand your sacred ground without shrinking, puffing up, or trying to control the people you love.

00:00 – Introduction

01:37 – Why Relationships Can Feel Different After Your Mission

03:48 – You Changed, But Your Old Family Dynamics May Not Have

06:23 – Stay in Your Lane: There Are Two People in Every Relationship

09:14 – You Don't Get to Control Someone Else's Outcome

10:52 – Check the Fuel Behind Speaking Up

14:56 – When Not Saying Anything Can Be Powerful

18:02 – Boundaries, Forgiveness, and Knowing When to Step Away

23:09 – Boundaries Are About How You Want to Show Up

23:58 – Trust Yourself in Tough Relationships

25:15 – Don't Shrink, Don't Puff Up, Stand Your Sacred Ground

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

274. Thoughts About the Grind Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever wondered whether the small, repetitive things you're doing actually matter? Maybe missionary work, school, dating, motherhood, personal growth, or simply showing up for your life has started to feel like a grind. You may not feel motivated, inspired, or especially confident, but you keep putting one foot in front of the other.

In this episode, I'm sharing some tender, off-the-cuff thoughts about consistency, missionary discouragement, and the impact of continuing to show up. We'll explore why consistency doesn't have to look the same for everyone, why going through the motions can sometimes be enough, and why the "ugh" part of doing hard things doesn't mean that something has gone wrong.

I want to remind you that your small efforts matter, even when you can't immediately see the results. Every lesson, conversation, workout, social event, late-night feeding, podcast episode, or seemingly insignificant act becomes another grain of sand. Over time, those grains build your character, your relationships, and your life's work. My hope is that you feel seen in whatever grind you're currently experiencing and find the strength to keep going.

00:00 – Introduction

00:56 – Speaking from the Heart

02:19 – Restore Connect and a Podcast Request

05:10 – Consistency Can Look Different for Everyone

06:54 – Why Your Small Efforts Matter

09:21 – When Life Feels Like Groundhog Day

11:37 – Building Character and a Body of Work

12:52 – The "Ugh" Part Doesn't Go Away

14:52 – Sometimes You Have to Grind It Out

17:12 – The Grind Matters, Even When It Doesn't Feel Like It

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

Don't forget to grab your tickets to Restore Connect 2026 put on by Faith Matters. You can use my code: JENNIE to get 10% off your ticket. https://www.faithmatters.org/p/announcing-the-restoreconnect-agenda

273. Set Apart and Still You Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever wondered if becoming a more consecrated missionary means becoming less of yourself? Maybe you've started to feel like the things you love, the interests you had before your mission, or even parts of your personality need to disappear in order for you to truly be "set apart."

In this episode, I want to explore the difference between laying aside worldly things and laying aside yourself. We'll talk about why your personality, creativity, interests, desires, and the things that light you up aren't necessarily distractions from missionary work. In fact, they may be part of what God gave you to help you connect, contribute, and bring your whole self to the work.

I'll also walk you through some questions to help you notice what fuels you, what you may have unnecessarily labeled as "worldly," and how you can bring the essence of what you love into your mission within the mission framework. My hope is that you leave knowing that being set apart doesn't require you to become a generic version of a missionary. You can be consecrated and still be fully you.

00:00 – Introduction

01:53 – Feeling Like You're Disappearing on Your Mission

03:42 – What Are Missionaries Actually Asked to Set Aside?

05:24 – Consecration Does Not Mean Eliminating Yourself

09:30 – What Lights You Up Is Not a Measure of Spirituality

13:29 – Discovering What Lights Your Match

16:38 – Missionary Work Requires Emotional Fuel

19:15 – Bringing Your Interests into the Mission Framework

24:32 – You Are Responsible for Creating Your Spark

27:21 – Questions to Help You Stay Set Apart and Still You

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

272. Contention vs. Conversation Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

In Episode 272: Contention vs. Conversation, I explore a question that has come up repeatedly in my coaching sessions with missionaries: Does avoiding difficult conversations really create peace? Many missionaries have been taught that contention is not of Christ, but sometimes that belief leads them to stay silent, hide their thoughts, or avoid necessary conversations altogether. In this episode, we look more closely at what the scriptures actually teach about contention and why disagreement isn't the same thing as being contentious.

Together, we'll explore the difference between cowering, controlling, and collaborating—three very different ways of approaching conflict and communication. I explain why shrinking yourself isn't the same as meekness, why trying to force someone to agree with you isn't Christlike leadership, and how healthy conversations can preserve both honesty and agency. We'll also look at Doctrine and Covenants 121, discuss the emotions that fuel our conversations, and walk through practical questions you can ask yourself before deciding whether a difficult conversation is necessary.

If you've ever worried that speaking up might create contention, or if you've struggled to know when to have a conversation and when to simply let something go, I hope Episode 272: Contention vs. Conversation gives you greater clarity and confidence. My hope is that you'll discover that true peace isn't created by avoiding hard conversations—it's created by approaching them with humility, love, and a willingness to collaborate rather than control.

00:00 – Introduction

00:55 – Why Missionaries Avoid Hard Conversations

04:28 – Is Disagreement the Same as Contention?

07:35 – Hiding Yourself Isn't the Same as Keeping the Peace

10:30 – Conversation Is Not Contention

12:11 – The Continuum: Cower, Collaborate, or Control

14:56 – Why Control Creates Contention

17:59 – What Healthy Collaboration Looks Like

21:27 – Questions to Ask Before Having a Hard Conversation

24:53 – Peace Isn't the Absence of Disagreement

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

271. The Outcomes Formula Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

In Episode 271: The Outcomes Formula, I introduce a new coaching framework that represents a shift in the way I help missionaries and clients understand their thoughts, emotions, and actions. If you've listened to earlier episodes where I taught The Model, don't worry—I'm not throwing it out. Instead, I've simplified and refined the process into something I believe is more compassionate, more flexible, and easier to apply in everyday life. My hope is that this new approach helps you spend less time judging yourself and more time understanding what's really happening in your mind.

Throughout this episode, I walk through each step of what I call The Outcomes Formula: Observation, Assessment, Feeling, Action, and Outcome. We explore how your brain naturally takes in information, assigns meaning to it, creates emotions, fuels your actions, and ultimately produces the outcomes you experience. Rather than focusing on whether your observations are perfectly factual, I explain why it's often more helpful to become curious about the meaning your brain is assigning to those experiences and how that meaning shapes the rest of the formula.

If you've ever wondered why you keep getting stuck in the same emotional patterns, why anxiety or discouragement seem to repeat themselves, or how to interrupt those cycles with greater compassion and awareness, I hope Episode 271: The Outcomes Formula gives you a practical tool you can return to again and again. My hope is that this framework helps you better understand yourself, strengthen your emotional resilience, and recognize that lasting change begins with becoming aware of the stories your brain is telling you—not by trying to become someone different.

00:00 – Introduction

00:54 – Why I'm Teaching a New Coaching Framework

03:30 – Introducing the Outcomes Formula

05:14 – Step 1: Observation (What You're Noticing)

08:11 – Step 2: Assessment (The Meaning Your Brain Creates)

10:57 – Steps 3 & 4: Feelings Fuel Your Actions

16:28 – Step 5: Outcomes and the Feedback Loop

19:49 – Why I Moved Beyond "The Model"

26:07 – Using the Outcomes Formula with Compassion Instead of Shame

29:34 – The Power of Changing Your Assessment

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

270. How To Lead Without Taking Over Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever wondered if you're leading well—or if you're accidentally taking over? In Episode 270: How to Lead Without Taking Over, I answer a thoughtful question from a sister missionary who worried she might be controlling as a senior companion. Her vulnerability opened the door to a conversation I think every leader needs to hear. Whether you're a trainer, district leader, mission leader, parent, teacher, or simply someone with stewardship over another person, learning to lead with humility while preserving agency is one of the most important skills you can develop.

In this episode, we explore the difference between stewardship and superiority, why good leaders reflect instead of assuming they have all the answers, and how to create as much agency and influence as possible while still carrying the responsibility you've been given. I also introduce my LEAD Framework—Listen, Explain, Acknowledge, and Decide—to help you navigate disagreements with kindness, clarity, and confidence without sacrificing either leadership or relationships. Along the way, I share practical examples from missionary companionships that apply just as well to families, church callings, workplaces, and everyday life.

If you've ever questioned your leadership, worried about making the right decision, or wondered how to balance responsibility with respect for another person's agency, I hope Episode 270: How to Lead Without Taking Over gives you greater confidence and peace. My hope is that you'll discover that true leadership isn't about having more power—it's about carrying greater responsibility with humility, compassion, and Christlike love.

00:00 – Introduction

00:55 – A Missionary's Question About Leadership

04:34 – A Companion Episode to "When You Don't Feel Heard"

07:28 – If You're Asking This Question, You're Probably a Good Leader

09:15 – Leadership Should Make You Feel More Responsible, Not More Important

12:31 – Stewardship vs. Superiority

15:09 – Preserving Agency While Carrying Stewardship

20:08 – Low Stakes, Medium Stakes, and High Stakes Decisions

22:31 – The LEAD Framework: Listen, Explain, Acknowledge, Decide

25:46 – Control vs. Christlike Leadership

30:15 – Leadership Is More Responsibility, Not More Power

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

269. More On People Pleasing Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Episode 269: More on People Pleasing takes a fresh look at a topic I've taught before, but with new insights that have come from years of coaching preparing missionaries, currently serving missionaries, returned missionaries, parents, and mission leaders. People pleasing isn't simply about trying to make other people happy. More often, it's an attempt to manage how we feel about ourselves by seeking reassurance, validation, or approval from others. In this episode, I explore why people pleasing "works," why it's so tempting, and why it ultimately leaves us feeling emotionally exhausted.

We talk about the difference between genuine kindness and people pleasing, why the same outward action can come from two completely different motivations, and how to recognize when you've attached invisible strings to your service, relationships, or acts of generosity. I also share practical examples from missionary life, dating, family relationships, and everyday experiences to help you identify what belongs in your lane, what belongs in someone else's, and how to give freely without depending on another person's response to determine your worth.

If you've ever found yourself overthinking someone else's reaction, feeling resentful after serving, or wondering why your efforts didn't bring the response you hoped for, I hope Episode 269: More on People Pleasing helps you recognize the subtle ways people pleasing can show up in your life. My hope is that you'll learn to serve from love instead of obligation, trust your own worth without needing someone else's approval, and experience the freedom that comes from giving with no strings attached.

00:00 – Introduction

00:55 – Why People Pleasing Still Matters

04:35 – Why People Pleasing "Works"

07:37 – Kindness vs. People Pleasing

10:09 – The Hidden Strings We Attach

15:11 – Stay in Your Lane

19:07 – What Are You Trying to Believe?

24:59 – Try a "No People Pleasing" Diet

27:23 – Give Yourself What You're Seeking

29:46 – The Freedom of Giving with No Strings Attached

33:14 – Outro

Website | Instagram | Facebook