Magnify

As Magnify women, through life's many and varied adventures, we hold tight to the Lord's promise in D&C 122:7 "that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." We've learned that one of the ways we reap from this goodness is in how we can turn around and share what we've learned with others and help them along their path. Our lives become a collection of opportunities and testimony of moments that we can pull from later to be of service to each other.  Maria Eckersley, is here to share how three women in scripture show us how the Lord constantly prepares us to be part of His great work, giving us opportunities to care for each other as our Savior would. Even if we can't tell in the moment, we can trust that He has equipped us to step forward in His strength.   Maria is a multi-hyphenate gatherer of goodness from being a devoted fun mom to mega party planning to gospel teaching tips in the home. She is a mom to six amazing kids and grandma to three darling grandsons. Notes:  Hear more from Maria on the Magnify podcast:  5 Questions to Illuminate Women in the Scriptures

Trusting that our loving Heavenly Father made us for a divine purpose helps us realize that our God-given gifts aren't competitive, they're complimentary! When we come together as women, we have the chance to praise each other, reminding one another of our worth and divine potential. When we embrace our unique talents and gifts, it helps us become our best selves and enables us to lift others along our way.  Today's guest, Natalie Hill Jensen, is a former Broadway performer who has learned through many life experiences that her talents and personality are God-given and when she is exactly herself, she's better able to lift others and share God's love. She delights in complimenting other women so they see their strengths and feel amazing.  Links and notes:  Parley P. Pratt quote Natalie shared:  "[The Holy Ghost] quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being."  Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology Patrica Holland quote that inspired this episode:  "Somewhere somehow the Lord blipped the message onto my screen that my personality was created to fit precisely the mission and talents he gave me. For example, the quieter, calmer talent of playing the piano reveals much about the real Pat Holland. I would never have learned to play the piano if I hadn't enjoyed the long hours of solitude required for its development. This same principle applies to my love of writing, reading, meditation, and especially teaching and talking with my children. Miraculously, I have found that I have untold abundant sources of energy to be myself, but the moment that I indulge in imitation of my neighbor, I feel fractured and fatigued and find myself forever swimming upstream. When we frustrate God's plan for us, we deprive this world and God's kingdom of our unique contributions, and a serious schism settles in our soul. God never gave us any task beyond our ability to accomplish it. We just have to be willing to do it in our own way.  We will always have enough resources for being who we are and what we can become." 

Sister Elaine Dalton joined us for this very special episode of the podcast, recorded live at Magnify's Lift Up Your Heart event in Salt Lake City! Sister Dalton shares how we are the women spoken of by President Kimball and later by President Nelson, women who will change the world in distinct and happy ways through our testimonies and covenant conviction to the gospel of Jesus Christ. With warmth and love, she reminds us that we're not meant to sit on the sidelines—we each have a divine mission and part in the Lord's great work.  "The impact that you will have in these latter days is just phenomenal!" —Sister Elaine Dalton Sister Elaine Dalton served as Young Women General President from 2008 through 2013, and since then she has continued her mission of reminding women of their divine identity and unique capacity to lift, strengthen, and change the world around them for good.  Notes:  Join us on Instagram! @magnifycommunity Learn more about Magnify! magnifythegood.com Read more from Sister Dalton: A Return to Virtue

BYU-Pathway helps people around the world get a higher education, develop their talents, and provide opportunities to serve. We had the privilege to learn more about the scope of this incredible program and how we can get involved. As we seek to develop our God-given gifts, and support others to do the same, we increase in our ability to serve and lift those around us as we go about our divine errands.   Today's guest, Melinda Ashton, is the wife to BYU-Pathway President Brian Ashton. They are the parents of seven children and grandparents to a new grand baby. Melinda is a BYU graduate and attended Northwestern Medical School in Chicago. Melinda and Brian give frequent online devotionals to the 85,000 BYU-Pathway students around the world.     Links: Pathway to Hope documentary with Jane Clayson Johnson on BYUtv BYU-Pathway Worldwide Ways to get involved and support BYU-Pathway

We're thrilled to welcome President Camille N. Johnson, Relief Society General President, to the Magnify podcast. From President Johnson's powerful testimony and example of Christlike discipleship we learn ways to let the light of our personal conversion shine above the darkness in the world. President Johnson shares the daily acts of devotion that strengthen her testimony, practices we can emulate to put Christ at the center of our lives. From her unique perspective as the president of a worldwide organization, we learn more about the power we have as covenant-keeping women to individually make a tremendous difference for good as we minister one-by-one.   President Johnson was sustained as the 18th Relief Society General President for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2, 2022. She also served as the Primary General President. She and her husband, Douglas R. Johnson, served as a mission leaders in Arequipa, Peru. They are the parents of three children and eight grandchildren. President Johnson graduated from the University of Utah in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in English followed by a law degree from the University of Utah in 1989. She practiced law for nearly 30 years. Links: Read or watch President Johnson's devotional address: Righteous Stewards—Disciples of Jesus Christ

Rosemary Wixom is with us again! Through her example, personal experiences, and interactions with others, Sister Wixom shows us that when we prioritize our time in the temple, even when time seems like the only thing we don't have enough of in our lives, the blessings are immeasurable. She shares how she learned the truth of this promise from President Nelson: "The Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples." This episode is one that leaves us inspired and feeling emboldened to spend more time in the temple, either as regular temple workers or through more frequent temple worship. Rosemary and her husband served as temple president and matron of the Salt Lake Temple before it closed for renovations. Many of us also recognize her from her time serving as Primary general president. She also served on the Church's Temple and Family History Executive Council. And, fun fact, she has a twin sister! Links: Hear more about the temple from Sister Wixom on the Magnify podcast: Three Spiritual Guideposts for Finding Jesus in the Temple Learn more about temple blessings with these books: The Holy Sealing by Anthony & Cindy Sweat An Endowment of Love by Melinda Brown

Our willing hearts are enough for the Lord to send us on divine errands, even if we feel like outsiders, outliers, or full of shortcomings. How can we know? Looking at the examples from women in scripture helps us see that our part in the Lord's work is never small, rather, it's expansive. We don't have to second-guess—moving forward to act on promptings can help us understand that any time we're on God's errand, it's divine.   Kaylen Nelson joins the podcast to help us learn more about our personal divine errands from remarkable women in scripture who lived out their own. Kaylen recently retired after thirteen years of teaching in the church education system so she can stay home with her two baby boys. Links: Join us for Lift Up Your Heart, a Magnify gathering, October 25, 2025—Register today! Be in the conversation — follow on Instagram @magnifycommunity

Shannon Foster, co-founder of The Red Headed Hostess, joins us to share how we can teach children to study the gospel so they learn precious truths for themselves—no matter their age. She also shares how to slow down our personal scripture study to help us be better gospel teachers in our homes and church classrooms.  Shannon taught seminary and institute for 13 years and now helps families learn and love the scriptures through her brand, The Red Headed Hostess. Whether or not you have children in your home, or a calling to teach children, Shannon's way of approaching gospel study creates more connection, deeper conversations, and real conversion.

Life rarely goes how we plan, but we can find deep meaning, peace, and joy, despite the detours and trials. When we recognize God is always with us, our lives can be rich with purpose and we'll find fulfillment despite experiencing loss, heartache, and unmet expectations. Camille Fronk Olson, professor emeritus from BYU's department of ancient scripture and pioneer for women in the Church Education System, joins the podcast to share how she's learned to see God's hand in her life, even when things went off course from how she thought they would be. She explains how as she stayed close to God and embraced opportunities as they came, He helped her grow and become more than she ever thought she could. Links: Read the book! But If Not: Finding God in Unmet Expectations and Unwanted Detours Camille is a speaker at Magnify's Lift Up Your Heart event! Register today! More from Camille — Magnify episode 97: "How Prophetic Revelation Intersects with Personal Decision Making"

When President Camille Johnson spoke about the parable of the ten virgins, she highlighted how it teaches that "each of us is a steward of our own conversion." With so many mentions of this parable in recent remarks, we're diving in to gain deeper understanding of Jesus's words so we can carefully tend our testimonies and have enough oil for our lamps. Lori Denning, BYUI Professor who brings elements of fun into the study of ancient scripture, helps us see the inherent joy in this parable, what it shows us about our personal relationships with the Savior, and how it teaches us to joyfully anticipate the His coming. Join us! Register today for Lift Up Your Heart, a Magnify gathering featuring keynote speaker, Sharon Eubank! Links: President Johnson's recent remarks on the parable of the ten virgins: Righteous Stewards—Disciples of Jesus Christ, May 2025 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults Spiritually Whole In Him, April 2025 general conference address  

We all want to help be God's hands, but with so much need in the world it can be hard to know where to begin, and even harder to know if what we do makes a difference. Sharon Eubank is here to help guide our efforts! She offers up a perspective shift to help us do the most good in the world through our individual service, and it doesn't involve donating a huge amount of money or trekking the globe. She also shares how to get to the heart of humanitarian work in our own communities, and the immeasurable good we can do in the world when we genuinely connect with each other as Christ would. Director of humanitarian services for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sharon is also the author of a new book, Doing Small Things with Great Love: How Everyday Humanitarians are Changing the World. Links: 25 Ways to Participate in the Global Initiative to Improve the Well-Being of Women and Children Read Sharon's new book! Doing Small Things with Great Love Sharon is the keynote speaker at Lift Up Your Heart—A Magnify Gathering! Come join us! More info here.

In October 1999, Sheri Dew gave a landmark talk entitled "We are Women of God." The words she spoke then still ring true today: "It is by letting the world go and coming unto Christ that we increasingly live as women of God. We were born for eternal glory." In this episode, Sheri Dew shares her personal learnings since giving this address, what it means to be a woman of God today, why it matters to think celestial more often, and how to get better at being active and intentional in our faith. She also revisits the invitation she gave the women listening in 1999 and modifies that invitation for us today, reminding all of us that our influence for good in this world is incalculable.  Links: Listen to Sheri Dew speak in 1999: "We Are Women of God" Hear more from Sheri on the Magnify podcast: Sheri Dew On Being a Lifelong Seeker of Truth Join us at Lift Up Your Heart—a Magnify gathering with keynote speaker Sharon Eubank. Learn more about the event here and register today!

A recent study by the Pew Research Center shared statistics that Latter-day Saint women are top of the charts when it comes to experiencing "a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being on a weekly basis." We also report the "highest rate of being very happy." To someone only paying attention to what media and popular culture might say, these statistics might be surprising. But we know why these numbers ring true: we live our faith daily and it really does bring us greater peace and happiness.   Dr. Jenet Erickson, a fellow of the Wheatley Institute and a professor in the School of Family Life at Brigham Young University, recently dove into these findings and is here to share what she learned. The real stories of Latter-day Saint women are ones of peace, power, and strength that shine brighter than any viral trend. We are women of conviction who love and serve God and each other with all of our hearts.  Links: Jenet's article in the Deseret News: Perspective: National data doesn't confirm popular distortions about Latter-day Saint women Join us! It won't be the same without you. Lift Up Your Heart: A Magnify Gathering, October 25, 10am-4pm. Register today!

What does it mean to be "all in" the gospel of Jesus Christ? For nearly eight years, Morgan Jones Pearson has explored that very question in over 300 conversations with Latter-day Saints on the All In podcast. In this episode, Morgan joins the Magnify Podcast to reflect on what she's learned from sitting across from people in the midst of heartbreak, healing, wrestles, and revelations. She also shares how her own discipleship has deepened as her life has changed over the years. Morgan is the host of the All In Podcast with LDS Living, a mom to two beautiful little girls, and a dear friend and force for good.   Register now for Lift Up Your Heart!   Follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter!

We can all relate to being caught comparing ourselves to others, and then wading through the spiral of negative thinking that often goes with it.  Our goal on the podcast today is to remind ourselves that There's a quiet kind of peace that comes when we recognize that we are enough because the Lord will magnify our efforts.   Krista Isaacson is a writer and teacher whose article on LDS Living prompted this discussion. Krista serves as a Gospel Library App User Awareness Missionary, loves her mountain bike named Breezy, and collects too many vintage children's books. And she's going to help us to realize that our "all" is enough!    Register now for Lift Up Your Heart!   Follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter!

Have you heard about Lift Up Your Heart? It's Magnify's event that is coming this fall, and Sharon Eubank is the keynote speaker. You won't want to miss it! It's a day to come and refuel your faith, renew your spirit, and remember who you are in Christ with other like-minded women.   We're so excited to hear from Sharon, so we wanted to play one of our favorite conversations with her to get us ready to hear more!   Register now for Lift Up Your Heart!   Follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter!

Part of our mission at magnify is to be women who show their joy and magnify their love for the Savior. One way we can do this is by showing that the gospel is a joyful, happy thing for us—as Tammy Runia described it, "showing that eating the fruit is a joyful thing!" We're excited to be a part of this gospel, let's discuss the myriad of ways we can show our joy!    In this episode, you will hear clips from the following episodes: Replacing Our Worry with Joy with Shima Baughman Joy Brings Us Mission and Purpose with Tammy Uzelac Hall Cultivating and Celebrating the Good with Natalie Hill Jensen   Follow us on Instagram!   Subscribe to our newsletter!

One thing we all yearn for is a closer connection with the Savior. A question we might often find ourselves asking, "how do I recenter my life on Jesus?" It's a question that Patricia Holland also asked herself. And when she was pondering this question, she had this thought come into her mind, "You don't have to worry over so many things. The one thing that is needful—the only thing that is truly needful—is to keep your eyes toward the sun—my Son." Suddenly I had true peace. I knew that my life had always been in his hands—from the very beginning! The sea lying peacefully before my eyes had been tempest-tossed and dangerous—many, many times. All I needed to do was to renew my faith, and get a firm grasp on his hand—and together we could walk on the water."   This true peace is the energy we all want! So let's remind ourselves how we can recenter our lives on the Savior. In this episode, we hear excerpts from past episodes from Carrie Skarda, Ashly Stone, and Kristin McQuivey. Listen to Carrie's Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magnify/id1643211858?i=1000662277532 Listen to Ashly's Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magnify/id1643211858?i=1000685634339 Listen to Kristin's episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magnify/id1643211858?i=1000680545117   "One Thing Needful" by Patricia Holland   Follow us on Instagram!   Subscribe to our newsletter!

At this time of year, with the change in our routines, longer days, and more family around us, we might be feeling a desire to find out what is best to put our energy and focus into. Magnify's mission is to become more like the Savior and draw closer to Him, and today we wanted to remind ourselves that we can do this in any circumstance, and that can bring us the peace we are looking for.    Patricia Holland said this, "After you have looked inward, I plead with you to look upward. The eyes that look down on yours will be those of your loving Father in Heaven who can, and will, bestow upon you all those things you hope for in righteousness. You can't get these blessings by chasing them. Please stop running to the point of exhaustion. Be quiet; be still. Simplify." The Lord loves effort! And when we make even small efforts to be closer to Him, we'll find that He is there.     Carrie's episode on stillness: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magnify/id1643211858?i=1000662277532   Whitney's episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magnify/id1643211858?i=1000673827823   Hilary's episode on contentment: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/magnify/id1643211858?i=1000679741732  

About a month ago, we had an event called Magnify Learning Together where author Melinda Brown shared some insights about the temple from her book An Endowment of Love, and something she said has been on our minds ever since: "I believe that when we see our covenant relationships as eternal principles of loving relationships, that it's life-changing today—not just in some distant future."    This served as a reminder that the temple is important to our everyday lives. We might sometimes find ourselves simply going through the motions, feeling like we're checking a box because it'll matter in some distant, eternal future, but when we focus on how our relationships can be strengthened through our covenants, and placing the Savior at the center of our temple experience, that can transform us and help us see the temple with a fresh perspective—and  that matters today!   Did you miss the Magnify Learning Together Zoom or in-person event with Melinda Brown? You can watch it now on YouTube! Click the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w0rE_RzXLI Also check out the Q&A from this event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpp__iIacPE   Follow us on Instagram!