Justin Barton interviews his niece Aubrey about her 18+ months as a missionary, where she served, and how her faith deepened. Aubrey, from Snowflake, Arizona, explains being called to the Temple Square Salt Lake City Mission (Spanish-speaking) and later reassigned for a short outbound experience to the Colorado Springs Mission, finishing March 2026 after starting in November 2024. She shares challenges learning Spanish amid many languages, companions from different cultures, and differences in questions asked by tour groups. In Colorado, facing opposition and unfamiliar proselyting, she admits she lacked a firm testimony of the Book of Mormon and gained it through vulnerability, scripture study, prayer, and fasting. She describes faith as taking risks, learning she isn’t an exception to consequences or God’s love, and choosing surrender and trust in God.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:22 Aubrey Background and Hobbies

00:45 Finding a Love for the Gospel

01:29 Mission Call and Reassignment

02:46 Spanish at Temple Square

04:01 Gift of Tongues in Action

05:23 Culture Lessons on Tours

08:19 Colorado Springs Growth

11:23 Vulnerability and Testimony

14:57 Why Serve Without Knowing

16:37 Introvert to Missionary Life

18:50 Prayer Becomes Personal

21:35 Not an Exception

25:17 Faith Means Acting

30:06 Fasting and Letting Go

32:58 Surrender and Trust God

36:16 Mission Theme Scripture

39:05 Final Counsel Build Testimony

40:15 Can You Feel So Now

42:46 Spanish Testimony and Farewell

Justin Barton interviews recently returned missionary Lauren Zobell of Mesa, Arizona, who served an English-speaking mission in the Texas Houston Mission from September 23, 2024 to March 10, 2026. Lauren shares how struggles with self-image, anxiety, loneliness, and a painful breakup led her to take “simple” spiritual habits seriously, gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon (especially Alma the Younger), and accept repeated promptings to serve after encouragement from her bishop. She describes lessons from President and Sister McMullen about relying on the Savior’s Atonement, learning to love others through rejection, and strengthening ward members when teaching was slow. Lauren recounts trusting God’s timing in transfers, the challenge of maintaining missionary habits after returning home, the power of temple service, deepened testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restoration, and a conversion story of Don and Joe culminating in their sealing shortly before Don’s death.

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:30 Meet Lauren Zobell

01:48 Mission Call Details

02:26 Choosing To Serve

04:44 Book Of Mormon Spark

06:26 Breakup To Belief

09:12 Prompting To Go

10:42 Leaders Who Lifted

12:40 Mission President Theme

15:03 Hanging By A Thread

17:24 Power Of Prayer

19:50 Gods Better Solutions

21:54 God’s Timing Revealed

23:29 Coming Home Is Hard

25:32 Building New Routines

26:32 Temple Work Power

28:03 Restoration Testimony Grows

30:11 Messy Resume and Anxiety

32:50 Grace Through Rejection

36:57 Don and Joe Conversion

41:38 Who God Made Me

43:13 Can You Feel Now

46:35 Gospel Testimony Closing

Host Justin Barton interviews returned missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Sam Niles about his mission journey and faith. Sam was assigned to the West Virginia Charleston Mission (June 2023), but an illness in February 2024 led to a service mission after he was diagnosed with cancer, had surgery, and underwent nine weeks of chemotherapy (April–June 2024) followed by recovery. Feeling physically better, he returned to West Virginia, but a remission checkup triggered a trauma response and his mission president advised him to finish as a service missionary; he completed his mission in June 2025. Sam describes moments of peace through prayer, a powerful experience of feeling a divine presence in an ER, meaningful service in the temple and community, lessons about loving others, journaling, overcoming perceived stigma, and centering multiple identities around Jesus Christ.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:23 Sam’s Background and Hobbies

01:52 Mission Call and Timeline

03:20 Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

06:21 Chemo Struggles and Service Work

08:48 Temple Service and New Perspective

13:20 Returning to West Virginia and Trauma

15:38 Atonement and the Empty Chair Moment

20:10 Identity After Cancer and Mission Stigma

25:45 Learning Prayer and Purifying Motives

32:57 Journaling and Loving Leadership

37:16 Why Justin Started the Podcast

40:54 Final Reflections and Alma 5 Questions

48:42 Testimony and Closing