This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in May 2019.

Tad R. Callister served as Sunday School general president, in the Presidency of the Seventy, as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, an Area Seventy, president of the Canada Toronto East mission, regional representative, stake president, bishop, and as a full-time missionary in the Eastern Atlantic States Mission. Brother Callister held an accounting degree from BYU, a Juris Doctorate degree from UCLA, and a master’s degree in tax law from NYU Law School. He is the grandson of apostle LeGrand Richards and the author of several books, including The Infinite Atonement and A Case for the Book of Mormon. He and his wife, Kathryn Louise Saporiti, are the parents of six children.



Links
A Case for the Book of Mormon
God’s Compelling Witness: The Book of Mormon
Transcript available with the video in the Zion Lab community
Highlights
2:30 Moving on from being released as General Sunday School president

4:20 Which came first, the book or the talk?

5:15 How his law practice helped him crystallize thoughts when writing

5:50 His approach to personal study

6:10 Lesson to seek and ponder his own insight first before turning to doctrinal commentary

8:00 Studying first thing in the morning, and writing along with reading has helped him summarize his thoughts while studying the scriptures

8:50 Questioning and discussing with others is part of pondering

10:00 Reason can strengthen faith, and logic and the Spirit can go hand-in-hand

11:40 The audience for the book is first people who have testimonies that can be strengthened and who can help strengthen the testimonies of others, as well as those who may have questions, and finally critics

12:40 A partial truth, when presented as a whole truth, is an untruth

13:00 Less than 2% of the archeological finds in ancient America have been unearthed

16:00 An intellectual witness of scripture does not come from archeological findings, whether regarding the Bible or the Book of Mormon

16:40 His grandfather LeGrand Richards was a common-man leader, related to everyone, and simply loved people

19:15 Ward Sunday School presidents are not merely bell-ringers because they are in charge of the teacher councils, and they have the responsibility to help improve the teaching of every teacher in every organization, and to see that the individual and family curriculum is being implemented in every home

21:50 One purpose of the Come Follow Me curriculum is to take us from reading the scriptures to pondering the scriptures and discussing them. In the homes, it is the catalyst for discussion and learning the gospel together.

23:30 There has been a substantial increase in individual and family study, and class members from children to adults are better prepared for Sunday meetings

24:10 He and his counselors traveled internationally and were able to get a good idea of what was happening with teacher council meetings

25:10 Practicing through role play at the end of teacher council meetings was one thing they observed and recognized as an effective implementation in those meetings

25:45 Another effective implementation is the change to Christ-centered Easter Sunday and Christmas services so that members can invite others...

Skyler Wilcox is originally from Logan, Utah and is the senior administrator with the Especially For Youth (EFY) program. He has a bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism and a masters degree in Public Administration, both from Brigham Young University. After working as a counselor and coordinator for four summers, Skyler joined the EFY team full time in 2020. When not at work, he enjoys cheering on his favorite sports teams, including the Jazz, Cougars, Cowboys, and Mammoth. He also loves musical theater and performing on stage. Skyler married his sweetheart Jenny and they have adopted four children through foster care. Previous Church callings include ward clerk, assistant executive secretary, youth Sunday School teacher, and elders quorum secretary.






Links
EFY: Especially for Youth
Transcript available with the video in the Zion Lab community
Highlights
Coming soon


The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Find Leadership Tools, Courses, and Community for Latter-day Saint leaders in the Zion Lab community. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org.

Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Benjamin Hardy, Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish,

High Council members engaged in a live discussion focused on sharing ideas and experiences to strengthen how councils serve their wards and stakes. This podcast is a portion of the livestream discussion.




Watch the video and share your thoughts in the Zion Lab community
Links
The entire conversation and transcript are available in the Zion Lab community
Highlights
Overview
This episode of the Zion Lab live stream from Leading Saints featured a discussion among several current and former Stake High Councilors, focusing on the practical challenges and opportunities of their calling. The participants shared their experiences, best practices, and innovative ideas for magnifying their assignments, effectively bridging communication between the stake and ward levels, and overcoming feelings of inadequacy.
Key Insights
The Need for Proactivity: The High Council calling can often feel "open-ended," allowing a High Councilor to "do as much as you want" or very little. Leaders are encouraged to be proactive—actively engaging with assigned elders quorum presidencies and ward organizations rather than just attending mandatory meetings.

Equality and Insecurity in Calling: New High Councilors frequently feel overwhelmed or insecure when working alongside more seasoned leaders. Counsel was given to overcome this by recognizing that all callings are equal in the sight of the Lord and that the High Councilor's voice and spiritual insights are vital to the council's deliberations.

Role as a Spiritual Messenger: High Councilors should see themselves as direct representatives of the Stake Presidency, similar to a General Authority visiting a stake. They are encouraged to be visible, bring spiritual knowledge and instruction, and share a spiritual thought when addressing wards, not merely delivering routine announcements.

Mandate to Testify of Christ: Some stakes guide speaking assignments with a General Conference talk, but emphasize that the talk, whether prepared or spontaneous, must be interwoven with a powerful personal testimony of Christ to ensure the Spirit is present.

Training and Dissemination of Principles: A core function of the High Council is to receive leadership principles and instruction in the Stake Council. High Councilors are then responsible for taking that training and counsel out to their assigned ward bishoprics and organization presidencies.Leadership Applications

Foster Cross-Ward Learning: Stake Presidencies can gain valuable insights and enrich their High Councilors by encouraging them to attend the leadership meetings of the wards where they speak, even if it is not their assigned ward. This exposes High Councilors to diverse operational models among ward councils, creating a cross-training effect.

Centralize Administrative Resources: High Councilors should utilize group communication methods, such as shared text threads or digital notes, to quickly share tactical administrative advice, official wording for callings and releases, and handbook references, streamlining the logistical aspects of the calling.

Elevate the Message of Love: High Councilors should consistently make a concerted effort to express the genuine love, thoughts, and prayers of the Stake Presidency to the ward members, ensuring the members feel validated, "seen, and prayed for" by their stake leadership.

00:01:36 - Kicking Off: The "Open-Ended" Nature of the High Councilor Calling
00:04:04 - Overcoming Insecurity and Magnifying the Calling
00:06:06 - Advice on Equality and Being a Visible Representative
00:09:38 - The Role of the Spirit vs.

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in February 2024.

Marjorie Nelson Lowder discusses the remarkable life and enduring influence of her mother, Dantzel White Nelson.

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Marjorie grew up as the 9th of 10 children of President Russell M. Nelson and Sister Dantzel White Nelson, surrounded by music, books, art, faith and lots of love. She loves to spend time creating, being in nature and gathering with her family and friends. She is an artist, vocalist, and the author/illustrator of a book based on a favorite lullaby her mother used to sing, Pudding on the Moon.

This conversation honors Dantzel's legacy as a deeply-faithful Latter-day Saint, wife, and mother, emphasizing the principles and traditions she established that created a foundation of unity and spiritual strength for her family.




Watch the video and share your thoughts in the Zion Lab community
Links
Pudding on the Moon
Transcript available with the video in the Zion Lab community
Highlights
In this episode, Kurt interviews Marjorie, the youngest daughter of President Russell M. Nelson, to honor her late mother, Dantzel White Nelson. The conversation explores Dantzel's life, her influence on the family, and the legacy she left behind, particularly through a children's book Marjorie authored inspired by a lullaby her mother used to sing.
00:02:55 - Honoring Dantzel White Nelson
Discussion on the life and legacy of President Nelson's first wife.

00:04:28 - Marjorie's Book: Putting on the Moon
Introduction to Marjorie's children's book inspired by her mother.

00:05:41 - Marjorie's Early Memories
Marjorie shares her early memories of her mother and family traditions.

00:08:11 - Dantzel's Background
Details about Dantzel White Nelson's upbringing and education.

00:09:50 - Courtship of Dantzel and Russell Nelson
The romantic story of how Dantzel and Russell Nelson met and fell in love.

00:10:36 - Family Life and Traditions
Insights into the family dynamics and traditions created by Dantzel.

00:12:32 - Family Olympics and Celebrations
Description of unique family events and celebrations organized by Dantzel.

00:14:19 - Creating Special Memories
Marjorie's reflections on how her mother made family gatherings memorable.

00:16:26 - Navigating a Large Family
Challenges and dynamics of growing up in a family with many daughters.

00:19:00 - Father's Medical Career
Insights into the life of being the daughter of a surgeon and its impact on family life.

00:22:26 - Church Callings and Choir
Discussion of Dantzel's involvement in church callings and her time with the Tabernacle Choir.

00:25:23 - Singing Legacy
Marjorie's connection to her mother's musical legacy and family singing traditions.

00:30:11 - Becoming an Apostle
Marjorie's experience learning about her father's call to be an apostle.

00:32:04 - Adjusting to New Roles
How Dantzel adapted to her new role as the wife of an apostle.

00:33:31 - Mother-Daughter Relationship
Reflections on Marjorie's relationship with her mother as a young adult.

00:35:05 - Dantzel's Calm Demeanor
Stories highlighting Dantzel's patience and temperament as a mother.

00:39:10 - Coping with Loss
Marjorie's thoughts on her mother's sudden passing and the support received.