Temple Bound

Sadie Hamblin on the Doctrine of Christ

• Will • Season 1 • Episode 90

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In this episode of Temple Bound, Will Humphreys sits down with Sadie to talk about what changed. She walks through the five elements of the doctrine of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end) and teaches it live, the way she would teach a friend on her mission.

Sadie also opens up about growing up with OCD and perfectionism, the health crisis that nearly kept her from serving, and why her transition home has felt different than most returned missionaries describe. She shares the rocks, pebbles, and sand framework she now uses to prioritize temple attendance, and the simple daily habit any member, missionary or not, can start today to build real conviction in the doctrine of Christ.

Topics covered: 

  • Doctrine of Christ
  • LDS mission baptisms
  • Returned missionary transition
  • Temple attendance, faith and repentance
  • Overcoming the adversary, OCD and faith
  • Book of Mormon study
  • Her Journey from Jacksonville Florida mission.

If you're preparing for a mission, supporting someone who is, or you're newly home and trying to keep your fire burning, this one is for you.

Subscribe to Temple Bound for more conversations on faith, family history, and the temple.

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Missionary Month And A Big Promise

SPEAKER_01

July is missionary month here on Temple Bound. So whether you have a missionary leaving or coming home or somewhere in the middle, you don't want to miss these powerful episodes geared to help each of you in this process draw closer to Christ as you make these changes, all of it through the lens of the temple. About six minutes into today's episode, my guest looked at me through the camera and taught me about baptism, the way she would teach a friend on her mission, and I start to tear up. Sadie Hamlin just got home from her mission three weeks ago from Jacksonville, Florida. And somewhere in the middle of those 18 months, something clicked for her about the doctrine of Christ. So much so that in her mission, baptisms went from about 10 a month to about 50. Today she's going to share what she learned, what changed, and the simple challenge that any of us, mission age or not, can take on starting today.

Meet Sadie And Her Turning Point

SPEAKER_01

Welcome to Temple Bound. Well, Sadie, thank you so much for being on Temple Bound today. It's so great to have you on the show. Why don't you tell the audience a little about a little bit about you?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, totally. Well, first of all, thank you. I really appreciate it. This is such a cool opportunity. Yeah, so I just returned from my mission about three weeks ago, and I served in the Jacksonville, Florida mission. And my mission was the best 19 months of my life so far.

SPEAKER_01

So that's amazing. And we have such a special connection with Jacksonville, Florida, because that's where my dad's family's from. And you were kind enough to ask me to speak at your farewell, which was one of my favorite things ever. So it's so great to have you back here. And we're talking today, and actually, this whole series of videos and podcasts for people who are going on missions or coming home from missions, or people who have children who are doing that. So we're talking about some of those things. And one of the things that really struck me about your homecoming and what you've learned is how to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we'll get into why that's so important. But first of all, what was your journey kind of like going to the realization about how to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ for you?

SPEAKER_00

Totally. Growing up, my parents, they're very deep doctrine. They're very knowledgeable. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. For the record, they are some of the like to the point where like you just go, they know, they they're very doctrinal. Like they're very intelligent people. I think they're the two smartest people I know. No exaggeration, right? I'm not trying to compliment them. Like they're just very smart.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, very, very smart. And so growing up, it's not that the gospel was complicated, but I thought it was a lot more complex than it was. Sure. And when I came on my mission, I realized how simple it was. And on my mission, I learned about the importance of the doctrine of Jesus Christ and how the daily efforts and how simple that can be living the doctrine and living

Defining The Doctrine Of Christ

SPEAKER_00

his gospel.

SPEAKER_01

Aaron Ross Powell So what was that pivot point for you? Like what was that moment where you were like, I get it now, I see this. What was that? Can you tell the story about how you started to realize how simple the gospel of Jesus Christ was, type of thing?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, totally. So I throughout my mission, my f I had two different mission leaders, so split 50-50. And the first half of my mission, I loved those mission leaders. They were amazing. But when we switched mission leaders, we had somebody come from Salt Lake City and he looked at our mission and he looked at how we can improve, how we can help more people enter into a covenantal relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. And he saw a few things and he made a few adjustments and we realized the importance of living the doctrine of Jesus Christ and understanding the doctrine of Jesus Christ and teaching it simply and powerfully. And so I remember when our mission leader, he came to his own conference and he just came into the mission, he was ready to teach about the doctrine of Jesus Christ. And he asked us, what is the doctrine of Jesus Christ? Crickets. We did not know.

SPEAKER_01

So you've been in your mission for months. Yes. And it's true though, like this idea of like the gospel of Jesus Christ or the doctrine of Jesus Christ, you just kind of go, Yeah, I get it, but do we get it? And this was a chance for him to really call it out, so to speak.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, totally. And so we knew about like the gospel of Jesus Christ from Preach My Gospel. That was a lesson we taught, but we didn't understand that it was the doctrine of Jesus Christ. And so once he taught us that, we started to understand it. And once we understood and studied the doctrine of Jesus Christ, we were able to teach it more powerfully.

SPEAKER_01

So let's get let's talk about that. I'm really I want to double-click on like what it what that looked like before and after. So you let's take one of the concepts, baptism. Um first of all, what would you say to someone who's preparing for a mission? Let's get let's take a step back. Yeah. If someone's preparing for a mission, what is the doctrine of Jesus Christ?

SPEAKER_00

Aaron Ross Powell Totally. I'll

A Baptism Invitation That Hits Home

SPEAKER_00

role play it to you like you're a friend that I'm teaching.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00

Have you ever felt the guilt or shame that comes from committing a sin or making a serious mistake?

SPEAKER_01

Oh yeah, every day.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, for sure. Heavenly Father, he knew that we would experience this and he knew that we would feel this. And so he sent his son Jesus Christ so that we can be saved from spiritual death and from physical death. Spiritual death meaning sin. And so Jesus Christ, he was the perfect example of us on how to obey the Father's will and ultimately be baptized. Jesus Christ was perfect. He didn't need to be baptized, but he was baptized to obey the Father's commandments. And so if we want to follow Jesus, we need to follow that commandment of being baptized. And so baptism is a way that we can bind ourselves to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We're first baptized by water, but baptism by water isn't what washes away the sins. It's when we're baptized by fire, baptized by the Holy Ghost. I like to think of somebody on a diving board and they're about to make a dive. When they're about to make the dive, that's like baptism by water. And when they hit the water, that's baptism by the Holy Ghost. That force of gravity, that it's a completely different environment, completely different experience being in that water. And that's how the Holy Ghost can transform our lives. It changes our environment, it changes who we are. And so the Holy Ghost will sanctify you and cleanse you and burn all of your sins away. But that's not the last step. You need to continue to keep that covenant when you partake of the sacrament each week. And so I can promise you that as you enter into this covenant with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, that you will see your life change. And I can promise you that in the name of Jesus Christ, because my baptism and my covenants with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have meant everything to me. It's helped me understand my purpose and who I am as a daughter of God. And so will you accept the invitation to be baptized?

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Where when?

SPEAKER_00

Hmm. How does end of many? Mr.

SPEAKER_01

Hamlet, I feel it. I I was getting teary. I I think so very powerful. I I mean that experiencing that with you was so powerful. I want everyone who to hear this, especially if they're preparing for a mission, to listen to that. So what what was that change?

Order Of Operations For Teaching

SPEAKER_01

Like in your since with the second mission present, you were obviously having similar discussions with people beforehand. So what what's the delta? What's the difference between what you were doing before versus what you just did now after you learned what the doctrine of Christ is like?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, for sure. I think learning it and understanding it and understanding like the order of operations. You teach something, you want to promise blessings, you want to extend an invitation, you want to share personal testimony. And so I think knowing the order of operations and then also, yeah, like I said, understanding it and studying the scriptures and learning from the word and reflecting on your own experiences, like reflecting on your baptism. I don't remember much about my baptism. I was eight years old when I was baptized, but I do know the blessings that my baptism has given me. And so reflecting on that, it takes personal reflection. And once you understand that journal about it, you can feel more confident telling it to others.

SPEAKER_01

Aaron Powell So you took some time because there was power in your words that obviously carried from the spirit, and I know people who heard this felt that and there was power because of your personal conviction. Those two things I think are combined. And obviously it's the spirit that does all the teaching. I think the vessel in which it's being brought in, the missionary, has that almost obligation to make that connection for themselves first, right? It's like when we when we talk about the order of operations as you call it, President Bednor Bednar said that oftentimes growing up in the church, we get that order of operations wrong. It's about going on a mission so that you can come to Christ and then uh you know the temple's in there somewhere. Whereas the order is you come to Christ. Then you go to the temple to draw closer to him and receive his gifts, and with those gifts you go on a mission and share them. So in your world, when was was there a specific time or was there was there more of an evolution for you to get that connection to your own baptism that you could later share the way you just did?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. So it was on my mission that I was able to make that connection.

Coming Back To Christ On Mission

SPEAKER_00

I was out of the church for most of my teenage years, and when I came back, I was like barely coming back, and the Lord told me I needed to serve a mission. And I didn't fully understand who Jesus Christ was. To be so open and honest, I was going over the about the uh mission prep, like the mission interview questions, and I had to like understand the difference between God and Jesus Christ. Like I was so at the like I did not understand much. And so my mom really encouraged me to read the Book of Mormon every day before I came on my mission. And I did read some of it, I didn't read it every day, but it was in the MTC and it was in the mission that I was really able to understand who Jesus Christ was. Growing up, my mom would always say, It's gonna be okay because of Jesus Christ. Like whatever is not right right now will be made okay. It will be okay in the next life, and that's because of Jesus Christ. And I heard those words, but those words didn't mean anything to me. I it didn't sink into my heart until I understood who Jesus Christ was through the Book of Mormon, through reflecting on personal experiences, through acting on spiritual promptings and understanding when he speaks to me and acting on it. And that's when I was able to understand who Jesus Christ was.

SPEAKER_01

That's a powerful example. I think that's going to offload a lot of people because a lot of people preparing for missions, a lot of men and women, as they're getting ready to turn in their papers, they might have some excitement around it, they may feel called to do it, but maybe they don't understand the doctrine of Christ. Maybe they don't have that connection to their own baptism or whatever the concept is that they're teaching. So there's hope that in like love and this idea of like, it's okay. You know, to have that powerful of a testimony born to me, making me want to get baptized again. And almost seeing baptism in a different way is was able to happen to you on the mission. It gives everyone just that space of like, it's okay if you if you aren't joining, starting your mission with that same capability. It's going to develop in time, and that's part of the reason we go on missions, is for that piece. Now, if someone is listening to you and is like, well, I want to start working on that now, and they're not preparing for a mission, what advice would you give them to help them learn to start being able to talk about the gospel, the gospel, the doctrine of Christ the way that you just did?

SPEAKER_00

Aaron Powell I love this question.

Book Of Mormon Highlighting Challenge

SPEAKER_00

When my mission leader, he, my second one, when he came to the mission, he invited us to read the Book of Mormon front to back and to highlight the doctrine of Jesus Christ. So when it talks about faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.

SPEAKER_01

Those are the five things that is what the doctrine of Jesus is. Say it one more time for people who don't know that.

SPEAKER_00

For sure. Faith. So you have faith in your Savior Jesus Christ, which leads you to repent, to make changes in your life. And one of those changes you can make is baptism by entering into that covenant with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and to endure, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end. And so these five steps are repeated every single day, but for baptism every single week. We have our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We make changes every single day to become better. We're baptized, but we renew those covenants every time we partake of the bread and water, and we feel the influence of the Holy Ghost as long as we allow it into our lives and are worthy of it, and we endure to the end. We do this every single day. And so it really is so simple. That is what you need to know. That is the Church of Jesus Christ of Already Saints for Dummies, the doctrine of Jesus Christ. That is what you need to know.

SPEAKER_01

I love that answer. So okay, so now that you've explained that, um, now let's go back to that initial question of like someone's listening to this going, I really want to be a good missionary, I want to be powerful, I um I want to start getting that same conviction, that same as you were saying, go through the scriptures, highlight anything that regard regarding those five elements, and that booked cover to cover in highlighting that that was transformative for you?

SPEAKER_00

Transformative. I was able to understand who Jesus Christ is and how his just who he is as an individual and understand his doctrine and his teachings. And so, yeah, simple as that. You can do a page or two a day, but just highlighting those two things, and you will, I can promise you in the name of Jesus Christ, that you will gain a testimony of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and you will have power and conviction enter into your life. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01

You know, as people are listening to this, not everyone here is has a ha is going on a mission soon or has a son or daughter going on a mission soon. Some people are just listening because they're they're just learning. This is important for anyone. Anyone who's listening, who's hearing Sister Hamlin's testimony and feeling that conviction right now, I just want to reemphasize the importance for anyone at any stage, at any age, to take that same challenge on. So because I've heard that before, but I've never I've never actually done that. And I think it'd be a great challenge to do is to go through and just specifically learn about the doctrine of Christ. Because is there a better way to learn about him than learning about his core teachings? Um I love that, Sadie. So let's talk a little bit about you know, you go on your and by the way, I just want to acknowledge the fact that you said you didn't you didn't know the difference in God and Jesus Christ. Our son who's on a mission now, who comes home in four months, told us months in, he's like, Yeah, I I can't believe how much I know about the scriptures now. If you had told me where the book of Mosiah was, I would have gone to the Old Testament. Like before his like as he was called to go on a mission.

SPEAKER_00

So So it's okay if you don't know. It's okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And there's lots of people who are going for various reasons. In your case, you were you were recently feeling drawn to the church and immediately you were told to go on a mission. You would never know that based on the conviction and power that you have. So I love that that beautiful uh teaching there. Sadie, you learn the the doctrine of Christ, you're in your mission, you're halfway through, so you've got some experience. Now you're really teaching it the way you just demonstrated earlier in this podcast. What was the outcome? Was there a shift in in what you were seeing in results in terms of being able to effectively teach and bring others to Christ?

SPEAKER_00

Aaron Ross Powell

From Ten Baptisms To Fifty

SPEAKER_00

100%. It was miraculous to see what what the yeah, the just the fruits of our labors. So I remember there's one month that we had 10 baptisms. That was average for our mission. And after the missionaries understood the doctrine of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of baptism, it took a few months, but we had 50 baptisms. The mission? The mission, yeah. So we went from 10 to 12.

SPEAKER_01

Five times the amount.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, five times the amount. It was amazing. There were also like other little things we were doing, like daily contact, talking to our friends more, and helping them make and keep commitments, but I do know that it was understanding the doctrine of baptism and being confident to share that with others.

SPEAKER_01

Aaron Powell Yeah, I mean, that that was the main thing that helped you really talk about it differently the way you demonstrated. Because you you mentioned two things to that. I just want to mention is that there was an actual process that you referred to as the order of operations. And I think we're, and this is true for me in life in general, is that when I'm trying to solve something, I focus on that, and that's not the focus. The focus should be the deeper why, the deeper purpose, and the connection and passion behind things. So you develop that throughout your whole life, really refined it on your mission, and then with the right technique, you were able to do it in an order that flowed in a way that brings people organically to the Savior, but it's always the spirit. It's just that the that uh process, if you will, allows us to get access to the spirit in a way that's the easiest for people to follow. But at the end of the day, he can take anyone, any time, and help us bring people to Christ. But that five-time return, that's that's really powerful.

The Spirit On A Platter

SPEAKER_00

It's amazing. And I I love how you mentioned that the spirit is like the teacher, because ultimately the spirit is the teacher. And I think it's important because I so I would bring the spirit into the lesson and it would be like my goal to just shove it into their heart. And I realized that wasn't the case. Bring the spirit into the lesson, it's like on a glass platter, but it's now that friend's choice to put that spirit into their heart, into place into their heart. And so I think a lot of times I would be so stressed, like they need to accept this, they need to accept this, but no. Our job is to bring the spirit to teach correct doctrine and to teach the principles and for them to allow it to enter to their heart and apply it into their lives.

SPEAKER_01

That's so beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. I think that's a powerful was that hard for you when you would present the spirit on a platter and it was rejected?

SPEAKER_00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01

So hard. Um why was that hard for you?

SPEAKER_00

I think because I knew the joy that I found in the gospel and it was frustrating to see that other people didn't see it. But I think it's also important to recognize that people's journey with Jesus Christ is like a marathon. There's water breaks they have to take along the way. And so I'm grateful that I was able to be one of the pit stops for my friends who maybe didn't end up being baptized, but they're on their marathon, and they were just taking those pit stops to understand who Jesus Christ was. And so they're gonna make it to the finish line eventually, but it I don't mind if I'm not at the finish line. I was able to be a part of their journey, whether they convert after my mission or in the next life. That's okay with me. As long as I was able to help them understand who Jesus Christ is and help them know how he's changed my life and help them see that light that comes from him.

SPEAKER_01

That's amazing. You know, um can when I would a younger version of you have believed that you would have gone on a mission and become the person you are?

SPEAKER_00

No. Never. I never, ever, ever thought I would serve a mission. Never.

SPEAKER_01

So let I I the reason I bring it up is because there's a lot of people who might be listening to this who are considering going on a mission, or people who like people I know who who see missionaries in a certain light and they don't feel like that's them. Like they feel disconnected. They some people might even have judgment in a way that like I'm not judging the judgment, it's just some people who are the way they're raised or the area they're raised, they might look at missionaries or missions and just think, yeah, that's not for me. That's not who I am, and those types of things. Um since you were in that space and you lived in that space, what would you tell people in the in those first let's talk about people who are considering going on a mission?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

What do you what would you tell them about missions that might what might have been useful for you to hear back in the day?

SPEAKER_00

Totally. I

Prompts To Serve And To Extend

SPEAKER_00

know that it for me it started as a really subtle thought. And I hear a lot of my companions, they had the same experience where there was a tiny little thought that implanted in their head, and it you just to act on that thought is so important. And to make that decision, okay, I'm gonna serve a mission, and how do you feel when you you might feel some anxiety, but you will know it's the right thing. If the Lord has given you that prompting, it would be such a shame for you not to act on it because I know that the Lord, He trusted you to give you that prompting in the first place. And ultimately my mission, it wasn't really much of a sacrifice because God has blessed me with so much. He's blessed me with incredible family, with incredible parents. He's blessed me to even grow up living in the church and knowing the church. And so this is something so, so small we can give back to him is 18 months or two years of our lives to just show gratitude for our Lord and for all that he's done for us.

SPEAKER_01

Now you because you said it earlier, like people said, Hey, are you excited? Because you've been home for how how long now? Uh about three weeks. So three weeks, you're you're fresh. You know, people at the end were like, Are you excited to be to go home? And tell me, tell the audience what you told me and and and Heather, my producer and wife, about that. What did you say?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, totally. I was so neutral about going home. It's not about the finish line. I think most of my mission I spent, oh my goodness, I can't wait to go home. I can't wait to get home. And when I got to near the end of my mission, the Lord told me to extend my mission like multiple times, and so I extended it. I was originally go home to January. He told me February, and then he told me March. And so I think extending for me helped me realize, no, you're you're in this, this is still gonna be a while. And so to just enjoy the journey and find joy in the heart and find joy in the endurance, and it's not about the finish line. That has nothing to do with it. And so I do think it is so exciting to come home, but that's also not what it's about. It's about what you learned on your mission, it's about enduring those every single, those everyday moments. And it's just gonna keep you're gonna keep learning and growing even after your mission.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. I can't wait to get to post-mission transition because I have a lot, there's a lot that people who have are coming home from missions over this as we're releasing this episode that I would love for them to hear because there's some really cool things that will tie in the temple in a powerful way. But one thing I wanted to ask you is what was it what was the younger version of you not understanding that you now understand about the gospel of Jesus Christ? What was it, the part of you that never envisioned being a missionary? What was that version of Sadie not understanding what you get now about the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Perfectionism, OCD, And The Adversary

SPEAKER_01

What what is that difference?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so I have OCD, and so I'm a perfectionist. And so growing up, I didn't I never thought I would be good enough. I never thought I was good enough. I never thought I would make it to the celestial kingdom. And this was so hard for me growing up. Like it was just crippling. And so I think most of my from zero to fifteen, I was checked out. I wasn't really in it because of the guilt and the shame that I felt, even though I wasn't doing I was doing, I was living all the commandments, but I felt like it was I was never good enough. And so that was really hard for me. And so I had an uh event that occurred that my health was really poor and I couldn't go to church anymore. And I realized I didn't want to go to church anymore. I tied my OCD and perfectionism and all those feelings with the church. I put it in the same box. And it wasn't until after I healed and after I was able to see therapists and be put on medication that I was able to differentiate those two things. That that shame and that guilt and never feeling like I was good enough was not coming from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. It was coming from the adversary. And recognizing the influence the adversary has in our lives helped me so much. I read on my mission Dennis Deaton's book. He recommended it to me, yes.

SPEAKER_01

You who are listening, there must listens. You have to go back and listen to those episodes, and that book is so powerful, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Those episodes helped me so much on my mission. My brother recorded for them for me and sent them. You listened to these episodes. Yeah, I did. And that helped me so much. Detect, deny, disobey, and understanding that those thoughts are coming from the adversary and they're not coming from Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ. Yeah. And being able to differentiate that. Aaron Powell Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

How power why is that so important to be able to identify the adversary in that process?

SPEAKER_00

Aaron Powell Because I thought those thoughts were me. I thought I struggle with intrusive thoughts and I thought all those things were coming from me. And so I felt so guilt, so much guilt and so much shame from that and realizing that it's not me. It's the adversary who knows I'm a strong woman and he wants to knock me off my path.

SPEAKER_01

I think it's interesting to see the woman that you've become, the leader that you are now, the influence and the power that you have. We've witnessed you your whole life. We believed in you. We had no idea. But Satan did. Jesus obviously did, but Satan did too. So anyone who's listening who's who's kind of considering this or being challenged as they're getting prepared for their mission and after, recognize what it is. Because these things are hard by nature, there's no doubt. Like missions can be very hard. But there's something in those transitional stages of life where he goes all out and you can't tell the difference between the two. So just one thing I would just like to say briefly, I don't want to take the sp the spotlight off of you for too long, is this idea that if it's not love, if it's not peace, it's not from God. So in that discernment, as we as Dennis Deaton teaches, and it's this isn't Dennis Deaton's teachings, this is Jesus Christ, but he's the one who kind of just used them in a way that's helpful, is this idea that anything that comes into our head that creates fear, anything that creates doubt of self, especially if it's like attacking yourself, oh I'm so ugly, I'm so stupid, I'm never gonna be good enough, all those things. We are born of light. We are literally the offspring of the creator of the universe. We are incapable of originating those thoughts, but we are capable of chasing those thoughts. So as as a thought comes into our mind, I'll never be good enough. And that's we all struggle with that, even now. But it's easier when you're 50 and you've been able to see the gospel and the doctrine of Jesus Christ fulfilled, not just in your life, but people you love like you. So thank you for sharing that, Sadie. And if you don't mind me mentioning, you know, you coming home, the way that you came home was was so powerful. And your your dad really mentioned that the timing of your homecoming was really important to your family because of some challenges that you guys have faced as well. And so I'm really grateful that you came home when you did. And um I I let's talk about transitions home. Yeah.

Coming Home By Living In The Temple

SPEAKER_01

So uh it's uh many people say it's challenging to come home. For you it hasn't been as challenging, yes?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, not challenging at all.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Which my empathy goes towards you if it is challenging. I know that's why.

SPEAKER_01

Well, I think I think the reason we're bringing this up is because if it's challenging for you, that's normal. But when you have some somewhat of a circumstance and blessing in your life, that is why I think you you'll you'll talk about as to why that did. So what what's different about your transition home?

SPEAKER_00

Totally.

SPEAKER_01

Are you just stronger? Are you just you know I mean like what is that difference?

SPEAKER_00

Trevor Burrus, Jr.: 100%. So my mom is an everyday temple goer, and so she has been serving a mission as long as I've been serving a mission. She was called to serve a mission in the temple uh by the Lord. And so she goes to the temple every single day. And so I remember I knew that I would want to go to the temple with her every day. She put no pressure, she's like, you don't have to do it. I know it's super hardcore. I'm like, no, I want to. And I remember the like first two hours I was home, I was emotional. I was like, I miss the mission field. What am I gonna do about this?

SPEAKER_01

The first two hours you started to go through that same painful transition. I want to hit that point because this was coming. And why do you think people why is it hard why is the transition hard, do you think, for any of us?

SPEAKER_00

Aaron Ross Powell For sure. The joy that you find rendering significant service for those who cannot do that on their own. There's a quote by President Nelson, Joy cometh in the morning from his talk, and he talks about the joy that comes from doing something for someone that they cannot accomplish on their own. And so on your mission, you're constantly looking outwards, you're never thinking about yourself. And so when you come home, you're focusing, okay, I'm gonna go to college, I'm gonna get a job, I'm gonna do X, Y, and Z. It's all about me, me, me, me.

SPEAKER_01

And scary stuff. It's me, me, me, and it's not like you know, social media level like fame and money. It's just like it's like grind and growth.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, totally. And so I missed the mission fields, and the next thing I knew that was like being on in a mission, being in the mission field was attending the temple. And so ever since I've been home, I've been doing two endowments and two ceilings almost every day, uh, worshiping God in the temple and feeling his spirit and feeling his love, and that is what helped my coming home so seamless. And I know not everybody can attend the temple that much. I'm blessed with the circumstances I'm in to be able to do so. But I do know that everybody can have consistent temple attendance and just do a self-assessment. It's like the rocks, stones, and sand. What are your priorities? Those rocks are your priorities like temple attendance. You put that in the jar first, then you have the pebbles, and then you have the sand. It's much easier to put those priorities first. The pebbles and the sand can fill the gaps of those of the crevices between the big rocks. But if you put the sand like social media or hanging out with friends, if you put that first, those rocks, they're not gonna fit their way in. And so setting, I think planning out your week and assessing how often can I go to the temple and when can I go to the temple.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. I'd like to share a quote that I think speaks to this beautifully, that I want to highlight. Um Elder Bednar said in April 2009, I bear solemn witness that the fire of the covenant will burn in the heart of every faithful member of the church who shall worship and honorably hold a name and standing in in the Lord's holy house. We're talking about temple attendance. This is this is this tie into the temple. And the thing I want to hit that you said that sparked this for me, pun intended, is the word fire. I bear solemn witness that the fire of the covenant will burn in the heart. When you're on a mission, that passion and that purpose burns like a fire. And when we come home, if we don't stoke the fire, that cooling of the fire is the transition problem. That's the pain, that's the that's the struggle. But gratefully, we are always in the mission field. Although the sacred privilege of holding having that name badge is is temporary, the purpose, meaning, and fire is eternal. And so you came home and you found a different field, white to harvest, whiter, because they know what we don't about what's going on, and you're finding that you're stoking that fire. So that purpose has changed and pivoted. And I I and I'm guessing, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I'm guessing that's why for you that transition hasn't been as hard is because there hasn't been as much cooling or any cooling in in that process. Is that fair to say?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, for sure. Like when coals, when they are in the fire, they're white, or sometimes you know they're red, but when they're taken away from that flame, they turn black. And so that's you need to be in the flame. Whether it's scripture study or temple attendance, you need to be in the flame and to stay, to keep your testimony and to have that purpose. I love that.

SPEAKER_01

You know, um I'm gonna take a small liberty here because as um someone who's executive coach for years, I spent a number of years helping people who are graduating from different medical programs and developing their careers, or even people who are trying to decide if they should go into medical programs. And what I would say that I've learned is that um is that when I'm helping someone find their path, whenever I've done that historically, I try to find something in them that really sparks joy and passion. And this isn't revel this isn't like rocket science, but it is something that, although it's commonly known, is rarely practiced, which is this idea of like finding a reason for existing. We read in Doctrine and Covenants that we should be anxiously engaged in a good cause. And I think that's the tr I think that is the normal transition in life from mission life to everything else, is that now it's up to us to be the brother of Jared and to light the boat. How do you want to do it? There's lots of ways it could be lit. We always need the Lord in it, but he wants us to make a decision and to start curating these things. But gratefully, because the temple, as promised by President Bednar, when we go to the temple as a foundational piece, we can keep a number of those coals white and hot so that we can have that passion burn. Our covenants burn within us. The covenants, the same things that you were promoting to others and teaching that your friends, you can remind yourself of. Because if we don't stoke the fire, they do get cold. And then from that place, we can decide what how are we gonna light the ship. And and it's gonna look different for everybody. Some people are gonna go to college, some people are not gonna go to college. Some people are gonna start a business, some people are gonna be employed, some people are gonna become educators. It doesn't matter as long as we keep that those coals burning and that we are doing the best that we can. Um but I think that I think that is the organic challenge. And like you said, let's talk a little bit about pain and challenge. You said um you mentioned a story about coming home that I would like for you to share that talks beautifully about pain and growth. So let's let's get into that.

Finding Joy In The Hard Part

SPEAKER_00

For sure. Uh a few weeks after I came home, I went to my cousin's first birthday party. And we had to find, we were in a scavenger hunt to find these figurines. We already found about a hundred of them, but we had three left that we needed to find. And I was with my little cousins helping them find these figurines, and my cousin Navy turned to me and said, Why is this so hard? Haven't we done a good enough job? Why do we need to find these last three? And I said, Navy, this is where you're gonna grow. We can find joy in this hard part. And she laughed and she said, You sound like a return missionary. And I stood there and I realized, yeah, it's true. That is what I learned on my mission. I learned the process of becoming and I learned how to find joy in the heart. It's not about finding those last figurines, it's about the journey, and it's about enduring to the end.

SPEAKER_01

Where did you learn that lesson more? Was it the mission or the health challenges?

SPEAKER_00

Ooh, I think the health challenges, but I did I went through my health challenges not knowing and not understanding Jesus Christ. And so it was after on my mission and prepping to go on my mission that I was able to reflect upon how Jesus Christ was able to carry me through that and the importance of enduring. And so I endured, I relied on myself. I was very uh prideful and not very humble. And so I was like, I can do this on my own, I can do this on my own. But I was lucky to live in a very comfy environment. I had my parents to support me and to help me and to be my advocate. And I realized my Savior is my advocate, and recognizing I can do the hard with Jesus Christ, it's a lot harder to do the hard without Jesus. I was able to see that during my health challenge. I did it without Jesus, and then on my mission I did it with Jesus. And it made the heart a lot more joyful and a lot painless, a lot less painful to do it with Jesus Christ. It is still painful to endure, but with the Savior, it's so much easier.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you know, from from as people that have known you your whole life, if I could just share. Yes. It's interesting because you were always this amazing. You were always this wonderful, but you weren't always this happy. And and I and yes, you were more articulate, and your like your skill set of talking about the the the gospel and and the doctrine of Christ has has dumbfounded me. It's beautiful. But it has never added any more wonderful than you already were. So it's it's really interesting to see that really what shifted in that was the way you experienced you. Because we experienced you in in the very similar light. You're just more amplified. It's like we talk about in the scriptures about becoming a new creature. I think we forget that that doesn't mean we're casting off who we really are. We are we were born as sons and daughters of God. We were always always special because we exist. There's just this thing of choosing in our agency to follow him, and that creature we think of as like, if we hear this wrong, is like the old creature was a bad thing. No, we become we become new by because we are the we are more refined into actually we were always born to be. And so we take all those great things about us and we just amplify them. It's that's what that's how I would say it. I feel like it's always been you, just more amplified, and you experience you from a place of peace and joy, which is so great to see.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you for saying that. And I I agree, it definitely is the joy. Can I share a scripture about that?

SPEAKER_01

Please do. Okay.

A Changed Heart And Divine Identity

SPEAKER_01

You never need to ask permission on temple bound. Just jump right in.

SPEAKER_00

So King Benjamin, he's addressing a large group of people, and he recognized that they were able to see a change in their heart after learning more about their Savior Jesus Christ and understanding their covenants and their relationship with him. And so this is what he says, and he says, And now because of the covenant which ye have made, ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters. For behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you, for ye can say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name. Therefore ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. I love that phrase that ye can say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name. And so it's because of Jesus Christ that I was able to find joy in that my heart was able to become so much softer because of my mission. And that is what allowed me to become changed and to become and recognize my divine identity as his daughter.

SPEAKER_01

I think it's powerful to note that because of those um significant challenges that you face in a way that probably felt at the time like no one else was going through. You know, I think I I've I've learned this as I've spent time with youth in particular, especially when they're facing health challenges or mental health challenges in some cases, how it just feels like everyone else is like on a totally different plateau and like figuring it out and doing great, and it's this tragic thing that's happening. And I think what's beautiful about that is that it was actually this really cool refinement that had something to do with later you being able to leverage that thing of like learning how to do hard things and finding joy in the hard because you had a gift of having some extra hard and I think there's a lot of people can relate to that feeling of isolation and and it's extra hard for them either before or after that mission. And so I think the most powerful thing about what you said earlier about you were neutral about coming home. See, I like that because your whole identity wasn't tied to the badge. But on the other hand, you weren't like racing to get that thing off, and there's this idea of like there is no finish line, it's just an evolution. And so that evolution to you for you was was from the the mission field into the temple field. So, Sadie, this has been such a delightful conversation.

Rapid Fire And Final Testimony

SPEAKER_01

You know, you're you're you've been home for three weeks, you're you're smoothly transitioning. What's in the future for Sadie? When you look to the future, what do you see?

SPEAKER_00

You know what? I don't know. I take that day by day. Obviously, I know like the the things I'm gonna be doing, the physical things I'm gonna be doing, but who I will become, I'm not sure. But I know God knows, and that's enough for me. So I'm gonna hold on to that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you don't know how you're gonna light the ship yet. Yeah. You don't know if you're gonna get some stones and have them touch them yet, because you don't know. Right now, you're too busy stoking the fire with the flame. And I just want to commend you um for everything that you said on this episode. It's been such a joyful discussion. Um I always like to fi finish with a rapid fire set of questions. So um favorite temple. Gilbert Temple. Yeah, it's beautiful. Love it. It is it is amazing. What was what was a quality that you found of the people in Jacksonville that you were endeared to?

SPEAKER_00

They loved the savior. They knew who Jesus Christ was.

SPEAKER_01

Friends who weren't members of the church still knew the savior and loved Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Was that ever combative in a way? Like were people ever um, you know, using that as an opportunity to to get into arguments or that kind of thing, or was it more accepting?

SPEAKER_00

Most of the time, no. I love how I would ask people how they were and they would say, I'm blessed. You know, I was teaching people who were living in the worst circumstances, and they knew their savior, and so they were blessed. And so they were able to embrace that beautifully.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. What was uh one of your favorite uh Jacksonvillean foods that you would eat? What was something that you'd eat over there that you loved?

SPEAKER_00

Gator tail.

SPEAKER_01

Gator tail, love that. Um what was uh who's just one of your many companions that you loved? Who's someone that you'd like to give a shout-out to?

SPEAKER_00

Ani Hippolyte. I love that woman.

SPEAKER_01

Aaron Ross Powell Well, what about her? Uh do you love and how did she impact you?

SPEAKER_00

She is fearless and she knows who she is as a daughter of God, and she helped me understand my identity.

SPEAKER_01

How impactful has your mother been in your testimony?

SPEAKER_00

My mom and dad are incredible, and I am so grateful to know them. And my mom has shown me how you surrender to God and how you give your life to Him and His service.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Where is someone in the world that you'd like to go visit that you've never been?

SPEAKER_00

I am privileged to say I've been to all the places I wanted to visit.

SPEAKER_01

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00

I don't have a l I don't have another place yet.

SPEAKER_01

That's actually really cool. I love that. Uh it's it's on brand for you. This whole like live in the now and stoke the fire and see what happens next. Love it. That's so cool. Um okay. Uh authentically, besides seeing your family, what was something really cool about coming home?

SPEAKER_00

Going to the temple. I wasn't able to go to the temple for 19 months on my mission. And so going to the temple was amazing. And also seeing my dog. And I love Arizona.

SPEAKER_01

Arizona is pretty amazing. I love Arizona. Yeah, we're big fans. All right, final question. You know, this this episode this all this show is about temple and family history. The most family history part of it is the last question because we're recording this. Your kids, your grandkids are gonna see mom or Nana as three weeks back from her mission, young and passionate. What would you want them to know about uh your testimony for the doc the doctrine of Christ? What would you want them to know?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I know that the Savior lives, and I know that because of him, all that is unfair and unright can be made right again. And that is because of his sacrifice, and that is because of his endurance and his willingness to follow the Father's will. I love the name of Jesus Christ that he's the finisher, he's a finisher, and he's the author and finisher of my faith.

SPEAKER_01

I love that. Sadie, thank you so much for being on the show.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you so much. It's been a privilege.

SPEAKER_01

And thank you all for tuning into Temple Bound. We're so grateful that you made it here to the end of the show. We're so grateful for the time that you've taken. So please remember, no matter what you're going through in life, no matter what blessings you're enjoying, whatever challenges you're facing, that it's in the gospel of Jesus Christ where you will always belong. Until next time. July is missionary month on Temple Bound. Think of

Share This With One Person

SPEAKER_01

one person who needs this: a missionary in the field, someone packing for the MTC, or a parent watching their child get ready to go or come home. Go ahead and send them this episode because one listener, one sharer, one missionary drawn is a little bit closer to Christ. Temple Bound is brought to you by the Light on a Hill Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at building and strengthening families across the globe. Produced by Heather Humphreys, with show notes and social media managed by Isabel Dizon and Kimberly Simvafon. Wardrobe by Anne Collar. These views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are on their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Thank you for joining us today as we continue learning, growing, and striving to bind our lives closer to Savior. Until next time.

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Will Humphreys

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