Come Back Podcast

“As a designer, I appreciate the rich symbolism that Christianity and the Church weave into scriptures, buildings, clothing, and objects. When approaching this logo mark, I wanted to incorporate some of these well-used and familiar symbols. When you look at the mark, you might initially recognize the shapes of a sun, moon, and star. These symbols are often used to direct our attention to God and challenge us to think about our eternal significance. You will also notice the eight points and the octagonal shape of the mark. The number 8 appears many times in the Bible and often represents renewal. This is a nod to all of the amazing stories of renewal that the Come Back Podcast shares. The mark also resembles a bird's-eye view of church steeples. Steeples have rich symbolism in their construction, and they point towards heaven. I am grateful to have helped with such an amazing project, and I can't wait for Season 2 to start!” - Jeremy Garcia @theofficeofjeremy

I wanted to share with you what I’ve learned over the last 4 months of interviewing people who have left the church for whatever reason, and come back. - Sometimes those hard questions that seem to be so challenging to grapple with, can actually be the catalyst that will launch your testimony into a more mature, beautiful, & refined place, if you choose to ask God for answers, and put in the work to find them. - Even if you feel deep in the swamp of material antagonistic to the church, if you feel like your “toothpaste is out of the tube” you can come back. Stronger than ever. - Sometimes the answers you get to your questions won’t satisfy critics. But it will satisfy your heart. And you will receive the witness you are seeking, if you truly ask God to guide you. - If you decide to experiment, and step one toe back towards God & His church, you will start to see the miracles, if you look for them. -People can debate history, policies, practices…. But they cannot debate personal experiences of a changed heart & a witness that this church is good & true. I’ve heard stories of lives transformed, hearts softened, covenants made, and prayers answered. My own personal experience of experimenting to see if the church could make me happy, and doing everything I needed to do to get my limited use temple recommend, led to an entire transformation of my life. I feel like it is my duty to share these stories.. with so much negativity online, so much attacking, so much arguing and debating.. these stories are a WITNESS of the incredible miracle of the Saviors atoning sacrifice. A witness of the light & truth we have in The Church of Jesus Christ. If you are happy with where you are at after leaving the church, I believe that God loves you and wants you to be happy. That there is light & good to be found in many places in and out of the church. And I respect everyone’s own faith journey. But I also testify that the miracles of the restored gospel are evident. And you will “know them by their fruits”. #comeback

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“Steven was adopted at just three days old by an LDS couple.  From a young age, Steven struggled with pornography, which spiraled into a decade-long addiction.  By high school, he was high every day at school and questioned his faith deeply, even experiencing an atheistic crisis.  After graduation, he spent time with a neighbor, Emily Belle Freeman, whose influence slowly helped him rebuild his testimony.  He eventually served a mission in Atlanta, where he was a true and honest servant, but once home, his struggles resurfaced. He went to his YSA bishop for help, but the shame and judgment he felt led him down a darker path of drinking, smoking, and more challenges with the law of chastity.  Still, he never lost his belief in God, but he felt trapped and resigned to a future without a temple marriage. When we met, Steven was focused on healing.  He told me that he was so sick of the party life, and just gave it up and started turning toward God again.  We matched on Mutual, and despite my initial reservations, we quickly became inseparable.  On the fifth day of knowing me, Steven confessed his past struggles with pornography and chastity.  I remember thinking, ‘I’m so thankful for him telling me. How brave and honest that was.’ We married civilly in 2019, but Steven’s addiction resurfaced shortly after.  I was hurt, but I didn’t fault him for the relapse.  I started learning about addiction, and it helped me separate his behavior from my love for him.  After a few relapses, we reached a breaking point.  I was ready to leave, but then my brother sent me a message about Elder Gong’s talk on rebuilding trust.  His words hit home: ‘Trust again... relationships can be mended.’  I prayed, and I felt a deep peace that Steven was truly committed to change. He cut his hair, went back to therapy, and committed to the church’s addiction recovery program.  Since then, things have been better, though not perfect.  We’re now blessed with a beautiful son and a home.  Through it all, we’ve learned that love, trust, and faith in God are the foundation of our marriage, and I’m forever grateful for the way God has guided us.” -Kayla & Steven

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“For years I was struggling to stay active and raise my children in the church. I was lost and sad- searching for peace. I had built an Instagram following, but the numbers didn’t matter. I felt so alone. My Instagram following was built on being an advocate that there was room in the church for people like me. Desperately trying to find my place in the gospel but not following his commandments in return. I humbled myself and realized I knew the missing pieces. But it was just going to take work to get there. I pushed aside everything else in my life and made my repentance and conversion a priority. I put my garments back on. Even though I felt like a hypocrite because I had preached not to judge those who don’t wear them. The blessings in store when we keep our covenants are unmatched. As I made the changes, I felt the burden lifted. My heart is joyful. I know I am ready for this next chapter in my life. It feels good to know Jesus Christ loves me enough that he paid the price for me and I can be cleansed. Here’s to the next chapter- I will always advocate that you can sit with me. There is room in the gospel and there is room in His heart to always give you grace.” Tara’s story is out now. #comeback

“True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, speak up, and be different from the people of the world. They are undaunted, devoted, and courageous.” - President Nelson Shout-out to all of those that fearlessly share their testimony online! 😍 #comeback #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints

I had the awesome opportunity to hang out with @true.millennials this week. We discussed some of the things that I’ve learned interviewing people who have come back to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We hear a lot about reasons people leave the church on social media, things that they don’t like about the church, or its members. As I sat watching my kids in the primary program last Sunday, I listened to them sing: He will guide me When I’m in my wilderness And stay beside me On stormy seas I am learning how He speaks to me And I will follow where He leads (@angiemaek) My heart was overflowing with love and JOY. Joy that my children are learning who they can turn to for peace when they are navigating the stormy seas of life. Joy in knowing that the fruits of the gospel are so evident in my life, and I continue to learn and grow with the spirit as my guide. I can’t even imagine giving up the gift of the gospel in my life, especially after living my life without it. Sometimes we become distracted. With hard questions in church history, something someone said online that made us question our faith, or maybe we’re going through a trial and we try to manage it on our own and life is just hard. One of the biggest things I’ve learned since starting the podcast, is that God shows up for those who turn to him. Even if it’s been weeks, months, or years since you have spoken to Him. He will show up for you. He will bring a joy and light to your life that you didn’t even realize you were missing. You will see your life with new eyes. He loves you more than you could ever imagine. And He is waiting for you to come back to Him. The hard questions, the trials, the comments online.. They are actually an INVITATION to come to Him, and find out for yourself that he is there. You can make the choice to explore what God, and His church, have to offer you. Not because it’s the cultural norm, not because it’s how you were raised, not because it’s what is expected of you… But because YOU have decided to partake of the fruits of the gospel. And if you do this, He will be there. Ready to welcome you home with open arms. #comeback

#comeback #churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints #churchofjesuschrist #lds #faith

“Growing up in the church I only had one goal, leave as soon as I graduate. But I learned a couple of years into a crazy college experience that ‘life according to Holly’ was not nearly as fun as I thought it would be. Run ins with cops, scary doctor’s appointments, living life on the edge of alcoholism…it was too much!  And then God placed a fork in the road and said ‘you can keep living life according to Holly, or come this way and see what I’ve got in store for you here.’ Oddly enough, I was grateful for the awful situation I had gotten myself in because it led me back to Him. I came back to the church, met and married my husband in the temple, then brought 5 babies into the world with him.  I’ve always prided myself on having a ‘simple’ testimony—which, is true—and there’s nothing wrong with that. But since my initial comeback I just coasted in this ‘simple’ space. Never fully proclaiming the gospel because I really didn’t want to have to defend it. I never felt equipped to anyways.  But then I learned that I have to put in the work to grow my testimony. No one was going to do it for me. I walked away from a lucrative influencing career on Instagram so that I could share my journey with Christ…no strings attached. Just a girl with a simple testimony wanting to go deeper and grow closer to her Savior, realizing that when you do that—all you want to do after that is bring everyone with you!” Holly’s story is out now. #comeback

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Amaiya’s story is out now. #comeback