The Bishop Miracle | An Interview with Brad Agle

Ryan Webb grew up in Tremonton, Utah, and has been married to his wife, KaDawn, for 22 years. They have six children. He has taught within Seminaries and Institutes in Orem, Utah, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Raleigh, North Carolina. He also spent 10 months as the Raleigh Temple Recorder. Ryan has served as a Young Men president, elders quorum president, stake high councilor, bishopric counselor, and currently serves as bishop of his ward. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights Ryan discusses his approach to enhancing sacrament meetings by involving the ward council and focusing on creating a worshipful and edifying experience. He shares various creative ideas implemented in sacrament meetings, such as having musical numbers every week, incorporating different languages, and allowing members to share their testimonies on specific topics such as "Why I Believe"—all with the purpose of to strengthening the ward members' connections to Jesus Christ. 00:03:26 - Ryan Webb's path in Church education 00:06:24 - Description of Ryan Webb's ward 00:07:23 - Ryan Webb's initial approach as a bishop 00:08:34 - Focus on improving sacrament meetings 00:10:27 - Implementing changes in sacrament meetings 00:15:32 - Musical numbers in sacrament meetings 00:17:50 - Unique sacrament meeting ideas 00:19:11 - Involving ward council in sacrament meeting planning 00:23:09 - Language meeting in sacrament 00:25:07 - All music service in sacrament 00:27:01 - Youth-led sacrament meeting 00:28:27 - "Why I Believe" testimony meeting 00:35:33 - Mother's Day sacrament meeting 00:36:28 - Establishing a cadence for sacrament meetings 00:37:18 - Involving elders quorum and Relief Society in sacrament meeting planning 00:40:13 - Challenges and lessons learned in fast and testimony meetings 00:42:12 - Impact of leadership on personal discipleship The 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. 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, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Brad Agle is a professor of Ethics and Leadership and holds the George W. Romney endowed professorship in the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University. Brad recently published The Bishop Book, talking about the experiences of serving as a bishop and using quotes from interviews conducted over the past 30 years with former and current bishops, their wives, and stake presidents. © BYU PHOTO 2010 All Rights Reserved Links TheBishopBook.com The Bishop Book - Insights from LDS Bishops, Wives, and Stake Presidents Ethical Dilemmas in Church Leadership | An Interview with Brad Agle There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights This podcast reveals the profound impact of being a bishop, with bishops often feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities and emotional toll of the role. Brad shares personal anecdotes and stories from his book, highlighting the unique challenges faced by bishops and their families. The discussion also touches on the transition from being a bishop to being released from the calling, a process that can be emotionally taxing and challenging for many individuals. One of the key themes that emerge from the conversation is the importance of family support and the strain that the bishopric role can place on personal relationships. Brad recounts stories of bishops who struggled to balance their calling with family life, leading to moments of reflection and growth. The conversation provides a candid look at the complexities of serving as a bishop and the impact it can have on individuals and their loved ones. Brad offers a deep dive into the experiences of bishops, shedding light on the sacrifices, joys, and struggles that come with the calling. His insights and the stories shared in The Bishop Book serve as a valuable resource for current and future bishops, offering guidance, empathy, and understanding for those navigating the challenges of leadership within the Church. 3:15 Brad is a professor of ethics and leadership. He has written many academic articles as well as books. He has recently written a book for bishops. 5:40 The story for this book started 34 years ago. The bishop is like the CEO of a ward. He started to study what it meant to be an effective bishop. 9:30 What’s the most difficult thing that bishops go through? It’s not what most people think. It’s getting released. 13:00 How has the focus of the book changed over the past 34 years? 16:55 The bishops in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are a miracle! 17:40 Brad’s experience becoming and serving as a bishop of a brand new ward 21:10 The interview process of bishops for the book. They also interviewed the bishops' wives. 23:50 Overinvesting in the members. You can’t take away someone’s problem. You are there to help and assist but it’s their problem. 25:00 The different sections and chapters of the book 25:45 Brad’s experience in the Lubbock temple as he was working on the book 27:50 The release of a bishop and how it relates to a retiring CEO. Losing your heroic stature and the heroic mission. 35:20 The heaviness of the mantle and the job 40:30 The dynamic between husband and wife while he serves as bishop. Brad shares an experience of a stake president’s wife. 43:20 Balancing being a bishop and your family life. Don’t neglect your family. Learn to delegate. 47:40 Managing your time well. Being efficient and effective. The calling will take all the time you are willing to give it. 49:10 Brad’s protestant minister friend sent him a little letter about being the perfect pastor. 52:00 Brad quotes President Hinckley 53:00 Brad shares a quote from a former bishop. Be a good counselor and proactively help the bishop to take things off his plate. 58:15 Where to get the bishop book 59:20 Brad’s final advice to bishops.

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in March 2020. Jacob Hess, Carrie Skarda, Kyle Anderson, and Ty Mansfield are the authors of The Power of Stillness: Mindful Living for Latter-day Saints. In this interview they discuss where mindfulness and meditation fit into the gospel and how we can better approach our service and our practices with the balance of mindfulness. Jacob Hess, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) instructor trained through the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Carrie Skarda, PsyD, is a psychologist in private practice. She has provided individual and couples therapy with particular interest in attachment trauma and mindfulness, and has studied and practiced mindfulness and formal meditation for over ten years. Kyle Anderson, PhD, is a professor of Chinese and Asian Studies, currently an administrator in Global Learning, International Partnerships and Initiatives at Clemson University, and came to mindfulness meditation through his studies in Asian literature. Ty Mansfield, PhD, is an assistant professor in Religious Education at BYU, a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, and a practicing marriage and family therapist specializing in mindfulness-based paths to emotional, relational, and spiritual thriving. He and his wife, Danielle, have five children and live in Spanish Fork, UT. Links The Power of Stillness: Mindful Living for Latter-day Saints Jesus: The Perfect Leader, by Spencer W. Kimball The Council for Sustainable Healing Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 5:40 Jacob was exposed to meditation in graduate school and began to see where it fit into the gospel tradition 7:00 Backgrounds of the authors 9:00 Definitions of mindfulness and what it means to Christians and to Latter-day Saints: compassionate presence in the moment 11:10 Christ was meditative and present in the moment 12:25 Being busy vs. mindfulness 14:00 Looking for words in our own tradition: reverence, peace, stillness, pondering 15:45 Advice for a busy leader: Christ had a practice of punctuating his doing with non-doing; the rhythm of action and pausing is already built in to our practices 19:40 It’s not the gospel that people struggle with, but an impoverished experience of it 20:55 David O. McKay quote: “I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two elements: One is spiritual communion arising from our own meditation; the other, instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is meditation. Meditation is the language of the soul.” 22:10 Example in a ward council: not praying as a to-do, but sitting with the Savior 23:30 Clarity and priority come through pausing between action 24:25 Centering the attention on the inspiration in the moment and not on the calendar: Am I interruptable? 26:20 The Savior was interruptable in his task at hand and could pivot to what was most needful in the moment 28:35 The Savior was willing to build in his time with His Father, the foundation of His work 29:35 We can meditate on the person in front of us by giving them our full attention in that moment 31:30 The order in which the Savior did what he did: communion with the Father, surrounding himself in community, then going out to minister 33:45 C.S. Lewis (in Mere Christianity): “It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and fretting...

In this podcast, Kurt Francom sits down with four Evangelical Protestant pastors, Jeff McCullough of Hello Saints, Curtis Gilbert—a senior pastor in Shiloh, Illinois, Kyle Beshears, —pastor of a nondenominational church in Mobile, Alabama, and Nate Fox—pastor of Lightstone Church in Herriman, Utah. This conversation is part of the Hello Saints Summit, happening June 11-20, 2024, which involves two dozen Latter-day Saint and Protestant presenters—all FREE to watch! Links Watch the Hello Saints Summit Transcript coming soon Highlights 00:02:06 - Introductions of the four evangelical pastors 00:07:11 - Unexpected call to serve as a bishop 00:15:38 - Pastors sharing their unique stories of being called into ministry 00:26:08 - Typical week in the life of a pastor 00:28:40 - Discussion on burnout and validation in pastoral roles 00:35:49 - Importance of humility and avoiding self-validation in ministry 00:43:46 - Involving and supporting pastors' spouses in ministry The 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. 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, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Maria Duncan was raised in the San Francisco East Bay area where she learned the gospel from sister missionaries and joined the Church as she entered her teens. She moved to Cache Valley, Utah for high school and college, graduating from Utah State with a bachelor's degree in Technology Systems, then worked in the professional media market and has since transitioned to project work. In the Church, Maria has served in Young Women and Relief Society, worked with the stake youth, and been a Public Affairs (now Communication) director for the most recent six years. She serves on boards for non-profit organizations in her community while coaching middle school sports and raising seven children with her loving husband, Tom. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 3:10 Intro to Maria and an explanation of the role of a stake communications director 6:30 Misconceptions about the role of a stake communications director 8:50 The Global Communication Network site requires a special login. The purpose of a private site is for a private way to access marketing and PR materials before they're released to the public. 9:15 A good starting point when you are called as stake communications director 10:50 Maria’s stake’s focus is interfaith work. Bringing the church out of obscurity and serving your fellow man. It’s about getting to know your community and building connections and relationships with people from other faiths. 12:20 Maria shares some of the things that she does in her calling and the time commitment. She attends different churches in the community and builds relationships with them. 15:40 Involving youth in stake communications activities. Maria shares an experience she had taking some of the youth to a food giveaway and to another local church. 19:10 Are other pastors or church leaders skeptical when you want to work with them? 21:00 When visiting other churches cater to your audience. Dress as they dress, join them, sing with them. 23:00 How Maria involves the youth and the importance of taking youth to other churches 25:10 Attending different churches in the community and building relationships 28:40 Importance of networking and building relationships with other faith communities 30:10 Focusing on connections and relationships rather than conversion. Maria’s calling doesn’t allow her to talk about the church so her main focus is just building a relationship. 33:20 Reflection on the experience of temple open houses 36:10 Maria has 14 people that work with her on the stake communications team. There is a graphic designer, newspaper writer, youth specialist, social media manager, JustServe leaders, education specialist, interfaith leadership, a member of the stake presidency. 38:20 Advice and tips for doing a temple open house. 41:40 Gratitude for the stake communications work and its impact 42:30 How leadership in stake communications has enhanced following Jesus Christ The 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. 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, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences,

Dan Gray is an author, licensed psychotherapist, and lecturer. He co-founded the LifeStar Network, an internationally-known program designed to help individuals, couples, and families who have been impacted by a family member’s unwanted compulsive or addictive behaviors. Dan mostly loves being a husband, dad and grandpa, while helping other men become stronger and more loving leaders and mentors in their homes. Dave Gray has an entrepreneurial spirit and has enjoyed careers in the real estate and mental health fields. He believes in the symbiotic connection between the relationships we have with those around us, and the choices we make in our lives. He passionately cherishes his relationships with others, especially his close family and friends and specifically with his kids. Dave couldn’t be more excited to create powerful and unique opportunities for parents and their kids to make deep and meaningful connections with one another through Bridgecamp. Links Bridgecamp.com There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 4:30 Introduction to father and son Dan and Dave Gray 7:15 Dan mostly works with people struggling with pornography and other addictive behaviors. 9:24 Dan's therapy work and the genesis of Bridgecamp 13:45 Overview of Bridgecamp. A place for parents and their kids to connect. 16:01 Components of Bridgecamp: Adventuring, learning, and serving 18:45 The power of experiential activities 19:30 Dan shares how experiential activities with his dad created a strong relationship between them. These activities also gave his dad opportunities to teach him. 23:15 Experiential activities for the youth and church leaders. These activities help leaders connect with the youth and give opportunities for the kids to grow in different areas. 24:50 Bridgecamp is a one-on-one experience for kids 12 to 17. Now that the Church isn’t associated with Boy Scouts it's a great opportunity to get out and camp and be mentored. 28:00 The best way to describe Bridgecamp is that it’s a relationship-, trust-, and connection-building program. It’s not a therapy program but it is a therapeutic environment. 29:00 Bridgecamp can be an alternative to therapy for a struggling teen. An opportunity for parents to break down their teen’s walls and connect with them. 32:00 How can we be more intentional when it comes to girls camp, high adventure, or doing parent and child activities? 35:00 When you are self aware you are also aware of what’s going on in your relationships and building them. 39:20 Addressing parental issues at Bridgecamp 42:35 Discussion and learning components at Bridgecamp 45:30 The mentoring aspect of the camp is important also. The staff are there to mentor, and give examples of healthy interactions. 46:00 We were created to connect. In Genesis it says that it’s not good for man to be alone. We all long for bonding and the love and connection with others. The camp plants the seeds to create a better relationship that you can continue to develop when you go back home. The 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. 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, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne,

See Summit Details Here: https://hellocreative.life/summit-2024

Sierra Larson serves as a stake Relief Society president in Brandon, Florida, and previously served as a ward Relief Society president. She served a mission in Santiago, Dominican Republic, earned a master's degree in Social Work, and is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in trauma. She recently joined the Chaplain Corp in the United States Air Force and graduated with a second master's in Divinity, with a focus in spiritual leadership. Sierra and her husband Joe Larson have three children. Links There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 4:40 Sierra's background, how she met her husband, and military experience 9:45 Day to day responsibilities of a chaplain in the military 12:30 Sierra's leadership roles. She served as ward Relief Society president and then stake Relief Society president. 14:30 Praying to have a vision for the ward Relief Society and creating a vision statement. This statement has helped Sierra have a focus and communicate what they need to do and why. 17:00 When beginning a new calling, Sierra suggests that the most important things are seeking revelation and reading the handbook. She then created templates to make sure that she was covering all her bases. 18:20 Sierra’s ward and stake demographics 19:30 Sierra’s routine as a stake Relief Society president and how she works with her counselors 23:00 Sierra's stake Relief Society conference. Their conference with focus on 3 values: Authenticity and vulnerability Inclusion and loving everyone when we are all so different Women’s strength and drawing down power from heaven to do God’s work 25:40 Getting together all the Relief Society presidents for an informal gathering just to get to know each other and minister to them 27:40 * Leadership principle: Lead yourself to Christ and rely on Him to accomplish His work 29:10 * Leadership principle: Be a servant leader 29:45 Sierra shares an experience she had and how she applies the leadership principle of being a servant leader. Serving in the way that Christ would and being humble enough to do anything that’s needed. 33:20 * Leadership principle: Have an inspired vision and plan 36:00 Sierra’s final thoughts on being a leader and the way she leads The 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. 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, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, Kirby Heyborne, and many more in over 700 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

Todd McLauchlin served a mission to Japan and studied philosophy at Brigham Young University. In this conversation, Todd and Kurt delve into the concept of magnifying one's calling in the priesthood, emphasizing the importance of sacrifice and obedience, and discuss how leaders can magnify redemption to others. Links Shattering Triangles YouTube channel There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Scriptures related to this podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 88, 112, 109, 61, 1 Nephi 12, Mosiah 2-5 (King Benjamin's address), 2 Nephi 9, Jacob 1-2 Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 3:40 Todd’s background 6:20 Exploring the intersection of leadership, theology, and priesthood 7:40 A question that has always pounded Todd is do you REALLY believe what you believe? Why do I believe this? 10:30 Being Christ-like is more than just being a nicer person. How can I be a much more truthful person and what am I willing to sacrifice for it? Bring the darkness out of you into the light. 12:00 What is the dread of the holy? If you really want to pursue holiness and Jesus Christ you will most likely face dread in that path. You will have to encounter your demons to feel that sanctifying light. 13:00 Even the person that seems like they have everything together and is temple worthy has a lot of work to do on himself. 17:00 We need to humble ourselves without being compelled. We can go to the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit to know the depth of our weakness and insufficiency so that we can know the power and salvational abilities of Jesus Christ. It will be a radically transformational experience. 18:50 The temple endowment is an endowment of the priesthood. The significance of the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood. 22:00 The order of the priesthood is a group of people that are obtaining covenantal relationship intimacy with the Lord in degrees of intimacy. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ share their power with you as you become sanctified and fulfill their purposes. 23:00 The meaning of the order of the priesthood. The ordination is the authoritative invitation to enter into the order of the priesthood but you must do much more to sanctify yourself to share the power of God. That is the difference between being called and chosen. 24:50 Unpacking the temple endowment to understand priesthood theology 26:20 The covenant of the priesthood and becoming clean from the blood and sins of the generation. This is our primary call and covenant. 27:30 Magnifying one's calling and the connection to priesthood theology 35:20 Sacrifice, leadership, and the impact on relationships and redemption 39:00 The consequences of breaking covenant and the role of priesthood in delivering Christ's message 42:00 Applying covenant principles to leadership roles like Relief Society and Elder Quorum Presidents. Normally the things that the Lord wants us to do are things that we don’t want to do but that is where the power is unlocked. 45:30 When Adam and Eve were cast out, God said I will give you a savior and the law of sacrifice. We get to partner with Christ through our sacrifices. 46:40 Many are struggling with children that don’t want to participate in the covenant. What can they do? 49:00 When people leave the covenant. They haven’t seen how the gospel can work for them. Their testimony is not the problem; not experiencing redemption is the problem. 50:20 Are people leaving their Sunday feeling the redemption or like they haven’t been doing enough? There has to be a balance. We need to be careful on how we talk about repentance. 54:10 Going through a true repentance process and giving everything to Christ so that you can be transformed. Your own redemptive experience will magnify to others. 56:15 We are ALL sinners. Should we even use the word ‘serious’ in front of sin?

Over the last 45 years, Jim Ritchie has been the founder or principal of multiple business adventures, including serving as senior vice president for Franklin Quest (now Franklin Covey). He is a member of the Brigham Young University President’s Leadership Council for both Provo and Hawaii campuses, a member of the National Advisory Council for the Marriott School of Business, and has served as an adjunct professor at Provo. He has also served as a board member and NAC advisor to Southern Virginia University. Jim and his wife Carolyn Orton have spent over 20 years serving full time in Church service on four continents, including as bishop, stake president in Simi Valley, mission president in Roanoke, Missionary Training Center president in Ghana, Institute director in New Zealand, CES area director in Africa, regional representative in the Provo Region, director of the Willes Center at BYU-Hawaii, and most recently as the young single adult specialists for the Washington DC South Mission. The Ritchies have eight children and forty grandchildren. He is also the principal founder of the Ritchie Enterprises LLC which began in the late '60's, and part of The Ritchie Group, of which he says he is "the gray hair". Links Launching a Rising Generation of Leaders | An Interview with Steven Hitz and Michael Leonard There is already a discussion started about this podcast. Share your thoughts. Transcript coming soon Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 1:45 Jim shares his story. He got polio when he was 1 year old. When he started talking at two he had a stutter. Despite his impediments and inadequacies he was able to laugh it off and was in student leadership growing up. 4:45 He thought because of his problems that he wouldn’t serve a mission. He tried to run away but thanks to church leaders stepping in he ended up serving in Scotland. 6:30 Jim thought he would fail on his mission because of his stutter. He was the missionary that didn't speak until he got a companion that changed his life. 11:40 When Jim was about to come home from his mission in Scotland Elder David B. Haight gave him some advice. The formula for happiness and success is: Get up early Work hard Get your education Find your oil Make your mark in life Give back and serve others 13:05 The work ethic of Elder Haight 14:15 He was a limping, stuttering, chicken-farmer kid. In his patriarchal blessing it said that he would travel for the Church, have friends all over the world, and witness before many. Heavenly Father knows who we are and what we can become. 17:20 The organization of the mission. Jim was a mission president and applied a lot from what he learned from Elder Haight. 20:20 Give a kid a position, explain to him what it means to live up to it, and let him rise up to it and become a leader. Jim shares his leadership journey. 25:40 How can we be better mentors? Look at the story of Moses. 29:45 When Jim got home from his mission and went to BYU, got married, and had children. He started 27 businesses. 35:10 If he could go back in time and mentor himself as a new bishop. Jim shares what he learned from David Haight on his mission in Scotland and how it impacted his leadership in the Church. 43:50 The story behind getting called to be a mission president 45:40 Where do you start when becoming a mission president? 48:30 When a new missionary comes in how do you train them and get them into the culture of the mission? 50:00 Jim’s wife’s role in the mission 51:00 Striking up a balance between raising and mentoring your children and serving in leadership roles 54:00 How to get people on board and excited with new ideas, programs, and leadership? 57:50 Giving autonomy to mission leaders instead of giving orders. Creating a Zion mission. 1:01:30 Jim reflects on his life. By going on a mission and meeting David Haight it changed the course of his life.