Talmge sat down with Tori MacArthur, the cohost of God In All Things podcast. Her podcast looks at the gospel principles that can be found in literature like books and movies. One of her favorite episodes being The Sound of Music. Her ability to identify these principles came from both studying these classic works of art as well as looking at her own life. She shares her journey and the struggles of depression and loneliness she went through when she was RELEASED from her mission.
God In All Things
Remember, God is good and is planning on your success. And though you've been released from your mission, you haven't been released from your ministry.
Talmge sat down with Tori MacArthur, the cohost of God In All Things podcast. Her podcast looks at the gospel principles that can be found in literature like books and movies. One of her favorite episodes being The Sound of Music. Her ability to identify these principles came from both studying these classic works of art as well as looking at her own life. She shares her journey and the struggles of depression and loneliness she went through when she was RELEASED from her mission.
God In All Things
Remember, God is good and is planning on your success. And though you've been released from your mission, you haven't been released from your ministry.
Welcome back to another week's episode of Release the Podcast. Life is good, everyone. I'm excited to be here. I'm excited that you guys are listening. In this week's episode, we got to interview Tori MacArthur. She's great, she is wonderful. She actually has her own podcast, her and Kariana Kendall. They co-host a podcast called God in All Things and this is where they discuss gospel principles being found all throughout literature, whether it's in your favorite books or favorite movies that go in and identify those principles. So let's learn a little bit about her story of being released from her mission and how she got to where she is today. Remember, we're not, we're not going away. Okay, tori, thank you so much for being on Release the Podcast.
Tori:Yes, thank you for having me.
Talmage:Yeah, it's exciting, we've grown up together, or like in the same ward. And so we've known each other. I moved into that house when I was nine. Yes, and how old are you now?
Tori:I am now. How old am I? I'm 26. 26, okay, I'm 28. Okay, so you must have been seven. You must have been seven. Yeah, that's crazy. You're almost 20 years. Yeah, that's wild, that is wild.
Talmage:I'm really excited because you have a podcast that, like in the intro that I just did, kind of talks about the gospel and and like pop culture stuff, books and how a lot of times they parallel and how we can find different principles out of those books and we'll get into that a little bit later on. But first I want to ask about who you are, how were you were raised and why you decided to go on a mission in the first place.
Tori:Yeah, so I mean, like you said, we grew up together, so in Lehigh Utah, most of my growing up I think we only moved in a couple of years before you did so all of my schooling was there. I was born in Alabama and then spent a few years in Illinois, but then, yeah, kindergarten on up, so most of my formative years were in Utah and I was raised by a family who was active in the church. My parents are. You know them.
Talmage:Yeah, they're amazing, they're the best.
Tori:Yeah, they have an incredible job. I mean no parents perfect and no, you know situation, every child's different and we need different things. So I ended up learning a lot from them. Just, they did a really good job of not only teaching obedience but also teaching love of God and developing a relationship with him Maybe not directly, like they didn't ever directly say it, just the way they lived and I could just see that they not only wanted to do what was right, but they loved God and wanted to know more about him and grow closer. And so that's inspired me to be the same way and develop that testimony for myself. And I, yeah, I grew up and develop that testimony and conversion. And then I my decision to go on a mission was kind of like a it just kind of worked out kind of a story. So I was 14 when the mission age changed, and before that I was just kind of like, well, I'll just see where I'm at when that happens, like I just didn't think too much about it. I was also only 14.
Talmage:So yeah, yeah, you don't present, yeah, exactly.
Tori:But I was at the age where I was starting to a little bit more, you know, like starting seminary. It's like yeah it's coming up a lot more. And so I ended up hearing the age change and I was like, well, my birthday since September, like I'd literally just graduate high school and go. So it just yeah, it just worked out.
Tori:And I was just like, well, if God stops me, I'll stop, but I'll just kind of plan on it, and not long after that I actually got my patriarchal blessing and it basically says if you want to go on a mission, go ahead and you'll do a good job.
Talmage:Yeah, it's like there's no wrong answers here. It's up to you.
Tori:Yeah, it was just up to me, so I ended up deciding to just keep going with it. And then I suddenly was on a mission.
Talmage:That is awesome.
Tori:It was like okay, I guess I'm supposed to be here, so it worked out.
Talmage:Yeah, and Alabama, how was that?
Tori:Yeah, it was. I actually don't remember Alabama very well.
Talmage:Oh okay, illinois, Illinois, yes.
Tori:By the time we left Alabama, I was only like two, so it was very great.
Talmage:Oh yeah, sorry, I'm getting it mixed up right now. You're so fun. I thought you got called to Alabama.
Tori:Oh gosh, I got called to Michigan so it's still Midwest. Sorry about that. It's still the same line, okay, michigan, yes.
Talmage:Sick, so you got the call right after high school.
Tori:Yes, so I actually got it right before I graduated, so I was like one of the only girls that had to be like yeah, I got my call and I know where I'm going. So that was really exciting and, yeah, I left in September and it was just amazing. It's a beautiful state. We called it like America's best kept secret because you can't like drive through Michigan it's like this peninsula. You have to go to Michigan to go there. But it's so beautiful and there's such incredible things there. There's like the world's largest Christmas store.
Talmage:Oh wow, all dedicated to Christmas.
Tori:Yep all year round, so it's just a fun state and really good people. It's kind of has its own mini Bible belts a little bit, oh, really. Yeah, we called it the Michigan Bible.
Talmage:How was that? Being a missionary it?
Tori:was interesting. My very first area was Grand Rapids and that's actually where they print. A huge percentage of anti-Morgan literature is in Grand Rapids. So by the time I got there it kind of eased a little bit as far as antagonism to missionaries. But I know, like 10 years before I got there there were all these stories horror stories.
Talmage:Oh man, I bet everybody's really well versed in anti-Mormon doctrine and stuff.
Tori:Yeah, exactly, so it was kind of crazy, but it also was a great testimony builder, just challenging beliefs and thinking deeper about them, and that was a really good experience.
Talmage:Totally yeah. When belief is challenged, man, that's the beauty about faith is you can't just like no, but you just have to believe, make a choice to believe, and you're either rewarded for it or it kind of falls short. At least that's the theory and man, so many times, every single time, I've had that belief and like taken that leap of faith. I've been rewarded for it. Maybe not right in the moment.
Tori:Yes.
Talmage:So many times we have to be tested, but like I can look back at every single time I was like I took a leap of faith and I'm like, yeah, this blessing came from that and it like really confirmed my faith right there, and so that's awesome. Could you tell me a little bit about your mission and something that transformed you on the mission and experience you might have had?
Tori:Yeah, in preparation for chatting with you, I actually thought of two ones a little really short, and then the other ones a little bigger. I'll start with the longer one, but both of them really kind of combined to impact a lot of what happened to me after the mission. The first one was I was in my last area and it was my second to last companion, and I read in a magazine I don't even know which one it was, but it talked about missionaries asking God to send the spirits of people who are ready to receive the gospel and receive their covenants to help have them, help us find their posterity so that we could help them get those covenants most people and we were like that sounds so cool.
Tori:That is really cool One of those missionary things were like different way of approaching and it sounds really exciting.
Tori:So we were like let's just do it. So we started doing that and about a week later we got a text that was for someone who had requested a Book of Mormon in our area and it was actually someone who was like an hour away. And for those listening who don't know, missionaries have limited miles if you have a car, and so you can only go so far in a month. And so we were like that's kind of far. We were a little bit. We were STLs too, so we had to go to you know trade-offs.
Talmage:You had a lot about the responsibility. Yeah, exactly, we had to get around.
Tori:And so we were like I don't know, we'll just see, we'll call a couple of times and see if they really wanted.
Tori:And where they're at and stuff. And so we called a couple of times. They never answered. And then a few days later we called again and someone answered. But it was someone who did not speak English and like clearly had no idea what we were talking about and just hung up on us Because she was like who are you? Why are you talking to me? So we were like, okay, maybe we should just give up. And we were like no, you know what? It's the end of the month. We had surprisingly a lot of miles left over.
Tori:So, we were like, let's just give it one last ditch effort, we have time this week, let's just do it. So we drove out, as, like I said, like an hour away, and we drove out there and it was this area that was like covered in trees, like one of those neighborhoods where you feel super secluded.
Talmage:Just tucked away. Yes, exactly.
Tori:Like you're like there's other buildings around but you can't see them, and it's like winter, so it's nighttime and dark already outside and so we were like a little hesitant, but we're like it's fine.
Tori:So we stepped up and these dogs started barking at us and so the person inside came out. It was this woman and she asked us, very friendly. She was like what are you doing here? Can I help you? And we explained to her what we were doing there, that we had this text, that she had requested a birth of Mormon, and we were missionaries to bring it to her. And she just burst into tears and we were like what in the world? And she was just like we.
Tori:She's like I didn't request this book of Mormon, like that was not me. I've never been on this site that you're talking about. She like looked at the text. She's like yeah, that's my address, obviously, but like in my name, but it's not. I didn't do anything.
Tori:And she said but I had my sister pass away a month and a half ago and she said I've been praying that my sister would be able to show me a sign of her love for me and of Christ's love for me. And we just were so obviously, so surprised. But she invited us in and she was there with her partner living with it her and we just talked with them for a little bit and she decided not to continue visiting with us. But she said I will definitely read this book because I know my sister sent you to bring it to me.
Tori:And it was just such a special moment to realize that God's children are so busy on the other side of the veil. Like I think, sometimes we look at God's kingdom and see it as very slow, gradual, just every baptism, whatever. But God's so busy on both sides of the veil and he wants his children to be united and to have every opportunity of learning about him and his love, and so that was something that really touched me. The other one was, like I said, a very short experience, but it was more personal to me where I was. It was a door knocking day.
Talmage:Yeah, one of those days.
Tori:One of those days you're like, all I have planned is different street names.
Talmage:Yeah.
Tori:That's what we have, so we were going, but we did the, of course, the prayer before you pray a million times a day, yeah, you do.
Tori:It's great, and so we were praying before we started and my companion was saying the prayer, but I just had this overwhelming feeling and just started crying because I realized the part of my spirit that was hiding behind the veil wanted to go home to my parents, heavenly parents, and I just had never felt that overwhelming emotion, almost like this, the veil thinning for a second for myself, yeah, that I realized, like the spirit that's in me does want to be with her parents and wants to accomplish what they sent me here to accomplish, and so it just. I've thought back on that moment so many times, thinking about the fact not only are people around us trying to help us, but we have a part of ourselves that's we've forgotten, that also wants us to go home, and so God's presence is so much more in us than I think sometimes we realize when we're just going about our daily life.
Talmage:Yeah, man, I love those stories, like when you're telling me about the woman and her sister and she's just praying. I got chills just barely Because, like I know that, like your testimony of what you just shared is true, like I don't know, I'm feeling the spirit right now and so, and those, those moments on the mission are just undeniable. And writing them in a journal so that your future self can look back at it and be like, yeah, that happened, that miracle happened is amazing. Have you written it down?
Tori:I believe I did. I have not revisited my mission journals in so long. So I need to revisit and make sure, because I need to write it down, because it's one that stood out to me so much.
Talmage:That's so good. And now you have it on a podcast, yes, and so now it's recorded for somebody to hear. Perfect, oh, man, but also the story about you just like having that part of your spirit. That's like, oh, I can't wait to go see mom and dad again. That is beautiful Because, because they love us so much and who knows how long we were up there getting nurtured and taught by them and prepared.
Tori:We knew them so well.
Talmage:So well and so, yeah, we're going to have a part of us. That's like just aching to go back and like see them again and get a good hug from mom.
Tori:Yes.
Talmage:And so, oh man, I freaking love it. That is amazing. Okay, so you're in Michigan. You serve an amazing mission where you feel like you've you've grown, you've transformed in a way and your testimony has grown too. Let's go back to the last transfer, where they're doing like my plan Having you prepare to come home. What did you expect home life would be like, and what was reality?
Tori:Honestly, it was kind of interesting for me because I'm kind of a stubborn introspective person.
Tori:I guess is the best way to describe why I felt the way I did. And I had a lot of you know mission friends and other people that I knew from home who had returned from their mission and would say you know, like when you get home it's so much harder, you're not able to do all the things you do on the mission. You can't feel the spirit as easily as you did on the mission. And I heard a lot of that and I just ended up being like no, I'm not going to be like that. I'm actually going to just recognize that I can feel the spirit just as much. I just have to live my life differently than I do on my mission. Like, on my mission it's much more direct and it's going to take work. But like, just because I read the scripture less doesn't mean that God isn't, as it, involved in my life.
Tori:Like he's going. I just wanted to build up this testimony that God was going to be just as involved in my life as he was on my mission. I just had to make the choice to let him in Totally, and so I did. When I came home, like I did definitely have some depression spells that were pretty heavy, but I honestly had some on my mission too.
Tori:So, it was just a different focus that I wasn't as knowledgeable about how to handle yet, because it was a different world that I was stepping into, that I was experiencing those feelings, so I had to learn different ways to cope with it, but I felt like I was still just continuing my story. I think the hardest part was actually life wasn't happening as fast and my next steps weren't as clear as I expected them to be. Like on your mission, it's like you do these things every day and you have these plans for the next week and you have all of these things even for the next month and you know, and even up to my mission, like I said, I pretty much was just planning on going and so coming home, it was very like I don't have a clear path and I'm a planner. I have that for my mom. It's very bad. I need to know what's happening in my life and I just didn't.
Tori:And honestly, I got back six years ago now, which is crazy, and I still, like, am working through that, but I've been able to learn how to handle that better as time has gone on. But yeah, I would say definitely. The expectation was I'm going to keep doing it and I did. But then there were these other struggles, this other reality that I just couldn't understand. Yet that became something that was very central to my personal life struggles and trials.
Talmage:Totally. Do you feel like the lack of direction and purpose fed into the depression?
Tori:Yes, I definitely would say so. I think I just there was kind of this sense of like I don't know what my purpose is anymore in.
Tori:God's plan, like why am I here? And also just sometimes, you know, looking back on the mission, feeling like, okay, did I even mean anything? My presence there? It do as much as I wanted it to do. There was a lot of really hard areas in my mission that and, like I said, my patriarchal blessing said you could go and you do a good job, but you don't have to, and so there was very much this kind of sense of like did I accomplish what I wanted to accomplish while I was there and did I actually make a difference? And then now do I understand my purpose anymore? Do I understand where I belong in God's plan after coming home and just experiencing this new reality?
Talmage:So yeah, it is. It's so heavy. I can definitely relate to that. Was there ever a moment in your life where, like in those early days of being home from the mission, feeling lost, yeah, was there a moment that you could like pinpoint where you're like dang, life is hard. It's not what I thought.
Tori:Yeah, I think probably my first year at college there was, I just didn't. I really struggled to make friends and honestly, looking back, I'm surprised I wasn't worse, because I like had a friend but like part way through the year she was in her own major and so she started making these connections within her major and would go out with them a lot and so I just kind of I felt very isolated and I was down at Southern Utah University so it was far away from family.
Talmage:Away from family, exactly, and I have family and St George and high school friends.
Tori:Yes, I had family in St George but they're still like an hour away and so I just felt very isolated. And I remember one night just like crying and I actually I had never before talked to like my parents directly about the emotions. I was feeling Like we'd kind of talk generally about things and coping with things and it helped me but I had never like shared like how I was feeling in a given moment.
Tori:But I called my mom and just in tears and was like I don't know what to do, like I don't know what I where I need to go, I don't know if I need to stay here, like I just feel alone.
Tori:And I ended up she did her best to cheer me up when I was, it was just she. I could hear her heartbreaking for me over the phone. But I ended up just having this moment. I was just in my car crying, talking to my mom, and then I ended up hanging up with her and she had suggested me talking to my grandpa, who's a psychologist, and I talked with him a little bit and he gave me some tips on some things I could do and stuff and hung up with him. And then I just sat there just kind of pondering and amidst all of that I just felt this feeling of just just keep going. It's okay that you're miserable right now. Just don't give up on me. Basically, don't give up on your heavenly father and his plan for you and also appreciate for a moment the fact that you have these family members who care so much about you that they're just letting you cry to them at 10 o'clock at night, like they.
Tori:just you have these blessings and you just need to keep going and things will. You'll be where you need to be if you just trust me, and it was very comforting. And many times since then I've had similar experiences where I realized, like God's okay with the fact that I'm upset. He gave you a trial. He knows you're gonna cry about it. Probably you're gonna be upset. If you weren't, it wouldn't be a trial, so it's okay. He just doesn't want you to stop moving. He wants you to keep going.
Talmage:Wow, that's such a good way to put it. I love that he gave you a trial.
Tori:You're gonna cry about it.
Talmage:That's okay, cause a lot of people are like, oh man, I'm not handling this trial with a lot of grace.
Tori:Yes, I need to be more positive. I need to just trust him. But, you can trust him and still be upset that you're in a hard situation.
Talmage:Yeah, you can get slapped on the cheek and you can turn the other cheek, but it doesn't mean you need to smile while doing it. You could be like ow, even shed a tear, like that hurt, go for it. But yeah, that's a really good way to put it, man. And what do you think? So, like you got this answer saying like, just keep going. Sometimes all you have to do is survive, and that's what you decided to do, kind of take us through, kind of the fulfillment, or like the rest of that story.
Tori:Yeah. So, like I said, I mean I went through the rest of that first year of college and things pretty much stayed the same, but I did just keep going and I made it through. And then the second year I started off and I to begin with, from the beginning, was like oh no, not again, like I still don't really have any close friends I can hang out with and spend my time with, I don't know. And I did actually have probably like a month into that fall semester for my second year, I was like I think I'm going to transfer you. You Like I think I just need to be closer to family.
Tori:But while I was down there, I ended up having some roommates that were amazing. There were three of them plus me, so there were four of us total that just started hanging out all the time. We'd go out to things, we'd see movies together. This was 2019. And so it was a great time and I have developed just such a good, a better sense of self-worth through those friendships because of just how amazing they are. I'm still friends with them and hanging out with them all the time. So it was incredible and there was a part of me that was like maybe I should not transfer you to you.
Talmage:Yeah, maybe I should stay.
Tori:I ended up still transferring because they were all graduating like within the next year and I was like I'll still be alone again.
Talmage:So I wouldn't go.
Tori:But I made these great friendships and it was incredible because not only were they good for me and helped me feel less isolated and more connected, but also I know there were multiple times where my testimony impacted them and we've talked about it since, and every time I hang out with them, I feel like we're able to build each other up, and so it's this long. Lasting. It's helped me find my purpose and it's also helped me find a purpose of helping others, which has just been huge.
Tori:And then, even after COVID I mean we all just went home and finished- the year off that next semester we stayed in touch, like I said, and I definitely feel like God helped me keep going and then gave me that little dash. And then even after that, like I said, it's been six years and I still have some things that I'm like, oh, my path's not clear enough or I feel a little shaky on what I'm doing, but I've been able to handle it so much better because of little things that God keeps putting in my path, like I know there have been things even since then other friends and relationships, other opportunities that have come my way, that maybe I'm not where I want to be yet, but I am moving towards it and I know it's because God's made that possible.
Tori:Dang.
Talmage:I love it. That is amazing, and can you tell me a little bit about the story, kind of from this point to now when you had the idea to start this podcast about what's it called? Again?
Tori:It's called God in All Things, god in All.
Talmage:Things. Yeah, tell us the premise of it and then tell us the origin story?
Tori:Absolutely, yeah. So it's basically it's me and one of my best friends. We work together just discussing books and film and just gospel principles. You can learn from them, because we believe the light of Christ is in everyone and so, even if they're not maybe a member of the church or even religious, there's going to be nuggets of truth in everything, and I believe God wants to teach all sorts of principles in all sorts of ways, and that's not just in the scriptures. So that's what we discuss and it's wonderful. I actually got the idea. I think it was a little over a year ago. It would have been October of 2022.
Talmage:Okay.
Tori:And my friend. It's my friend Kariana. She was, I call her my COVID friend, my.
Talmage:COVID friend.
Tori:She ended up working at the same place I was working at because it was her COVID job.
Talmage:Oh nice.
Tori:Yes, while her job was closed, she moved over and we met and ended up hitting it off really, really well. She's actually my roommate now.
Talmage:COVID friendships. There's something different about them. You're like man. We went through a lockdown together. Yes exactly.
Tori:It means a lot. We were able to become friends while in lockdown.
Talmage:Exactly Like our friendship has bounded so many hurdles. It's like lockdowns, no problem.
Tori:Yep, we've got it, so yeah. So we ended up connecting during that time and then just became really good friends.
Talmage:We started doing Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City every year, so we've done three years of that now and it's so fun when we just go together as a participant or spectator, as a spectator.
Tori:So we'll go down and just spend a weekend seeing a whole bunch of plays, basically together, and it's so fun.
Talmage:Did you know I was part of that.
Tori:Really.
Talmage:In high school at Leahona Preparatory Academy. That was the LDS private school I went to before Lehi. We went down and we did a what's the one where it's two people talking. It's like a dialogue I can't remember. I have no idea, it's not a monologue, because that's one person but I did it with an older guy and we got three superiors, three out of three.
Tori:Wow.
Talmage:We definitely didn't deserve it. We were so bad. But I think the judges were just nice and they like took pity on me. You're right, and so, but it was fun. Yeah, in the Super City, yeah, super fun.
Tori:So yeah, so we go down and see the shows and it's really fun. So great friend. And she actually ended up going on a study abroad, a whole semester long study abroad in Peru in 2022. So she wasn't around, so I would just kind of text her every once in a while and see how she was doing. Neither of us are. It's amazing, honestly, now that you talked about going into lockdown and making friends. Yeah, because neither of us are very good at texting or like calling her at all. Same, same. It just somehow worked out. I mean, I think probably because we both know, like I know I don't text or call a lot, but I still like you.
Talmage:Yeah, it's like you're not taking it personal.
Tori:Exactly, we just both know. So anyway, we worked it out, but I did text her every once in a while while she was in Peru, and one day I was just thinking I was like man, I would really love to listen to a podcast that talked about gospel principles in books and film, because I already so I already had a YouTube channel where I just talked about books and I was like I would love to invite a little more gospel principles into that and have a study about that and would love to listen to that.
Tori:And I was like, well, maybe I could just do it. And I was like, probably not, but if I did I would. I know I would not be very interesting by myself, Like I know. I would need someone to talk to. I prefer podcasts that have like multiple people talking to each other.
Tori:So I was like, okay, let's, I'll text Kariana If I'm going to do it, she would be the one I would do it with, because that's our friendship really started on books. We just both love to read the same thing. So that's where it started and I was like, okay, this probably would never happen, but I just wanted to let you know because I think it sounds so cool in my head and just told her like my idea. And she was like, oh, my gosh, that would be so amazing. And then we just kind of like let it drop, yeah. And then, because she was still out of the country and whatever, and I was like, okay, and but then it kept like recurring to me and I was like, oh, it could be really cool. And I was like I don't know if I could do like. I had done, like I said, youtube videos, but video alone, without like audio separate and stuff. So like the editing aspect of it. I was nervous about it.
Tori:I was like I had very limited experience with it, and so I was like I don't know, but it kept coming back to me. So when she came back from Peru and we had our first like activity together, I was like okay, so I know that I said this was like a hypothetical, probably not, but actually I keep wanting to do it.
Talmage:Yeah.
Tori:Do you want to do it? And she's very much. Our friendship works so well Because I'm someone who comes up with really great ideas, but she's the one who's really good at just like going with it Making that happen, like yeah, yeah. Even like our new apartment, like getting it decorated I care more about it than she does. She was like I don't really care if we decorate, but I was like. I want to, I want to get pictures up, and I remember I actually had a surgery a few months ago.
Tori:So I was just like sitting on the couch and telling her. I was like by the end of this month I want to have like all our pictures up that I want to put up. And she was like, okay, and just like goes and starts trying to put them up. And I was like, whoa, whoa, I just had a surgery, give me a second.
Tori:So she's a very much a doer, oh that's awesome so it ended up working out that she was like okay, yeah, let's schedule a time, let's do this, and I was like okay, just the extra push I needed.
Talmage:Yeah.
Tori:We just ended up, starting it last June.
Talmage:June.
Tori:So it hasn't been even a whole year yet. That's awesome yeah.
Talmage:That's when I took my break. Oh really, I had to be kidding you, jim, so thanks for keeping it going. Of course, yes, absolutely, that is awesome, oh man. Okay, well, tell us about how it's been since June doing these episodes. You do them once every two weeks.
Tori:Yes, we started off every week but we realized movies and books and full times jobs and all the studying that went into making the episodes. We were like. I can't do it, so we broke it up.
Talmage:There's like part twos as well.
Tori:Yes, I usually do those within the same week, so it's usually Mondays and Thursdays if I have part one and two, and if it's just one part, I just do it on Monday of that week, and so, yeah, that's how we go about it and it's just been incredible, like I think. First of all, it's really built up our friendship.
Talmage:Really.
Tori:Just having that spirit involved.
Talmage:And like schedule time.
Tori:Exactly To just focus on each other and just discuss things that we both love. Like we love literature. We were well, she was an English major and history major and then I started off as an English major and then transitioned. But we both had that experience, both loved that and we have very analytical minds as well.
Tori:So we both just like chatting and discussing and we have very similar senses of humor, so we're able to band together and it's just really fun. So it's a really great blessing for our friendship. And then just I mean I've talked already about how the lack of purpose and the not clear cut path and stuff, but I feel like that and my YouTube channel have both really helped me just to find some sense of purpose and passion in my life that I think I otherwise would struggle a lot more than I do right now if I didn't have that. And then we've just been able to touch people. I mean it's not a huge audience yet or anything, which is totally fine, Because it's not about that for us.
Talmage:We just want to hang out, it's for fun, yeah.
Tori:We have been able to touch some people and really help them see God a little bit more.
Talmage:Like get messages from them telling you yes exactly. So that's amazing.
Tori:I know it's amazing.
Talmage:Oh man, so good. It is the best feeling to know that like what you're doing, because it is a lot of work. You're reading these books, watching these movies, writing up all of your thoughts and finding principles, and then recording it, then editing it, then publishing it. It's a lot of work, and so to have somebody like reach out and be like, hey, this part where you said this touched me so much, yes, like thank you, it's like, yeah, of course I'll do more, I'll do more.
Tori:I'll keep going. Yeah, I'll keep going. Yeah, it's so motivating.
Talmage:Oh man, what would you say has been your favorite episode?
Tori:That's so tricky, I feel like the one I keep coming back to. Even like within our episodes, I'll often harken back to our principle that we discussed in our I think it was our third episode for the sound of music. We did an episode on that, and in it we talked about a really interesting principle about weaknesses becoming strengths, but in a way where it's like your weaknesses in the right context can be a strength and it can lead you to fulfill God's will, even if in this other context it seems like a bad thing.
Talmage:Yeah, and it was just a really-. Did you explain what it was like in the movie? The sound of music and like how you drew that principle out.
Tori:Yeah, we just talked a lot about how the two main characters in that film. They're both very flawed individuals and we follow Maria, the main character, who is in a nunnery, but she's very free spirited and she, like, wants to be loud and dance and do musical things, and in the nunnery that's a no-no.
Talmage:Exactly. That does not work at all. We are stoic. Yes, we are holy and very reverent.
Tori:Yes, it's just very inappropriate. And so they have a whole song about how what are we going to do with her?
Talmage:basically.
Tori:And then she ends up being asked, invited, to be a governess for this family, this man who has seven children. His wife has passed away and when she goes there, these children are having a hard time.
Tori:Their father is very militaristic and intense and they don't feel that love connection. And so in that setting, this thing that was seen as a weakness in the nunnery becomes something that builds these children up and helps them feel safe at home again and helps them feel loved again, and it also softens the heart of their father so he can show them that love again. And so it's just amazing, this thing that seemed like a weakness actually was meant to fulfill her purpose. And then, on the flip side with him, he, like I said, is very militaristic and intense, but at the end they're running away from Nazis.
Tori:And at one point they're like okay, kids, you have to be quiet. And they are quiet, even the little tiny ones, and it's because they had a father who was very serious and stoic and taught them you need to be quiet. When I say you need to be quiet and so they were prepared to do that, and it's based on a true story too. So just seeing how these things that seem like a negative weakness in the right context that God prepares for us is actually exactly what we need, dang. It's amazing.
Talmage:That is powerful. That is powerful Because a lot of us will look at our personalities, our weaknesses, and we're like man. Why am I the way I am?
Tori:Right Like.
Talmage:God, what the heck, Why'd you make me this way? But then later on, hopefully we'll find that scene in an R movie, where that comes in handy to the point where it's like thank heavens he made me this way.
Tori:Yes, exactly, I couldn't have done it without that seeming flaw.
Talmage:Oh man, I love that. That is so good. Well, thank you, thanks for coming on and sharing this and telling us about your podcast, and I think it is such a cool project you're doing and I'm like dang it, why didn't I think of that? Oh, that's so cool. We all have to have different ideas. Yeah, we do.
Tori:You had this idea and I think this podcast is amazing.
Talmage:Have you done Star Wars yet?
Tori:No, that one's going to be tricky because she is a huge Star Wars nut. Oh, really, and she's had the stream of writing a book that was basically like gospel principles in Star Wars.
Talmage:So she's been a little like I don't want to give everything away yet.
Tori:Exactly she's like I want to just write my book, so I don't know if and when, but I know she wants to do something for me.
Talmage:Can I give you a principle?
Tori:I found in the Hobbit.
Talmage:Have you read the Hobbit?
Tori:Yes, I have, and that's actually our next series. No way so perfect, Perfect.
Talmage:well, here's a sneak peek for everybody that listens to or watches her YouTube channel. In the Hobbit, bilbo Baggins gets knocked out during the battle of five armies and he wakes up. And this isn't in the movies, this is in the book. Somebody's like hey, like Thorin is looking for you. And Thorin the entire book has been very. He just disregards Bilbo. He doesn't show him the time of day. He thinks he's a waste of space. He should have never come out on this quest with them. And so there's been a lot of hostility between the two. But Thorin is lying on his deathbed and Bilbo goes into his tent and sees the king under the mountain about to die and he goes up and Thorin's like take my hand. And he says I'm glad I can part this earth with you as friends. I now go to the waiting place in the mansions of my father until this earth is renewed. And when I read that I was like what the heck that is? The scriptures that is, and we all know JRR Tolkien is a Christian, but it was just so blatant.
Talmage:Yes, I was like I freaking love this. This, like to hear JRR Tolkien's testimony come out through one of his works is so cool and like, so powerful to me. I was like, yeah, I believe that too. And I was a little kid I was in middle school when I first saw that.
Tori:Okay.
Talmage:And so and it stuck with me and so, so cool. So if you wanna use that in your podcast, feel free.
Tori:Okay, I'm sure we will. I'm sure we'll keep it in mind.
Talmage:Yeah.
Tori:That is great.
Talmage:Yeah, that's so fun, it's beautiful, but yeah, tori, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Before we end, would you wanna just take a little bit of time and just to give any advice to these return missionaries that are freshly home or about to come home, and what advice would you give them?
Tori:I would say first of all, just remember that just because you're coming home from a mission and it's going to be different, that's all it is Is it's different? You still can have the spirit in your life. You still, even if you're not reading the scriptures as much, praying as much, you have the ability to invite God into your story, no matter what you're doing, even in the temporal aspects, in all of your schooling and work, he can be just as involved there as he was while you were on your mission. So don't feel like you have to give that up. And then the other thing, I think find a community. Like I said, I felt very isolated and I think I could have done more to find things, but even at that time I had my YouTube channel and there's a great community on there for book lovers.
Tori:And I connected with a lot of people on there and still am friends with them, and that probably makes a huge difference as well, because God didn't put us on this earth to be alone. That's one of the key doctrines from the Garden of Eden is that we aren't meant to be alone, and so find a community and invite God in. I would say it would be my two biggest tips.
Talmage:I love it. Yeah, only things we take with us are our experiences and relationships, so I love it. Well, where can people find you if they wanna go listen to your podcast?
Tori:Yes, so we are on all of the general podcast channels, so God in all things with Tori MacArthur and Kariana Kendall. There's a couple other God in all things sort of podcast, so it has a white album covered and it's with Tori and Kariana. And you can also see us on YouTube at God in all things, and then on Instagram as well. We have a page that we post on and we're getting our gears in order, so we're posting on it more, so you can check us out there as well.
Talmage:Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being on.
Tori:Thank you again. This was amazing.
Talmage:Yeah, and you heard the worst, worst kind of day. Remember we're not, we're not going away, a thousand miles apart between you and me. Remember we're not, we're not going away. Thank you guys, so much for listening to this week's episode of Release the Podcast. It was awesome having Tori on. She's wonderful, seriously, such great stories and insights and an awesome mission that she's doing. She is continuing her ministry even though she's been released from her mission and thank you everybody for being a part of this.
Talmage:For everybody that has written reviews who have rated the podcast, thank you so much. It goes a long way. I just want to point out one of the reviews I saw. This was from Missionary Mom. She says being the mom of a returned missionary, a current missionary and a future missionary.
Talmage:Thank you, beyond the advice of support given here to Missionaries, thank you so much for just putting something so positive into the world. Thank you so much, honestly that ah man, I love reading these reviews and it really, it really helps. It really does Not just it to get a better algorithm response and for more people to find it, but it helps me just to keep going. So thank you again, missionary Mom. Once again, I just want to put the call out there. If any of you know somebody that has a great story that you know needs to be shared, or if that person is you, please reach out. You can contact us at releasethepodcastatgmailcom, or you can just reach out to me on Instagram at released underscore the podcast, or just tellmagethane and remember God is good and is planning on your success and though you've been released from your mission, you've not been released from your ministry.