April 27, 2025 • 48 mins
When pillars of certainty crumble, is it possible to rebuild something even stronger in their place?
When two trusted ward members announced they were leaving the Church, newly called bishop Scott Brandley was rocked to the core. Overnight, the man called to strengthen spirituality in others found himself wrestling with his own doubts, spiralling into a crisis of faith, and stripping his testimony down to five essential questions around God, Joseph Smith, and The Book of Mormon.
In this special milestone episode of Latter-day Lights, the tables turn as beloved host Scott steps into the guest chair. With candor and humility, he shares the origins of how prayer-filled walks, sleepless study sessions, and Heaven-sent impressions rebuilt his faith while igniting two unexpected missions along the way: launching this very podcast, "Latter-Day Lights," and penning his new upcoming book, “Faith to Stay.”
From shepherding a ward through turbulent times, to teaming up with co-host and good friend Alisha Coakley to invite growth, instill faith, and inspire others, Scott’s journey is proof that God can use cracked foundations to plant pillars of testimony. It reminds us all that even in our most fragile moments, He is plotting our legacy behind the scenes.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Alisha Coakley (00:00):
Hi everyone, I'm Alisha Coakley.
Scott Brandley (00:02):
And I'm Scott Brandley.
Every member of the church hasa story to share, one that can
instill faith, invite growth andinspire others.
Alisha Coakley (00:10):
On today's episode we're going to hear how
deep-seated doubts, toughgoodbyes and a personal crisis
of faith led one bishop to bringlight to the world.
Welcome to Latter-day Lights.
Hey everyone, welcome toLatter-day Lights.
(00:37):
If you are a regular listener,I'm sure you are probably a
little confused by our introstoday.
They are not what they normallyare and you might be thinking
we're missing a guest, but infact we're not.
I am very excited because wehave turned the tables and Scott
Branley is going to be ourofficial guest today.
Scott, welcome to the show.
Scott Brandley (00:55):
Well, thanks, Alisha, it's great to be here.
Alisha Coakley (00:59):
So, guys, we're really excited.
Scott and I have been talkingabout doing this episode for a
little while and we've been justreally looking forward to being
able to share with you, kind of, some of the things that
happened that brought Latter-dayLights to fruition, what's
happened since then, and what iscoming up very, very soon.
(01:22):
So, scott, I'm going to goahead and just kind of let you
start.
Why don't you tell everyone youknow, let's go all the way back
to the very, very beginning.
Scott Brandley (01:34):
Okay, so my name is Scott Branley.
I'm one of the hosts ofLatter-day Lights, the podcast
you're watching right now.
Latter-day Lights, the podcastyou're watching right now.
I have four kids and rangingfrom ages 24 to 15.
And I'm Canadian by birth, butI became an American citizen
(01:58):
several years ago and I live inUtah, in Ogden.
I run a software company calledshopperapprovedcom.
We do online ratings andreviews for e-commerce websites.
Most people don't know what Ido for a living, but I don't
think I've ever actually saidthat on the podcast.
Alisha Coakley (02:17):
I don't think you have.
Yeah, I think it was the firsttime.
Scott Brandley (02:20):
Yeah, so I've been an entrepreneur my whole
life.
Yeah, so I've been anentrepreneur my whole life and
ever since I was a little kid Iused to.
My first business was a lawnmowing business and I was so
little I couldn't reach the toprung on the lawnmower.
So I pushed it on the middlerung and back then.
They didn't have safety thingslike they have on lawnmowers,
(02:41):
right.
They didn't have that rubberthing on the back to protect you
.
They didn't have auto shut offLike once you turned it on you
were just going for it.
So, anyway, that was my firstbusiness and I've just.
I've had businesses my wholelife.
I've it's been.
It's been a fun ride, lots ofups and downs, but it's been a
(03:01):
good time.
Alisha Coakley (03:08):
So, yeah, that's about me.
I love it.
Well, one of the things thatyou didn't mention, though, in
your intro, scott, was the factthat you were also an author.
You have some business booksout there.
We are going to be talkingabout your new book coming out
today on this podcast.
It's not coming out today, butwe're talking about the new book
.
So, yeah, tell us a little bitabout writing and what that's
been like for you.
Scott Brandley (03:28):
Sure, so I've written or co-written several
books.
Now my latest business book ifanyone even cares, but it's
called Reputation King and it'sabout how to get a better online
reputation right, because I'min the rating and review space
(03:50):
but I started writing a churchbook well, a book about faith.
In 2016 is when I actuallystarted writing it, and it's
done, finally, in 2025.
So it only took me nine years,no biggie not big deal at all.
Alisha Coakley (04:09):
I'm realizing that I'm on six years for my
book, so that makes me feelbetter knowing that I have three
more years.
Scott Brandley (04:14):
I can procrastinate though yeah, you
got lots of time, don't worryabout it but now.
Alisha Coakley (04:19):
but it doesn't always take you that long,
apparently, right, right.
Scott Brandley (04:22):
No, you were a lot faster with it, so actually,
just before I got on thispodcast, I finished the
semi-final draft of my next book, which is called cashflow Kings
.
Um, and it's a business book,but that one only took me about
a month and a half to writebecause I used AI to help me
(04:45):
it's pretty cool what you can dowith AI nowadays.
Alisha Coakley (04:50):
I agree, especially if you're going to do
a business book.
I feel like you don't reallyneed to have the clout of being
an amazing writer.
You just need to get theinformation out there the right
way that can help people.
So go do it.
Scott Brandley (05:01):
Yeah, I used it kind of like an assistant, so I
would feed it things and thenI'd ask it to give me things
back and I'd tell it what Iwanted it's been, it's been
really helpful.
I mean, it cut it down fromthat book should have taken me
at least six to eight months wowit cut down the time
significantly and you it itreads really well.
(05:24):
You can't tell that I didn'tjust write the whole thing.
I did write a lot of it and Iedited a lot of it, but it
definitely helps to cut thelearning curve.
Alisha Coakley (05:34):
That's cool.
Well, I might have to take thatunder advisement.
So yeah, All right.
Well, Mr Brantley, let's, let'stake it away.
Where does your story begin?
Scott Brandley (05:47):
let's let's take it away.
Where does your story begin?
So it starts in 2014.
I talked a little bit aboutthis back when I did that first
interview with you three or fouror something it's pretty early
on.
Alisha Coakley (05:59):
so anyone who's newer just don't even watch that
one, just watch this one.
Scott Brandley (06:07):
Yeah, so I was a new bishop.
I got put in in 2014.
And I was 39 at the time andyou know, things were going
really well and I felt confidentin my calling.
I was excited, my faith wasstrong, or so I thought.
(06:30):
And one day, about maybe acouple months after I got put in
, I had a couple come in andthey told me that they were
going to leave the church and itit floored me because this
couple was, I mean, they'd goneon missions, they had served in,
(06:51):
you know, calling she.
She had been a Relief Societypresident.
Um yeah, it was.
It was a shocker.
And when they told me why, umit had to do, they said it had
to do with um the essays thatthe church had published back
then, where the church wastrying to clear the air and, and
(07:13):
you know, try to, um, just geteverything out in the public so
that there was no nothing thatanybody could could use against
them.
Really, you know right so Ithought it was actually a really
good thing that they did that,but I had never heard of it at
the time and so then that nightI was already like super
stressed because they had justtold me that and I told them
(07:36):
well, I was that I would go andsee if I could help them find
answers.
And so I went home that nightand I read every single one of
those essays back to back andthat was a lot to take in in one
shot and it really threw me.
It was like a double whammybecause they had just told me
(07:57):
that and then I just read allthis stuff and I knew I mean
growing up in the church kind ofhad heard like bits and pieces
of it but just never heard itall in one shot like that.
And honestly it kind of threwme into my own faith crisis as I
was trying to help them withtheir faith crisis, and I
(08:21):
started to really panic at thatpoint because I realized my
whole life is built around myfaith.
Alisha Coakley (08:30):
Yeah.
Scott Brandley (08:32):
And I was the bishop at the time, so people
were counting on me.
They were leaning on me fortheir faith, kind of you know,
as the leader, the leader and myfamily, my friends, every I
mean every decision you make ifyou're an active member of the
(08:52):
church, you really don't thinkabout just how many things that
you do impact your life that arebased on the church right, Like
on your faith.
It's just crazy, but I startedto realize just all of the
repercussions that would happenif, if I didn't figure this out.
And so I went on several walks,I said a lot of prayers, and it
(09:16):
was over the course of about aweek, and I got this impression
one day too, that I needed tobreak my faith down into its
most basic elements and then putit back together piece by piece
.
And if all the pieces madesense, then you know that would
help me get my testimony back.
(09:37):
And so I did that.
And the very first questionthat I had to answer was was is
god real?
Like I went to that point,right from being the bishop of
the ward to asking if god wasreal sorry, did you like talk to
(09:58):
darla, like your wife, aboutany of this?
Alisha Coakley (10:01):
you just kept it like you like,
compartmentalized, and just keptit to yourself.
Oh my gosh, that'd be so hard.
Scott Brandley (10:07):
Yeah, it was a rough week for sure.
And so I'm like, okay, well, Iknow I know a lot about God,
right, growing up in the church,and so like, well, if I'm
really gonna, if I'm reallygonna take this seriously, I
gotta, I gotta see if there'sanything valid in evolution,
because I've in my mind that wasthe only other option, and so I
(10:29):
just did a deep dive intoevolution and for hours I would
just look in, just like readwhatever I could find, watch
videos, um, and just kind ofresearch and see if there's any
smoking gun, anything that Icould find that would convince
me that evolution had legs.
(10:51):
I guess you could say and at theend of it I just couldn't find
anything.
In fact I found through all ofthat, I found three things,
three reasons that really gaveme cause for concern.
And anyway I wrote.
(11:11):
I write that all about thosethings in my book, but at the
time I hadn't came up with theidea of writing the book, so it
just happened Right, but anyway.
So I went through that and like, okay, I know, evolution isn't
a thing for sure.
Now and so I can add that backinto my testimony bucket, I
(11:32):
guess you could call it, and Idid that.
I had five questions that Ibasically asked myself and one
of them was, you know, real?
The next one was is jesuschrist real?
Is he the savior of the world?
Um is.
And then the next one was isjoseph smith a prophet?
(11:54):
Is the church true?
And then, is the book of mormontrue?
Those are kind of my five bigrocks that I had to put back in
my bucket and I, you know, as Iprayed and I thought and I read
and I watched, like I just wasable to put those rocks back in
(12:14):
my bucket and at the end of thatI, my faith, was back and so I
was good right, but it waspretty stressful there for a
while yeah and then, um, alittle while later, I had
another couple come to my officeand say they wanted to leave
(12:36):
the church.
So then I'm like what, the what?
Alisha Coakley (12:39):
the heck's going on right.
Scott Brandley (12:41):
Like way to start out as a bishop yeah, and
these guys same thing like superactive.
You know um was it the same?
reasons like no something elseokay no, this was.
This is different.
So this time, um, they hadmoved out of state for a while
(13:04):
and um, the, the, the lady, thesister, she, for whatever reason
, um didn't like going to herward, and so she would.
Instead of going to church shewould have home church, I guess
you could call, where she wouldjust kind of look up things
(13:26):
online and kind of study herscriptures and things that way.
But over time she started to goto different websites and
different things to findinformation and it just let her
down some paths that eventuallyhelped, you know, cause her to
(13:48):
lose her testimony, I guess youcould say.
And then she brought in herhusband and they kind of
commiserated and and eventuallythey both lost their testimonies
and then left the church, so itwas rough, but I tried my best
(14:12):
to try to get both those couplesto stay and they ended up
leaving.
They ended up taking their kidswith them.
Alisha Coakley (14:19):
It was really hard.
Scott Brandley (14:20):
So that's kind of the beginning of my book.
The way the book came about isone day I went on a walk, and
this is after both.
This is two years later, sothis is in 2016.
I went on a walk one daybecause I go on a lot of walks
(14:43):
just to think, and as I'mwalking, completely out of the
blue, I get this impression thatI'm supposed to write this book
.
And right after I got thatimpression, all the chapters of
the book just flooded into mybrain within and.
I knew exactly what I wassupposed to write the book about
and I knew all of the chaptersin the book and so I got.
(15:03):
So I got home and I wrote it.
I wrote it down, you outlinedit.
Chapter outlines.
And then at that point I juststarted writing.
So it's been nine years since Istarted that process, but it's
finally done and I think it'spretty cool that you know how
(15:27):
it's all come together.
Alisha Coakley (15:28):
So yeah, and it's really good, like I.
So Scott has been so kind tolet me read his book and I'm
just like, oh my gosh, like it'sjust brought things to light.
That one, either I think Imight've known or felt on a
subconscious level, but I justdidn't like have it ever at the
forefront of my mind.
So it was cool to break it andlike, oh yeah, okay, that makes
(15:50):
sense.
And then other things are justcompletely like, oh my gosh,
that's amazing.
I never thought of that and youknow, like it.
It's, especially when you liketalk about like different, like
scripture things and stuff likethat.
I don't want to spoil too much,but, um, it's uh, just, I mean
it's, it's really easy to read.
I love that.
It's just so like quick withlike here's your facts.
Like you don't you don't drawit out in forever, cause you're
(16:13):
just like no, like people arereading this.
They just want to like get theinformation.
Let's go, let's get it.
And and it just really makesyou like sit back and be like,
wow, the gospel is so commonsense, like the, the teachings
of the church are so commonsense, and like any other
religion that's out there orwhatever else, like like God's
(16:36):
working with super imperfectpeople, and so there are going
to be like messy things maybethat have happened and stuff,
but like the core of the gospel,a hundred percent, true, like a
hundred percent.
Like you can't, I don't know.
You just set up such a greatcase for it, right?
So I I've loved it.
Yeah, so well.
And so in writing a book, Imean in that nine year period,
(17:00):
you, you had to do somethingwith it and you were thinking
I'm going to publish this bookright.
Or I need to meet with people,I need to do something.
So take us to you know, likewhat happens next?
Like you're in the process, Idon't think you were completely
done.
You were mostly like getting italong and stuff, because that's
what it is.
Scott Brandley (17:21):
I had come up with what I thought was the
final version, and I was gettingclose to the final version, and
that's when, I think Clarissacame home from her mission right
.
Alisha Coakley (17:34):
Yes, yeah, yeah.
Scott Brandley (17:36):
Yeah, and you had moved to Elko and you were
Clarissa's young women's leader,right?
Yes, you were Clarissa's youngwomen's leader, right?
Yes?
So my daughter went on hermission to.
Sacramento, and so we went topick her up and on the way back
(18:00):
we stopped to say hi to Alishaand John and we started talking
about books and how I waswriting this book.
And she's like well, hey, I'mwriting a book too, and there's
this LDS conference for peoplethat write books.
Alisha Coakley (18:14):
Yeah, the LDS PMA.
Scott Brandley (18:16):
Yeah, the LDS PMA, and I'm like, oh, that
sounds cool.
So I bought a ticket and thenwe were going to go and then
Alisha called me up and shesounded like she was going to
die.
Alisha Coakley (18:32):
I felt like it too.
It was pretty bad.
Scott Brandley (18:34):
So she couldn't go to the conference, but she
still wanted to try, and I'mlike don't do it.
Alisha Coakley (18:42):
I had COVID and it was like right at the tail
end, when everyone was like notfreaking out quite as much, but
they were still like you know,everyone was still kind of crazy
one way or another.
Scott Brandley (18:51):
So, yeah, I was like I could try to go, but I
don't think I'll be blessed forthat, right yeah.
So I went by myself and it'sactually really cool.
I mean, if you're a little plugfor them, if you're writing a
book, I would highly recommendgoing to it.
Is it just once a year?
Alisha Coakley (19:09):
Yeah, so usually like around October-ish is when
they have it.
But yeah, it's anything.
So it's LDS Publishing, mediaand Arts Is it Arts yeah and
Arts.
Yeah, so it could be.
I mean just anything with that,right?
So if you're podcasting, ifyou're making movies, you're
(19:29):
doing music, you're doing, youknow, like actual art, artwork,
stuff like that, yeah, they'vegot lots of resources and people
that have classes andnetworking and it's just, it's
awesome it's just, it's awesome.
Scott Brandley (19:50):
So, yeah, yeah, and it was really good.
Um, I learned a lot and one ofthe cool things that they do
there for publishers is they dothese little mini pitches with
the publishing companies andthat was really fun to to pitch
my book.
I had a lot of a lot ofinterest in it, but I was, I was
all by myself, so I was havinga little bit of a pity party.
And the second day I went,that's when the pity party
(20:13):
really kicked in and I went tolunch by myself and I sat at a
table by myself and then thisgirl came over and sat by me and
she had written a book calledearly homecoming and I you know
we're talking about her book.
She had published it, um, and Iasked her well, how do you get,
(20:36):
how do you get your book out?
And she's like well, I starteda podcast for people that come
home from their missions earlyand that's how I, how I get it
out there, and I've created kindof this community to help
people that you know, helpmissionaries that come home
early, give them a soft landing.
(20:56):
And so then after the lunch, Ijust I decided to leave early
and I drove home and as I'mdriving home, I just had this
idea you know, somebody reallyneeds to make a place where
people can tell their stories offaith and inspiration, even
like their struggles, becausemost members of the church, they
(21:21):
have amazing stories, but theyhave nowhere to share them.
They can tell their families,they can write them in their
journals and they can give themin a talk, but that's pretty
much it.
Like you, don't?
You only get to share yourstories of faith and inspiration
or tragedy or whatever comedy.
Whatever your stories are, youdon't get to share them outside
(21:42):
of those limited spaces.
And as I'm thinking about this,I'm like I think Heavenly
Father wants me to do this.
It's just so random, like Inever ever thought about doing a
podcast.
Alisha Coakley (21:58):
You're going to be somebody.
Scott Brandley (22:00):
Yeah, and so then I'm like, okay, well, I'm
really boring.
I don't think anyone would justwant to listen to me every time
, so I need somebody that's funand spunky and got a little bit
of an attitude, and Iimmediately thought of Alisha.
So I got home, I called you andasked you if you wanted to be
(22:25):
part of it, and you're like,yeah, I'm in, let's do it.
And so we decided to give it ashot.
So then we started.
Alisha Coakley (22:35):
Yeah.
Scott Brandley (22:35):
Which was kind of a fun experience in itself.
I mean, you could probably kindof tell that part.
Alisha Coakley (22:41):
Yeah, it was really fun and I was super
excited because I just loved theconcept, Like I'm such a
storyteller and a story listener, Like.
So when you, when you broughtthat up, I was like that is
genius, you know, and I know,especially cause, like you were
saying, like even in church youdon't actually get to share your
whole story.
It really has to be a firesideor like a big event where you
(23:03):
can have the full, you know, 45minutes to an hour or longer to
share your whole story, toreally get it across to people.
And so, even if people share,share little blips in their
testimony, it just wasn't thesame and I loved that you had
this idea.
I was like this is amazing,Like I a hundred percent on
board with it.
I think it's so needed in theworld and I know at the time too
(23:26):
, Mormon Stories is that thepodcast?
It's like anti-Mormon oranti-LDS.
I know they were getting sometraction.
People knew about that and soyou're hearing the flip side.
Right, you had people going onsharing their stories about
leaving the church and about anynegative feelings or thoughts
or experiences that they had hadas members, and so for about
you know any, any negativefeelings or thoughts or
experiences that they had had asmembers and and and so for me,
(23:50):
I thought this is a great way tolike build up the arsenal for
good, right, Like to like add tospreading light.
And and I think it was funnybecause, you know, we didn't
have the name for the podcastoriginally, like you had the
idea, we didn't have the namefor the podcast originally, like
you had the idea.
And so we just, uh, we went outto dinner with our spouses and
(24:13):
we sat down and we were justkind of collaborating, like,
like what can we do?
What you know, what we name it,how you know how's it going to
look, whatever else.
And I remember, uh, so John hadsaid so, my husband had said, um
, he's like, have you ever seenlike one of those candle
lighting ceremonies?
So he grew up in a differentfaith, like as a Baptist, and
they have these sometimes, theseceremonies where everyone gets
(24:36):
a candle Right, and then, like,their pastor will be on stage
and they'll shut the lights offinside, like a big auditorium,
Right, so when the candle, onlythe pastor has his candle lit,
and so they turn off all thelights and they take the one
candle from the pastor and helights a candle and then
everybody who lights a candlelights other people's candles
and it's like in just a matterof seconds it just lights the
(24:59):
whole room.
It's like you know, like youhave no idea how quickly just
one flame can like spread light.
And so we were like, oh my gosh, Latter-day Lights, that would
be so cool.
And we I mean it just kind ofall clicked, Like you were
saying, like it's just likeeverything sort of came together
, Like the music we picked forthe intro, our little logo with
(25:21):
our little flame.
You know the colors, even thatwe talked about doing it.
Just it just all felt very led.
You know, um, the colors, eventhat we talked about doing it,
just it just all felt very led.
You know, almost like we werediscovering what heavenly father
wanted to do.
It's not like we were trying tocreate it and like get his
approval, you know it was so.
It was just kind of cool and um, and so it took us, uh, you
(25:41):
know, from we started in Octoberon like working all of the
things and putting it together.
We started like finding guestsand recording a podcast so that
we can have something in thebucket to launch, so that we
could build up more guests lateron.
And, um, I have to say it is.
I remember those first fewepisodes were like we have like
(26:04):
200 views.
We were so excited and then weget.
You know, we get halfway a yearand a half in, or so.
We had Vinnie Tolman come on andnext thing, you know it's like
50,000 views, and it was justcrazy to see how, like this
little idea, this littleinspiration, had just grown like
(26:29):
exponentially.
You know, and I mean we haven'teven hit like the super popular
status like with some of theother, like the comeback podcast
or something like that, youknow, like some of the really,
really well-known ones, like westill have room to grow for sure
, but the growth that's happenedhas been fantastic and, um, oh
my gosh, the guests that we'vehad on, I know, you and I both,
(26:50):
we have made new friends, wehave networked, we have, I mean,
our testimonies themselves havegotten so solid.
I think for me too, my, mycompassion and my understanding
of other people has grown.
Like I feel like I cangenuinely look at people in in
so much more of a Christlikemanner than I used to be able to
(27:12):
, and I thought I was doing agood job back then.
Scott Brandley (27:14):
Right, and now it's like.
Alisha Coakley (27:16):
No, like, I just it's.
It's really neat to see how,how many things have trickled
down from such such a tough.
I mean, because it reallystarted from people leaving the
church.
You know, like, and it's.
We were talking about this whenwe were prepping for this
podcast.
(27:36):
We said it's amazing how evensomething like that, heavenly
Father, can work to our good.
You know so, if it like it wastheir decision.
I don't think Heavenly Fatherwanted them to our good.
You know so, if it like it wastheir decision, I don't think
heavenly father wanted them toleave the church per se or
anything.
And who knows where they're atnow, like, maybe they've come
back, we don't know.
But just that decision was suchan impactful moment for you,
(27:56):
heavenly father's, like, let'suse this, let's, let's.
You know, okay, that thatfamily left, you know, needs two
families left which, if theydecide to stay gone, could
affect generations.
All right, we're gonna, we'regonna offset, right, like all
that right now.
We gotta now, we gotta tip thescales back over to good and
(28:17):
I'll tell, tell everyone,because I just feel so proud
about this, tell them how wegauge our analytics and where
we're at now.
Scott Brandley (28:28):
No, I don't know why, but when we were first
starting out, we hit 20,000people that had watched our
podcast.
And for some reason I looked uphow many people does the
conference center hold?
And it holds about 20,000people.
Some reason I looked up howmany people does the conference
center hold, you know, and I'mlike, and it holds about 20 000
people.
(28:48):
I'm like, okay, we filled theconference center.
That's pretty cool.
And so ever since then we'vebeen measuring our growth in
conference centers weessentially can put on what nine
now we've had I, so it'sactually been 21 oh, 21, that's,
right, yes, yeah, we filled upthe conference center 21 times.
(29:12):
That's pretty cool that's likephenomenal feeling like filling
up the conference center withwith stories of hope and
inspiration.
You know like it's just, it'sjust so cool to be able to give
that back to Heavenly Father andbe like hey, here's all this
light that all these people havebeen able to experience in
(29:33):
their life.
We love you, you know we loveyou, Heavenly Father.
Here's this gift.
Like it's just this is cool, youknow.
Alisha Coakley (29:41):
It's really cool and it's neat because, like I
like one, I love that thatyou're officially, officially
done with your book now.
Um, because it's right on thecusp of our third year
anniversary.
So is it the 15th?
I believe is when we had ourfirst launch, may 15th, I think
I think so yeah, it was um, but,but either way, definitely in
(30:06):
may.
It maybe it's the fifth, but butit's definitely in may was our,
was our first episode.
That was that came out, and nowhere we are again and it's
three years into it to know thatin three years we were able to
fill the conference center 21times at 20 000 people apiece,
(30:27):
and just being able to get otherpeople's stories out, cause
it's not even about us, right,like?
Not about, like.
Obviously this story is yourstory, you know right now.
But but, it's about.
all the other stories are outthere and it's great because
they're still being watched.
They're still being seen.
Like there's people that arefinding the podcast and then
they're loving this story, sothey go all the way back to the
beginning.
They start watching all theseguests.
(30:48):
It's like the gift that keepsgiving almost you know and it's
it's so cool to know that, likethat, that heavenly father, like
let us be a little tool in inthat process and um, and I've
loved that from the verybeginning, like we definitely we
agreed like this is amissionary thing, Like this
(31:09):
isn't a, this isn't a an incomeearning thing for us, Right, so
we don't get paid for thepodcast, you know, we're not
going to capitalize on it oranything like that and and it's
just been something that that wecan just like do with love and
get to meet these people andhear their stories and spread
(31:31):
light, and it's just been so.
It's been so amazing.
So I love that.
I want to, I want to let youtalk to our guests a little bit
about this.
Speaking of gifts, this giftthat you are wanting to give,
this next gift how many do youhave?
Scott Brandley (31:51):
yeah, well, I first before I get to that.
I do agree like this has been adefinitely been a labor of love
.
It's been a ton of work,countless hours of work to put
this on and we, we don't pay.
We actually pay to do it, wepay to make this happen, but
(32:15):
it's a small price for the, forthe blessings that it brings to
the, hopefully to people thatwatch it Right.
Alisha Coakley (32:22):
Yeah, absolutely .
Scott Brandley (32:24):
And when I got the impression to write my book
it's called Faith to Stay andwhen I got the impression to
write it I also felt like that'sthat I shouldn't make money
with it.
I got that same feeling, likethis was a way to do missionary
(32:44):
work, to give back to God.
And so I'm actually going togive my book away both the
digital version and the audioversion and then I will put it
on Amazon.
But if I make any, any revenueor any profit from it, I'm
donating 100% of that to theMarkovia project, which they
(33:07):
don't know that yet.
Alisha Coakley (33:09):
Oh, so excited.
Scott Brandley (33:12):
And for anyone of you that have watched our
podcast, um, we've we've kind oftaken them under our wings and,
uh, we've grown with them.
They they're a nonprofit inMarkovia, honduras, that have
helped I think it's like over100 kids now be able to go to
(33:35):
school, and then they've helpedmany families with microloans to
start businesses and it's justbeen really fun to watch them
grow.
Any profits I make from thebook will go to help their cause
, so they're going to love that.
Alisha Coakley (33:50):
That's amazing, yeah.
And guys, like I said it's it'sjust so good, it's just so good
and so easy to read, and and Ifeel like it's one of those ones
where, like you really can justlike stop in the middle, put it
down for a second and likethink, you know, like you don't
really lose your spot oranything, but you're just kind
of like huh, and I had to dothat through so many parts, so I
(34:13):
was like wait a minute, youknow.
Scott Brandley (34:18):
Did you try the?
Did you try the experiment whenChrist comes into the room?
Alisha Coakley (34:23):
I have not done that one yet.
Scott Brandley (34:25):
Cause when I read it.
Alisha Coakley (34:26):
I wasn't like in a place where I could do it,
but that's on my to-do list.
Thank you for reminding me,actually, because I kind of
forgot about it.
Scott Brandley (34:34):
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Yeah, there's a lot of reallyfun things, things that you
normally wouldn't think about orread, but they're very thought
provoking, very faith building.
Alisha Coakley (34:50):
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Oh, I just I like to that.
I feel like it helped me, likeI didn't have to go do all the
nine years of research and allthe putting it together and like
making it coherent.
So for me I feel like now Ihave I use the word arsenal
again but I feel like I kind ofhave my own little arsenal
that's built up even more so.
So when I meet these people whohave these problems, I can say,
(35:13):
hey, have you ever consideredthis?
And then go get this book.
It's free, you know.
So it's it's kind of nice that Ican learn myself and I can have
those conversations now and Ican feel more confident in the
conversations.
But then I also have thisresource, which you're being so
generous and giving out, that Ican just like direct other
people too.
So I love that.
Scott Brandley (35:34):
Yeah, yeah it's.
It's exciting to finally be atthe end when this so this
podcast is going to going to goout this Sunday and this will be
, our 148th podcast.
Alisha Coakley (35:48):
Yep.
Scott Brandley (35:50):
So when this goes out the book won't be
officially live because I stillhave to finish the website and I
have to and I have to publishit on Amazon.
But after this episode the planis to have three or four
special episodes where we inviteprevious guests back on the
(36:13):
show and we talk about some ofthe topics in the book and just
kind of see where that goes,have some discussions about
different aspects of faith andreally just kind of get the
topic out there and peoplethinking about it, and then I'm
(36:35):
going to release it on thepodcast and people can go and
download it and listen to it.
It's going to be fun.
Alisha Coakley (36:41):
Yeah, it's going to be really fun.
Well, I know this is a littleshorter than our regular
episodes and stuff like that,but I love that it's a little
bit different because it stilljust shows you just how the
Heavenly Father is in so many ofthe details.
You know, like he wasn'tworried at all when that those
(37:03):
families left the church.
He knew that there was a plan inplace.
He knew that it was going tobring about good in some way,
shape or form.
And he still has them, like.
He still loves them, he seesthem, he knows them and who
knows I mean it would.
We may never know in this life,but I'm really excited to find
out the next life, like whathappened down the road, and how
did he, you know, still showthem his love?
(37:25):
And I don't know just like whatcame of all of that, um, I think
that one I feel so blessed tohave you as a friend.
You know, um, the.
You have amazing talents andyou're so giving in in just like
sharing those with other people.
In everything right, like notjust the podcast and the book,
(37:45):
but in so many other ways you'vejust constantly showed people
Christlike love, no matter thecircumstance you know, wherever
you're at, and so I love that Iget to like be your co-host and
I thank you so much for lettingme be on this journey with you,
and I'm really excited to seewhat this book can do for others
(38:06):
.
I'm excited for them to be ableto build their own testimony,
strengthen and fortify them, andthen to be able to go out and
like help do the same thing forothers, because I mean.
I always talk about theapocalypse and whatever, but
like the second coming is reallycoming, like it's really
happening.
There really is going to be atime when Christ returns and
(38:26):
when you know there's going tobe spiritual battles and big,
huge, you know, physical battlesand stuff.
And I think that, um, just likepresident Nelson said, like
now's the time to prepare forall of that, you know, and then
it's like at our doorstep, likeit is so close, um, and so I
just I love that.
This is just like one moreresource and and thank you for
(38:51):
putting in the work, you know,like not being a lazy bum and
just being like somebody elseshould, should do that.
10 years later, somebody elseshould still do that.
You know, I think that that'sawesome.
Scott Brandley (39:01):
Yeah, I've been feeling some promptings like hey
, you got to get that donealready.
But I appreciate that.
Those, those, those that's verykind of you and and I think of
you as a, you know, a reallygood friend too.
Like we're just like two peasin a pod yeah, and it's been a
(39:22):
fun adventure to to do this.
I can't believe it's been threeyears already.
Alisha Coakley (39:26):
That's crazy it is crazy, like I feel like we're
definitely both a little grayer.
We got a little more gray.
Our hair isning Our face isstarting to dream now I'm just
joking, but it's been a fun ride.
I can't wait to see what thenext three years bring and just
(39:46):
to hear more stories and to beable to see, like, how we can
spread light to the world.
I'm really excited to see whathappens with our testimonies and
what happens with, um, justthat whole conversion process,
cause I think we're alwaysconstantly in a state of
conversion, right, like we're,you can't, you can't stay
stagnant.
You're either regressing oryou're, you're moving closer and
(40:09):
closer and closer to that, likepure knowledge, that like
surefire, no doubt you know,nothing can shake you, type of
thing.
And um't know, I just I thinkit's gonna be a, it's gonna be a
fun ride.
Scott Brandley (40:21):
So yeah, well, hopefully you know like the
purpose of my book is to helppeople to stay because, there
are a lot of people that they'relosing their testimonies,
they're having those crises offaith but they're not being able
to reconcile.
And, you know, hopefullythrough the podcast and through
(40:43):
like things like the book andeven just sharing our testimony
with people, we can bring someof that faith back.
Alisha Coakley (40:52):
Yeah, absolutely .
And you know, I don't know why.
I just thought about this now,but it's funny because one of
the I don't even know if therewas like any particular thing.
Maybe it was just like aspiritual like inspiration on my
part that was given to mepersonally, I don't know, but I
just felt like as I was goingthrough and as I was reading
your book and as I was likereally like just kind of like
(41:15):
checking my own testimony andwhere I was at in those things,
like just kind of like checkingmy own testimony and where I was
at in those things, I had this.
I had this feeling, thisthought that came over me.
That was like you know, a lotof people think that and nothing
against the all in like.
I remember the story all inright that came out in the
conference and there's like anall in podcast where it's like
(41:36):
we're hardcore, we're all in,we're everything, and I loved
that when it came out.
And and then recently I've likebeen meeting and talking with
some people who you know they,um, they have, they have their
doubts right.
Like there are things thateither they don't agree with
politically, with the church.
There's maybe leaders that theydon't like.
They've had experiences thatwere really rough, you know
(41:59):
where, maybe, like men abusedtheir priesthood, or women were
really catty or sticky or youknow whatever.
It is Right, like, likelegitimate, valid things, that
that makes it really hard forthem to want to be a member of
the church because they're sofocused on that thing.
Right, like the thing that's notfitting and and I was thinking
(42:20):
about it I was like I love thatyou broke it down to the
foundation, right To just thecore principles and even in in
in the gospel we have ourarticles of faith.
Right Like that's like the veryfoundation.
Um, that's a, that's the basics, that's the things that we've.
We've got to get right andwe've got to remember right, if
you're not perfectly all in, westill want you, you still have
(42:44):
value, the Lord still loves youjust as much as those people who
are 110% go-getters in thefaith.
Right, Like no matter whereyou're at in the journey, we
still want you and even if youaren't, like like a full fledged
member of the church orsomething like that, right Like
maybe there's something that'skeeping you from being able to
(43:05):
be baptized right now, orwhatever it is, and you're just
not there, it's okay, becauseyou can still look at the five
questions in your book and youcan be building your testimony
right now without even changingyour life right, without even
changing your habits, withouteven doing anything.
You can like start so small,but it will have such big
effects in the future for youand for me.
(43:28):
At the end of at the end of allof it, I just felt so much more
confident in myself as a person.
You know like, not even as achurch member per se, but just
like.
You know, like not even as achurch member per se, but just
like, wow, like I really canlove myself in and where I'm at.
I don't have to be perfect toknow that God's real.
You know like I can be ahorrible person when I read
(43:51):
scripture, like I can.
You know what I mean Like behorrible at reading scriptures,
or I could lie to someone, ornot.
I'm not encouraging it.
I'm just saying like, these arethings that I struggle with
sometimes and so I just think,like I can struggle with my
struggles you know I can doubtmy you know doubt, with all
those doubts and stuff, and Ican have a solid testimony that
(44:14):
God is real, that Jesus Christis the savior of the world, that
Joseph Smith was a prophet,that the church is the savior of
the world, that Joseph Smithwas a prophet, that the church
is the kingdom of God here onearth and that the book of
Mormon is true.
I can have all those things.
Even if I'm not perfect in myhabits and my actions and my
thoughts and my speaking andwhatever it is like, even as I
fall short, I can still havethose five things and that is
(44:37):
what's going to give me thestrength to keep going through
and to hopefully eventually getto the point where I'm not
making as many mistakes and I'mnot hurting as many people and
all of that stuff.
So I just I don't know, thatwas just like my overwhelming
feeling at the end of it waslike just I just felt love.
You know, I felt love and Ifelt this confidence and I was
like this is what the child of aking should be feeling like.
(45:01):
This is, this is what you know.
I think all of HeavenlyFather's children should feel A
sense of confidence and love andhope, right While still being
able to like, know that youdon't have to, you don't have to
be perfect to stay it's okay.
You know, so I just love that.
Scott Brandley (45:24):
That's so awesome.
Thanks, Alisha, reallyappreciate it.
Alisha Coakley (45:28):
Well, any last thoughts.
I mean I know I know everyone'slike where's the book?
Right?
So we will, a hundred percentguys.
We will have as soon as it'spublished and it's ready to go,
we'll have the links everywherefor you guys to grab it.
But make sure that you guysstay tuned in and yeah.
So any anything else, scott,any.
Scott Brandley (45:50):
I think I just want to just say this is you
never know where God's going totake you.
You know those times when thosefamilies left and when I had my
own faith crisis.
Those were pretty low times andyou just never know that God's
(46:12):
going to help you write a bookabout this and it's going to
help people increase their faith.
And you're going to start apodcast someday and it's going
to help people increase theirfaith.
And you're going to start apodcast someday and you're going
to help people tell theirstories.
Like you just never know what'sgoing to happen, but you just
have to keep taking the stepsforward with hope and faith, and
(46:33):
that's that's really what itall comes down to amen, I love
it all right, well, awesome,well, amen, I love it All right,
well, awesome, well.
Alisha Coakley (46:41):
Thank you, scott , for being our official guest
today.
Um, I, I always I just lovehearing the story and even
though I experienced it in reallife, you know part of it with
you.
I just, I love your story and Ilove where it's, where it's
come so far, you know, and whereelse it's going, and so thank
(47:02):
you for being our guest todayand thank you to all of our
listeners who have tuned in All21 conference center foals of
you guys.
You guys are amazing and we justI mean, we love the comments,
we love when you guys reach out.
You know, especially like youguys have a story to share that
you feel could spread light Likeplease, please, please, reach
(47:26):
out to us, let us know.
You can email us atlatterdaylights at gmailcom, or
you can head to our website atlatterdaylightscom, but we would
love to hear from you guys.
Scott Brandley (47:37):
Yeah, and go do your five second missionary work
.
Hit that share button.
Alisha Coakley (47:41):
Yep, let's make me famous.
I love it.
Scott Brandley (47:48):
But do hit the button.
Hit the button.
Alisha Coakley (47:51):
Yeah Well, that's all that we have for
today, guys.
We hope that you've enjoyedthis episode of Latter-day
Lights and that you'll tune inagain next week for another
episode.
Until then, we hope you guyshave a great week and we'll see
you soon.
Bye-bye, talk to you later.
Hi everyone, I'm Alisha Coakley.
Scott Brandley (00:02):
And I'm Scott Brandley.
Every member of the church hasa story to share, one that can
instill faith, invite growth andinspire others.
Alisha Coakley (00:10):
On today's episode we're going to hear how
deep-seated doubts, toughgoodbyes and a personal crisis
of faith led one bishop to bringlight to the world.
Welcome to Latter-day Lights.
Hey everyone, welcome toLatter-day Lights.
(00:37):
If you are a regular listener,I'm sure you are probably a
little confused by our introstoday.
They are not what they normallyare and you might be thinking
we're missing a guest, but infact we're not.
I am very excited because wehave turned the tables and Scott
Branley is going to be ourofficial guest today.
Scott, welcome to the show.
Scott Brandley (00:55):
Well, thanks, Alisha, it's great to be here.
Alisha Coakley (00:59):
So, guys, we're really excited.
Scott and I have been talkingabout doing this episode for a
little while and we've been justreally looking forward to being
able to share with you, kind of, some of the things that
happened that brought Latter-dayLights to fruition, what's
happened since then, and what iscoming up very, very soon.
(01:22):
So, scott, I'm going to goahead and just kind of let you
start.
Why don't you tell everyone youknow, let's go all the way back
to the very, very beginning.
Scott Brandley (01:34):
Okay, so my name is Scott Branley.
I'm one of the hosts ofLatter-day Lights, the podcast
you're watching right now.
Latter-day Lights, the podcastyou're watching right now.
I have four kids and rangingfrom ages 24 to 15.
And I'm Canadian by birth, butI became an American citizen
(01:58):
several years ago and I live inUtah, in Ogden.
I run a software company calledshopperapprovedcom.
We do online ratings andreviews for e-commerce websites.
Most people don't know what Ido for a living, but I don't
think I've ever actually saidthat on the podcast.
Alisha Coakley (02:17):
I don't think you have.
Yeah, I think it was the firsttime.
Scott Brandley (02:20):
Yeah, so I've been an entrepreneur my whole
life.
Yeah, so I've been anentrepreneur my whole life and
ever since I was a little kid Iused to.
My first business was a lawnmowing business and I was so
little I couldn't reach the toprung on the lawnmower.
So I pushed it on the middlerung and back then.
They didn't have safety thingslike they have on lawnmowers,
(02:41):
right.
They didn't have that rubberthing on the back to protect you
.
They didn't have auto shut offLike once you turned it on you
were just going for it.
So, anyway, that was my firstbusiness and I've just.
I've had businesses my wholelife.
I've it's been.
It's been a fun ride, lots ofups and downs, but it's been a
(03:01):
good time.
Alisha Coakley (03:08):
So, yeah, that's about me.
I love it.
Well, one of the things thatyou didn't mention, though, in
your intro, scott, was the factthat you were also an author.
You have some business booksout there.
We are going to be talkingabout your new book coming out
today on this podcast.
It's not coming out today, butwe're talking about the new book
.
So, yeah, tell us a little bitabout writing and what that's
been like for you.
Scott Brandley (03:28):
Sure, so I've written or co-written several
books.
Now my latest business book ifanyone even cares, but it's
called Reputation King and it'sabout how to get a better online
reputation right, because I'min the rating and review space
(03:50):
but I started writing a churchbook well, a book about faith.
In 2016 is when I actuallystarted writing it, and it's
done, finally, in 2025.
So it only took me nine years,no biggie not big deal at all.
Alisha Coakley (04:09):
I'm realizing that I'm on six years for my
book, so that makes me feelbetter knowing that I have three
more years.
Scott Brandley (04:14):
I can procrastinate though yeah, you
got lots of time, don't worryabout it but now.
Alisha Coakley (04:19):
but it doesn't always take you that long,
apparently, right, right.
Scott Brandley (04:22):
No, you were a lot faster with it, so actually,
just before I got on thispodcast, I finished the
semi-final draft of my next book, which is called cashflow Kings
.
Um, and it's a business book,but that one only took me about
a month and a half to writebecause I used AI to help me
(04:45):
it's pretty cool what you can dowith AI nowadays.
Alisha Coakley (04:50):
I agree, especially if you're going to do
a business book.
I feel like you don't reallyneed to have the clout of being
an amazing writer.
You just need to get theinformation out there the right
way that can help people.
So go do it.
Scott Brandley (05:01):
Yeah, I used it kind of like an assistant, so I
would feed it things and thenI'd ask it to give me things
back and I'd tell it what Iwanted it's been, it's been
really helpful.
I mean, it cut it down fromthat book should have taken me
at least six to eight months wowit cut down the time
significantly and you it itreads really well.
(05:24):
You can't tell that I didn'tjust write the whole thing.
I did write a lot of it and Iedited a lot of it, but it
definitely helps to cut thelearning curve.
Alisha Coakley (05:34):
That's cool.
Well, I might have to take thatunder advisement.
So yeah, All right.
Well, Mr Brantley, let's, let'stake it away.
Where does your story begin?
Scott Brandley (05:47):
let's let's take it away.
Where does your story begin?
So it starts in 2014.
I talked a little bit aboutthis back when I did that first
interview with you three or fouror something it's pretty early
on.
Alisha Coakley (05:59):
so anyone who's newer just don't even watch that
one, just watch this one.
Scott Brandley (06:07):
Yeah, so I was a new bishop.
I got put in in 2014.
And I was 39 at the time andyou know, things were going
really well and I felt confidentin my calling.
I was excited, my faith wasstrong, or so I thought.
(06:30):
And one day, about maybe acouple months after I got put in
, I had a couple come in andthey told me that they were
going to leave the church and itit floored me because this
couple was, I mean, they'd goneon missions, they had served in,
(06:51):
you know, calling she.
She had been a Relief Societypresident.
Um yeah, it was.
It was a shocker.
And when they told me why, umit had to do, they said it had
to do with um the essays thatthe church had published back
then, where the church wastrying to clear the air and, and
(07:13):
you know, try to, um, just geteverything out in the public so
that there was no nothing thatanybody could could use against
them.
Really, you know right so Ithought it was actually a really
good thing that they did that,but I had never heard of it at
the time and so then that nightI was already like super
stressed because they had justtold me that and I told them
(07:36):
well, I was that I would go andsee if I could help them find
answers.
And so I went home that nightand I read every single one of
those essays back to back andthat was a lot to take in in one
shot and it really threw me.
It was like a double whammybecause they had just told me
(07:57):
that and then I just read allthis stuff and I knew I mean
growing up in the church kind ofhad heard like bits and pieces
of it but just never heard itall in one shot like that.
And honestly it kind of threwme into my own faith crisis as I
was trying to help them withtheir faith crisis, and I
(08:21):
started to really panic at thatpoint because I realized my
whole life is built around myfaith.
Alisha Coakley (08:30):
Yeah.
Scott Brandley (08:32):
And I was the bishop at the time, so people
were counting on me.
They were leaning on me fortheir faith, kind of you know,
as the leader, the leader and myfamily, my friends, every I
mean every decision you make ifyou're an active member of the
(08:52):
church, you really don't thinkabout just how many things that
you do impact your life that arebased on the church right, Like
on your faith.
It's just crazy, but I startedto realize just all of the
repercussions that would happenif, if I didn't figure this out.
And so I went on several walks,I said a lot of prayers, and it
(09:16):
was over the course of about aweek, and I got this impression
one day too, that I needed tobreak my faith down into its
most basic elements and then putit back together piece by piece
.
And if all the pieces madesense, then you know that would
help me get my testimony back.
(09:37):
And so I did that.
And the very first questionthat I had to answer was was is
god real?
Like I went to that point,right from being the bishop of
the ward to asking if god wasreal sorry, did you like talk to
(09:58):
darla, like your wife, aboutany of this?
Alisha Coakley (10:01):
you just kept it like you like,
compartmentalized, and just keptit to yourself.
Oh my gosh, that'd be so hard.
Scott Brandley (10:07):
Yeah, it was a rough week for sure.
And so I'm like, okay, well, Iknow I know a lot about God,
right, growing up in the church,and so like, well, if I'm
really gonna, if I'm reallygonna take this seriously, I
gotta, I gotta see if there'sanything valid in evolution,
because I've in my mind that wasthe only other option, and so I
(10:29):
just did a deep dive intoevolution and for hours I would
just look in, just like readwhatever I could find, watch
videos, um, and just kind ofresearch and see if there's any
smoking gun, anything that Icould find that would convince
me that evolution had legs.
(10:51):
I guess you could say and at theend of it I just couldn't find
anything.
In fact I found through all ofthat, I found three things,
three reasons that really gaveme cause for concern.
And anyway I wrote.
(11:11):
I write that all about thosethings in my book, but at the
time I hadn't came up with theidea of writing the book, so it
just happened Right, but anyway.
So I went through that and like, okay, I know, evolution isn't
a thing for sure.
Now and so I can add that backinto my testimony bucket, I
(11:32):
guess you could call it, and Idid that.
I had five questions that Ibasically asked myself and one
of them was, you know, real?
The next one was is jesuschrist real?
Is he the savior of the world?
Um is.
And then the next one was isjoseph smith a prophet?
(11:54):
Is the church true?
And then, is the book of mormontrue?
Those are kind of my five bigrocks that I had to put back in
my bucket and I, you know, as Iprayed and I thought and I read
and I watched, like I just wasable to put those rocks back in
(12:14):
my bucket and at the end of thatI, my faith, was back and so I
was good right, but it waspretty stressful there for a
while yeah and then, um, alittle while later, I had
another couple come to my officeand say they wanted to leave
(12:36):
the church.
So then I'm like what, the what?
Alisha Coakley (12:39):
the heck's going on right.
Scott Brandley (12:41):
Like way to start out as a bishop yeah, and
these guys same thing like superactive.
You know um was it the same?
reasons like no something elseokay no, this was.
This is different.
So this time, um, they hadmoved out of state for a while
(13:04):
and um, the, the, the lady, thesister, she, for whatever reason
, um didn't like going to herward, and so she would.
Instead of going to church shewould have home church, I guess
you could call, where she wouldjust kind of look up things
(13:26):
online and kind of study herscriptures and things that way.
But over time she started to goto different websites and
different things to findinformation and it just let her
down some paths that eventuallyhelped, you know, cause her to
(13:48):
lose her testimony, I guess youcould say.
And then she brought in herhusband and they kind of
commiserated and and eventuallythey both lost their testimonies
and then left the church, so itwas rough, but I tried my best
(14:12):
to try to get both those couplesto stay and they ended up
leaving.
They ended up taking their kidswith them.
Alisha Coakley (14:19):
It was really hard.
Scott Brandley (14:20):
So that's kind of the beginning of my book.
The way the book came about isone day I went on a walk, and
this is after both.
This is two years later, sothis is in 2016.
I went on a walk one daybecause I go on a lot of walks
(14:43):
just to think, and as I'mwalking, completely out of the
blue, I get this impression thatI'm supposed to write this book
.
And right after I got thatimpression, all the chapters of
the book just flooded into mybrain within and.
I knew exactly what I wassupposed to write the book about
and I knew all of the chaptersin the book and so I got.
(15:03):
So I got home and I wrote it.
I wrote it down, you outlinedit.
Chapter outlines.
And then at that point I juststarted writing.
So it's been nine years since Istarted that process, but it's
finally done and I think it'spretty cool that you know how
(15:27):
it's all come together.
Alisha Coakley (15:28):
So yeah, and it's really good, like I.
So Scott has been so kind tolet me read his book and I'm
just like, oh my gosh, like it'sjust brought things to light.
That one, either I think Imight've known or felt on a
subconscious level, but I justdidn't like have it ever at the
forefront of my mind.
So it was cool to break it andlike, oh yeah, okay, that makes
(15:50):
sense.
And then other things are justcompletely like, oh my gosh,
that's amazing.
I never thought of that and youknow, like it.
It's, especially when you liketalk about like different, like
scripture things and stuff likethat.
I don't want to spoil too much,but, um, it's uh, just, I mean
it's, it's really easy to read.
I love that.
It's just so like quick withlike here's your facts.
Like you don't you don't drawit out in forever, cause you're
(16:13):
just like no, like people arereading this.
They just want to like get theinformation.
Let's go, let's get it.
And and it just really makesyou like sit back and be like,
wow, the gospel is so commonsense, like the, the teachings
of the church are so commonsense, and like any other
religion that's out there orwhatever else, like like God's
(16:36):
working with super imperfectpeople, and so there are going
to be like messy things maybethat have happened and stuff,
but like the core of the gospel,a hundred percent, true, like a
hundred percent.
Like you can't, I don't know.
You just set up such a greatcase for it, right?
So I I've loved it.
Yeah, so well.
And so in writing a book, Imean in that nine year period,
(17:00):
you, you had to do somethingwith it and you were thinking
I'm going to publish this bookright.
Or I need to meet with people,I need to do something.
So take us to you know, likewhat happens next?
Like you're in the process, Idon't think you were completely
done.
You were mostly like getting italong and stuff, because that's
what it is.
Scott Brandley (17:21):
I had come up with what I thought was the
final version, and I was gettingclose to the final version, and
that's when, I think Clarissacame home from her mission right
.
Alisha Coakley (17:34):
Yes, yeah, yeah.
Scott Brandley (17:36):
Yeah, and you had moved to Elko and you were
Clarissa's young women's leader,right?
Yes, you were Clarissa's youngwomen's leader, right?
Yes?
So my daughter went on hermission to.
Sacramento, and so we went topick her up and on the way back
(18:00):
we stopped to say hi to Alishaand John and we started talking
about books and how I waswriting this book.
And she's like well, hey, I'mwriting a book too, and there's
this LDS conference for peoplethat write books.
Alisha Coakley (18:14):
Yeah, the LDS PMA.
Scott Brandley (18:16):
Yeah, the LDS PMA, and I'm like, oh, that
sounds cool.
So I bought a ticket and thenwe were going to go and then
Alisha called me up and shesounded like she was going to
die.
Alisha Coakley (18:32):
I felt like it too.
It was pretty bad.
Scott Brandley (18:34):
So she couldn't go to the conference, but she
still wanted to try, and I'mlike don't do it.
Alisha Coakley (18:42):
I had COVID and it was like right at the tail
end, when everyone was like notfreaking out quite as much, but
they were still like you know,everyone was still kind of crazy
one way or another.
Scott Brandley (18:51):
So, yeah, I was like I could try to go, but I
don't think I'll be blessed forthat, right yeah.
So I went by myself and it'sactually really cool.
I mean, if you're a little plugfor them, if you're writing a
book, I would highly recommendgoing to it.
Is it just once a year?
Alisha Coakley (19:09):
Yeah, so usually like around October-ish is when
they have it.
But yeah, it's anything.
So it's LDS Publishing, mediaand Arts Is it Arts yeah and
Arts.
Yeah, so it could be.
I mean just anything with that,right?
So if you're podcasting, ifyou're making movies, you're
(19:29):
doing music, you're doing, youknow, like actual art, artwork,
stuff like that, yeah, they'vegot lots of resources and people
that have classes andnetworking and it's just, it's
awesome it's just, it's awesome.
Scott Brandley (19:50):
So, yeah, yeah, and it was really good.
Um, I learned a lot and one ofthe cool things that they do
there for publishers is they dothese little mini pitches with
the publishing companies andthat was really fun to to pitch
my book.
I had a lot of a lot ofinterest in it, but I was, I was
all by myself, so I was havinga little bit of a pity party.
And the second day I went,that's when the pity party
(20:13):
really kicked in and I went tolunch by myself and I sat at a
table by myself and then thisgirl came over and sat by me and
she had written a book calledearly homecoming and I you know
we're talking about her book.
She had published it, um, and Iasked her well, how do you get,
(20:36):
how do you get your book out?
And she's like well, I starteda podcast for people that come
home from their missions earlyand that's how I, how I get it
out there, and I've created kindof this community to help
people that you know, helpmissionaries that come home
early, give them a soft landing.
(20:56):
And so then after the lunch, Ijust I decided to leave early
and I drove home and as I'mdriving home, I just had this
idea you know, somebody reallyneeds to make a place where
people can tell their stories offaith and inspiration, even
like their struggles, becausemost members of the church, they
(21:21):
have amazing stories, but theyhave nowhere to share them.
They can tell their families,they can write them in their
journals and they can give themin a talk, but that's pretty
much it.
Like you, don't?
You only get to share yourstories of faith and inspiration
or tragedy or whatever comedy.
Whatever your stories are, youdon't get to share them outside
(21:42):
of those limited spaces.
And as I'm thinking about this,I'm like I think Heavenly
Father wants me to do this.
It's just so random, like Inever ever thought about doing a
podcast.
Alisha Coakley (21:58):
You're going to be somebody.
Scott Brandley (22:00):
Yeah, and so then I'm like, okay, well, I'm
really boring.
I don't think anyone would justwant to listen to me every time
, so I need somebody that's funand spunky and got a little bit
of an attitude, and Iimmediately thought of Alisha.
So I got home, I called you andasked you if you wanted to be
(22:25):
part of it, and you're like,yeah, I'm in, let's do it.
And so we decided to give it ashot.
So then we started.
Alisha Coakley (22:35):
Yeah.
Scott Brandley (22:35):
Which was kind of a fun experience in itself.
I mean, you could probably kindof tell that part.
Alisha Coakley (22:41):
Yeah, it was really fun and I was super
excited because I just loved theconcept, Like I'm such a
storyteller and a story listener, Like.
So when you, when you broughtthat up, I was like that is
genius, you know, and I know,especially cause, like you were
saying, like even in church youdon't actually get to share your
whole story.
It really has to be a firesideor like a big event where you
(23:03):
can have the full, you know, 45minutes to an hour or longer to
share your whole story, toreally get it across to people.
And so, even if people share,share little blips in their
testimony, it just wasn't thesame and I loved that you had
this idea.
I was like this is amazing,Like I a hundred percent on
board with it.
I think it's so needed in theworld and I know at the time too
(23:26):
, Mormon Stories is that thepodcast?
It's like anti-Mormon oranti-LDS.
I know they were getting sometraction.
People knew about that and soyou're hearing the flip side.
Right, you had people going onsharing their stories about
leaving the church and about anynegative feelings or thoughts
or experiences that they had hadas members, and so for about
you know any, any negativefeelings or thoughts or
experiences that they had had asmembers and and and so for me,
(23:50):
I thought this is a great way tolike build up the arsenal for
good, right, Like to like add tospreading light.
And and I think it was funnybecause, you know, we didn't
have the name for the podcastoriginally, like you had the
idea, we didn't have the namefor the podcast originally, like
you had the idea.
And so we just, uh, we went outto dinner with our spouses and
(24:13):
we sat down and we were justkind of collaborating, like,
like what can we do?
What you know, what we name it,how you know how's it going to
look, whatever else.
And I remember, uh, so John hadsaid so, my husband had said, um
, he's like, have you ever seenlike one of those candle
lighting ceremonies?
So he grew up in a differentfaith, like as a Baptist, and
they have these sometimes, theseceremonies where everyone gets
(24:36):
a candle Right, and then, like,their pastor will be on stage
and they'll shut the lights offinside, like a big auditorium,
Right, so when the candle, onlythe pastor has his candle lit,
and so they turn off all thelights and they take the one
candle from the pastor and helights a candle and then
everybody who lights a candlelights other people's candles
and it's like in just a matterof seconds it just lights the
(24:59):
whole room.
It's like you know, like youhave no idea how quickly just
one flame can like spread light.
And so we were like, oh my gosh, Latter-day Lights, that would
be so cool.
And we I mean it just kind ofall clicked, Like you were
saying, like it's just likeeverything sort of came together
, Like the music we picked forthe intro, our little logo with
(25:21):
our little flame.
You know the colors, even thatwe talked about doing it.
Just it just all felt very led.
You know, um, the colors, eventhat we talked about doing it,
just it just all felt very led.
You know, almost like we werediscovering what heavenly father
wanted to do.
It's not like we were trying tocreate it and like get his
approval, you know it was so.
It was just kind of cool and um, and so it took us, uh, you
(25:41):
know, from we started in Octoberon like working all of the
things and putting it together.
We started like finding guestsand recording a podcast so that
we can have something in thebucket to launch, so that we
could build up more guests lateron.
And, um, I have to say it is.
I remember those first fewepisodes were like we have like
(26:04):
200 views.
We were so excited and then weget.
You know, we get halfway a yearand a half in, or so.
We had Vinnie Tolman come on andnext thing, you know it's like
50,000 views, and it was justcrazy to see how, like this
little idea, this littleinspiration, had just grown like
(26:29):
exponentially.
You know, and I mean we haven'teven hit like the super popular
status like with some of theother, like the comeback podcast
or something like that, youknow, like some of the really,
really well-known ones, like westill have room to grow for sure
, but the growth that's happenedhas been fantastic and, um, oh
my gosh, the guests that we'vehad on, I know, you and I both,
(26:50):
we have made new friends, wehave networked, we have, I mean,
our testimonies themselves havegotten so solid.
I think for me too, my, mycompassion and my understanding
of other people has grown.
Like I feel like I cangenuinely look at people in in
so much more of a Christlikemanner than I used to be able to
(27:12):
, and I thought I was doing agood job back then.
Scott Brandley (27:14):
Right, and now it's like.
Alisha Coakley (27:16):
No, like, I just it's.
It's really neat to see how,how many things have trickled
down from such such a tough.
I mean, because it reallystarted from people leaving the
church.
You know, like, and it's.
We were talking about this whenwe were prepping for this
podcast.
(27:36):
We said it's amazing how evensomething like that, heavenly
Father, can work to our good.
You know so, if it like it wastheir decision.
I don't think Heavenly Fatherwanted them to our good.
You know so, if it like it wastheir decision, I don't think
heavenly father wanted them toleave the church per se or
anything.
And who knows where they're atnow, like, maybe they've come
back, we don't know.
But just that decision was suchan impactful moment for you,
(27:56):
heavenly father's, like, let'suse this, let's, let's.
You know, okay, that thatfamily left, you know, needs two
families left which, if theydecide to stay gone, could
affect generations.
All right, we're gonna, we'regonna offset, right, like all
that right now.
We gotta now, we gotta tip thescales back over to good and
(28:17):
I'll tell, tell everyone,because I just feel so proud
about this, tell them how wegauge our analytics and where
we're at now.
Scott Brandley (28:28):
No, I don't know why, but when we were first
starting out, we hit 20,000people that had watched our
podcast.
And for some reason I looked uphow many people does the
conference center hold?
And it holds about 20,000people.
Some reason I looked up howmany people does the conference
center hold, you know, and I'mlike, and it holds about 20 000
people.
(28:48):
I'm like, okay, we filled theconference center.
That's pretty cool.
And so ever since then we'vebeen measuring our growth in
conference centers weessentially can put on what nine
now we've had I, so it'sactually been 21 oh, 21, that's,
right, yes, yeah, we filled upthe conference center 21 times.
(29:12):
That's pretty cool that's likephenomenal feeling like filling
up the conference center withwith stories of hope and
inspiration.
You know like it's just, it'sjust so cool to be able to give
that back to Heavenly Father andbe like hey, here's all this
light that all these people havebeen able to experience in
(29:33):
their life.
We love you, you know we loveyou, Heavenly Father.
Here's this gift.
Like it's just this is cool, youknow.
Alisha Coakley (29:41):
It's really cool and it's neat because, like I
like one, I love that thatyou're officially, officially
done with your book now.
Um, because it's right on thecusp of our third year
anniversary.
So is it the 15th?
I believe is when we had ourfirst launch, may 15th, I think
I think so yeah, it was um, but,but either way, definitely in
(30:06):
may.
It maybe it's the fifth, but butit's definitely in may was our,
was our first episode.
That was that came out, and nowhere we are again and it's
three years into it to know thatin three years we were able to
fill the conference center 21times at 20 000 people apiece,
(30:27):
and just being able to get otherpeople's stories out, cause
it's not even about us, right,like?
Not about, like.
Obviously this story is yourstory, you know right now.
But but, it's about.
all the other stories are outthere and it's great because
they're still being watched.
They're still being seen.
Like there's people that arefinding the podcast and then
they're loving this story, sothey go all the way back to the
beginning.
They start watching all theseguests.
(30:48):
It's like the gift that keepsgiving almost you know and it's
it's so cool to know that, likethat, that heavenly father, like
let us be a little tool in inthat process and um, and I've
loved that from the verybeginning, like we definitely we
agreed like this is amissionary thing, Like this
(31:09):
isn't a, this isn't a an incomeearning thing for us, Right, so
we don't get paid for thepodcast, you know, we're not
going to capitalize on it oranything like that and and it's
just been something that that wecan just like do with love and
get to meet these people andhear their stories and spread
(31:31):
light, and it's just been so.
It's been so amazing.
So I love that.
I want to, I want to let youtalk to our guests a little bit
about this.
Speaking of gifts, this giftthat you are wanting to give,
this next gift how many do youhave?
Scott Brandley (31:51):
yeah, well, I first before I get to that.
I do agree like this has been adefinitely been a labor of love
.
It's been a ton of work,countless hours of work to put
this on and we, we don't pay.
We actually pay to do it, wepay to make this happen, but
(32:15):
it's a small price for the, forthe blessings that it brings to
the, hopefully to people thatwatch it Right.
Alisha Coakley (32:22):
Yeah, absolutely .
Scott Brandley (32:24):
And when I got the impression to write my book
it's called Faith to Stay andwhen I got the impression to
write it I also felt like that'sthat I shouldn't make money
with it.
I got that same feeling, likethis was a way to do missionary
(32:44):
work, to give back to God.
And so I'm actually going togive my book away both the
digital version and the audioversion and then I will put it
on Amazon.
But if I make any, any revenueor any profit from it, I'm
donating 100% of that to theMarkovia project, which they
(33:07):
don't know that yet.
Alisha Coakley (33:09):
Oh, so excited.
Scott Brandley (33:12):
And for anyone of you that have watched our
podcast, um, we've we've kind oftaken them under our wings and,
uh, we've grown with them.
They they're a nonprofit inMarkovia, honduras, that have
helped I think it's like over100 kids now be able to go to
(33:35):
school, and then they've helpedmany families with microloans to
start businesses and it's justbeen really fun to watch them
grow.
Any profits I make from thebook will go to help their cause
, so they're going to love that.
Alisha Coakley (33:50):
That's amazing, yeah.
And guys, like I said it's it'sjust so good, it's just so good
and so easy to read, and and Ifeel like it's one of those ones
where, like you really can justlike stop in the middle, put it
down for a second and likethink, you know, like you don't
really lose your spot oranything, but you're just kind
of like huh, and I had to dothat through so many parts, so I
(34:13):
was like wait a minute, youknow.
Scott Brandley (34:18):
Did you try the?
Did you try the experiment whenChrist comes into the room?
Alisha Coakley (34:23):
I have not done that one yet.
Scott Brandley (34:25):
Cause when I read it.
Alisha Coakley (34:26):
I wasn't like in a place where I could do it,
but that's on my to-do list.
Thank you for reminding me,actually, because I kind of
forgot about it.
Scott Brandley (34:34):
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Yeah, there's a lot of reallyfun things, things that you
normally wouldn't think about orread, but they're very thought
provoking, very faith building.
Alisha Coakley (34:50):
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Oh, I just I like to that.
I feel like it helped me, likeI didn't have to go do all the
nine years of research and allthe putting it together and like
making it coherent.
So for me I feel like now Ihave I use the word arsenal
again but I feel like I kind ofhave my own little arsenal
that's built up even more so.
So when I meet these people whohave these problems, I can say,
(35:13):
hey, have you ever consideredthis?
And then go get this book.
It's free, you know.
So it's it's kind of nice that Ican learn myself and I can have
those conversations now and Ican feel more confident in the
conversations.
But then I also have thisresource, which you're being so
generous and giving out, that Ican just like direct other
people too.
So I love that.
Scott Brandley (35:34):
Yeah, yeah it's.
It's exciting to finally be atthe end when this so this
podcast is going to going to goout this Sunday and this will be
, our 148th podcast.
Alisha Coakley (35:48):
Yep.
Scott Brandley (35:50):
So when this goes out the book won't be
officially live because I stillhave to finish the website and I
have to and I have to publishit on Amazon.
But after this episode the planis to have three or four
special episodes where we inviteprevious guests back on the
(36:13):
show and we talk about some ofthe topics in the book and just
kind of see where that goes,have some discussions about
different aspects of faith andreally just kind of get the
topic out there and peoplethinking about it, and then I'm
(36:35):
going to release it on thepodcast and people can go and
download it and listen to it.
It's going to be fun.
Alisha Coakley (36:41):
Yeah, it's going to be really fun.
Well, I know this is a littleshorter than our regular
episodes and stuff like that,but I love that it's a little
bit different because it stilljust shows you just how the
Heavenly Father is in so many ofthe details.
You know, like he wasn'tworried at all when that those
(37:03):
families left the church.
He knew that there was a plan inplace.
He knew that it was going tobring about good in some way,
shape or form.
And he still has them, like.
He still loves them, he seesthem, he knows them and who
knows I mean it would.
We may never know in this life,but I'm really excited to find
out the next life, like whathappened down the road, and how
did he, you know, still showthem his love?
(37:25):
And I don't know just like whatcame of all of that, um, I think
that one I feel so blessed tohave you as a friend.
You know, um, the.
You have amazing talents andyou're so giving in in just like
sharing those with other people.
In everything right, like notjust the podcast and the book,
(37:45):
but in so many other ways you'vejust constantly showed people
Christlike love, no matter thecircumstance you know, wherever
you're at, and so I love that Iget to like be your co-host and
I thank you so much for lettingme be on this journey with you,
and I'm really excited to seewhat this book can do for others
(38:06):
.
I'm excited for them to be ableto build their own testimony,
strengthen and fortify them, andthen to be able to go out and
like help do the same thing forothers, because I mean.
I always talk about theapocalypse and whatever, but
like the second coming is reallycoming, like it's really
happening.
There really is going to be atime when Christ returns and
(38:26):
when you know there's going tobe spiritual battles and big,
huge, you know, physical battlesand stuff.
And I think that, um, just likepresident Nelson said, like
now's the time to prepare forall of that, you know, and then
it's like at our doorstep, likeit is so close, um, and so I
just I love that.
This is just like one moreresource and and thank you for
(38:51):
putting in the work, you know,like not being a lazy bum and
just being like somebody elseshould, should do that.
10 years later, somebody elseshould still do that.
You know, I think that that'sawesome.
Scott Brandley (39:01):
Yeah, I've been feeling some promptings like hey
, you got to get that donealready.
But I appreciate that.
Those, those, those that's verykind of you and and I think of
you as a, you know, a reallygood friend too.
Like we're just like two peasin a pod yeah, and it's been a
(39:22):
fun adventure to to do this.
I can't believe it's been threeyears already.
Alisha Coakley (39:26):
That's crazy it is crazy, like I feel like we're
definitely both a little grayer.
We got a little more gray.
Our hair isning Our face isstarting to dream now I'm just
joking, but it's been a fun ride.
I can't wait to see what thenext three years bring and just
(39:46):
to hear more stories and to beable to see, like, how we can
spread light to the world.
I'm really excited to see whathappens with our testimonies and
what happens with, um, justthat whole conversion process,
cause I think we're alwaysconstantly in a state of
conversion, right, like we're,you can't, you can't stay
stagnant.
You're either regressing oryou're, you're moving closer and
(40:09):
closer and closer to that, likepure knowledge, that like
surefire, no doubt you know,nothing can shake you, type of
thing.
And um't know, I just I thinkit's gonna be a, it's gonna be a
fun ride.
Scott Brandley (40:21):
So yeah, well, hopefully you know like the
purpose of my book is to helppeople to stay because, there
are a lot of people that they'relosing their testimonies,
they're having those crises offaith but they're not being able
to reconcile.
And, you know, hopefullythrough the podcast and through
(40:43):
like things like the book andeven just sharing our testimony
with people, we can bring someof that faith back.
Alisha Coakley (40:52):
Yeah, absolutely .
And you know, I don't know why.
I just thought about this now,but it's funny because one of
the I don't even know if therewas like any particular thing.
Maybe it was just like aspiritual like inspiration on my
part that was given to mepersonally, I don't know, but I
just felt like as I was goingthrough and as I was reading
your book and as I was likereally like just kind of like
(41:15):
checking my own testimony andwhere I was at in those things,
like just kind of like checkingmy own testimony and where I was
at in those things, I had this.
I had this feeling, thisthought that came over me.
That was like you know, a lotof people think that and nothing
against the all in like.
I remember the story all inright that came out in the
conference and there's like anall in podcast where it's like
(41:36):
we're hardcore, we're all in,we're everything, and I loved
that when it came out.
And and then recently I've likebeen meeting and talking with
some people who you know they,um, they have, they have their
doubts right.
Like there are things thateither they don't agree with
politically, with the church.
There's maybe leaders that theydon't like.
They've had experiences thatwere really rough, you know
(41:59):
where, maybe, like men abusedtheir priesthood, or women were
really catty or sticky or youknow whatever.
It is Right, like, likelegitimate, valid things, that
that makes it really hard forthem to want to be a member of
the church because they're sofocused on that thing.
Right, like the thing that's notfitting and and I was thinking
(42:20):
about it I was like I love thatyou broke it down to the
foundation, right To just thecore principles and even in in
in the gospel we have ourarticles of faith.
Right Like that's like the veryfoundation.
Um, that's a, that's the basics, that's the things that we've.
We've got to get right andwe've got to remember right, if
you're not perfectly all in, westill want you, you still have
(42:44):
value, the Lord still loves youjust as much as those people who
are 110% go-getters in thefaith.
Right, Like no matter whereyou're at in the journey, we
still want you and even if youaren't, like like a full fledged
member of the church orsomething like that, right Like
maybe there's something that'skeeping you from being able to
(43:05):
be baptized right now, orwhatever it is, and you're just
not there, it's okay, becauseyou can still look at the five
questions in your book and youcan be building your testimony
right now without even changingyour life right, without even
changing your habits, withouteven doing anything.
You can like start so small,but it will have such big
effects in the future for youand for me.
(43:28):
At the end of at the end of allof it, I just felt so much more
confident in myself as a person.
You know like, not even as achurch member per se, but just
like.
You know, like not even as achurch member per se, but just
like, wow, like I really canlove myself in and where I'm at.
I don't have to be perfect toknow that God's real.
You know like I can be ahorrible person when I read
(43:51):
scripture, like I can.
You know what I mean Like behorrible at reading scriptures,
or I could lie to someone, ornot.
I'm not encouraging it.
I'm just saying like, these arethings that I struggle with
sometimes and so I just think,like I can struggle with my
struggles you know I can doubtmy you know doubt, with all
those doubts and stuff, and Ican have a solid testimony that
(44:14):
God is real, that Jesus Christis the savior of the world, that
Joseph Smith was a prophet,that the church is the savior of
the world, that Joseph Smithwas a prophet, that the church
is the kingdom of God here onearth and that the book of
Mormon is true.
I can have all those things.
Even if I'm not perfect in myhabits and my actions and my
thoughts and my speaking andwhatever it is like, even as I
fall short, I can still havethose five things and that is
(44:37):
what's going to give me thestrength to keep going through
and to hopefully eventually getto the point where I'm not
making as many mistakes and I'mnot hurting as many people and
all of that stuff.
So I just I don't know, thatwas just like my overwhelming
feeling at the end of it waslike just I just felt love.
You know, I felt love and Ifelt this confidence and I was
like this is what the child of aking should be feeling like.
(45:01):
This is, this is what you know.
I think all of HeavenlyFather's children should feel A
sense of confidence and love andhope, right While still being
able to like, know that youdon't have to, you don't have to
be perfect to stay it's okay.
You know, so I just love that.
Scott Brandley (45:24):
That's so awesome.
Thanks, Alisha, reallyappreciate it.
Alisha Coakley (45:28):
Well, any last thoughts.
I mean I know I know everyone'slike where's the book?
Right?
So we will, a hundred percentguys.
We will have as soon as it'spublished and it's ready to go,
we'll have the links everywherefor you guys to grab it.
But make sure that you guysstay tuned in and yeah.
So any anything else, scott,any.
Scott Brandley (45:50):
I think I just want to just say this is you
never know where God's going totake you.
You know those times when thosefamilies left and when I had my
own faith crisis.
Those were pretty low times andyou just never know that God's
(46:12):
going to help you write a bookabout this and it's going to
help people increase their faith.
And you're going to start apodcast someday and it's going
to help people increase theirfaith.
And you're going to start apodcast someday and you're going
to help people tell theirstories.
Like you just never know what'sgoing to happen, but you just
have to keep taking the stepsforward with hope and faith, and
(46:33):
that's that's really what itall comes down to amen, I love
it all right, well, awesome,well, amen, I love it All right,
well, awesome, well.
Alisha Coakley (46:41):
Thank you, scott , for being our official guest
today.
Um, I, I always I just lovehearing the story and even
though I experienced it in reallife, you know part of it with
you.
I just, I love your story and Ilove where it's, where it's
come so far, you know, and whereelse it's going, and so thank
(47:02):
you for being our guest todayand thank you to all of our
listeners who have tuned in All21 conference center foals of
you guys.
You guys are amazing and we justI mean, we love the comments,
we love when you guys reach out.
You know, especially like youguys have a story to share that
you feel could spread light Likeplease, please, please, reach
(47:26):
out to us, let us know.
You can email us atlatterdaylights at gmailcom, or
you can head to our website atlatterdaylightscom, but we would
love to hear from you guys.
Scott Brandley (47:37):
Yeah, and go do your five second missionary work
.
Hit that share button.
Alisha Coakley (47:41):
Yep, let's make me famous.
I love it.
Scott Brandley (47:48):
But do hit the button.
Hit the button.
Alisha Coakley (47:51):
Yeah Well, that's all that we have for
today, guys.
We hope that you've enjoyedthis episode of Latter-day
Lights and that you'll tune inagain next week for another
episode.
Until then, we hope you guyshave a great week and we'll see
you soon.
Bye-bye, talk to you later.
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