July 2, 2025 • 34 mins
Darral Sessions was raised in the Derby Kansas Stake but was not active in the Church until his teen years. His mother is not a member, while his dad returned to activity after meeting his stepmom, who joined the Church. His dad worked for 38 years at Wichita State University, and his stepmom teaches classes at WSU Tech. His mother has worked in the financial sector since his childhood. Darral is the fourth of six children in their blended family. Growing up, he enjoyed soccer, being outdoors, camping, and swimming.
He served a full-time mission in the amazing California Los Angeles Mission and has fond memories of the people he taught and those who taught him. After his mission, Darral returned to the Wichita area with a renewed commitment to helping the Church thrive and grow in Kansas. He resumed his college education, and began schooling to be … well, he didn’t know at the time. He served as the Institute Council President, where he met Becky, the younger sister of girls he had known in high school. Both attending Wichita State University, they quickly developed strong feelings for each other. Darral and Becky were sealed in the St. Louis Temple in June 2006. They have two sons, Daniel (17) and Liam (13).
Darral eventually earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and taught middle school math and social studies for the Wichita Public Schools. While teaching, he earned a Master of Educational Leadership, which opened opportunities to explore other roles within education. Since leaving the classroom, Darral has worked as a math curriculum specialist and an assistant principal for the Wichita Public Schools. He firmly believes in the vital role education plays in the lives of all of Heavenly Father’s children.
Darral has many interests but especially enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons. Together, they love traveling and exploring new places, particularly national parks.
In his Church service, Darral currently serves as a high councilor and first counselor in the Stake Young Men’s Presidency. His previous callings include ward Young Men president, ward clerk, ward executive secretary, primary teacher, Sunday School president, Sunday School teacher, elders quorum president, gospel doctrine teacher, and Institute Council President.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hi friends, welcome to the Wichita KS State Podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Kitchen, a state history specialist.
This podcast is intended to helpbring followers of Christ closer
to him and to promote unity within the body of Christ by
listening to our state leaders share their personal stories of
faith. By reflecting on faith,
promoting experiences, we can strengthen our individual faith
(00:20):
in Jesus Christ together. Welcome to our next episode, I'm
here with Daryl Sessions. He was raised in the Derby, KS
Stake but was not active in the church until his teen years.
His mother is not a member, while his dad returned to
activity after meeting his stepmom who joined the church.
His dad worked for 38 years at Wichita State University and his
(00:42):
stepmom teaches classes at WSU Tech.
His mother has worked in the financial sector since his
childhood. Darryl is the fourth of six
children in their blended family.
Growing up, he enjoyed soccer, being outdoors, camping and
swimming. He served a full time mission in
the amazing California Los Angeles Mission and has fond
(01:03):
memories of the people he taughtand those who taught him.
After his mission, Darrow returned to the Wichita area
with a renewed commitment to helping the church thrive and
grow in Kansas. He resumed his college education
and began schooling to be well, he didn't know at the time.
He served as the Institute council president where he met
(01:24):
Becky, the younger sister of girls he had known in high
school. Both attending Wichita State
University, they quickly developed strong feelings for
each other. Darrell and Becky were sealed in
the Saint Louis Temple in June 2006.
They have two sons, Daniel, 17, and Liam, 13.
Darrell eventually earned a Bachelor of Science and
(01:45):
Education and taught middle school math and social studies
for the Wichita Public Schools. While teaching, he earned a
Master of Educational Leadership, which opened
opportunities to explore other roles within education.
Since leaving the classroom, Darryl has worked as a math
curriculum specialist and an assistant principal for the
Wichita Public Schools. He firmly believes in the vital
(02:07):
role education plays in the lives of all of Heavenly
Father's children. Darryl has many interests but
especially enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.
Together they love traveling andexploring new places,
particularly national parks. In his church service, Darrell
currently serves as a high Counselor and 1st Counselor in
(02:28):
the State Young Men's Presidency.
His previous colleagues include ward Young Men president, ward
clerk, ward executive secretary,primary teacher, Sunday school
president, Sunday school teacher, elders, Corn president,
Gospel doctrine teacher and Institute Council council
president. Welcome, Daryl.
(02:48):
Thank you. Excited to meet with you today.
So let's start with some early life.
Let's look at who's the oldest relative that you remember as a
child, and what's something thatyou remember about them.
That would probably have to be my great grandma who lived at my
(03:08):
grandparents house. And when we moved initially
moved to Kansas, we moved and lived about a mile away from
them. And so we spent a lot of time
over there, especially in the summers.
And my great grandma Key is my mom's grandmother and she lived
until I was in the 4th grade andpassed away of lung cancer at
(03:28):
the age of 87. But I had lived a really
wonderful life and I have a lot of fond memories as a child
being over at my grandparents house with her.
And we did a lot of things. But probably my favorite thing
that we ever did was we played alot of Yahtzee and I felt pretty
fortunate. It's a small thing, but when she
passed away, I got the Yahtzee set and it's very old and pretty
(03:52):
fragile and falling apart. But that was probably our
favorite thing to do was to playYahtzee.
But we did a lot of things. She taught me to do different
things with yarn and craft. Both her and my grandma did a
lot of crafting and things like that.
So we would sit and join them and one of the last big projects
they did before she passed away was a quilt.
(04:13):
And so I learned to it was all hand stitched every every stitch
on a small honeycomb design quilt.
And it's mad at my sister because my sister didn't help
with that quilt. But when my great grandma died
and my sister thought that quiltas the oldest great grandchild
so but still in the family. So just spending time with her
(04:35):
honestly was whatever we were doing was always fun, so.
That's some fun memories, and definitely being able to
remember someone from three generations before.
Probably lots of fun stories to hear from her too.
So what role has missionary service or ministering efforts
(04:59):
played in your life? And what role do you hope they
play in the? Future I'll start with
ministering. You know, back in the day we
called it home teaching. But when, you know, as you
mentioned in my biography, my family was not active.
My I remember as a child, my dad's family has been in the
(05:22):
church since, you know, the early church history when the
Saints were in Nauvoo. But after he joined the
military, he ended up kind of falling away from the church.
Him and my mom got married when we moved to Kansas.
I remember as a kid there was a particular family that was our
home teacher for a long time andand I remember them regularly
(05:43):
coming and not really understanding what it was
because I was young and we wouldgo to church when my grandma and
or aunt would come to town because they were active and
they were in town. So we went to church.
But that home teaching family was pretty consistent.
My dad always knew he could callthem.
But then after my dad and stepmom got married and he moved
(06:07):
into a house down in Derby and new home teachers were assigned
and they were very persistent and very involved.
And I, their families we still talk to today, they had kids my
age and my brother's ages and mysister's age.
And so they were very, very involved in our lives and in
(06:28):
supporting my parents. And my stepmom grew up as the
daughter of a Methodist preacher.
And so the idea of going to church as a family was always a
big deal to her. And in her previous marriage,
like, they didn't, she would go to church with her, her sons and
often her husband would not. And so after her and my dad got
(06:49):
married, she expressed the desire to go to church together
as a family. She wanted to, you know, bring
that back into into her life as a family the way she had grown
up. And my dad said, that's fine.
There's only a church I'm going to go to, even though he hadn't
been in 20 plus years. But I, I strongly believe that
(07:09):
it was the influence of those home teachers who were not just
at the house to, to share a message and say a prayer and
make sure we had the spirit. But they were, they were just
there to be my parents friends and to be a support to them.
You know, blending a family the way my dad and stepmom did is no
small challenge. And then to add in a new
religion and, and new ideas, youknow, it, there were a lot of
(07:33):
challenges in those early years and they were lucky to have home
teachers that were there to support them just as a friend.
And I think that that's ultimately what home teaching
and ministering is really about.It's, you know, yeah, we want to
uplift and edify people spiritually, but more than
anything, we want them to know that they're cared for and
Christ cared for people in a lotof different ways.
(07:55):
And, and that's our responsibility as ministers.
So I have a lot of kind of a special place in my heart for
that because I think it played ahuge role in, in our family, me
coming back into the church and my stepmom joining the church,
which ultimately changed the trajectory of our lives.
(08:15):
That which led to me going on a mission.
And I, you know, I have a 17 year old now.
And so we talk a lot about what's coming up for him and
what that looks like. And I think the hardest part for
me, you know, a mission is a very personal thing because the
things we go through and the thethings we experience are they're
(08:35):
very personal. And so to convey to my child how
important it is for him to go ona mission in a way that he can
understand is nearly impossible because what my mission did for
me was set me on a path that nothing else I could have done
would have had that same impact.So, you know, and, and not just
(08:59):
spiritually, but in a lot of ways, like I had a decent work
ethic. That's one of the things I
learned from my parents. I've always been hard working
people. So I had to work hard on my
mission and I learned what that really looked like and what it
meant to push through when doingthe work was hard.
And then you throw in the spiritual aspect and gaining a
true testimony of, of our Saviorand the atonement.
(09:24):
So I, I walked away. I think those are probably the
two biggest things is I, when I went on my mission, I felt like
I didn't really understand the atonement.
And I probably still don't really today, right?
There's always something to learn.
But through some of the experiences on my mission, you
know, I spent a lot of time reading my scriptures and
praying to understand the atonement.
And, and sometimes when we pray for things, we get challenges we
(09:46):
we didn't want. But through those challenges, I
started to gain a better understanding of what the
atonement is really about. So as I look into the future, I
hope, I hope I can convey to my boys the importance the mission
plays in their lives. But it's that fine balance of
(10:06):
pushing so hard that it pushes them away because it is a big
commitment. But it's a commitment that I
didn't understand when I made it, but I'm glad I did.
My dad wasn't able to serve a mission with the with the things
he had going on in his life. And so I was the first one in
our family to serve a mission. And they just, I can't even put
(10:28):
into words the impact it ultimately had on me.
And it made, you know, put me behind in schooling.
And so I, you know, it's two years behind everybody my age.
But the things I gained out of it in terms of work ethic, my
ability to study and to focus and to put my attention in the
right places to accomplish the, the goals that I had.
(10:49):
Those weren't things I, I had before I went on a mission.
And I, I know that as Becky and I got married and we're pushing
through school, we were both both in school and, you know,
going on a mission teaches you to do hard things and, and how
to persevere and find your kind of grit and resilience when you
need it. And before, when I finally
(11:13):
decided on what my major was going to be, I might have
switched a few times and that's OK.
But when I decided on education and ultimately landed there, it
put me in an awkward position with classes.
And the last three semesters before I was going to student
teach, I either had to take an overload schedule each semester
(11:35):
or I was going to have to put off graduating further that the
time I was approaching graduation, we had a kid, we'd
bought a house. Like we were pretty committed to
some things and we had to, I knew I just had to dig in and
figure it out. And so that last 12 months
before I student taught, I endedup taking 56 college credits,
which for most people's two years worth of college and one
(11:57):
year's time. And I, I, as I look back at that
and I think back where think to where I, you know, found the
inner strength to do that. I think a lot of it started on
my mission. That's where I learned to dig
deep and, and find the strength to do those hard things was on
my mission because it was mentally and emotionally and
(12:17):
physically draining in a lot of ways, but it was also the most
rewarding thing I think I've done in my life outside of
having a family. So I, I just hope to convey that
to my boy so that they understand the importance of it.
And if they choose not to go, that they understand the
importance of being active in the church and finding a
(12:38):
testimony of the atonement and understanding that wonderful.
And we had chatted a little bit before we started recording
here. What about later in life?
Do you have any goals with Beckyto?
Yeah, we've talked about it. You know, she was, she had
thought she might serve a mission and then, you know, God
(12:58):
had other plans and we got married.
And so we've talked about it when when we reach retirement
age and have that ability, definitely looking at going on a
mission. Never really talked a whole lot
about, you know, what type of mission we might want to serve.
But I think we're committed to the idea of taking that
opportunity to fully serve the Lord for whatever time he needs
(13:19):
us. We, our careers take a lot of
our time and we, we try to balance that with service in the
church. But just thinking back to my own
mission and the opportunity to just fully focus on the Lord and
your testimony and, and growing spiritually and helping others
grow spiritually. It's something we look forward
to when that time comes. Yeah.
(13:41):
And I, I think that that speaks a lot to your, your sons also
that that you didn't just serve a mission, check it off the list
and you're done. That you're looking forward and
you're continuing to serve now too.
But that will, that will help all of our children as we, we
make those choices now too. Thanks.
So what are some fun things thatyour family enjoys doing
(14:05):
together? We we enjoy a lot of things.
I enjoy making the boys do chores.
That's what they. Think right, that's what they
think, right, that that's what it's about.
But I think Becky and I are fortunate both being in
education that we are off and off work the same time the boys
(14:27):
are out of school. And I think that's it's been a
real blessing in our lives that it's worked out that way because
it's allowed us an opportunity to spend a lot of quality time
together during those times. And our probably our favorite
thing to do, especially in more recent years, is to travel.
You know, the boys being the ageso that they are, it's easy to
pile in the car and drive for two days or to jump on a plane
(14:49):
and fly somewhere. And, you know, we don't have to
take as much stuff with us because you don't have all the
baby stuff anymore. And so that's probably our
favorite thing to do. We like, really like to hit up
national parks. Since we started going to
national parks, we've hit all ofthe ones that are on the top of
our bucket list. So now we're, our bucket list
(15:09):
is, you know, we're working downthat.
So in 2020 we had the opportunity to go to Glacier
National Park and it was just gorgeous.
Unfortunately, because of COVID,parts were shut down and we
didn't get to see everything that we wanted to see.
So still on our list to go back 2022, we were able to go to the
top National Park on my bucket list, which is Dry Tortugas
(15:33):
National Park, which a lot of people haven't even heard of.
It is a small island about 70 miles off the coast of Key West.
You can get there by a 2/2 hour ferry ride or a 45 minute plane
ride. It's pretty pricey because of
kind of the exclusivity of beingable to go.
You go out for a day trip, you can camp there, but there's only
(15:55):
10 campsites and there's no electricity out there.
So we got to go spend the day out there.
You get to snorkel, hang out on on the island explorer.
It's an old Fort. You're a history person.
It's the the largest brick building in the Western
Hemisphere hemisphere. It was, I don't think it was
called Fort Jefferson. Maybe it was the name of the
(16:16):
Fort and it was a Fort back in the early days of settling in
the United States. And now it's just a historical
site. You can climb on top of the
four, walk around the top of it and see all the old barracks and
and everything. So got to do that when we were
down in Florida that summer. My favorite National Park
though, probably because I haven't been to the Pacific
(16:38):
North Northwest yet, but my favorite one that we've been to
three Times Now is the Great Smoky Mountains.
It's there's just something I don't know.
It's like, you know, there's places that you're you're that
call to your soul. And I feel like that's the Great
Smoky Mountains for me. I got, if I had an opportunity
to move there, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Just there's something about it.It's beautiful.
(17:00):
It's we didn't know until I think the second time we were
there that it's a temperate rainforest in the middle of the
United. You know, you don't think about
that in the middle of the UnitedStates, but you get the the cold
northern air coming down from Canada and you get the moist
Gulf air coming up from the the Gulf and it just creates A
temperate rainforest. And so you see a lot of
(17:21):
rainforest type of foliage and stuff, which you wouldn't expect
to see in the mountains of Tennessee.
Sure. So it's a really pretty place.
Wow, kind of forget where you are then.
Yeah, yeah. That's fun.
So you talked about that. You and Becky are both in
education, So what influenced you to take the professional
(17:44):
course that you did? That was actually, that path was
long and winding to end up whereI did.
And I really have to thank my wife for being so encouraging
and supportive because through our conversations that
ultimately I ended up there. But I can distinctly remember in
high school helping kids I was sitting next to in class or
(18:08):
wonder whatever and just really enjoying helping them figure out
stuff they were struggling with.And so that idea of teaching
seemed appealing. And then I of course went on my
mission and getting to teach people and see how that light
bulb come on the day, that aha moment was always really
rewarding to me. So I came home from my mission.
(18:30):
There was a thought about teaching, but there's also, you
know, this constant pull to feellike you have to make as much
money as you can and you have toprovide for a family.
And, and I think figuring out that balance of, of being able
to provide for your family, but also find joy in the work that
you do. I always kind of felt that
conflict. And so at one point I was a
(18:52):
history major with plans to go to law school.
And then I abandoned that and I was thinking about just getting
a degree in, in math education. Then I took calculus and, and my
brain doesn't like calculus. So then I think I switched so
that when I switched to psychology and I thought, yeah,
(19:14):
I'll go, I'll go clear through and I'll get a a doctorate in
psychology and be a clinical psychologist.
And then I realized I didn't really want to sit and listen to
people's problems all day long. So then I tried accounting
because I like math, I like numbers.
And that very quickly was an eyeopening experience that I did
not want to be an accountant. So, so everything just kind of,
(19:36):
you know, through all of those experiences and, and the
conversations and the, you know,kind of where I felt my heart
was pulling me, you know, sat down with Becky one night.
We talked it through and that point I'd been in college for a
while and ultimately decided that that if I was going to feel
(19:57):
like I was in a place where I could do a job and feel the
reward and the satisfaction and the.
Peace of Mind, knowing that whatI was doing was meaningful and
beneficial to others, that education was the only option
because I was not going into themedical field and I have no
interest in doing any of that. But that education was an
(20:20):
option. And, and she said, you know,
it's, it's not always about the money.
Sometimes it's about the knowingthat what you're doing is good
and the Lord will work the rest of it out.
And, and he certainly has, she knew she wanted to be a teacher
from the time she was in high school choir.
She knew like she fell in love with it, it it shaped who she is
as an adult. And so she was very confident in
(20:43):
that. And so that was that was it for
me. And then I switched my major
back to education and I kind of always saw myself as a high
school teacher, but I started working as a para at a middle
school and I realized that I'm kind of a weirdo and I fit
really well with middle schoolers.
And so kind of found my my nichewith middle schoolers and was
(21:06):
able to kind of blend what I'd done as a history major and
blend what I'd done between accounting and math before and
get certified to be a middle school math and social studies
teacher. And that provided a good path.
And it was, it was something I felt passionate enough about.
Truth be told, I probably would have preferred to teach social
(21:29):
studies, but I taught more math.But I think for me, as I got
into education, I felt that reward pretty quickly as I
started teaching and, and helping, you know, there's a lot
of anxiety about math, especially for kids as they get
in the middle school. And so just providing a space
for kids where they can learn and make mistakes and grow and
(21:50):
be comfortable with all of that has always been very, very
rewarding for me. Yeah, that's awesome.
And the changing majors first, it sounds like, you know, people
say that, that it's admitting a mistake or that they did
something wrong and it's not always right.
(22:13):
Sometimes it, like you said, you're able to blend things.
Sometimes it's a matter of recognizing, you know, I
explored this and I found something I don't want to do.
And then we don't have the regret later in life.
I wonder what if? Yeah, right.
So I think a lot of that actually goes back as you were
saying that it reminded me rightbefore I came home from my
mission, I was really struggling.
(22:34):
Like when I went on my mission, I I'm a I'm a constantly a
forward thinking person about what's next, what am I doing
next to my life. And, and when I first went out
on my mission, I had a hard timebecause I, I felt like I was
thinking a lot about what was going to happen when I got home.
And with two years is a long time.
And I finally kind of woke up tothat.
And, and I made a commitment to myself that I, I just wasn't
(22:58):
going to think about what I was going to do when I got home and
I was going to start committing more fully to what I was there
to do. And so I stopped, I stopped
thinking about what my plans were.
I stopped caring about what plans for after my mission were
and, and I think that's when I really started to feel more joy
in my work as a missionary. And so Fast forward, I came home
(23:19):
two weeks after Christmas. And so on that Christmas, I was
talking to an uncle of mine who I have a lot of respect and
admiration for and I've always had a good relationship.
And I was, I was feeling some anxiety about coming home and,
and I was talking to him about this and he said to me, you
know, it doesn't matter what youdo.
It matters that you're doing what the Lord is telling you to
(23:41):
do. And when he tells you to do
something different, you do something different.
And so I've always tried to kindof live by that, that idea,
because the Lord knows what we need to be doing and when we
need to be doing. And if I trust that and I follow
that, then I'll always be where I need to be in without getting
(24:01):
into the whole story of his life, he is a like an embodiment
of that advice. And so getting that from him and
knowing the experiences he had really kind of sunk into me.
And so as I changed my major, like I look back at that, yeah,
it cost me more money. Yeah.
I was in school a little bit longer than I needed to be, but
(24:22):
I think I learned a lot of valuable lessons.
I learned a lot about who I am and the things that I prioritize
or need to prioritize and the the things that are of value to
me in a way that I wouldn't havelearned without those
experiences. Yeah.
It's great. And talking about lessons
(24:44):
learned from other people that made me think about one of the
one of the purposes of, of the podcast or one of the memories
that I had, or it's not really memory.
I guess it's an experience that I had was that I've got some, I
don't know how many greats, a couple greats back grandparents
(25:06):
that there's some of their stories were written down by
people and I've been able to read those and thought, you
know, what would it be like to hear them say these things, to
hear their voice? And, and that's kind of one of
the things I was thinking about with the recording these, these
podcast episodes is to provide an opportunity for people to, to
(25:28):
share personal experiences for, for themselves, for their
posterity. Is there a personal experience
that that comes to mind that if you were able to know that this
was recording was going to be available to someone 100 years
from now, you know, a great, great grandchild that you never
met, What, what experience wouldyou want to share with them?
(25:54):
It's a lot that come to mind, but I if if I could be a little
bit more vague than maybe a specific story, it would
probably be a collection of the stories of my life that show
that the Lord will make things happen in unexpected ways.
(26:16):
My wife and I, the way we met and the way things worked out,
give you the short version, but it's one, just one example in my
life of how something has workedout the way the Lord needed it
to work out. And it was not the way I would
have envisioned it. So when I was institute council
president, you know, part of my job and part of the council's
job was to make people feel welcome at institute, get them
(26:39):
to come more often, get them to be active and, and the YSA
stuff. And Becky had graduated high
school and it was that fall and she started coming to institute.
She did not come to the singles ward because of, of having to
work on Sundays and the job she had at the time.
And so I immediately recognize her because if you know anybody
(27:00):
in her family, her six, her and her five siblings all look
identical. Like people have recognized them
as siblings without knowing theywere siblings kind of thing.
But I went to high school with two of her older sisters.
And so I knew who she was and I knew she was, you know, new to
coming to institute. And so I, you know, just trying
to be friendly and welcoming, and it's all kind of turned into
(27:23):
a funny joke and a funny story we tell because if you had asked
either of us before it happened,we would have both laughed.
We would have said, no way, that's not happening.
And part of the humorous part ofthis story is few weeks before I
asked her out on a date, the first time we were hanging out
(27:43):
after institute, everybody wouldhang out and play volleyball in
the church gym afterward. And I don't remember doing this.
I'm sure I probably did, but I guess I was staring at her from
across the gym and she caught meand I didn't, I didn't know
this, but she went home and toldher mom and said mom, Daryl
sessions keeps staring at me. And her mom said maybe he wants
(28:04):
to date you. And at the time I didn't know I
wanted to. And she laughed at her mom was
like, you're ridiculous. He would never want to do that.
And few weeks later, when I asked her out on a date the
first time, she actually did laugh at me, bent over laughing,
grabbing her stomach 'cause she thought it was that funny.
And then she realized I was serious.
(28:26):
But I just, neither of us saw itcoming.
And, and I think looking back onit, we're about to celebrate our
19th anniversary and I neither of us saw it coming.
She thought she was going to be 30 and single.
And I didn't know, you know, what was going to happen.
And, but the Lord knew and, and we trusted it enough that even
though it felt scary and we wereunsure about it, it was wasn't
(28:48):
the plans we had in our head. We knew the Lord had his hand in
it. And I think that is what I would
want people, 100 years from now,any of the stories of my life
where whether the IT was a trialor whether it was something
positive that the Lord kind of sneaks up on you sometimes
(29:08):
catches you off guard. And, and you have to be ready
and willing to see it and to hear it and feel it and follow
it. And that when you are, you can't
imagine the blessings that come from it.
That's great. It's a funny story, too.
Yeah. I have some other ones that are
less funny more, you know, trials and tribulation kind of
(29:32):
things. But I just, I truly believe,
like if you trust in the Lord and you trust His timing and you
trust His plan, that it all works out for your good.
Is there a recent experience that comes to your mind if
you're thinking about that has helped you strengthen your trust
(29:53):
in God? Yeah, I went through some stuff
with a work experience couple years ago.
Can't, I can, don't really want to get into a lot of details,
but it was, it was a very difficult experience.
And through it, I didn't have anything I could do but trust
(30:16):
the Lord. And, and there's still times
that as I think about the residual effect of, of what
happened and everything that I want to, you know, scream and
yell and be mad about it. But one of the best things that
came out of that as I ended up working with a boss who is an
(30:38):
incredibly faithful woman. And she constantly reminds me
that I am where God needs me to be.
And I think that has been an incredibly beneficial thing for
me because when you go through trials, it is so easy quickly
turn away from God because you don't understand the reason
(31:01):
behind whatever it is you're going through.
And so to have gone through something like that, where I
very easily could have turned away from the Lord, I spent a
lot of time, renewed my efforts in reading the scriptures.
And, and then between that and just her faithfulness and, and
Heavenly Father and his plan forus and her constant reassurance,
(31:24):
it's just really strengthened myfaith and I've grown a lot
through it. I still don't know the overall
purpose of everything that happened.
I don't know where it's going toultimately land or where it's
going to leave me, but I'm comfortable knowing that I'm
where I'm supposed to be. Thanks.
That's been hard but but good. Yeah, and certainly it sounds
(31:48):
like it has helped increase youryour trust.
Yeah, I'm God enjoyed this visittoday.
Me too. Will you end our episode with
your your testimony of Christ and of His restored?
Church absolutely. I think for me, my testimony is
really rooted in two important things that I've realized
(32:11):
throughout the course of my life.
Because I feel like a lot of a lot of what we believe and why
we we believe the way we do and and why we choose to make the
covenants we choose are based onthese two things.
And the first is a modern day prophet.
You know, I look at all of the things that we know to be
doctrine and, and all of the modern day revelations that
(32:33):
we've received and the life thatit leads us to live.
And I just, I can't deny the fact that it has to be from God
and, and through his living prophet who leads and guides us.
And I, I truly believe that our current prophet is a prophet of
God and each one who's come before him is, is God's
mouthpiece on the earth. And that that was all restored
(32:54):
through Joseph Smith. And I'm grateful for it because
I think there's a lot of things about the world we wouldn't
understand the way we need to just with the way things are
today if it wasn't for having a living prophet.
And then a second, most importantly, the atonement of
Jesus Christ, knowing that I think we all have the self
(33:17):
realization that we're never going to be perfect or, or we're
not there, especially not in this life.
And that can be very overwhelming and, and depressing
A lot of days, you know, we makethe same mistakes over and over
again, or we, you know, just make mistakes in general.
And it's really, you know, Satanwants us to get down on herself.
(33:37):
Satan wants us to beat ourselvesup.
But having the knowledge that because Christ loved us and
because our Heavenly Father loved us so much to send Jesus
Christ, and that because of whathe was willing to do for us, we
have the ability to overcome allof it.
You know, small sins, big sins, our imperfections, physical,
(33:59):
emotional, mental, all of it. That he knows and understands
all of that. And because of his sacrifice for
US1 day, we'll be able to be freed from all of those things
that that cause us those feelings.
It's just amazing to to think that that is a possibility made
(34:19):
through the atonement. And that to add to that, that
Heavenly Father's plan was so perfect that he knew he needed
what needed to happen so that wecould return to live with him.
Let me say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Amen. I hope that this episode of The
Witch Took is a Stick podcast helped bring you closer to
(34:40):
Christ. I invite you to take some time
today to write about Oregon Record, one of your own faith
promoting experiences.
Hi friends, welcome to the Wichita KS State Podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Kitchen, a state history specialist.
This podcast is intended to helpbring followers of Christ closer
to him and to promote unity within the body of Christ by
listening to our state leaders share their personal stories of
faith. By reflecting on faith,
promoting experiences, we can strengthen our individual faith
(00:20):
in Jesus Christ together. Welcome to our next episode, I'm
here with Daryl Sessions. He was raised in the Derby, KS
Stake but was not active in the church until his teen years.
His mother is not a member, while his dad returned to
activity after meeting his stepmom who joined the church.
His dad worked for 38 years at Wichita State University and his
(00:42):
stepmom teaches classes at WSU Tech.
His mother has worked in the financial sector since his
childhood. Darryl is the fourth of six
children in their blended family.
Growing up, he enjoyed soccer, being outdoors, camping and
swimming. He served a full time mission in
the amazing California Los Angeles Mission and has fond
(01:03):
memories of the people he taughtand those who taught him.
After his mission, Darrow returned to the Wichita area
with a renewed commitment to helping the church thrive and
grow in Kansas. He resumed his college education
and began schooling to be well, he didn't know at the time.
He served as the Institute council president where he met
(01:24):
Becky, the younger sister of girls he had known in high
school. Both attending Wichita State
University, they quickly developed strong feelings for
each other. Darrell and Becky were sealed in
the Saint Louis Temple in June 2006.
They have two sons, Daniel, 17, and Liam, 13.
Darrell eventually earned a Bachelor of Science and
(01:45):
Education and taught middle school math and social studies
for the Wichita Public Schools. While teaching, he earned a
Master of Educational Leadership, which opened
opportunities to explore other roles within education.
Since leaving the classroom, Darryl has worked as a math
curriculum specialist and an assistant principal for the
Wichita Public Schools. He firmly believes in the vital
(02:07):
role education plays in the lives of all of Heavenly
Father's children. Darryl has many interests but
especially enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.
Together they love traveling andexploring new places,
particularly national parks. In his church service, Darrell
currently serves as a high Counselor and 1st Counselor in
(02:28):
the State Young Men's Presidency.
His previous colleagues include ward Young Men president, ward
clerk, ward executive secretary,primary teacher, Sunday school
president, Sunday school teacher, elders, Corn president,
Gospel doctrine teacher and Institute Council council
president. Welcome, Daryl.
(02:48):
Thank you. Excited to meet with you today.
So let's start with some early life.
Let's look at who's the oldest relative that you remember as a
child, and what's something thatyou remember about them.
That would probably have to be my great grandma who lived at my
(03:08):
grandparents house. And when we moved initially
moved to Kansas, we moved and lived about a mile away from
them. And so we spent a lot of time
over there, especially in the summers.
And my great grandma Key is my mom's grandmother and she lived
until I was in the 4th grade andpassed away of lung cancer at
(03:28):
the age of 87. But I had lived a really
wonderful life and I have a lot of fond memories as a child
being over at my grandparents house with her.
And we did a lot of things. But probably my favorite thing
that we ever did was we played alot of Yahtzee and I felt pretty
fortunate. It's a small thing, but when she
passed away, I got the Yahtzee set and it's very old and pretty
(03:52):
fragile and falling apart. But that was probably our
favorite thing to do was to playYahtzee.
But we did a lot of things. She taught me to do different
things with yarn and craft. Both her and my grandma did a
lot of crafting and things like that.
So we would sit and join them and one of the last big projects
they did before she passed away was a quilt.
(04:13):
And so I learned to it was all hand stitched every every stitch
on a small honeycomb design quilt.
And it's mad at my sister because my sister didn't help
with that quilt. But when my great grandma died
and my sister thought that quiltas the oldest great grandchild
so but still in the family. So just spending time with her
(04:35):
honestly was whatever we were doing was always fun, so.
That's some fun memories, and definitely being able to
remember someone from three generations before.
Probably lots of fun stories to hear from her too.
So what role has missionary service or ministering efforts
(04:59):
played in your life? And what role do you hope they
play in the? Future I'll start with
ministering. You know, back in the day we
called it home teaching. But when, you know, as you
mentioned in my biography, my family was not active.
My I remember as a child, my dad's family has been in the
(05:22):
church since, you know, the early church history when the
Saints were in Nauvoo. But after he joined the
military, he ended up kind of falling away from the church.
Him and my mom got married when we moved to Kansas.
I remember as a kid there was a particular family that was our
home teacher for a long time andand I remember them regularly
(05:43):
coming and not really understanding what it was
because I was young and we wouldgo to church when my grandma and
or aunt would come to town because they were active and
they were in town. So we went to church.
But that home teaching family was pretty consistent.
My dad always knew he could callthem.
But then after my dad and stepmom got married and he moved
(06:07):
into a house down in Derby and new home teachers were assigned
and they were very persistent and very involved.
And I, their families we still talk to today, they had kids my
age and my brother's ages and mysister's age.
And so they were very, very involved in our lives and in
(06:28):
supporting my parents. And my stepmom grew up as the
daughter of a Methodist preacher.
And so the idea of going to church as a family was always a
big deal to her. And in her previous marriage,
like, they didn't, she would go to church with her, her sons and
often her husband would not. And so after her and my dad got
(06:49):
married, she expressed the desire to go to church together
as a family. She wanted to, you know, bring
that back into into her life as a family the way she had grown
up. And my dad said, that's fine.
There's only a church I'm going to go to, even though he hadn't
been in 20 plus years. But I, I strongly believe that
(07:09):
it was the influence of those home teachers who were not just
at the house to, to share a message and say a prayer and
make sure we had the spirit. But they were, they were just
there to be my parents friends and to be a support to them.
You know, blending a family the way my dad and stepmom did is no
small challenge. And then to add in a new
religion and, and new ideas, youknow, it, there were a lot of
(07:33):
challenges in those early years and they were lucky to have home
teachers that were there to support them just as a friend.
And I think that that's ultimately what home teaching
and ministering is really about.It's, you know, yeah, we want to
uplift and edify people spiritually, but more than
anything, we want them to know that they're cared for and
Christ cared for people in a lotof different ways.
(07:55):
And, and that's our responsibility as ministers.
So I have a lot of kind of a special place in my heart for
that because I think it played ahuge role in, in our family, me
coming back into the church and my stepmom joining the church,
which ultimately changed the trajectory of our lives.
(08:15):
That which led to me going on a mission.
And I, you know, I have a 17 year old now.
And so we talk a lot about what's coming up for him and
what that looks like. And I think the hardest part for
me, you know, a mission is a very personal thing because the
things we go through and the thethings we experience are they're
(08:35):
very personal. And so to convey to my child how
important it is for him to go ona mission in a way that he can
understand is nearly impossible because what my mission did for
me was set me on a path that nothing else I could have done
would have had that same impact.So, you know, and, and not just
(08:59):
spiritually, but in a lot of ways, like I had a decent work
ethic. That's one of the things I
learned from my parents. I've always been hard working
people. So I had to work hard on my
mission and I learned what that really looked like and what it
meant to push through when doingthe work was hard.
And then you throw in the spiritual aspect and gaining a
true testimony of, of our Saviorand the atonement.
(09:24):
So I, I walked away. I think those are probably the
two biggest things is I, when I went on my mission, I felt like
I didn't really understand the atonement.
And I probably still don't really today, right?
There's always something to learn.
But through some of the experiences on my mission, you
know, I spent a lot of time reading my scriptures and
praying to understand the atonement.
And, and sometimes when we pray for things, we get challenges we
(09:46):
we didn't want. But through those challenges, I
started to gain a better understanding of what the
atonement is really about. So as I look into the future, I
hope, I hope I can convey to my boys the importance the mission
plays in their lives. But it's that fine balance of
(10:06):
pushing so hard that it pushes them away because it is a big
commitment. But it's a commitment that I
didn't understand when I made it, but I'm glad I did.
My dad wasn't able to serve a mission with the with the things
he had going on in his life. And so I was the first one in
our family to serve a mission. And they just, I can't even put
(10:28):
into words the impact it ultimately had on me.
And it made, you know, put me behind in schooling.
And so I, you know, it's two years behind everybody my age.
But the things I gained out of it in terms of work ethic, my
ability to study and to focus and to put my attention in the
right places to accomplish the, the goals that I had.
(10:49):
Those weren't things I, I had before I went on a mission.
And I, I know that as Becky and I got married and we're pushing
through school, we were both both in school and, you know,
going on a mission teaches you to do hard things and, and how
to persevere and find your kind of grit and resilience when you
need it. And before, when I finally
(11:13):
decided on what my major was going to be, I might have
switched a few times and that's OK.
But when I decided on education and ultimately landed there, it
put me in an awkward position with classes.
And the last three semesters before I was going to student
teach, I either had to take an overload schedule each semester
(11:35):
or I was going to have to put off graduating further that the
time I was approaching graduation, we had a kid, we'd
bought a house. Like we were pretty committed to
some things and we had to, I knew I just had to dig in and
figure it out. And so that last 12 months
before I student taught, I endedup taking 56 college credits,
which for most people's two years worth of college and one
(11:57):
year's time. And I, I, as I look back at that
and I think back where think to where I, you know, found the
inner strength to do that. I think a lot of it started on
my mission. That's where I learned to dig
deep and, and find the strength to do those hard things was on
my mission because it was mentally and emotionally and
(12:17):
physically draining in a lot of ways, but it was also the most
rewarding thing I think I've done in my life outside of
having a family. So I, I just hope to convey that
to my boy so that they understand the importance of it.
And if they choose not to go, that they understand the
importance of being active in the church and finding a
(12:38):
testimony of the atonement and understanding that wonderful.
And we had chatted a little bit before we started recording
here. What about later in life?
Do you have any goals with Beckyto?
Yeah, we've talked about it. You know, she was, she had
thought she might serve a mission and then, you know, God
(12:58):
had other plans and we got married.
And so we've talked about it when when we reach retirement
age and have that ability, definitely looking at going on a
mission. Never really talked a whole lot
about, you know, what type of mission we might want to serve.
But I think we're committed to the idea of taking that
opportunity to fully serve the Lord for whatever time he needs
(13:19):
us. We, our careers take a lot of
our time and we, we try to balance that with service in the
church. But just thinking back to my own
mission and the opportunity to just fully focus on the Lord and
your testimony and, and growing spiritually and helping others
grow spiritually. It's something we look forward
to when that time comes. Yeah.
(13:41):
And I, I think that that speaks a lot to your, your sons also
that that you didn't just serve a mission, check it off the list
and you're done. That you're looking forward and
you're continuing to serve now too.
But that will, that will help all of our children as we, we
make those choices now too. Thanks.
So what are some fun things thatyour family enjoys doing
(14:05):
together? We we enjoy a lot of things.
I enjoy making the boys do chores.
That's what they. Think right, that's what they
think, right, that that's what it's about.
But I think Becky and I are fortunate both being in
education that we are off and off work the same time the boys
(14:27):
are out of school. And I think that's it's been a
real blessing in our lives that it's worked out that way because
it's allowed us an opportunity to spend a lot of quality time
together during those times. And our probably our favorite
thing to do, especially in more recent years, is to travel.
You know, the boys being the ageso that they are, it's easy to
pile in the car and drive for two days or to jump on a plane
(14:49):
and fly somewhere. And, you know, we don't have to
take as much stuff with us because you don't have all the
baby stuff anymore. And so that's probably our
favorite thing to do. We like, really like to hit up
national parks. Since we started going to
national parks, we've hit all ofthe ones that are on the top of
our bucket list. So now we're, our bucket list
(15:09):
is, you know, we're working downthat.
So in 2020 we had the opportunity to go to Glacier
National Park and it was just gorgeous.
Unfortunately, because of COVID,parts were shut down and we
didn't get to see everything that we wanted to see.
So still on our list to go back 2022, we were able to go to the
top National Park on my bucket list, which is Dry Tortugas
(15:33):
National Park, which a lot of people haven't even heard of.
It is a small island about 70 miles off the coast of Key West.
You can get there by a 2/2 hour ferry ride or a 45 minute plane
ride. It's pretty pricey because of
kind of the exclusivity of beingable to go.
You go out for a day trip, you can camp there, but there's only
(15:55):
10 campsites and there's no electricity out there.
So we got to go spend the day out there.
You get to snorkel, hang out on on the island explorer.
It's an old Fort. You're a history person.
It's the the largest brick building in the Western
Hemisphere hemisphere. It was, I don't think it was
called Fort Jefferson. Maybe it was the name of the
(16:16):
Fort and it was a Fort back in the early days of settling in
the United States. And now it's just a historical
site. You can climb on top of the
four, walk around the top of it and see all the old barracks and
and everything. So got to do that when we were
down in Florida that summer. My favorite National Park
though, probably because I haven't been to the Pacific
(16:38):
North Northwest yet, but my favorite one that we've been to
three Times Now is the Great Smoky Mountains.
It's there's just something I don't know.
It's like, you know, there's places that you're you're that
call to your soul. And I feel like that's the Great
Smoky Mountains for me. I got, if I had an opportunity
to move there, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Just there's something about it.It's beautiful.
(17:00):
It's we didn't know until I think the second time we were
there that it's a temperate rainforest in the middle of the
United. You know, you don't think about
that in the middle of the UnitedStates, but you get the the cold
northern air coming down from Canada and you get the moist
Gulf air coming up from the the Gulf and it just creates A
temperate rainforest. And so you see a lot of
(17:21):
rainforest type of foliage and stuff, which you wouldn't expect
to see in the mountains of Tennessee.
Sure. So it's a really pretty place.
Wow, kind of forget where you are then.
Yeah, yeah. That's fun.
So you talked about that. You and Becky are both in
education, So what influenced you to take the professional
(17:44):
course that you did? That was actually, that path was
long and winding to end up whereI did.
And I really have to thank my wife for being so encouraging
and supportive because through our conversations that
ultimately I ended up there. But I can distinctly remember in
high school helping kids I was sitting next to in class or
(18:08):
wonder whatever and just really enjoying helping them figure out
stuff they were struggling with.And so that idea of teaching
seemed appealing. And then I of course went on my
mission and getting to teach people and see how that light
bulb come on the day, that aha moment was always really
rewarding to me. So I came home from my mission.
(18:30):
There was a thought about teaching, but there's also, you
know, this constant pull to feellike you have to make as much
money as you can and you have toprovide for a family.
And, and I think figuring out that balance of, of being able
to provide for your family, but also find joy in the work that
you do. I always kind of felt that
conflict. And so at one point I was a
(18:52):
history major with plans to go to law school.
And then I abandoned that and I was thinking about just getting
a degree in, in math education. Then I took calculus and, and my
brain doesn't like calculus. So then I think I switched so
that when I switched to psychology and I thought, yeah,
(19:14):
I'll go, I'll go clear through and I'll get a a doctorate in
psychology and be a clinical psychologist.
And then I realized I didn't really want to sit and listen to
people's problems all day long. So then I tried accounting
because I like math, I like numbers.
And that very quickly was an eyeopening experience that I did
not want to be an accountant. So, so everything just kind of,
(19:36):
you know, through all of those experiences and, and the
conversations and the, you know,kind of where I felt my heart
was pulling me, you know, sat down with Becky one night.
We talked it through and that point I'd been in college for a
while and ultimately decided that that if I was going to feel
(19:57):
like I was in a place where I could do a job and feel the
reward and the satisfaction and the.
Peace of Mind, knowing that whatI was doing was meaningful and
beneficial to others, that education was the only option
because I was not going into themedical field and I have no
interest in doing any of that. But that education was an
(20:20):
option. And, and she said, you know,
it's, it's not always about the money.
Sometimes it's about the knowingthat what you're doing is good
and the Lord will work the rest of it out.
And, and he certainly has, she knew she wanted to be a teacher
from the time she was in high school choir.
She knew like she fell in love with it, it it shaped who she is
as an adult. And so she was very confident in
(20:43):
that. And so that was that was it for
me. And then I switched my major
back to education and I kind of always saw myself as a high
school teacher, but I started working as a para at a middle
school and I realized that I'm kind of a weirdo and I fit
really well with middle schoolers.
And so kind of found my my nichewith middle schoolers and was
(21:06):
able to kind of blend what I'd done as a history major and
blend what I'd done between accounting and math before and
get certified to be a middle school math and social studies
teacher. And that provided a good path.
And it was, it was something I felt passionate enough about.
Truth be told, I probably would have preferred to teach social
(21:29):
studies, but I taught more math.But I think for me, as I got
into education, I felt that reward pretty quickly as I
started teaching and, and helping, you know, there's a lot
of anxiety about math, especially for kids as they get
in the middle school. And so just providing a space
for kids where they can learn and make mistakes and grow and
(21:50):
be comfortable with all of that has always been very, very
rewarding for me. Yeah, that's awesome.
And the changing majors first, it sounds like, you know, people
say that, that it's admitting a mistake or that they did
something wrong and it's not always right.
(22:13):
Sometimes it, like you said, you're able to blend things.
Sometimes it's a matter of recognizing, you know, I
explored this and I found something I don't want to do.
And then we don't have the regret later in life.
I wonder what if? Yeah, right.
So I think a lot of that actually goes back as you were
saying that it reminded me rightbefore I came home from my
mission, I was really struggling.
(22:34):
Like when I went on my mission, I I'm a I'm a constantly a
forward thinking person about what's next, what am I doing
next to my life. And, and when I first went out
on my mission, I had a hard timebecause I, I felt like I was
thinking a lot about what was going to happen when I got home.
And with two years is a long time.
And I finally kind of woke up tothat.
And, and I made a commitment to myself that I, I just wasn't
(22:58):
going to think about what I was going to do when I got home and
I was going to start committing more fully to what I was there
to do. And so I stopped, I stopped
thinking about what my plans were.
I stopped caring about what plans for after my mission were
and, and I think that's when I really started to feel more joy
in my work as a missionary. And so Fast forward, I came home
(23:19):
two weeks after Christmas. And so on that Christmas, I was
talking to an uncle of mine who I have a lot of respect and
admiration for and I've always had a good relationship.
And I was, I was feeling some anxiety about coming home and,
and I was talking to him about this and he said to me, you
know, it doesn't matter what youdo.
It matters that you're doing what the Lord is telling you to
(23:41):
do. And when he tells you to do
something different, you do something different.
And so I've always tried to kindof live by that, that idea,
because the Lord knows what we need to be doing and when we
need to be doing. And if I trust that and I follow
that, then I'll always be where I need to be in without getting
(24:01):
into the whole story of his life, he is a like an embodiment
of that advice. And so getting that from him and
knowing the experiences he had really kind of sunk into me.
And so as I changed my major, like I look back at that, yeah,
it cost me more money. Yeah.
I was in school a little bit longer than I needed to be, but
(24:22):
I think I learned a lot of valuable lessons.
I learned a lot about who I am and the things that I prioritize
or need to prioritize and the the things that are of value to
me in a way that I wouldn't havelearned without those
experiences. Yeah.
It's great. And talking about lessons
(24:44):
learned from other people that made me think about one of the
one of the purposes of, of the podcast or one of the memories
that I had, or it's not really memory.
I guess it's an experience that I had was that I've got some, I
don't know how many greats, a couple greats back grandparents
(25:06):
that there's some of their stories were written down by
people and I've been able to read those and thought, you
know, what would it be like to hear them say these things, to
hear their voice? And, and that's kind of one of
the things I was thinking about with the recording these, these
podcast episodes is to provide an opportunity for people to, to
(25:28):
share personal experiences for, for themselves, for their
posterity. Is there a personal experience
that that comes to mind that if you were able to know that this
was recording was going to be available to someone 100 years
from now, you know, a great, great grandchild that you never
met, What, what experience wouldyou want to share with them?
(25:54):
It's a lot that come to mind, but I if if I could be a little
bit more vague than maybe a specific story, it would
probably be a collection of the stories of my life that show
that the Lord will make things happen in unexpected ways.
(26:16):
My wife and I, the way we met and the way things worked out,
give you the short version, but it's one, just one example in my
life of how something has workedout the way the Lord needed it
to work out. And it was not the way I would
have envisioned it. So when I was institute council
president, you know, part of my job and part of the council's
job was to make people feel welcome at institute, get them
(26:39):
to come more often, get them to be active and, and the YSA
stuff. And Becky had graduated high
school and it was that fall and she started coming to institute.
She did not come to the singles ward because of, of having to
work on Sundays and the job she had at the time.
And so I immediately recognize her because if you know anybody
(27:00):
in her family, her six, her and her five siblings all look
identical. Like people have recognized them
as siblings without knowing theywere siblings kind of thing.
But I went to high school with two of her older sisters.
And so I knew who she was and I knew she was, you know, new to
coming to institute. And so I, you know, just trying
to be friendly and welcoming, and it's all kind of turned into
(27:23):
a funny joke and a funny story we tell because if you had asked
either of us before it happened,we would have both laughed.
We would have said, no way, that's not happening.
And part of the humorous part ofthis story is few weeks before I
asked her out on a date, the first time we were hanging out
(27:43):
after institute, everybody wouldhang out and play volleyball in
the church gym afterward. And I don't remember doing this.
I'm sure I probably did, but I guess I was staring at her from
across the gym and she caught meand I didn't, I didn't know
this, but she went home and toldher mom and said mom, Daryl
sessions keeps staring at me. And her mom said maybe he wants
(28:04):
to date you. And at the time I didn't know I
wanted to. And she laughed at her mom was
like, you're ridiculous. He would never want to do that.
And few weeks later, when I asked her out on a date the
first time, she actually did laugh at me, bent over laughing,
grabbing her stomach 'cause she thought it was that funny.
And then she realized I was serious.
(28:26):
But I just, neither of us saw itcoming.
And, and I think looking back onit, we're about to celebrate our
19th anniversary and I neither of us saw it coming.
She thought she was going to be 30 and single.
And I didn't know, you know, what was going to happen.
And, but the Lord knew and, and we trusted it enough that even
though it felt scary and we wereunsure about it, it was wasn't
(28:48):
the plans we had in our head. We knew the Lord had his hand in
it. And I think that is what I would
want people, 100 years from now,any of the stories of my life
where whether the IT was a trialor whether it was something
positive that the Lord kind of sneaks up on you sometimes
(29:08):
catches you off guard. And, and you have to be ready
and willing to see it and to hear it and feel it and follow
it. And that when you are, you can't
imagine the blessings that come from it.
That's great. It's a funny story, too.
Yeah. I have some other ones that are
less funny more, you know, trials and tribulation kind of
(29:32):
things. But I just, I truly believe,
like if you trust in the Lord and you trust His timing and you
trust His plan, that it all works out for your good.
Is there a recent experience that comes to your mind if
you're thinking about that has helped you strengthen your trust
(29:53):
in God? Yeah, I went through some stuff
with a work experience couple years ago.
Can't, I can, don't really want to get into a lot of details,
but it was, it was a very difficult experience.
And through it, I didn't have anything I could do but trust
(30:16):
the Lord. And, and there's still times
that as I think about the residual effect of, of what
happened and everything that I want to, you know, scream and
yell and be mad about it. But one of the best things that
came out of that as I ended up working with a boss who is an
(30:38):
incredibly faithful woman. And she constantly reminds me
that I am where God needs me to be.
And I think that has been an incredibly beneficial thing for
me because when you go through trials, it is so easy quickly
turn away from God because you don't understand the reason
(31:01):
behind whatever it is you're going through.
And so to have gone through something like that, where I
very easily could have turned away from the Lord, I spent a
lot of time, renewed my efforts in reading the scriptures.
And, and then between that and just her faithfulness and, and
Heavenly Father and his plan forus and her constant reassurance,
(31:24):
it's just really strengthened myfaith and I've grown a lot
through it. I still don't know the overall
purpose of everything that happened.
I don't know where it's going toultimately land or where it's
going to leave me, but I'm comfortable knowing that I'm
where I'm supposed to be. Thanks.
That's been hard but but good. Yeah, and certainly it sounds
(31:48):
like it has helped increase youryour trust.
Yeah, I'm God enjoyed this visittoday.
Me too. Will you end our episode with
your your testimony of Christ and of His restored?
Church absolutely. I think for me, my testimony is
really rooted in two important things that I've realized
(32:11):
throughout the course of my life.
Because I feel like a lot of a lot of what we believe and why
we we believe the way we do and and why we choose to make the
covenants we choose are based onthese two things.
And the first is a modern day prophet.
You know, I look at all of the things that we know to be
doctrine and, and all of the modern day revelations that
(32:33):
we've received and the life thatit leads us to live.
And I just, I can't deny the fact that it has to be from God
and, and through his living prophet who leads and guides us.
And I, I truly believe that our current prophet is a prophet of
God and each one who's come before him is, is God's
mouthpiece on the earth. And that that was all restored
(32:54):
through Joseph Smith. And I'm grateful for it because
I think there's a lot of things about the world we wouldn't
understand the way we need to just with the way things are
today if it wasn't for having a living prophet.
And then a second, most importantly, the atonement of
Jesus Christ, knowing that I think we all have the self
(33:17):
realization that we're never going to be perfect or, or we're
not there, especially not in this life.
And that can be very overwhelming and, and depressing
A lot of days, you know, we makethe same mistakes over and over
again, or we, you know, just make mistakes in general.
And it's really, you know, Satanwants us to get down on herself.
(33:37):
Satan wants us to beat ourselvesup.
But having the knowledge that because Christ loved us and
because our Heavenly Father loved us so much to send Jesus
Christ, and that because of whathe was willing to do for us, we
have the ability to overcome allof it.
You know, small sins, big sins, our imperfections, physical,
(33:59):
emotional, mental, all of it. That he knows and understands
all of that. And because of his sacrifice for
US1 day, we'll be able to be freed from all of those things
that that cause us those feelings.
It's just amazing to to think that that is a possibility made
(34:19):
through the atonement. And that to add to that, that
Heavenly Father's plan was so perfect that he knew he needed
what needed to happen so that wecould return to live with him.
Let me say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Amen. I hope that this episode of The
Witch Took is a Stick podcast helped bring you closer to
(34:40):
Christ. I invite you to take some time
today to write about Oregon Record, one of your own faith
promoting experiences.
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