Peter Fagg, historian, author, and tour guide specializing in the British history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, returns to the podcast to share more of his research on the early missionary efforts in the United Kingdom, specifically the development of the Church in Preston, Lancashire.

I wanted to speak with Peter to dive deep into the fascinating, and often harrowing, history of the first LDS mission to England in 1837. We explore the social conditions of industrial Preston and how a small group of missionaries managed to establish what has become the oldest continuous branch of the Church in the world.

Some highlights from this episode include:
The "Gruesome" Reality of 1830s Preston: A look at the harsh industrial landscape the first missionaries encountered, defined by cotton mills, child labour, and a staggering 55% infant mortality rate.

"Truth Will Prevail": The origin story of the famous mission motto, which was adopted on the missionaries’ very first day in Preston after they saw a gold-lettered political banner during a rowdy election.

The "Tee -Total" Forerunners: A discussion of Joseph Livesey and the seven men who signed the famous Teetotal pledge in 1832 at the Preston Cockpit. This local movement against alcohol served as a providential forerunner to the missionaries introducing the Word of Wisdom in that same Cockpit five years later.

The Vauxhall Chapel Conflict: How the early success of the missionaries led to a dramatic falling out with Reverend James Fielding, as he watched his own congregation leave to join the restored gospel.

A Message of Hope for Parents: Why the missionaries’ teachings on the sanctity of childhood and the rejection of infant baptism resonated so deeply in a city plagued by death and poverty.

Orson Hyde’s Prophecy and the "Vauxhall Brick": The story behind a symbolic prophecy regarding the stones of the Vauxhall Chapel and how a piece of that history is physically built into the Manchester Stake Center today.

The World’s Oldest Branch: A discussion on the survival of the Preston branch and its legacy as the longest continuously operating unit in Church history.

Peter's Latest book titled:
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Book 1: LDS Preston can be found here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GWHJ2RJ3

Gavri’el Wise is a professional actor best known for his recent portrayal of the Saviour in the "Greater Love" Easter video series produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born in Minnesota to a Russian-Ukrainian mother and a Native American father, Gavri’el’s journey with church film projects began at age 11. He appeared as a background actor in the Bible and Book of Mormon video series before being cast in the sacred role of Jesus Christ.

I wanted to speak with Gavri’el to explore the spiritual and emotional weight of walking in the footsteps of the Saviour for the camera. We discuss his transition from a child actor to a lead performer, the rigorous preparation required for the role, and how his own history of early responsibility and solitude allowed him to connect with the humanity of Christ. Gavri’el opens up about how periods of loneliness in his youth became a "well" of introspection, helping him portray a Saviour who was always deeply observant of the world and those around Him.

Some highlights from this episode include:
A Lifelong Journey on Set: Gavri’el reflects on starting his acting career at age 11 on the Church’s Jerusalem set and how those early experiences prepared him for the responsibility of portraying the Son of God.

Channelling Personal Life Challenges: Gavri’el shares how growing up quickly and spending significant time in quiet observation of others allowed him to empathize with the "heavy knowledge" the Saviour carried.

"With More Love": A recurring piece of direction on the "Greater Love" set was to perform "with more love". Gavri’el explains how this challenged him to stop "acting" and start genuinely loving his fellow cast members.

The Master Teacher: During his preparation, Gavri’el found that a study of the Sermon on the Mount led to him understanding the beauty behind the simple, yet Masterful way Jesus taught.

Improvising the Last Supper: Gavri’el shares behind-the-scenes details about the sensitive, unscripted moments experienced during the filming of the Last Supper, where the cast shared real moments of peace and reflection.

From Belief to Active Discipleship: A shift in Gavri’el’s faith occurred when he realized that when the Saviour saves you, He "employs" you. He discusses the responsibility of being an active disciple in every aspect of life.

You can keep up with Gavri’el and his future projects on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gavrielwise/

The Greater Love Video can be found here:
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/easter-video-invites-all-to-find--greater-love--through-jesus-christ

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For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Q
https://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271

If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on Instagram

Conversations to Refresh Your Faith.

For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.

Kyle Beshears (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor in Mobile, Alabama and has taught courses on religion at the University of Mobile. He is the author of 40 Questions About Mormonism (Kregel Academic), and is presently writing on the development of LDS doctrine and practices during the life of Joseph Smith.

I wanted to speak with Kyle to discuss his extensive research into the life of Joseph Smith and his perspective as an Evangelical pastor on the cultural landscape of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We explore his recent book and his unique journey of humanizing a figure he does not view as a prophet, yet has come to empathize with as a fellow minister

Some highlights from this episode include:
"Humanizing" Joseph Smith: Kyle shares surprising details from his research of the Joseph Smith Papers, including Joseph’s love for his dog, Major, and how Joseph’s pastoral care for a grieving mother on Christmas Eve changed Kyle's perspective.

An Evangelical at General Conference: Kyle discusses his first-ever experience attending a session of General Conference in person and his observations on the "Christocentric" nature of the talks.

Three Categories of Perception: A breakdown of how most Americans currently view Latter-day Saints, ranging from indifference to a "knee-jerk" suspicion born of the "countercult" movement.

"Going to Jail" Quote: A discussion of Albert Mohler’s famous line regarding theological disagreement versus cultural agreement: "I don't believe we're going to go to heaven together, but there's a possibility that we might go to jail together".

Building Better Relationships: Practical advice for Latter-day Saints on how to overcome the "deficit of trust" when speaking with Evangelicals by focusing on the Bible and showing genuine fruits of the Spirit.

You can find more of Kyles’s work at the following links:
- https://www.kylebeshears.com/p/40-questions-about-mormonism
- https://www.kylebeshears.com/

Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:
www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspod
https://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/

For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Q
https://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271

If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on Instagram

Conversations to Refresh Your Faith.

For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.