Thinking Celestial - A ”Follow The Prophet” Series Podcast · SLCC Institute of Religion

Ep 183 S7 Lauren Fetzer 'The Atonement: All for All' Bruce C. Hafen

·33 min·2 clips

Hafen says being "at one with him" while overcoming opposition will bring "incomprehensible joy."

The episode opens with a simple check-in about Lauren Fetzer being only two weeks home from a mission. The host quickly points to the awkwardness of settling back into regular scripture study and prayer rhythms, and Lauren says that adjustment can feel spiritually thin at times. That honesty sets the pace for everything that follows. The two move into a conference classic the host had let slip out of mind. From there, the conversation settles on agency and what it means to grow as a missionary, a hockey player, and a student. Lauren describes growth in sports as something built through repeated mistakes, not instant progress. He uses hockey to show that improvement comes through effort, repetition, and the choice to keep going. The host leans into that idea and asks how agency has shaped personal discipleship. Lauren keeps returning to the same point: choosing to put more in. The more a person gives, the more they tend to get out. The conversation also leaves room for everyday sayings, school habits, and the ordinary grind of doing church life well. That keeps the doctrine tied to real experience instead of drifting off into theory. Hardship is not treated as unusual here. It is treated as part of learning how to become better. When the discussion turns toward the atonement, the tone becomes more direct and worshipful. The closing witness centers on forgiveness, seeing the Savior as he is, and becoming like him. The episode frames the Father's plan as beautiful but dependent on Christ's sacrifice. It ends with a straightforward testimony of Jesus Christ. The format stays interview-driven throughout. The host asks, Lauren answers, and the doctrine gets worked out through the back-and-forth. Recurring institute context gives it a classroom-adjacent feel without making it stiff or formal. The overall effect is a conversation about spiritual maturity that still sounds young, honest, and close to the ground. It is less about abstract theory than about how disciples actually learn to keep choosing.

As heard by us

Warm, practical gospel talk that connects agency and growth to everyday missionary life.

This episode takes a familiar conference message and gives it some weight by keeping it grounded in lived experience. It moves from missionary honesty to agency, growth, and the choice to keep going, then returns to the idea that the Savior's atonement makes Heavenly Father's…

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Why you'd press play

You want a faith conversation that starts in ordinary life and lands on agency, effort, and the Savior's atonement.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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