Elizabeth: This is The Prosper Stronger Podcast, a community where LDS women gather to cultivate covenant connections and strive to be devoted disciples of Jesus Christ.
Hi, and welcome to Prosper Stronger. I'm Elizabeth, and today I am so, so excited to be here with Shauna Snell. We actually go way back.
I knew Shauna in high school and she was always one of those people that I looked up to and thought if I can just be like, Shauna then I'd be perfect because not on these, you can tell she's beautiful on the outside, but she's as beautiful on the inside, so I just love Shauna.
Super excited to have her and get to share her with you today. And one of the reasons she's here is because Shauna has done something that maybe some of you have heard about. She has created an app called Refill My Soul. And do you want to tell us just a little bit about what that is?
Shauna Snell: So it is a meditation app that my goal is to help people feel more connected and strengthen the relationship with the Lord, the Savior, and also with the Holy Ghost through meditating on doctrine, on scriptures, on conference talks, and on the words of prophets. And the Spirit testifies of truth, so the spirit is always present when you talk about truth.
And it goes along different topics or themes. So, if you're struggling with forgiving someone, you meditate on forgiveness. If you're struggling with getting answers to prayers, you meditate on personal revelation.
And so that's kind of the gist of what the app is.
Elizabeth Nielson: One of my favorites is the daily restoration. But also one of the things I love about it is that it ties in, like you said, the gospel and the Holy Ghost.
I feel like when we're commanded to be still, that is to connect like you said. Sometimes when I've tried other meditation things, I feel like in some ways it's actually pulling me away from the spirit. Not because, it's the stillness, it's more the intention behind it if that makes sense. And so that's why I really appreciate yours and I feel like I can use it and it points me in the right direction.
Shauna Snell: It's funny, years ago I found I'm probably the least still person you had ever met. So this is funny that I'm in this space, and that God placed me here. But when I read that scripture, be still and know that I am God. I actually had to pause and think, wait a minute, do we actually have to be still to know God? And the more I studied about it and looked at the Savior's life. Those moments of stillness are crucial.
And not just being still, like you said, having the intention of connecting with the Lord and with the Savior in real and personal ways.
Elizabeth Nielson: Isn't it something to think about? I noticed that in the last, I don't know, five years or so, I listen to music less. Even though I love music and I use it as well. But I intentionally don't listen sometimes and I don't listen to the radio when I'm driving anymore. I can stop and , I think we're sometimes feeling like we have to constantly be inputting. And, and I have to catch myself and say, "nope, hold on, we're gonna stop and we're just gonna be in this stillness."
Shauna Snell: Yeah, me too. My car time is my connect with God time. And I think that's the beautiful thing, is finding time to connect with the Lord. In the things you're already doing.
It's awesome to take that extra time. To connect with Him, but you can connect when you're standing in line waiting at the grocery store. You can connect while you're holding a crying baby. You can just connect and have that moment with them where you commune with Him in the everyday activities where you may not be holding still, but your mind is still.
Elizabeth Nielson: And I love that too because, in our world we didn't have computers and smartphones and everything when we were growing up. And now I feel like we are bombarded by so much information, and so much noise I guess you could say. Everywhere it's just so much noise and stimulation for our eyes, for our ears, for our minds, everything. And I think that it's hard for the spirit to cut through that sometimes. So we have to be able to open the door, be still, and push all that aside so that we can open the way for this Spirit.
Shauna Snell: We have to literally create space for him in our lives.
Elizabeth Nielson: So that's the app Refill my Soul. But what we want to really talk about is this journey of how Shauna ended up doing that, how she created this app that is so marvelous.
Shauna Snell: It's really interesting because back in about 2015, I was going through kind of a rough patch. I was reading my scriptures, saying my prayers, going to the temple, all those things that I was still feeling a little bit of a disconnect.
So I thought, I need to find another way to connect with the Lord. And I found meditation and I thought, this is it. But like you, I just wanna find an app that someone's created that has doctrine and all of this that I can meditate on. Couldn't find it. So one day I was pondering, thinking about how that is so strange no one has created a meditation app with doctrine from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And I heard the Lord say to me, "create it." And it kind of took my breath away. I was like, wait just a minute. Create what? No, I want to buy something. I don't want to make anything. But those two words "create it," set me on this path that I was not really expecting.
I remember even telling my family about this prompting that I had received to create this meditation app. And my cute daughter in all sincerity said to me, "so mom, how are you supposed to create an app if you don't know how to use the ones you already have on your phone?"
And I was like, that is such a good point. I don't know! So basically, I had this moment with the Lord, where I said to him, okay I don't think I'm the right person for this job. I'm not technical, I'm not a professional with meditation. I gave him all these reasons and His simple reply to me was, [00:06:00] "Nephi didn't know how to build a boat."
And I think we read that story all the time and we're like, of course God helped Nephi build a boat. We actually don't step back and think, okay, really can you comprehend trying to build a boat when you had never done that before?
So I felt like that's what God was asking me to do is build this boat and I had no idea how or why. And I thought, I better study, but then His reply was the same to me as it was to Nephi. When He told Nephi, He said, "construct the ship after the manner, which I shall show thee." I was wanting to get information from other people and try to help me, and God was like, no. And so I really felt like it was pretty much just me and the Lord and I gotta figure this out.
So it took me four years from start to finish. But in October of 2019, it was super interesting. I woke up , almost every morning and I would hear the Lord say, "get it done." and I was like, I am trying Heavenly Father. I'm trying to get it done. Then one day my sister even called me. And she said, "I just have the strongest prompting to help you do whatever you need to do to be able to get your app done."
I did not know that Covid and all of those things were happening and that people would have struggles with mental health issues. But I worked hard and released it in June of 2020, which was right at the peak. I did not know the timing, but God knows the timing. At that time in my life, my husband had lost his , I had a daughter getting married, and another one going on a mission.
So I had a friend give me a bid for how much the app would cost. And it was a lot, let's say like in the 20,000 range. And I thought, okay, I know God can move mountains, but I don't really have extra money for this right now. But I knew he wanted me to do it, and so I was anxious to see how His will was gonna unfold.
I remember being led to have someone post something at BYU and I found these two college kids that were like, we can do this, we don't have a ton of experience with this but I think we can figure it out. And God confirmed in my mind that he uses those that are young and those of us that lack knowledge to do his work because we're humble and we rely on him.
So I asked them, how much do you think you can do it for? And I had previously spoken with my husband and said, do we have any extra money that I can put towards this out of anything? And he said, we have one account and it's this amount of money. And I thought that's almost embarrassing to offer that much because now I know what the real bid was. But when I talked to those two young men, they said the exact number that I had in my bank account.
So I signed their little contract and gave them the first installment of money, but then I went to the Lord and I was like, I have a daughter getting married, a daughter going on a mission, and a husband that's not currently employed. I know that this is a great deal, but it still feels like I'm walking off a cliff, giving even this amount of money that I could be putting towards these other things. But I know you've asked me to do this, and so I'm gonna do it.
Two hours later, we got a call from our accountant that was working on her taxes and he said to come in and sign. We knew we already owed money and so I thought this was the worst day ever. I just signed for the app, and we owe money for taxes. But, we got in there and he said, your husband gave me some additional documents that I didn't have before and it has changed the whole landscape of your taxes. And I was like, really? We ended up getting money back, and the amount that he said we were getting back was not only the amount of the app but an extra $200. Almost to the penny, the amount that the app was going to cost.
So in one day, I went out on a limb for the Lord, I did what He asked me to do, and He paid for the app in one day. And I just sat there and thought, I know God is great, I know that He moves mountains, I know He'd help me if I build the boat. But I think at that moment I understood, He can help me do that in real ways. He can really move my mountains, and He will strengthen me in ways to be able to do what He's asked me to do.
Elizabeth Nielson: But you had to go out on that limb first. My dad would always talk about Indiana Jones The Last Crusade when he is standing over the ravine, and when he throws that little bit of sand and takes that first step. And I think what stops so many of us. Is just not being willing to trust enough to step into it. and step forward. It's scary.
Shauna Snell: And to put your fear aside because I think there will always be resistance and opposition when you're on the right path. And I've felt this for years now trying to move forward with this. But if you can continue to press forward with faith continually everything falls into place. God really is a God of miracles. I can testify that today and President Nelson said that the Lord uses the unlikely to accomplish the impossible. I am the most unlikely person for this job, so if the Lord can help me figure this out, he can do anything with you. He can help you fulfill your purposes on this earth that he has divinely designed for you to do that only you can do. Yeah. In the way that he wants you to.
So that's just the beginning of how it all started. How it all started. So we finished the app, I'm sick to my stomach the day it was going to go live. Because I thought people might hate this, but I thought I didn't do it for people, I did it for God. So it went live and I thought I could just get completely destroyed if people don't think it's great anyway. So I knelt down and I told the Lord look, I built the boat it was like I was putting my little app on the altar saying, here it is. I've done this, I've built the boat. And the Lord's reply to me was get in the boat. And all of a sudden I was like, wait, it's your boat. You sail the boat. I don't wanna sail the boat. So He, really wants us to grow. It's okay to be out of our comfort zone. It's okay to not do things perfectly, but to be perfectly trying for Him.
Elizabeth Nielson: So I actually love the trying part. Almost 20 years ago, I was a young woman's president, living out of state. There was one of my counselors that I looked up to just so, so much. She's an amazing, amazing woman, and had been through some really hard things in her life, which of course made her amazing.
And we were needing to raise funds for girls camp, and so we were doing a big Valentine's Day dinner and activities and everything else. And of course things kind of went wrong and after dinner had been served and we were about to go into the activities, it was just her and I in the kitchen of the church. And she said to me, you know Elizabeth, nobody tries harder than you.
And I took it as a derogatory statement. I literally was crushed. I was like, she's saying I tried and failed. And I carried that with me for a long time especially because this woman thinks I'm a failure. She knows I try, but I fail and I try and I fail and then about eight years ago that memory kind of kept coming back to me as I studied more and gone through other things. I realized that was the best compliment anyone could have given me. It doesn't matter how things turn out I'm still trying. And so now I've kind of taken that as part of my mantra. I tell myself, nobody tries as hard as you. Even though actually, I think there are a lot of people that try harder than me, but at least I'm going to keep trying.
Shauna Snell: And I love that it really isn't about the end result. I found myself thinking this may just be for my children. This may just be for my kids. No one may use it, but God was very clear that he didn't just ask me to develop an app. He's developing me while I'm developing the app. And so he has all these two and three and four fold purposes but you just keep trying and you just keep pushing forward.
Elizabeth Nielson: What's interesting is listening to you share your story, it parallels so much of mine with Prosper Stronger. The timing, the time frame, the opposition, the insecurity. So many things. And even the boat.
Shauna Snell: Did you have that analogy come to your mind?
Elizabeth Nielson: Oh, so many times and even yesterday. Yesterday I was filming the very first full episode and feeling very inadequate. Just, what am I doing? Who am I to be out here doing this? And I thought, today I'm just going to open the Book of Mormon and give myself time to read. And it opened to the boat . And as I really read it, again I saw so many new parallels and so many new things. He's there for us all the time and like Nephi, if He commands, He will prepare the way and we just have to be willing to show up .
Shauna Snell: And build the boat then have the faith to get in it to finish what he's asked us to do. So
Elizabeth Nielson: Even with the opposition. Shauna and I were actually laughing about the technological opposition we've been facing in recording this. And I'm like, golly,, that's nothing compared to what Nephi was dealing with Laman and Lemuel thinking they were going to kill you maybe. Get in the boat and then what happens on the boat?
He gets tied up! And that is one of the episodes about Nefi that makes me just love him so much because those ropes had to be so raw. His wrists and ankles must have been cut and bleeding. And then he says it was exceedingly sore. And I think that's kind of an un understatement, probably. And so the idea of getting in the boat, putting yourself out there is also really, really scary.
So we're doing this. I'm putting myself here. You've been on this journey, and you have now three years of post-launch experience. I'm in the very initial launch experience.
Shauna Snell: And I have to say the one thing that I did learn is that God's plan for each of us is always bigger than our plan for ourselves. And so we have to understand our vision of what we can accomplish and do is this. God's vision for what we can do and accomplish is much bigger. So I remember we just released it in the US and then God blew this boat, because I can only do so much. But then people started finding other countries that spoke English so then we released it everywhere and I could have never imagined that. But God magnifies and multiplies our efforts. So if it's one loaf or one slice of bread, half a fish day, yeah. He can multiply that and magnify our weak efforts.
Elizabeth Nielson: So isn't it kind of fun then to look back now and look at where you were. When you started thinking, I don't know how to build an app. I'm not teaching meditation,
Shauna Snell: no I'm not certified in anything other than I'm a daughter god, just trying to do what he asked.
Elizabeth Nielson: Yeah to just say, I don't have these things, I don't have the money,
Shauna Snell: I basically had nothing.
Elizabeth Nielson: You had a daughter getting married, a daughter going on a mission, I know you had other children still at home, right? So time was also, I'm sure a factor, like how are we gonna fit this into your busy schedule? All of these things, but to look back and say, oh, now I can look back and see the journey, see how He led you, see where it's at now. Does it get you excited about what might happen in the future?
Shauna Snell: Yeah, it does but I think one of the things that came clear to me is that God is going to open doors. And when He opens a door, I need to have the faith to walk through it. There have been a lot of doors that have opened that I look and I don't really know what's on the other side, and I do not want to go through the door. And that's why I'm here today on this podcast! It's when He opens the door, we just [00:18:00] need to have the faith to walk through it and that he will guide us through whatever is on the other side of that door. But he does open things for us to bless lives and to do what he needs us to do.
Elizabeth Nielson: As you mentioned that I also thought about two years ago this Prosper Stronger door was given to me, I jumped in there and thought, okay I got this. I tried some different things and it wasn't going well. And then my family life and my personal life just went so, so, so, so hard. And, I was probably in the lowest place I had ever been in, and I just was like, I can't do this. And, and I didn't. I kind of put it on the shelf and it wasn't too long, maybe a couple months before God was like, I gave you this opportunity. If you don't take this opportunity, I have to give it to somebody else. And that was when I went, wait, wait. No, no, no, no. Hold on, wait. Okay, I'll do it.
And so then I jumped in. I tried some more scenes. And it was a long process of learning. And I kept doing little things here and there, trying to understand, and now I can look back and see the process was long for a reason. But He did have to re-engage. And so there are times when we want to quit and throw in the towel. Did you have similar experiences?,
Shauna Snell: Yes there were really a lot of roadblocks, and a lot of time spent on my knees. But I think of those experiences and difficult times in your life, what better place to be than on your knees.
One of the things that's been a result of this is that I have been asked to speak, and I've never wanted to be a speaker. There's people that want to be public speakers, but not me. And all of a sudden people are calling me to speak. I remember driving and God hears those purses like when you hit that rough patch, He heard you and He understands that that's hard and things need to be on hold for a little bit. But I was driving to a speaking engagement and I was just telling the Lord look, I'm tired.
I just don't think I can keep doing this anymore. And one of the excuses that I gave him is I was like, I don't even have the equipment. I show up at these places, they have their tech guy, he may not have everything working. The projector's maybe not working or whatever it can't get connected to audio. It's just stressful to show up and not have it be working. I don't have equipment, and I wasn't gonna spend money on it at that time .
So I get in, I speak at this ward, and the tech guy comes up to me after, kind of timidly and he said, " the whole time you were speaking, I had the prompting that I need to give you all my equipment." and I just burst into tears. But he just said, I know that's weird but I think God wants you to have it. So that sweet man who did not know me at all was an instrument in the Lord's hand saying, I heard your prayer and if you are concerned about equipment, I will get you equipment.
And so he boxed up his projector, his chords, his audio box, everything, and gave it to me. And his example of consecration and listening to the Lord. I don't know if I had had that prompting, if I would've been brave enough to say that to a speaker. After I finished my car was now full of equipment and I just told the Lord, I'm so sorry. I'm so weak. I will keep speaking.
Elizabeth Nielson: Isn't that funny because the lord's really good at removing excuses.
Shauna Snell: Yes, He's like, you're worried about the equipment? Well, he gave it to me.
Elizabeth Nielson: It's kinda like the brother of Jared.. When he comes and says, we have these problems. And the Lord says, I'm gonna take care of this one. Okay, now you've got to do something.
Shauna Snell: But I think he sees when we're tired and when we are discouraged and he's patient with those moments in our lives. He pauses and lets us have that space and that break that we need. He doesn't want us to do more than we can do.
Elizabeth Nielson: And let's face it, we're always tired. I mean, as women, mothers, grandmothers. People are always like, how are you doing? And I think, well that's silly. I'm tired, I'm busy. I'm worried about different things. But then when you think about it, you're like, actually, I'm doing fine. I'm here. I've got the Lord directing me. I'm trying my best and you know, He's got my back. I'm okay, I'm doing fine.
Okay, so Shauna, I actually know a little something that I hope is okay. Natalie, your sister, shared with me. Oh, okay. About your process of deciding who should be the voice for the meditations.
Shauna Snell: That was interesting because I thought, okay, I've written these meditations, and I've got these guys going on the app. So I started going through all these voice talents and just thought, I've got to find the right person and I just looked and looked. I just wanted the voice God wanted. Whoever you want to do it is great with me. You've led this whole thing. It's not my app, it's his app, you know?
Anyway, so I was driving the car, thinking about it and then a line from my patriarchal blessing came into my mind and I'm like, oh no, I'm not the professional voice person. Really, it's me? I had never thought of that line in my blessing in terms of the app and all of a sudden I realized, oh my goodness, He wants me to record it. Talk about feeling inadequate! Especially after I'd been listening to all these voice people.
Then I went through the list with the Lord of all the reasons why it shouldn't be me, and He patiently listened and just was like, you'll do just great. You'll do fine. And I think sometimes it's okay for us to feel inadequate. Because if we're so confident in what we're doing, we don't rely on the Lord at all.
And so I think if we can embrace those feelings of inadequacy that we're not enough because we're not, with him we are. That's a really beautiful place to be. Now I record these meditations and I have a great little recording guy that cleans them up if I swallow loud or hiccup or something.
But that was a really humbling experience because I really just wanted somebody else to do it. Yeah. But truthfully, I think God knew I was so connected with the content, I had studied those topics, and my heart was in those, that He wanted me to say it.
Elizabeth Nielson: And I have to say, I think you do a great job and it is very calming. But for the first, while it was distracting because I listened, I was like, oh there's Shauna. And I'd get distracted while I was trying to meditate. Now it's great. But I love that and the Lord knew you had it in you. And he gave you that voice. It's part of who you are as a daughter of God, and He knew you were gonna need to use it for that.
Shauna Snell: Well, and I have always told the Lord, I will always testify of you and of the Savior. If I have to testify, I will take it. And so I think these meditations in part are a way of me testifying of Jesus Christ.
I just had to be humble enough to say, okay you want me to do this, and I will do it. And I'll do the best I can. And there's some that have been a little rough and rocky and some I don't love as well as others, and I just have to keep putting everything on the altar, doing the best I can.
Elizabeth Nielson: Do you ever go back to their first ones and think, oh my goodness.
Shauna Snell: Yes, yes. I know, I think they've definitely gotten better as I've gone on. But what do you do? You just do it.
Elizabeth Nielson: You just do it! You probably don't know this yet cuz I haven't released anything.
But literally I got that same directive from Heavenly Father, which was just do it. And there was one morning a couple weeks ago and I was stressing about how do I start this? What do I say, what do I do? And the answer was just do it and then into my mind came, this is what you need to say. And you need to do it right now.
Okay, I had just gotten up. You know, I said my prayers, I read scriptures and stuff. My hair was not done, I had no makeup on, I was in just like lazy clothes. But it was this, you need to do it and you need to do it right now. And so, anybody that's maybe started listening to Prosper Stronger may have seen this very short, 10 minute episode where I'm just like, it's me, I'm raw, because God said now.
Shauna Snell: When he speaks, you listen
Elizabeth Nielson: And you do. Wouldn't be nice to say I do every time. But we're not like that. We're not perfect like that. But, that was one that I was just like, I have to do it. Because I have to go through the rest of my day. I have to be able to, when I kneel down at the end of this day, I have to be able to say, I prayed for your direction. You gave it to me. I followed it.
Shauna Snell: And I think that's one of the things that I love about the Savior's example, is that he could have taught a million people, healed a million people, like as he was walking every day. There were so many people he could have helped and blessed, and he did so many, but the ones that he chose to do were the ones that. The Lord wanted him to do. He wanted to do the Lord's will in all things. And so there were some people that he probably had to pass by because the Lord's will was for him to be here at this place at this time with this person.
And so I love that you said that because I think when we consecrate each day and we get on our knees and say to the Lord, what is your will for my day? What do you want me to do today and how do you want me to spend my time? There may be things that are so good that he wants us to pass by because there's something more important and that's the best thing for us to do that day.
Elizabeth Nielson: I think that's so good. And that made me think of The Chosen. I don't know if you've been watching that. And it's, little James who has the foot and uses the cane and he has the episode of why, if you can kill everything, why not me? And while God created this for you for a different purpose.
Now I know all of that is just made up.
Shauna Snell: But, but the principle behind it is, is truth.
Elizabeth Nielson: And so I look at this too, and I think you were given this instruction to create this app. And as you've gone through the journey, it puts you in a place where now you're in front of people, you might be more known to people.
It's a more public space. And, I feel like I'm kind of launching into that space as well. But at the same time, there are so many of us and so many wonderful women that they're not called to get up, put your makeup on, go to Rerecording Studio, do these things.
You might be called to care for the neighboring next door that just needs your help for this season of their life. Your calling, your priority right now, what God needs you to do, might be something that you feel is insignificant. I've had times like that in my life.
Shauna Snell: But it's huge. You may be called that day to just sit and listen to a friend who needs someone just to listen. That is just as important to the Lord. In fact, it's funny because if I could choose what I would do, that is more my style is one-on-one. But I think if we're really serious about submitting our will to the Lord's, we step into the space where he wants us to be.
Elizabeth Nielson: And I know they use it a lot, whether it's a nursery leader or the Relief Society president.
Shauna Snell: But he's actually serious about that.
Elizabeth Nielson: He's very serious about that. And I just look at so many wonderful people and women who are serving and doing God's work so diligently, and yet they feel that they're inadequate or not
Shauna Snell: They're not making a difference. And anything good that you do adds light to this world. And you are reflecting Christ's light in all of those things that we do. I love when that scripture says, inasmuch as you've done it onto one of the least of these, my brethren, you've done it unto me.
When you are just doing the laundry for your family, or you're going to work for your family, or whatever it is, if you are doing the Savior's laundry. All of those seemingly unimportant tasks or small acts of service that you think don't matter, you're doing it to him. You stay up at night with a sick child, it's as if you are staying up with the Savior when he's ailing and sick.
It matters.
Elizabeth Nielson: It matters. I keep going back to it's the intention in why you're doing it. And, we can create that. We can in our own lives, just shift the way we think about things and the way we look at things and it changes our heart to why we do them.
It doesn't mean I'm gonna like doing the dishes. Or you know, like, deboning a chicken.
Shauna Snell: Oh, that's the worst.
Elizabeth Nielson: I don't like doing that, you know? And yet what's funny is that my kids think that I do. She's a mom. Therefore she must love to do that. I'm like, Well, I don't think so. But you do it to provide for my family to be a wise steward. And to respect, this is gonna sound weird, to respect chicken. Yeah. You know, I'm like, this chicken gave his life for our dinner tonight. Would I take and throw away what he is offering, you know?
So all those things I'm like, hey, let's look at the intention behind it. Which also I believe comes back to our identity, really understanding that we are daughters of God. I know we use that phrase a lot, but there's so much power in it when you really think about that. What it means, and that because of that we can fully rely on him.
I am fortunate to have a really, really, really great relationship with my earthly father. Because, you know, he is amazing. But my mom died when I was a sophomore in high school. It was quite an experience, I loved my mom, an amazing, amazing woman. But because of what we were going through, my older brother left for college right after that. And so it was my dad and I at home trying to figure out how things should work. And through multiple years of a lot of other experiences, we're trying to write a book on his life because it's fascinating, but that relationship with my father has been such a blessing to me because, It's helped me, I think, get a glimpse of what our relationship is with our Heavenly Father.
And you don't have to have that kind of relationship with your earthly father. I think we all have relationships in our lives that can help us better understand our relationship with our Heavenly Father, and how He really loves us and really desires to give us all that He has.
And he is there and willing and ready to help us do it, to guide us and help us along the path. Yes, we struggle, but that's part of the growth. But He isn't like, ha ha makes me struggle. It is, I am with you in this struggle you need to grow. And we see that as moms. We have to let our kids go through the struggle.
Shauna Snell: Oh, that's beautiful. I think there's times when, as women, we feel ordinary. And I think it's important to remember that we're infinite. And we're His, and we're eternal. And there is so much power through our covenants that we can claim. That we can use to bless our lives, to bless others' lives and to bless and protect our family. And so we're not even close to ordinary, but I know we all feel that way at times.
Elizabeth Nielson: Especially when we wake up and we see that we have wrinkles. And we have bags under our eyes . And we don't look the way we did when we were 20 . But you're right and I have been diving into President Nelson's talks. A Plea to my Sisters is one I've really been digging into. And I counted 15 times. He said, we need women. We need women. Not just, oh, it's nice that women are around. We need women 15 times he uses those words. Then another 15 at least he implied that. And in that talk and in all the talks coming after it, it's been interesting because I, I told Shauna already, I made the spreadsheet and laid out all the things he said, we need women who can, or who are, right?
Yeah. All these things. I have 29
Shauna Snell: things.
I know. I want that spreadsheet.
Elizabeth Nielson: And as I looked at each one, I thought, wait a second.. He says this, then two years later he says this, three years later. Oh in this talk... He's telling us how to fulfil, how to answer the call or the plea to do this thing. He just gave us a blueprint right here in this next talk that he gave.
And so I've been starting to drop in these other talks and I'm like, we are not left alone. I love that you mentioned the power, because I think President Nelson also has focused so much on the power. When we look again at all this talk, I've had the opportunity of teaching them for five years. One a week. Not in relief society. But midweek for an hour, and it's a lot of time and study. And there are certain words that really just stand out. God wants us to have His power. He is just dying for us to access it. He is so ready to give it to us.
And I think we've only just barely started to even scratch the surface of the power that's available to us.
Shauna Snell: I think you're right. And I think He wants us to turn to him for everything. When you said we're not alone. I remember getting a call from, so all the tech support calls from my app come to me, and so I remember one lady. But she couldn't see the login on her screen and all these other things. And I just thought, okay what do I do? And the prompting was Ask me.
And so I guess I had never considered asking God how to help myself with tech problems. So I got on my knees and I went to him. I thought, of course, he created the world.
Elizabeth Nielson: He might know a little bit about tech.
Shauna Snell: Anyway, it was such a good learning opportunity for me because the clearest prompting came. Her phone is set on large font and she can't see the rest of the app clear as day. So I texted her or messaged her and said, is your phone by chance set on? And she said, oh, it is actually. Anyway, so she disabled so she could see. But it hit me, why is God not the first person we go to?
For everything. And He wants us to need other people in our lives. They bless us and they help us so it's not like I'm going it alone. But I just think the Lord and Jesus Christ need to be our go-to. And for tech support, for relationship support, for healing, I mean, involve them in everything.
Elizabeth Nielson: What I love about that is that we don't always think we can ask him everything. I know we can, but sometimes I think, I don't want to bother Him with this, I should be able to handle this. So I love that. What a great lesson. I'm going to apply that a little bit more. That is awesome.
Shauna Snell: As a parent, you want your kids to come to you when they need help or have questions or support.
Elizabeth Nielson: And you want them to listen when you actually give them the answer.
Shauna Snell: So true! That's a big key. But you do, and when we pray to Them, They don't wanna just hear the rosy everything. They really do want us to pour out our souls to them. It's okay to say, I'm struggling with this, this is hard for me. Because I've had a lot of those pour out prayers through this process, like I can't figure this out, you know? And it's okay to talk about hard things with our Heavenly Father. I don't wanna just have my kids say I'm great when they're not great. Yeah. And he doesn't either.
Elizabeth Nielson: Something I heard from my mom is, He lives to hear my soul's complaint.
Shauna Snell: Oh, I love that.
Elizabeth Nielson: She was not a complainer, He never heard her complain.. But it was hard going through cancer, everything, all of it. And so she found comfort in that phrase. He lives to hear my soul's complaint that it's okay. He is there to comfort us. He is relief and he is there, so we have to allow that as well.
Shauna Snell: That's so beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with me. That's a beautiful line.
Elizabeth Nielson: It is, and I use it. But at the same time, I'm not a victim. We still go forth with faith and do our part.
Shauna Snell: But it's okay to acknowledge when things are hard and to tell Him this is hard. And then the reassurance comes from Him that I know it's hard but you're going to be okay and I'm gonna walk with you through this.
Elizabeth Nielson: And, and Christ did that in Gethsemane. This is hard. Help me. And He was sent angels to help Him. Even though we know that he had to be left alone there for that brief time, we don't . Because He was alone we don't have to be. And isn't that what's just, again, so beautiful about our Savior and the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
I feel like we could talk and talk forever. And I know there's so much more we could say, but I just feel so enlightened and inspired and uplifted. All the stories you've shared, and everything you've taught me today.
Shauna Snell: Wow, you're so sweet. It's a joy to be here and to reconnect with you after all of those years. I do have a firm testimony that the Lord sees us and He hears us. And Jesus Christ knows us and will lead and guide us, and whatever He wants you to do, whether it's enduring something difficult or fulfilling your life's purpose. He will make a way for you to accomplish what He has asked you to do. And that has been reconfirmed to me in my own life, that we can, we really can do what He has asked us to do.
Elizabeth Nielson: Thank you, and I will second that. I've experienced it in my life and, you know, embarking on yet, another opportunity to experience it. But I wanna add to that, that we as women in the church, covenant keeping women. We do have a responsibility, we have been called, we have been asked to step up. President Nelson is pleading, not just saying, hey maybe if you want to. He is pleading for us. And although that plea was given in 2015, if you go back and look at it, we've had eight years to answer that plea. And how are we doing at it?
And when I reread that, I thought I need to step it up. I have got to do more at connecting to know what God needs me to do today. How do I rise up and live up to my privileges? How do I do my part in preparing the world for the coming of our Lord?
And so I issue that as well, is that with the confidence that Shauna has shared in her testimony what I will second, I also issue an invitation for you to have the courage. To get down on your knees and ask the Lord, what does He need you to do? And I have a friend who asked that question who said, if I were boldly faithful and did not have fear, what would you have me do? And I can tell you right now, the answer she got was far more scary than what you and I got. Someday we will share that story. I hope I have her someday. But she has a similar journey.
Journeys are everywhere. In our scriptures and in our own lives we're in the wilderness and he will guide us. So keep taking the steps and have the courage to ask what more you can do today, and I promise he will empower you to do it.
If you want to get the app.
Shauna Snell: Go to the App Store or the Google Play Store, it's on either one. Refill My Soul.
Elizabeth Nielson: Refill My Soul has a beautiful logo, like a hands and a heart and it's so beautiful itself. I love getting in there, seeing the bright colors and the things and everything. So go check out, Refill My Soul if you haven't got it already, I have an annual subscription. I signed up the first day. I was like, if Shauna's making it, I'm in.
And if you want to know more about Prosper Stronger, just go to prosperstronger.com and you will find some free resources there. There's a journal page for helping to receive more personal revelation. I designed it around President Nelson's talk and a talk from Elder Scott and a few others and it's been a fabulous tool that has really helped me. So that is free there. There's a few other free things and eventually I will get that spreadsheet on A Plea to my Sisters.
So anyway, thank you for being here, for listening and watching, and we thank you for being who you are.
Thank you for joining the Prosper Stronger Podcast today. We hope that you have felt inspired and empowered. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our podcast and share it with your friends and family.
I also invite you to join me at prosperstronger.com, where you will find free resources to help you grow and learn as well as join in our discussions where we go deeper into some of the things that we talk about here on our podcast. Remember that you are loved and cherished by Heavenly Father who wants you to prosper and thrive.
Until next time, may you continue to cultivate covenant connections with God, with others, and with yourself, and find strength in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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