Best Rootstech Podcasts (2025)

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EP34: 2025 Mid-Year AI Review, FamilySearch Full-Text Goes Live, Nano Banana Photo Restoration Tips, Google's Environmental Impact Data 1:17:07

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1d ago1:17:07

1:17:07

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little review the biggest AI breakthroughs of 2025 so far, from DeepSeek's open-source revolution to GPT-5's unified reasoning model. Mark and Steve also celebrate FamilySearch's Full-Text Search moving from experimental labs to the main website, covering 1.4 billion records across 4,300 collections plus new summari…

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Pack Your Bags: Upcoming Genealogy Conferences 23:39

7d ago23:39

23:39

Phillip and Trisha are back with a brand-new episode. In this episode, they dive into the upcoming genealogy conferences you won’t want to miss. Whether you’re a seasoned family history researcher or just getting started, these gatherings are the perfect place to learn, connect, and get inspired. Here’s what you’ll hear in today’s episode: Highligh…

1
Beyond Prison Walls: Finding Faith Amid Workplace Misogyny: Jac Woodhouse's Story - Latter-Day Lights 52:46

9d ago52:46

52:46

What if the struggle that nearly broke you was the path God used to bring you back to His light? Aussie mom and former maximum-security corrections officer, Jac Woodhouse, hit rock bottom in a myriad of ways—dehumanizing workplace misogyny, parting from a 15-year career, navigating her son’s serious health challenges, and fighting her own battle wi…

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Becoming Nephi's Apprentice: How One Father Is Revitalizing LDS Youth Programs: Josh Chapman's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:05:09

16d ago1:05:09

1:05:09

What if your child's youth nights became adventures modeled after Book of Mormon heroes? On today’s episode of Latter-day Lights, we’re joined by Josh Chapman, a creative father of six from Ogden, Utah, who retired from his day job to create 'Nephi’s Apprentice'. Nephi’s Apprentice is a gospel-centered program that takes life skills like compass wo…

1
Preserving the Past: Tips for Digitizing Your Documents 13:04

17d ago13:04

13:04

Trisa talks about how she has digitized some of her family's documents and photos, and some tips to help you begin digitizing your own files, photos, and records. Support the show Blog: https://www.journeythroughthegenerations.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JourneyThroughtheGenerations Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journeythroughtheg…

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Genealogy in Reverse with Cheri Hudson Passey 47:32

18d ago47:32

47:32

In this episode, Tami and Elizabeth discuss the concept of "reverse genealogy" with Cheri Hudson Passey, who has recently authored a book on the subject. They explore the methods of finding living relatives, the differences between researching living individuals and ancestors, and the emotional aspects of connecting with family. Cheri shares her ex…

1
EP33: ChatGPT 5 Aftermath, Nano Banana Image Revolution, Save Time with AI Citations, Anthropic Changes its Stance on Chat Privacy, The AI Browser Wars Heat Up 1:05:49

20d ago1:05:49

1:05:49

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little return from summer break to discuss the mixed reception of ChatGPT 5 and how OpenAI responded to user feedback. They explore Google's game-changing Nano Banana (Gemini Flash Image) model that revolutionizes selective image editing, reigniting debates about AI photo restoration in genealogy. This week's Tip of…

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Planking Through Prayer—Turning Habits into Record-Breaking Miracles: DonnaJean Wilde's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:11:07

23d ago1:11:07

1:11:07

What happens when years of faith-formed grit turn minutes of daily discipline into record-breaking triumphs? This week on Latter-day Lights, Scott and Alisha welcome Guinness World Record holder, book worm, and Gospel-loving Latter-Day Saint—DonnaJean Wilde—to the show, whose once broken wrist and five-minute planking challenge sparked a decade-lon…

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From Excommunication to the Savior's Embrace: Martin Onken's Story (Part 2) - Latter-Day Lights 1:35:18

30d ago1:35:18

1:35:18

How far can mercy reach when a decades-long double life finally unravels, shaking a ward’s trust and a family’s heart? This week on Latter-day Lights, Scott and Alisha welcome back Martin Onken for Part Two of his story—the hope-filled conclusion to his twelve-year journey of repentance. In part one, Martin opened up about a lonely, complicated chi…

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Addiction, Deception, and Living a Double Life — But God Never Gave up on Him: Martin Onken’s Story (Part 1) 1:41:25

1M ago1:41:25

1:41:25

What happens when bad choices and "small sins" spiral into life-altering consequences? Martin Onken's raw testimony reveals how a single decision at age 16 to "sin a little" led to decades of deception and a double life that impacted countless people. Born to Dutch-Indonesian parents who survived Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, Martin's childhood w…

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Fostering Creative Community through Faith-Driven Fiction: Michael House's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:15:24

1M ago1:15:24

1:15:24

What creativity sparks within when one faith-led author blends scripture, sci-fi, and service to inspire a community? This week on Latter-day Lights, Scott and Alisha welcome back M.D. (Michael) House—novelist and president of LDSPMA—to walk us through his unlikely path from corporate finance to an anthology of stories that intentionally spread the…

1
Challenge Accepted! Elizabeth Takes the WikiTree Challenge (Now with VIDEO) 1:02:05

1M ago1:02:05

1:02:05

EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode, Tami and Elizabeth discuss Elizabeth’s participation in the August WikiTree Challenge with special guest Eowyn Langholf, WikiTree Community Manager. They delve into the unique aspects of WikiTree, emphasizing its community-driven approach. In the What's Happening segment, Elizabeth shares news about babies born rece…

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EP32: ChatGPT-5 Arrives, Study Mode for ChatGPT, Claude 4.1 Upgrade, OpenAI Goes Open Source, Earnings Season Good for Big AI, Google Loses Another Monopoly Appeal 1:02:07

2M ago1:02:07

1:02:07

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore the groundbreaking release of ChatGPT-5, which arrived after over a year of anticipation. They discuss how this new model transforms the AI landscape with better reasoning, larger context windows, and dramatically reduced hallucinations. The hosts examine OpenAI's new Study and Learn Mode, which acts …

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Discovering Life's Purpose through Singleness and Beyond: Sharon Lamar's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:11:15

2M ago1:11:15

1:11:15

What if the life you dreamed of for yourself never showed up—because God used it to write an even better story? This week on Latter-Day Lights, life coach and host of “The Single LDS Woman Podcast,” Sharon Lamar, opens up about spending 30 years of her life as a single Latter-Day Saint before marrying at 52. With humor, candor, and resilient faith,…

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EP31: Special Episode - ChatGPT-5 Finally Drops with Big Improvements for Genealogists 24:03

2M ago24:03

24:03

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little deliver a special same-day episode covering the long-awaited release of ChatGPT-5, which launched today, August 7, 2025. They explore the most significant improvements in the upgrade for genealogists, including automated model selection that eliminates confusing settings for beginners, enhanced reasoning capa…

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What We've Been Up To: Our Progress from March to Today. 16:27

2M ago16:27

16:27

Trisha does the podcast alone and gets you caught up on what we've been up to since RootsTech in March. Spoiler Alert: We've been busy. Enjoy and share with others. Support the show Blog: https://www.journeythroughthegenerations.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JourneyThroughtheGenerations Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journeythroughth…

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EP30: ChatGPT Agent Can Research For You, Security In The Age of AI, What AI Is Good For, AI Office Suite Wars Heat Up 1:10:27

2M ago1:10:27

1:10:27

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore OpenAI's groundbreaking ChatGPT Agent, demonstrating how this autonomous tool can research, analyze, and perform complex tasks on your behalf. Next, they address important security concerns to consider in the new world of AI agents, introducing practical guidelines for protecting sensitive family data…

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Animating The Book of Mormon - From Scripture to Storyboards: Pablo Smith's Story - Latter-Day Lights 58:43

2M ago58:43

58:43

What if the perfect once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ended up being the one God meant for you to turn down? This week on Latter-day Lights, Scott and John Brandley sit down with animator Pablo Smith to share the story of how he combined his two greatest passions in life: teaching the gospel, and animation. Having worked at legendary studios in the in…

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EP29: Perplexity's Comet Browser Revolutionizes Research, Grok 4 Released, Context is King, Google’s Video Generator Gets an Upgrade, ChatGPT Agent Launches 1:06:51

2M ago1:06:51

1:06:51

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore Perplexity's groundbreaking Comet browser, which brings AI directly to web pages and can autonomously navigate sites to collect genealogical data. They examine Grok 4's impressive benchmark performance while discussing its limitations for genealogical research and safety concerns. This week's Tip of t…

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Igniting Faith-Inspired Art & Enterprise with LDSPMA: Steve Piersanti's Story - Latter-Day Lights 50:53

2M ago50:53

50:53

What unfolds when faith-driven creators stop flying solo, and start building together? This week on Latter-day Lights, Scott Brandley and co-host Larry Johnson sit down with publishing veteran Steve Piersanti—founder and CEO of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, and the driving force behind LDSPMA (Latter-day Saints in Publishing, Media & the Arts). Toget…

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Tami Joins the DAR! 49:51

2M ago49:51

49:51

After a three-month hiatus involving a variety of life's ups and downs, Elizabeth and Tami are back in the studio! In this episode, they catch up on the past couple of months, including a few unexpected setbacks, some personal updates, and a few bright spots of good news. The conversation turns to lineage society applications, with a focus on joini…

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EP28: AI-Based Transcriptions Transform Genealogy, FamilySearch Interview with David Ouimette, Grok 4's Anticipated Release, Apple Changes Its AI Strategy 1:02:04

2M ago1:02:04

1:02:04

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore how AI-based transcriptions are revolutionizing genealogical research across the industry. They examine FamilySearch's Full-Text Search expansion to over 1.25 billion records and Ancestry's new document transcription tool. The episode features an exclusive interview with David Ouimette from FamilySear…

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Watching the Gathering Unfold - The Incredible Story of RootsTech: Rachel Matheus - Latter-Day Lights 1:14:59

2M ago1:14:59

1:14:59

What if you had a front-row seat to literally watch the Spirit of Elijah sweep across the earth? In this powerful episode of Latter-day Lights, we sit down with Rachel Crump Mathews, a devoted disciple, Relief Society president, and one of the inspired leaders behind the global RootsTech conference. What began as a temporary job over a decade ago s…

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EP27: AI Image Restoration Concerns, Perplexity's Future, Copyright Cases Are Shaping The Future of AI, Project Workspaces Help You Stay Organized 1:13:23

3M ago1:13:23

1:13:23

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little examine the controversial rise of AI image "restoration" and discuss how entirely new images are being generated, rather than the original photos being restored. This is raising concerns about the preservation of authentic family photos. They discuss Mark's reconsideration of canceling his Perplexity subscrip…

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Preserving Hyrum’s Heirlooms & A Heaven-Sent Second Chance: Joe Skeen's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:04:05

3M ago1:04:05

1:04:05

When Heaven hands you another chance at life, what legacy will you protect for your bloodline? This Sunday on Latter-Day Lights, hosts Scott and Alisha welcome Joseph Smith Skeen to the show. As a direct descendant of Hyrum Smith, Joe unveils how near-death and a second chance at life became the spark that led him to safeguard his ancestor’s relics…

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EP26: Gemini and Claude Updates, RootsTech Panel on Responsible AI, Interview with Jessica Taylor of Legacy Tree Genealogists, ChatGPT 5 Announcement 1:02:12

3M ago1:02:12

1:02:12

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little discuss recent updates from Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude that are reshaping AI capabilities for genealogists. Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro with its massive context window and Claude 4's hybrid reasoning models that excels at both writing and document analysis. They share insights from the RootsTech panel on …

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Transforming a Secret Addiction into Radical Honesty: Heather & Cameron Berry's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:11:59

3M ago1:11:59

1:11:59

When decades of lies and betrayal suddenly unravel, can the atonement stitch a marriage back together? On today’s episode of Latter-day Lights, we meet Heather and Cameron Berry—a couple whose world collapsed the instant one accidental photo exposed Cameron’s hidden, 30-year pornography addiction. In a single breath, trust was gone, and a once-stea…

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Having Faith to Stay with Carter Ellis & Jon Coakley (Faith to Stay Part 5 of 5) - Latter-Day Lights 59:41

3M ago59:41

59:41

When trials get steep and hope runs thin, what keeps you hanging on to faith? This Sunday, our 5-part “Faith to Stay” miniseries reaches its finale with a candid round-table discussion on “Enduring to the End.” Latter-Day Lights hosts Scott Brandley and Alisha Coakley welcome viral missionary Carter Ellis, and faith-forged father Jon Coakley—to unp…

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Book of Mormon Discoveries near Nauvoo Illinois w/ John & Myron Brandley (Faith to Stay Part 4 of 5) - Latter-Day Lights 1:02:04

3M ago1:02:04

1:02:04

When you discover ancient artifacts and petroglyphs near Nauvoo Illinois that support the Book of Mormon, do you keep it to yourself or share it? Episode 4 of our 5-part miniseries “Faith to Stay” unearths several ancient artifacts & petroglyphs—a vivid chapter in Latter-Day Lights host & founder Scott Brandley’s new book on standing firm through s…

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Repentance & Forgiveness with Dave Higham & Kellen Winslow (Faith to Stay Part 3 of 5) - Latter-Day Lights 1:15:20

4M ago1:15:20

1:15:20

When guilt feels heavier than hope, can forgiveness still rewrite our story? Episode 3 of our 5-part miniseries "Faith to Stay" tackles “Repentance & Forgiveness”—a burning topic in Latter-Day Lights host & founder Scott Brandley’s new book about navigating life’s fiercest spiritual storms. How are repentance and forgiveness interconnected, and how…

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EP25: ChatGPT 4o Transforms Image Generation, Jarrett Ross on AI Facial Recognition, Enhanced Image Analysis with O3 1:08:53

4M ago1:08:53

1:08:53

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore OpenAI's revolutionary update to ChatGPT 4o's image generation capabilities, which now creates photorealistic images with accurate text and consistent characters across multiple images. They interview Jarrett Ross from The GeneaVlogger YouTube channel, who shares how he uses AI in his business and in …

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Primary vs. Secondary Questions with Jerry Paskett & and Fred Dodini (Faith to Stay Part 2 of 5) - Latter-Day Lights 1:19:46

4M ago1:19:46

1:19:46

How do you keep your faith when questions feel louder than answers? This Sunday, episode 2 of our 5-part “Faith to Stay” miniseries dives into the idea of “Primary vs. Secondary Questions”—a core principle from Latter-Day Lights host and founder Scott Brandley’s new book on weathering spiritual storms. Joined by returning guests—near-death survivor…

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Faith in The Church Today: Sheri, Shane, & Dusty's Stories - Latter-Day Lights (Faith to Stay Part 1 of 5) 43:34

4M ago43:34

43:34

How do you keep your faith strong in the world we live in today? This Sunday, we kickoff a special 5-part miniseries called “Faith to Stay”, that discusses topics from Latter-Day Light's host and founder, Scott Brandley’s latest book on “strengthening faith during the storms of life.” In episode 1, past guests Sheri Ramirez, Shane Baldwin, and Dust…

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Faith to Stay (full audio book) - Inspiring New Discoveries, Stories & Insights To Help Strengthen Your Faith During the Storms of Life 4:35:09

4M ago4:35:09

4:35:09

This is the full streaming audiobook for Faith to Stay. This is my gift to you. It was written to help those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who may be struggling with their faith. Please feel free to share this with anyone who you feel could use it. For more information about Faith to Stay, or to get the Free Dig…

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Breaking the Cycle of Abuse with The Book of Mormon: Becky Sheffer's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:09:07

4M ago1:09:07

1:09:07

What if the darkest parts of your past were the very things God used to lead you home? On today’s episode of Latter-day Lights, we meet Becky Sheffer—a woman whose childhood was marked by addiction, neglect, trauma, and instability. But through it all, small miracles began to appear—moments that quietly pointed her toward something greater. From sq…

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Holding Onto Hope After the Hardest Goodbye: Larissa Dagley's Story - Latter-Day Lights 50:39

4M ago50:39

50:39

How does a parent stand back up when every corner of home echoes with grief? For EMT, educator, and loving mother Larissa Dagley, tragedy began at her teen son Cody’s shooting incident—a moment that left Cody drowning in relentless nightmares and bullying for the remainder of his life. Overwhelmed by guilt and depression, Cody took his own life alm…

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A Grieving Father's Climb Toward Tender Mercies: Eldon Buchanan's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:01:57

5M ago1:01:57

1:01:57

When a father's greatest nightmare strikes his family not once but twice, can Heaven still find a way to spark hope? Idaho rancher, husband, and devoted father Eldon Buchanan returns to Latter-day Lights to share the sacred tender mercies that steadied him after losing his son to suicide: Feeling the invisible strength of his son hoisting boulders …

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Hit Head On by a Drunk Driver, Protected by Angels: Tracy Jo Rollins' Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:03:07

5M ago1:03:07

1:03:07

What if the worst day of your life was actually part of a divine plan to save someone else? In this powerful episode of Latter-day Lights, Tracy Jo Rollins returns to share the miraculous story of her near-fatal car crash, the traveling angels who protected her, and the unexpected calling that followed. From life-threatening injuries to divine prot…

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From Faith Crisis to "Faith to Stay" - The Origin of Latter-Day Lights: Scott Brandley's Story 48:18

5M ago48:18

48:18

When pillars of certainty crumble, is it possible to rebuild something even stronger in their place? When two trusted ward members announced they were leaving the Church, newly called bishop Scott Brandley was rocked to the core. Overnight, the man called to strengthen spirituality in others found himself wrestling with his own doubts, spiralling i…

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Finding God in the Little Things - Stories of Hope & Inspiration: David Anderson - Latter-Day Lights 1:06:13

5M ago1:06:13

1:06:13

Have you ever stopped to consider how many small miracles have quietly shaped your life? In this week’s episode of Latter-day Lights, we sit down with David Anderson—a husband, father of eleven, and grandfather of twenty-eight—whose life is a beautiful tapestry of tender mercies, quiet revelations, and sacred moments. From losing his mother as a ba…

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Preserving Sacred Text with The Book of Mormon Census: Robert Messick's Story - Latter-Day Lights 59:43

6M ago59:43

59:43

When a simple curiosity of well-worn scripture leads to a full-fledged passion, can the pages of history strengthen our faith even more? For family man and dedicated Book of Mormon collector, Robert Messick, the answer is a resounding YES! In this fascinating episode of Latter-day Lights, Robert takes us on a journey through centuries of rare and u…

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RootsTech 2025 Wrap-Up 1:10:04

6M ago1:10:04

1:10:04

In this episode, co-hosts Elizabeth and Tami talk about their experiences at 2025 RootsTech Conference, from the Expo Hall to the Forums, what’s new at FamilySearch, and what other industry leaders are up to. The show begins with a follow-up to Tami’s Ancestry Pet DNA testing and Elizabeth’s FOIA BIRLS request. Next up are highlights from RootsTech…

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From Homeless & Hopeless to Healing & Purpose: Bethany Harger's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:42:07

6M ago1:42:07

1:42:07

What if your most devastating life storms are actually clearing the path to your greater purpose? From the outside, Bethany Harger was living the dream—temple marriage, young children, and a promising future. But behind closed doors, crippling depression left her bedridden while her husband battled addiction. After two divorces, custody battles acr…

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Escaping Addiction Through the Gift of Dreams: Orlando Mora's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:04:19

6M ago1:04:19

1:04:19

When years of crippling addiction tighten its grip, can a sliver of lasting change still exist? For carpenter, devoted husband, and former addict Orlando Mora, the path out of darkness was illuminated not just through sobriety and faith, but by a heaven-sent “gift of dreams.” From his first prayer of desperation to the day he opened the door to two…

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Promptings, Miracles, and a Second Chance at Life: Kaitlynn Smalley’s Story - Latter-Day Lights 46:22

7M ago46:22

46:22

What would you do if you felt an undeniable prompting that could mean the difference between life and death? In this episode of Latter-Day Lights, Kaitlynn Smalley shares how a series of quiet but urgent promptings guided her through a sudden life-threatening medical crisis that ultimately led to a miraculous liver transplant. Through every challen…

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LIVE! at RootsTech 19:10

7M ago19:10

19:10

We recorded our podcast LIVE at RootsTech in Salt Lake City. We enjoyed learning about new research tools and visiting the library.to put those tools into practice, meet our genealogy friends, and make new ones. What a time. We hope you enjoy this. Please listen and share with your genealogy FAN club. Don't know what a FAN club is? Search for that …

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Alleviating Poverty with The Marcovia Project: Anthony Hemmert's Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:17:21

7M ago1:17:21

1:17:21

When the weight of financial and emotional struggles weigh down an entire community, can one visionary effort hold the power to lift them all? For mental health therapist and father of four, Anthony Hemmert's path to aiding others began with a heartfelt desire to do more than just hand out money. Together with his wife Emily, the Hemmerts founded t…

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The Long Road Back After a 30-Year Absence Away from the Church: Melanie’s Story - Latter-Day Lights 1:01:13

7M ago1:01:13

1:01:13

Have you ever felt like no matter how far you drift, something keeps pulling you back? In today’s episode we hear the story of Melanie, who grew up without religion, found the Church, and then walked away from it for nearly 30 years. But fortunately, through a series of miracles, she found her way back. From surviving a turbulent and abusive past t…

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EP24: DeepSeek AI Shakes The World, FamilySearch Full-Text Turns One, Microsoft and Google Drop AI Prices, Instructional vs. Reasoning Models 54:55

7M ago54:55

54:55

Co-hosts Mark Thompson and Steve Little explore how DeepSeek has dramatically changed the AI landscape by releasing a powerful, inexpensive, open-source model that challenges American dominance in AI. They celebrate the first anniversary of FamilySearch's Full-Text Search, which has expanded from three collections to three thousand in just one-year…

1
RootsTech Tips: 2025 Edition 23:12

7M ago23:12

23:12

Here's our annual RootsTech tips podcast, which shares tips on how to do RootsTech. We share things we've experienced over the years to help you prepare for your visit. We'll be there in person, so if you see us, stop us, and let's take a selfie. Enjoy the episode. Support the show Blog: https://www.journeythroughthegenerations.com Facebook: https:…