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[00:00:00] Morgan Jones Pearson: I'm often amazed by how God works through this podcast. There are things that I am simply not on the ball enough to orchestrate that somehow He makes happen. I've wanted to interview Lizzie Jensen for this podcast for years, and I thought it would be great to interview her before Easter to encourage people to use an incredible resource she spearheaded, the Living Christ Project, to memorize the prophetic document before Easter.

What I didn't know is that this episode would air on her 40th birthday. So as you listen to us discuss our belief that God is aware of us and really does have a work for us to accomplish. Remember that if he can individually celebrate someone's birthday, he is very much in the details of your life too.

Lizzie Jensen is a disciple, a wife, a mother of five, an attorney, and formerly founded a nonprofit. called the small seed.

This is all in an LDS living podcast where we ask the question, what does it really mean to be all in the gospel of Jesus Christ? I'm Morgan Pearson, and I am so thrilled to have my friend Lizzie Jetson on the line with me today. Lizzie, welcome.

[00:01:15] Lizzy Jensen: Thank you so much for having me, Morgan.

[00:01:19] Morgan Jones Pearson: Lizzie, you've been on my list.

of people to interview for a very long time, and the stars have finally aligned, and we will have a recorded interview. We've, I've interviewed you a couple of times before, but this will be an extra special chance to chat. But I want to start, one thing I've always loved about you is your desire to always do what God wants or needs you to do.

Um, I wondered, is that something that you feel like you were born with? Is it innately inside of you or is that something developed or taught? Tell me a little bit about your desire to do God's will.

[00:01:55] Lizzy Jensen: Well, thank you. That's so kind of you. I want to do his desire, but man, sometimes it's hard. Honestly, that's kind of a tricky question though.

Like do I have faith because something I was born with or came before, or parents, something I've tried to do if I had to take a stab at it. I actually think for all of us here on Earth, there's some innate desire born with us. I just think it's there like, I think it's like little children who have this innocent and sweet desire to please their parents.

I work with a lot of little kids right now, and it's the cutest thing to see how much they just wanna be noticed. And it's actually crazy humbling to think of the amount of times in one day that my own kids say, watch this mom and then do something like mildly amusing, or maybe I don't even know what they're trying to show me, but kids thrive off their parents noticing their uniqueness and their efforts to do what they're asked.

And I think that's kind of like all of us, like we're born with this, but maybe it's like, like a seed, it's there, but you, you do have to nurture it. And so how do we do that? How do we nurture those first feelings? Like, I want to please God, or I want to know what He wants for me. And I think for me, one of the best ways to do that is just act on the impressions right in front of me.

Every time I act on something I feel that God wants me to do, it gives me that spiritual momentum and the desire to want to follow him more. It's a virtuous cycle. Um, I remember back in college, there's a talk by Elder Scott that I read that was like, you know, you have, I don't know if you're like this. I have a few talks that were just like, this is a seminal talk.

Just go back to? Yes. This was a new chapter. In that talk, he talks about the leaps of faith that we take and that every time we take one and God shows up, it gives us more courage to take a bigger leap next time. It's not exactly how Elder Scott put it, but I'll never forget that concept. So I think it's a little bit of all three.

We love God innately because he loved us first and then as we're taught and we act on the impressions, our desire to serve him more just grows.

[00:03:50] Morgan Jones Pearson: I love that so much. I think that your life. So if we look at And this may be kind of uncomfortable for you because we're talking about you. Um, but if you, if we look at the decisions that you've made, the things that you've chosen to be involved in from the time that I met you, which I think was in 2015, you've taken these kind of seemingly interesting projects on, you've decided to do things that didn't align necessarily with your education or background.

So for example, by education, you are an attorney, but many people listening to this episode will know you because you created a website called the small seed. From what I understand, you no longer own the small seed. Is that right?

[00:04:35] Lizzy Jensen: Yeah, I've actually shut it down and moved on to another chapter, which is crazy.

So there is no more small seed on the internet if you Google it, which is crazy.

[00:04:45] Morgan Jones Pearson: Okay, but it was, I mean, I do think it's important to acknowledge that this was like a thing. that was very successful. Many women, I think, were drawn to it. And it started because you were reading Clayton Christensen's The Power of Everyday Missionaries.

And you said that you felt prompted to start a website, which was something you didn't know anything about doing. And your first thought was, you've got the wrong person. So I wondered, what have you learned about God's ability to help us become the right person for any task?

[00:05:19] Lizzy Jensen: So good. You've got the wrong person was definitely my first response.

And that wasn't the first time I've thought that. And it wasn't the last time I've thought that. And I mean, it's funny, like I was literally. Was I six months out of law school? I'd just taken the New York bar. No, maybe I was, I was a year out. I had been working at one company and just kind of realized like my baby's getting older.

I can't keep traveling across the country. It was on the West coast. We were living on the East coast and I could just tell it was time for something new. And then I was invited to read the power of everyday missionaries before it came out and give some comments before it was published. Like, does, how does it hit?

And what are your thoughts and what are your impressions? And And I'm like, I've got this degree. I could work, you know, with the refugee populations, or I could do some cool stuff with adoption. I'm like, I have all these things I could do as a mom and that feel really inspiring and, and necessary and needful.

Right. I read this book and it's like, you need to start a blog. I'm like, What? I know nothing about this. Like, I've just spent three years in law school. I've just done all of this. Frankly, I know that every mom at my age 10 years ago was starting blogs. So maybe it didn't feel like an intimidating thing.

Frankly, that was way more intimidating for me. I didn't know how to take pictures. I didn't like it was so out of my comfort zone. Fast forwarding from that point till now, it makes me kind of teary. That's, that's how it usually looks when God calls you to do something. And I think I've learned that God's ability to help us become the right person, it just, it frankly doesn't matter what you bring to the table.

If he calls you, there's a reason and you just show up and watch him do his work. There was another point in my life back when I was trying to decide if I should go on a mission. Most girls didn't go back then, it was before I was 19, so I was 21, I was dating a great guy, and kept feeling this nudge, like, to go on a mission.

And it was, to that point, for sure, the hardest decision I was, like, needing to make by myself, where someone wasn't going to tell me. Actually, I went, I went to church leaders, I went to A professor I loved at BYU like asked for this advice and every single person I asked said, if you have an opportunity to get married, you should get married.

And that was like what we were kind of told as women, like that was really the common counsel. Like that wasn't weird, but I just kind of knew in my heart, like, There's something about this, like, I just didn't sit right. So in the middle of that struggle, one day I opened my scriptures to D& C section 4, verse 3, where it says, If ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work.

And it was one of those moments when I know God meant those words for me. If I had desire to go, he had a call for me. I then went on to read the next verse, which says that the only qualifications you need to serve God are faith, hope, charity, and love. And frankly, I think we underestimate just how radical that is.

Like, can you imagine finding a job posting that's like, Do you want to work at the greatest organization on earth? And the only list of qualifications are faith, hope, charity, and love. And as long as you really wanted the job, it was yours. You didn't need specialized training, or a resume, or some number in your bank account, or like a sense of style, or amount of followers, or past business experience, or friends in common.

Just a desire to work, just desire to be called. I think God just wants us to have that desire, or borrowing your phrase, he just wants us to be all in. Right? That's it. And then you can be confident. He'll make a way for the rest. He does it every time.

[00:08:48] Morgan Jones Pearson: I completely agree with that. And it was interesting as you were talking, I was thinking how vastly different those things that we can feel called to do can be.

And I'm not just talking about kind of the types of things we've been talking about up to this point, like starting a blog. But like in this season of my life, I've felt called to be a mom and to let go of some of these other things that I previously were like a part of my identity and letting go has actually proved to be trickier than I anticipated that it would be, but I know that that's what God wants.

Wants me to do. And so I think sometimes it will be this call to step out of a comfort zone. And sometimes it will be a call to leave your comfort zone. I don't know, step out of your comfort zone and then like step into a comfort zone that feels like too comfortable. Does that make any sense at all?

[00:09:43] Lizzy Jensen: Totally. And it's, it's weird cause they're both uncomfortable. Like, yes. Like, and, and usually they don't. Okay. So I, I think they're both uncomfortable and it usually surprises me. Okay. The things that make me the most uncomfortable where I feel like, oh, I'm trained for this. And wait, now it's that like, I'm going through a really similar season.

The last two years, same thing, two years ago, like, okay, step off social media. I'd been on for 10 years, close down small seed, sell your app, like literally pull off everything. I was like, wait, wait, what? I like, it was such a shock. And I had really thought to that point, small seed was my life's work. Like I would do that my whole life and build this company with products and like.

And it was just so clear, like it was, shut it down. I was like, okay, all right, we're in for another ride. I kind of thought like that was my one seminal moment where you said to blog instead of blog. But now I work as a co director at my kid's private school. And it is so awesome. And like you said, like, maybe it should feel more comfortable in some ways, because I'm not out in front of people.

Just as uncomfortable. It's pushed me just as much. I've had to grow. And same thing with motherhood. These seasons, especially in women's lives. I've heard that women reinvent themselves every five years. And I think it's particularly true when you, if you want to sign up and accept the call to have kids.

That you're going to have to be more flexible and be uncomfortable over like you never get into the groove. It's like, Oh man, now they're teething. Wait, now they go to school and my hearts are being ripped out of me. Now I'm jumping back in the line. Like now I'm jumping. It's just these seasons that it's just so like, what would, how would you do it without God directing you?

How would you do it?

[00:11:25] Morgan Jones Pearson: Totally. Totally. I, when you were talking, I thought of the scripture, like where it talks about leaving behind your nets and how confused the fishermen must have been like, this is our livelihood. This is the thing that we know how to do. We have families to provide for. We have things that we need to take care of.

And you're telling us just like, leave it behind. And I think that sometimes that is how it can feel. When you started the Small Seed, Lizzie, you said that your goal was to get people comfortable talking about God. You said at the time, It was my small seed of faith that God is real. I'm really sick and tired of us being so uncomfortable talking about Him.

Let's talk about Him with everyone. I love the way you put that. I love that it's so blunt. That, that quote is from the first time that you and I spoke in 2015. And I wondered, because as I was reading that article, I started thinking, like, have we gotten any better as a people at talking about God and talking about Jesus Christ?

And I wondered what your thoughts are on that.

[00:12:32] Lizzy Jensen: Well, I have to start by saying that in that quote, when I said, I'm really sick and tired of us being so uncomfortable with talking about God, that was 100 percent directed at myself. I was sick and tired of how uncomfortable I was being open about my faith at the time that I said that to you.

I had already served a mission in Croatia where I talked about God for 18 months nonstop. I'd gone to law school in New York City. I became a lawyer. You do a lot of talking. Like I had all the preparation you would think someone would need to feel totally confident talking about God. And I still have this huge, sometimes immobilizing fear of talking about God.

It really, really bothered me. Like, so saying I was sick and tired, I really was like myself, like, why do I still get like sweaty and clammy and like, why is this not intuitive? Why is this not easier yet? Um, and the time when I started talking about faith online. I literally didn't know anyone who was being open about it.

And it terrified me. Like, if you scrolled through Instagram, like, nobody was sharing vulnerable stuff, really, at all. Not just faith, but really anything. And I was convinced that the moment I started talking openly about my faith, would be the moment I was like ostracized and people would talk about me behind my back or I'd be cut out of friendships because I'd be like the weirdo and um, and I'm sure that happens some because it always does.

No matter what choice you make, someone has could criticize it for something. But literally the response was the opposite. I met like the deepest soul friends. You're one of them had the coolest experiences. I grew way more than I could have ever imagined and probably ever would doing attorney work, which is probably one of the reasons God asked me to do something else.

But to get back to your question, like, have we all gotten better at talking openly about faith? Do I feel totally comfortable? I think we've moved the needle in a huge way, for sure. I think both on and offline, I think we've made faith more of a real and connected part of who we are. That said, I, I think we're still only scratching the surface of what's possible.

Think of what we're doing. Like, we could blow the top off this. We could do so many inspiring and awesome and creative things to be bold and natural about just what Jesus offers us. I feel like I'm always so inspired when I look at other faith communities, too. I know you and I have talked about this before, just like, there's just so many things, so many people are doing well, and we don't have the corner on the market in the LDS faith.

We don't. So, um, every time I visit the South and people ask if they can pray for me, I'm like, so inspired. When is the last time I've heard that wasn't like, when's the last time I've offered that actually better question again, clammy, nervous. Like I have the gift of prayer.

[00:15:10] Morgan Jones Pearson: You actually, you actually are good at that.

So give yourself some credit because you've adopted that practice.

[00:15:16] Lizzy Jensen: Better, better, not still totally intuitive. I still haven't been just like boldly stepping into that. When I watch The Chosen, when I see Christian musicians sing and speak openly, or I interact with the He Gets Us campaign, I get, I get so fired up about how much room we still have left to grow in sharing Jesus with the world.

And I, I think the world is ready for it now way more than it was 10 years ago. I really do. I'm like, I'm really excited to see how we as an LDS community, but even more broadly, how all believers in Jesus Christ are going to rise up and do cool things with the projects that have happened in the last few years alone.

Like, I think we're going to see who knows what, but like the sky is the limit, right? With God at the helm. And if we aren't scared, I think, I think we're going to see some really still way cooler stuff than we've seen so far come out.

[00:16:08] Morgan Jones Pearson: I am curious for your thoughts on a recent conversation that I had with my dad, we were kind of talking about this.

I, there are some, some people that I grew up around who went to church because their parents like made them go. And now as adults, they have left our church and are very active members of other faith communities, and I see them sharing their testimonies, sharing, you know, these inspiring experiences that they're having with God, and I said to my dad, um, I was like, did we teach Jesus wrong?

Like, did we teach Jesus such that somehow the God and the Jesus that they're finding in these other faith communities resonates way more than what we were taught growing up? I'm curious if you have any thoughts on how we better teach Jesus. to youth and kids? Like, what are you doing in your home to teach your kids about Jesus?

And any thoughts on that?

[00:17:18] Lizzy Jensen: I love that question so much. I really do. And I, like, I'm, I'm so glad someone, especially you, is asking that question. And I hope everybody is asking that question. First, like, I don't think there's a wrong way to teach Jesus. If you're teaching Jesus, you're teaching Jesus. Like, that's right.

But there's, there's ways we teach anything that resonates better. And I think the number for me, the number one thing is like, is it authentic? Is it from the heart? I can go to a class and like learn chemistry and I know it. That's fine. I can have details. Um, but do I have like strong, passionate feelings about chemistry?

No, I think my number one approach and trying to teach my kids about. really introduce them to who Jesus is, not even teach them. Like, introduce them is probably more like you teach an apprentice than I would sit up in front of a classroom and teach a classroom, right? Like, more than, more than wanting them to know the dates and the names of the places, like, I want them to experience Him.

I want them to be with Him. I want them to feel His forgiveness, His peace, His joy, like real time in their lives right now. I had an experience not too long ago where, as we've already said, sometimes just showing up, not feeling totally prepared or just opening my mouth scares me. Like, I like when I have time to prepare and know what to say.

I'm like, God's work doesn't like usually look like that most of the time. Um, and I had a friend who lost a child. And I just wanted to show up for, and like, I don't, I don't know what that feels like. I don't know how to do that. It's awkward. It's awkward for me to feel like, well, what if I impose or what if I show up and it feels weird?

And so I had bought some things to give to her and I text her and gave myself a total out like, Hey, I'm going to leave them on your doorstep. If you don't want to see anyone, like I'll just leave them there. And really in my heart of hearts, I kind of wanted her to say, perfect. I don't want to see anyone either.

Cause I don't, I don't know how to show up in her pain. I'm like, what if, I don't know. What if I blew it? What if it was worse for her? And so sure enough, she doesn't text. I dropped the stuff off on her doorstep and I drive away and she's like two streets down, you know, great excuse. Like if she's not available right then.

And I had my kids in the car. And she texts me back and she says, I would love a hug so much. I can't wait to see you. I was like, Oh man, okay. Okay. So I go back and I go back with my kids and we just go to the doorstep. We just show up and she comes out and like, Ooh, I felt so much love for her. And like, I felt her sorrow.

And I like, I just wanted to do nothing more than sit and mourn with her and my kids were there and they just, they don't really know her. Like she and I have this Jesus connection and I love her dearly and they don't really know her, but they just sat there and like wrapped her in the most healing hugs and just sat there and she just looked at him and like, it was this moment of like, that's then when I tell them like, Jesus is always there for you guys.

He's always there. And then I tell them about that story and they felt that love and they know what it means just to show up and hug someone and like, I tell them that's what Jesus wants to do for you, even when there's no words sometimes, because the pain is so big. It's different. They felt his love. I like, I want to teach them about fiery discipleship.

By having them walk in on me and my husband fired up reading our scriptures. I want them to see that fire. I don't want to tell them you really should read your scriptures. But then when I tell them, like, you should dig into the God's word. They'll get why because I do it every morning because I love it because it gives me answers.

I want to teach them about forgiveness by like giving them lots of opportunities to forgive me. You know, I see that joke of like, honestly, I asked for forgiveness for my kids a lot and I wish I didn't have to as much. But if you want to fill the power of forgiveness, ask for it as a mom and watch a perfect child forgive you immediately with so much grace.

And when a child feels how good it, like, experiences how good it feels to forgive someone else, or they, when they feel your wholehearted forgiveness, and they know what it means to have a fresh start, and then when you tell them that's the feeling Jesus wants you to have, because he loves you, they're going to believe, it's going to hit different, right?

Like, so. I don't know. Like, do we have so far to go to teach about Jesus? Totally. But I think the more we just, like, run to him and experience him ourselves, and then don't try to pull that part out of our parenting, or don't make it a certain way, because that's the way you've seen it done. Like, trust your intuition.

Speak from your heart when you feel it. Even with your kids, speak openly. And I think it'll become a real living faith, because it's like, maybe it's like a fake plant versus a real plant. You know, like, like just teaching someone about facts is kind of like, well, yeah, that's a plan. But like, if you're going to actually graft a child into your vine and it's real and it's living, there's power that flows there.

It's different.

[00:22:45] Morgan Jones Pearson: I love so much of what you just said. And that experience is so, so sweet.

[00:22:50] Lizzy Jensen: Can I share one more thought here, Morgan? And it might be a little unconventional. Okay. I think this is something that can help all of us as disciples, young and old, not just teaching kids, but like, even living in our hearts.

When teaching about being a follower of Jesus Christ, whether to my kids, someone my age, or myself, I want it to look amazing, I want it to feel special, I want it to be beautiful. As believers, and maybe this gets to your question with your dad, in our religion specifically, we have so many things we do. We go to church every Sunday, we attend the temple, we do family prayer activities, scripture study.

And I think sometimes we come at these, what I think are really cool habits and rituals. They're amazing. Like, these are really, really cool things. But we come at them like they're a chore. Like, oh, this is just something we have to do, kids. Like, the prophet asked us to pray. And I think we sometimes just don't do ourselves any favors.

Just how we posture it. It's like this is one of those things like cleaning the bathroom. You'll be glad later. It's like, no, no, that's not what the taking taking the sacrament is, you know, and parents are like, actually really good at making magic. Think about Christmas morning. We know how to do this or some of the birthday parties you've seen thrown for like three year olds.

We like to make magic for our kids. So what if we did this more around our faith? And I'm not talking about like opening stockings and Christmas morning and buying stuff, right? But like faith is the most magical thing on the planet. It's the closest we can actually get to like going to Hogwarts. is signing up and doing work with God.

So how do we make these rituals feel like they're exciting and new and magical when you've done them your whole life or they've just been habits? And I think the easiest version of this is just taking a faith practice, something that you've already, you're already doing, or maybe that you want to be doing and pair it with something that would get your kids authentically excited or just put some heart into it.

And maybe some examples like make this practical. A friend I know who does, she does scripture study by candlelight. It's like a silly thing. It's just something small. Um, and it's not even really dark out, so they don't need it for the light, but it just like adds this whimsy and, and you can tell she feels it like she's gathering her family and it's actually a big part of the Jewish Sabbath.

And I love how magical so many Jewish traditions are. They do this so well. Another thought, simple. It doesn't cost anything. Like when you do family prayer. Take a moment to point out the great things you love about your kids or something that inspired you about them that day, or give them a back massage or just hug them the whole time you pray.

Like add that thing that it's not like, Oh, we're getting this done. Get to bed. You know, like add something or on Sundays, this is something that I changed from my family of origin, which is not on my parents. And I don't blame them for this, but like, we've made a playlist for music that feels really happy and hopeful and exciting.

And Sometimes I think as adults, like, we need the really emotional music, and back in the day, like, we didn't have Spotify or Apple Music, right? You had a couple CDs, and that's what you played, but my kids are ha like, it changes the tone of what Sunday's about. It's like the best day off where we get to worship, or take your kids shopping, like, on Amazon, and get them the coolest scripture marking pens, crayons, pencils, like, Make marking your scriptures cool and fun, right?

One other idea. This is funny. Two things that I do. I have this awesome rollerball of essential oils that a friend gave me that it's like super expensive. Nice smelling. I don't even know where it came from. And I started putting on my wrist when I pray. It's like this simple thing, but I feel so brought to the present because there's that smell.

Or when I study, I have a playlist of music that just like is so calming and I look forward so much to my scripture study. In the temple, I have this bowl of mints that I love and I like put them in my pocket and when I need them, they're like, I pull it out as a little treat. I mean, these are silly things, right?

But like, the only limit here as, as parents is us, faith already is magical. If it doesn't feel that way, it's because we're doing it wrong. It is like, but when we live it and portray it in a way that's real, people respond differently. We respond differently and it's life.

[00:26:59] Morgan Jones Pearson: That is so good. You just like got me fired up.

Two things that I was thinking about as you were talking, I think that in my family growing up, and I think I've shared this example on here before, but one reason that I feel like I learned to love serving in the church was because it meant getting to spend time with my dad. And I have this memory of when my dad was in law school, we would go and he would take the sacrament to this little old lady that lived out in the middle of nowhere in like a house that looked like it belonged on like a movie about somebody that just like lives in the.

sticks and I would go with him and he always made it he never complained about it. He always made it feel like it was this special thing that we got to go and give this old woman the sacrament and I remember the lady would always as the sacrament prayer was being said she would repeat the words and my dad one day as we were driving home I like said something about do you think it's kind of weird that sister whatever her name was like repeats the words.

And my dad was like, that's because it means so much to her. So just like little things like that, where you're having experiences like that has been, I mean, that's 30 years ago now. And it's just like imprinted on my heart, you know? And so I think that's what you're talking about is like these things that they don't have to cost money, but making something feel special.

goes such a long way. And then talking about music, I just have been thinking so much about that recently. The difference that music can make. My mom has become like the biggest Christian music fan on the face of the planet. She plays it nonstop. She has this playlist and she just, I mean, she wears it out.

If it was a CD, it would not work anymore. And, um, and because of that, I have gotten more into that type of music. And then my husband has started in our home, he'll just turn on primary songs, like these newer primary songs that have like the really good words and good messages. Not that the old ones, but I feel like the new ones are really good.

And he'll turn those on and. I'll notice just like a massive difference in Emma and the way that her mood is the way like she immediately seems to calm down and then we'll be in the car and we'll turn on that music and she just immediately like it is, it's literally like magic. And so the power that music has, I think is so, so impactful.

And so building off of that, you did something that I think is so, so good. A few years ago, you created a project called the Living Christ Project, and you did it along with Shawna Edwards, who has written a lot of the primary songs that we play on repeat in our house. And the Living Christ Project was an idea that came to you to set the living Christ to music.

And I wondered if you could tell people kind of how that came to be.

[00:30:12] Lizzy Jensen: Totally. I love how much you love this project. And I love it so much too.

[00:30:17] Morgan Jones Pearson: We're going to get to why, but go ahead.

[00:30:19] Lizzy Jensen: Oh, this is so cool because this is such a good example of how God works and like just showing up. I have no business to do this project.

I'll be honest. Like I have no skills that are helpful in this project. Context. It's 2017. I was listening to one of President Nelson's first talks as a prophet, drawing the power of Jesus Christ into our lives. such a great one. Um, in the middle of the talk, President Nelson shared that the more we know about Jesus Christ, the more we will believe he can provide the power we need in our lives.

And then he urged us to study the living Christ and kind of just mentioned that many had memorized it. Immediately in my mind, I had this impression like I should memorize it. And immediately I responded to that thought with a dialogue with God that went something like this, God, you should memorize the living Christ.

Me, that's, that's a great idea, except for remember how hard it is for me to memorize. And even when I do memorize something, I lose it really quickly. You know, it feels like memorizing this document would take a ton of time and I'm not sure there'd be a payoff if it didn't really stick. And then God's idea comes.

Well, unless of course it was put to music. If somehow it's put to half decent music, you might have a shot. So throughout the next session of conference, I'm like, Do I know anybody who would like write music, who could do this? It's like a legal document. Like, this is a really big ass, and I don't, like, It could come off super cheesy, but also just like bad, you know?

And I don't know if I'd remember bad music. So I call my mom and I asked her, I'm like, do you know anyone who would like write music to the living Christ? You just call your mom. That's what you do when you're like truly stuffed, you know? And um, just happened coincidentally, her response was that she had this amazing high school friend named Shauna Edwards, who was brilliant at creating beautiful melodies and sure she'd connect me.

I mean, what are the chances, right? So the next day I get this nice email from Shauna in my inbox. And I was like, Whoa, my mom moved fast on that one. And that was really nice of Shauna to write me so fast too. So I replied and like said, Oh, it's so nice of my mom to connect us. And Shauna's reply, Oh, that's so weird.

Your mom didn't connect us. I don't know Shauna Edwards at all. Like, so right away I could tell like, okay, this is one of those projects. God called her just like he called me. What's more, Shauna had felt impressed to memorize the living Christ a few weeks before and was already a paragraph in. Like, come on!

Right? It's like, again, it's like you just can't make it up and you can't make it happen yourself. You can't just try to do something like that. Who would you even go anyway? So that's how it started, which is pretty incredible. Um, and then more people just were just kind of called to the project. An awesome arranger, Daniel Blomberg and a web and branding guru, Mackenzie Rucker, the vocalists on the tracks who are amazing.

Um, artists who made prints and coloring pages and fill in the blank worksheets and, you know, fasting forward through the inevitable, really messy middle that happens in all projects like this too. And now the living Christ document is set to not half decent music, but absolutely beautiful music. And you can find on the web and new as a, probably a month ago, it's on Spotify and Apple music now.

And it's just awesome. Like. What was my role in the project? I don't actually know. I'm like, can't write music, can't do design, can't, but biggest gift to me is I have the whole thing memorized and almost all my kids do too. And just this last Saturday, it was with an amazing woman at a baptism who I don't even know.

She comes up to me and shares. She's the Relief Society president and her whole ward is memorizing it and singing some of it for Easter. And this is happening all over like tons of people are writing in about their experiences with their kids or their youth and. And it's just been the coolest ride.

Like, I can take no credit for it, but I'm just really glad I have it memorized and it blessed my family. And it's awesome. That's really cool to see when God works and totally fills a desire of your heart and then it like helps other people too. So. It's so good. I know you love it and it just like makes me so happy.

[00:34:13] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, the reason that I love it so much is because when Beej and I were dating, we were broken up for three weeks. There was this three week period of time where we did not speak to each other. And during those three weeks, I had no idea what he was thinking, what was going on in his head. He tells everybody we were taking a break, but he forgot to tell me that.

So I spend like those three weeks in like agonizing, like what is going on? And I decided that I had to have something to take my mind off of it. And it was right after you had been posting about the living Christ project. And I was like, you know what? I'm going to memorize the living Christ. And I would go for these long walks, Lizzie, and I would listen to the songs and I just like pounded it out and it meant so much to me because during what should have been like one of the hardest three weeks, it became this, like, beautiful experience.

And I just felt like. My heart was so turned toward Christ because of it. And the funny thing is, is I don't even know if you know this piece, but Kristen Scott, who sang a bunch of the songs, became my best friend in California last year when we lived there. And so I would always say to her, I was like, you were there for me before you ever even knew me.

Um, and so anyway, it's just, it's so, it's so fun to, um, to have that memory of that time and to recognize that, like something that should have been like this bad memory instead is like this beautiful memory because of the living Christ project. So I'm so glad you did it. I'm curious, do you have a favorite line or two from the living Christ that stands out to you?

[00:35:55] Lizzy Jensen: I mean, how can you choose favorites document? But I would love to hear his too, but there's actually two lines that have been taking on new meaning the last couple weeks, thanks to my almost 12 year old daughter. She just got asked to speak in church for the first time, which is so fun. She speaks, she's the best, she's the best.

And this year in our congregation, everybody who speaks, so our, our ward theme is, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, taking after the youth theme, which we've also adopted in primary. So like our whole ward is just like ingrained in this and I, I love it. Um, so when you go to speak, you pick a title or name.

Jesus Christ and why that is meaningful to you. So she got sent the list of all the names of my daughter of who, of what names of Christ really stand out to her. And she's supposed to pick one and talk about it. And she picked the title creator. So that was really interesting for like an 11 year old to pick, right?

Like, huh, that's not the one I would have thought. And she definitely went through and she's like, judge, nope, I don't want that one. And I just kind of had to laugh. But we've had the most amazing conversations the last two weeks. What and like, what does it really mean that Jesus is a creator? And when she first picked it, I was like, oh, that's kind of pigeonholing.

Like, when I think of Jesus as a creator, it's like past tense. He created the earth and his role as creator is like now done and finished. But as we started talking, we were like, whoa, wait, his role as a creator is ongoing right now. He, like, is creating our lives with us every day. He creates, like, fresh starts.

He helps us create beautiful futures. He creates in ways, ways in our lives when there doesn't feel like one. He creates a new path forward. Like, it's just been so cool. She and I have been talking and, like, having a daughter or a child old enough to dig deep in some of this. Um, But it's so fun. It's really brought new life into one of the lines that I love in the living Christ.

All things were made, and I know you're going to sing in your head with Kristen's voice as I say it. All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. And like everything we do in our lives can be made with Christ. And it's so cool to me to think that if there's something I want to make in my life right now, like more peace or solutions or meaning or more laughter in our home, like.

I just need to go to Jesus Christ, the creator. So I love that one right now.

[00:38:10] Morgan Jones Pearson: So good. Um, I'll tell you the one that has stood out to me recently is where it says, none other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth. I don't know about you. I'm not a fan of influencer culture and the idea of like influencers just always kind of.

Bugs me, but I was texting a friend last night who, um, actually was on this podcast not all that long ago. And she and her husband talked about, um, their daughter who was born with spinal muscular atrophy and they cared for her in a way that I have never seen two parents care for a child. And shortly after our podcast aired, their daughter passed away completely unexpectedly.

She wasn't expected to be alive at 15 years old, but she unexpectedly passed away right after the podcast came out. And I was texting her mom last night. And I just said, like, you will never know the influence that you have had on me through your example of Christ like service as a mom and like your influence is immeasurable.

And I just think there are so many people out there that because they follow the example of Jesus Christ, they have this massive amount of influence and they don't even give themselves credit for it. But I love that line about the influence that Christ has and will yet have upon the earth. So that is, that is a line that I've been thinking about recently.

I wondered, Lizzie, before we get to our last question, I feel like, like we've talked about, you have answered this variety of calls throughout your life. In your own words, you posted on Instagram not too long ago, and I think you summed it up quite well, you said, in the last 10 years, I've been an attorney, run a Christian study and meditation company, helped create three apps, I'm an associate director of a private school, helped as a volunteer in church organizations, and I'm a mom with all that entails to five young kids.

Now, I'm not sharing that to say anything about me, but to drive home the point that if you think about a career as simply being the one job you have. forever, you're going to approach it differently. But if you think about your life's work as malleable and fluid, like a series of stars in a constellation of your life, you will have the freedom to change and bless the world many times and in many ways throughout your life.

And I feel like we've touched on that, um, previously in this conversation, but I'm curious. What you have learned about having a life's work, why that matters and and why that how you've seen that who the Lord calls he qualifies for that work, whatever that work is and how that can also change.

[00:41:03] Lizzy Jensen: I'm so glad that you shared that story of your friend before you asked me this question because I, I feel so like, I think the way that we see impact and influence, we have a, a worldly scale for that and you have to count it up.

Right? It's like followers or number on a scale or number in a bank account. And like, it's, it's like the here and now, and it's really temporal and that's, yeah. Like, it's really telestial, actually, that's not even talking about the three degrees, but like, it's like a very worldly concept when you only take in the here and now and what I'm doing right at this moment and how many people are being touched directly and how many people like me and how I'm viewed and, um, I think the reason I feel so passionately.

About, about sharing even my path and even making that comment on Instagram, which was actually almost two years ago, which is weird because I've hardly been on after, but it was one of my last posts. Like, I grew up super shy. I felt like a real lack of confidence that I had anything to offer. Um, and still, like, still, I, I'm trained as an attorney and I'll like, fumble my words and get awkward and like, go to introduce myself.

And I'm like, Whoa, why was that so uncomfortable? Like, And I think I want to share those things because I want others, especially women, to believe that anything is possible. Anything is possible. And that they do have gifts and talents that God is waiting and ready to use, but it has to be set under the context you gave it.

That doesn't mean everyone goes out and creates something that's like, no, thousands of people are doing it. It's like, I have people in my life just like your friend who, because they haven't been on the main stage and on the platform and they've given their life to one child or one thing or their neighborhood, they have had as much impact on me as 100 influencers could, a million influencers could, right?

And I think as women, like we, we still are a little scared, maybe men too, but I've only met a woman so that's all I know. I think we, we live a little scared and I think we live too far below our capacity, especially knowing who our business partner is in this work. It's God. He's got infinite power. He's got infinite resources.

He's got infinite, all the things that you think you might need to do something to impact people. Right. And it's for understandable reasons. Like I get it. There's a lot of messages that tell us we're not enough, or if we choose motherhood, it's not good enough or impactful enough or whatever it is. Um, but I think, I think if more women believe that they matter and they have something to add, to build to God's kingdom and start acting as if that were how they felt right now, I think we'd see a revolution far beyond anything we've ever seen.

And again, I'm not saying everybody go online or do the Living Christ project or do something like do the one thing you're feeling called to do right now and watch the momentum and watch God show up and Watch him be the one to build the kingdom. It's like, like a spiderweb or a tapestry. Like as you add, and then he has this other person add and you touch this person who then touches that person who then goes and speaks about that very thing.

Like we're going to see, it's going to be revolution. Like, I really believe this it's, it's revolution time and it's happening and we just show up. That's it. You get the, you have desires and you show up and watch him do it. But like, don't play small. Don't doubt yourself because really you're just doubting him because it's not, it's not about you.

[00:44:41] Morgan Jones Pearson: Well, I, I love earlier when you said, um, talking about the living Christ project, you said, I really don't know what my role was in this. And I think your role was, you were like the project manager. You moved all the different pieces. And sometimes that's what God needs. I think recognizing that you can be the person that gets something rolling.

You can be the person that brings the people together that do have the skills that that can make something happen. God, I think needs all of us. And I also think and and this is something I've been thinking a lot about is that sometimes I think we don't do the best job of encouraging one another in those efforts.

It's like, we want other people to play small because somehow that makes us feel better about ourselves. And I think if we could recognize, like, you know, Everybody around us is doing the very best that they can to try to contribute. And if we could be more supportive, it would be also be revolutionary what could happen.

[00:45:47] Lizzy Jensen: So beautiful. And I think sometimes we just don't do that because we think it doesn't matter if we tell someone they're doing a good job, like, Oh, they don't need to hear that. Or they probably realize like it is inspiring what they're doing with their child. And like, I heard it said once, like real friends.

Show up and congratulate and they console when that's like what friends do you show up in the moments when people need consoling and you also show up in the moments of congratulating so I agree like that's part of kingdom building is like being the one to cheer and be like do you know how awesome this looks from the outside because I'm sure it's messy and hard and sticky and it doesn't really look that great to you from where you're sitting.

I'm so inspired by you like send a text out like that a day. Yeah. Yeah. You know, like, yeah, send those out because heaven knows we all need to hear it on the other side. Absolutely.

[00:46:39] Morgan Jones Pearson: Lizzie, this has been so fun for me. I could talk to you all day long, and I know I would be a better person as a result of it.

But my last question for you is what does it mean to you to be all in the gospel of Jesus Christ?

[00:46:53] Lizzy Jensen: I think being all in starts by having desires to serve God. And then experiencing him call you to the work. And then I think being all in means to turn your life, all of it, over to him. And P. S. turning your life over doesn't mean sitting back and waiting for him to tell you what to do with your life.

Turning your life over to him means that you build your best life possible. You go after your highest, most audacious dreams, and you believe that anything's possible because of him. And then go give him that life. I think being all in is the best way to live. It's the land where miracles happen. Where you're changed more than you ever thought you could be.

Because being all in means that you get to be a little part of the work that God is all in onto.

[00:47:44] Morgan Jones Pearson: So well said I I want to print that out and put it on a t shirt Um lizzie, thank you so much for for taking the time to talk with me today always you're just a delight.

[00:47:57] Lizzy Jensen: Thank you morgan

[00:48:02] Morgan Jones Pearson: A big happy birthday and thank you to Lizzy Jensen for joining us on today's episode You can learn more about the Living Christ Project by visiting the living christ project. com And you can find all the music now available on Spotify and Apple Music. I can't recommend memorizing this highly enough and hope you'll join me in doing so between now and Easter.

Big thanks to Derek Campbell of Mix at 6 Studios and thank you for listening. We'll be with you again next week.