Grow in the Light Podcast

About Grow in the Light Podcast

Grow in the Light is a gathering place where women of faith can find direction, tools, support, and encouragement in their journey to grow in receiving light, magnifying light, and sharing light.

Publisher

Emily Layton

Category

education · religion & spirituality · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Apr 2023

Latest episode

29 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

32 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Sept 2026

   32. Practicing Zion: The Power of the Collective with NiCole Hale

   "It will be because we practice Zion. We'll practice it first in our hearts, and then in the collective." - NiCole Hale Are you an introvert who genuinely loves being alone? Maybe solitude is where you rest, think, pray, and recover when life feels overwhelming. But could “I'm an introvert” sometimes keep you from recognizing another kind of restoration God designed you to receive through other people? After an exhausting month caring for her father through serious illness, NiCole wanted nothing more than to stay home and recover alone. She almost skipped a simple paint night with friends. What surprised her was how healing it felt to create, laugh, and simply be in a room with people who cared that she was there. She didn't discover that her need for solitude was wrong. She discovered that connection could restore something different. In this episode, Emily and NiCole explore why personal and spiritual growth need both individual reflection and meaningful connection. NiCole shares what she has learned as an introvert, a caregiver, and a member of a Grow In the Light Growth Group about vulnerability, collective prayer, human flourishing, and allowing herself to both support and be supported by others. Together, they consider what it means to stop thinking of Zion only as something God will establish someday and begin practicing Zion in our hearts and relationships now. Expect this episode to help you: Reconsider whether identifying as an introvert sometimes keeps you from recognizing the restoration that can come through meaningful connection. Distinguish between genuinely needing solitude and automatically withdrawing from others when life feels overwhelming. Recognize why some healing, courage, and spiritual growth happen differently in community than they do alone. Notice when independence or self-protection may be keeping you from receiving support from others. Discover how vulnerability within trusted relationships can help you see yourself and your challenges with greater clarity. Understand how neuroscience, developmental psychology, and gospel principles can work together to support growth and human flourishing. Experience prayer as a meaningful way a community can hold and support one another, even when there is little else we can do. Practice building Zion through agency, trust, encouragement, prayer, and learning to both hold and be held by others. More invitations to grow If you're walking through the messy middle of personal growth, you don't have to do it alone. Grow In the Light Growth Groups (https://www.growinthelight.com/wise-woman-fall-2026) provide Christ-centered community, practical tools, and supportive coaching to help you continue becoming who God created you to be. Learn more at www.GrowInTheLight.com (https://www.growinthelight.com/). About the guest NiCole Hale is an instructional designer with a master's degree in educational technology and instructional design, focused on transformative learning in adult education. She loves her Savior, Jesus Christ, and strives to apply his eternal Atonement in infinite ways daily. She and her husband, David, are the parents of six amazing children and love to draw their family close. Scriptures and references Doctrine and Covenants 45:57 (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/45?lang=eng&id=p57#p57), Receive truth, take the Holy Spirit as your guide, and be not deceived Moses 7:18 (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/7?lang=eng&id=p18#p18), Zion as a people of one heart and one mind Truth and the Plan (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/addresses-and-remarks/ces-devotionals/2018/09/truth-and-the-plan?lang=eng), Dallin H. Oaks Timestamps 00:00 Why growth isn't meant to happen alone 02:30 When an introvert wants to recover alone 05:20 Discovering unexpected healing in community 07:45 From “fix-it-myself” to collective growth 10:00 Neuroscience, gospel principles, and wise woman growth 13:00 Vulnerability and the courage to examine ourselves 14:30 From surviving to flourishing 16:00 What the collective gives us that individual growth cannot 17:00 Discovering the power of collective prayer 19:00 Holding and being held in Zion 20:00 Practicing Zion in our hearts and relationships

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   31. From Transaction to Transformation: Relationship and Presence with Stan Bennion

   "I do believe we can foundationally transform how we walk through this world." - Stan Bennion Have you spent years trying to “do the gospel right,” but still find yourself longing for more joy, peace, or connection with God? Maybe prayer doesn't feel as meaningful as you think it should. Maybe uncertainty in your family, relationships, or future leaves you anxious. Or maybe you simply sense that God is inviting you to grow, but doing more isn't bringing the transformation you seek. In this episode, Emily talks with coach and mentor Stan Bennion about the difference between transactional growth, changing our lives through discipline, action, and willpower, and transformation that happens from the inside out. Stan shares how struggles in work, parenting, and personal prayer led him to examine his relationships with God, himself, others, and the present moment. Together, they explore how Jesus Christ invites us beyond performing the right behaviors into deeper discipleship that begins with a shift in perspective. What if greater peace doesn't require getting everything figured out, but learning a different way to be with God in the life you're living right now? Expect this episode to help you: Recognize the difference between transactional and transformational spiritual growth. Explore why doing all the “right things” may not always produce the joy or connection with God you desire. Examine how fear, performance, comparison, and control may influence your discipleship. Discover how being present can deepen your relationship with God, yourself, and others. Navigate growth when your spouse, children, or other people you love are on a different path. Reconsider parenting adult children through relationships, trust, and continued personal growth. See the Sermon on the Mount as an invitation to transformation of the heart, not simply outward behavior. Consider whether fear or love, trust, and grace are fueling your spiritual life. More invitations to grow If you are looking for your own transformation rather than living transactionally, join one of our Growth Groups (https://www.https://www.growinthelight.com/wise-woman-fall-2026) today. If you want more light in your day, visit us at www.GrowInTheLight.com (http://www.growinthelight.com/). About our guest Stan Bennion is an integral coach who works with individuals and executives on personal growth and change. After a 30-year career in corporate human resources, primarily in the oil and gas industry, Stan experienced personal transformation that altered his path and outlook forever. He lives in Alaska with his wife and is the father of four adult children. His own spiritual journey has deepened his interest in transformation, contemplative practice, and helping people grow from the inside out. Resources The Call to Harmony (https://open.spotify.com/show/3qrRGhHrilrejWcik7JKPS?si=95b427f9431f4a9f), A podcast by Savannah Haas and Tucker Boyle The Sermon on the Mount (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt?lang=eng), Matthew 5–7 The Power of Now (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/582248.Power_of_Now), Eckhart Tolle Centering Prayer (https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/centering-prayer-method/), Thomas Keating Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12664433-falling-upward), Richard Rohr Further growth “Keep the Change,” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/32craven?lang=eng&id=p11-p13#p11) Becky Craven “Enduring to the end means changing to the end.” Timestamps 00:00 Finding greater peace through spiritual transformation 00:31 Meet Stan Bennion 03:34 Can people really change and transform? 04:08 Spiritual growth from the inside out 08:56 Why doesn't prayer feel meaningful or connecting? 11:31 Finding greater peace and connection with God through presence 14:58 Transactional vs. transformational spiritual growth 20:22 How Jesus teaches transformation in the Sermon on the Mount 23:49 Letting go of fear when parenting teens and adult children 27:10 What if your spouse doesn't want to grow or change? 32:00 Finding faith through change and an ongoing Restoration 33:07 Is fear or love guiding your spiritual life?

3. 

   12 Sept 2026

   30. G-Force: The Science Behind Growth's Growing Pains

   "I used to believe fear meant I was failing. Now I understand it may be evidence that God is helping me grow." - Emily Layton Opening summary Have you ever started making positive changes in your life, only to find yourself feeling more anxious, discouraged, or full of self-doubt? Maybe you're trying to strengthen your relationship with God, improve your marriage or family relationships, create healthier habits, or become more intentional in the way you live. Instead of feeling more peaceful, you're wondering if you've made things more complicated, if your growth is affecting your relationships, or if it would simply be easier to return to the status quo than keep pushing through the messy middle of change. In this episode, Emily shares a personal experience that completely changed the way she understands resistance. As she created a new back-to-school routine centered on living more soulfully aligned, she unexpectedly experienced fear, doubt, and emotional heaviness. Through journaling, Newton's Third Law of Motion, and Lehi's teaching that "there must needs be opposition in all things," she discovered a powerful truth: resistance isn't always evidence that you're failing. Sometimes it's evidence that you're moving forward. If you've ever questioned yourself because positive change suddenly feels harder instead of easier, this episode will help you recognize resistance with greater clarity, respond with curiosity instead of shame, and continue moving forward with faith. Expect this episode to help you: Recognize why meaningful personal and spiritual growth is often accompanied by unexpected resistance. Understand how physical and spiritual laws help explain why positive change can sometimes feel harder before it feels easier. Identify all-or-nothing thinking that can quietly undermine your confidence and progress. Discern the difference between truth and the fearful stories your mind may be telling you. Replace shame and self-judgment with awareness, curiosity, and compassion. Continue making positive changes with greater confidence, even when the journey feels messy or uncomfortable. Strengthen your trust in God as you become who He created you to be. More invitations to grow If you're walking through the messy middle of personal growth, you don't have to do it alone. Grow In the Light Growth Groups (https://www.https://www.growinthelight.com/wise-woman-fall-2026) provide Christ-centered community, practical tools, and supportive coaching to help you continue becoming who God created you to be. Learn more at www.GrowInTheLight.com (http://www.growinthelight.com/). About Emily Emily Layton is the founder of Grow In the Light. With a master's degree in Family Life Education and a passion for combining gospel principles, brain science, and practical tools for lasting change, she helps women receive light, magnify light, and share light as they become who God created them to be. Scriptures & references 2 Nephi 2:11 (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2?lang=eng&id=11#p11) — "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." Doctrine and Covenants 45:57 (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/45?lang=eng&id=57#p57 ) — "Receive the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for your guide." Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54493401-project-hail-mary)

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.