00:00
[Music]
00:05
Well, hello Megan!
00:07
Hey! Hi, Dan. Nice to see you.
00:09
Nice to see you too. Thanks for taking the time.
00:12
Thanks for coming on. You know, I talked to your sister before.
00:14
I know, she’s the best.
00:16
Yeah, and I’m going to have you, you know, I liked her a lot myself.
00:19
Oh, good!
00:20
I’m going to have you tell her about your relationship and all that stuff because what I want you to do is bring me and everybody watching up to speed. Who are you?
00:28
Oh, okay. So, I’m Megan. I live in California. I’m a mother of two. I have a 10-year-old and a 7-year-old. I work full-time as well. And I’ve been a member of the church since I was 17, so, gosh, it’s been 25 years.
00:40
Yeah, it’s been a great ride.
00:42
Wow! Okay. What was life like for you before you found the gospel?
00:46
You know, Dan, it was more… I would say it was more lonely. Like, I felt pretty lonely. I felt like I was searching for something. I always contrast my life in two different aspects. I always refer to it as light and darkness. Before I found the church, it was a time where I felt dark.
01:27
I was attending other religions, studying other religions, and I just didn’t feel like I saw a God that was personal or warm. I never felt that. But when I found the church, it was something inviting, and I found the God that I believed God to be, which was someone loving.
02:09
Before the church, it was like… it just felt like a contrast—kind of a dark place but a searching place where I was trying to seek out answers.
02:18
So, what did you do? Like a church tour? Did you…?
02:22
It’s kind of a wild story. So, my twin sister and I had a family, and the family, ever since we were 11, befriended their daughters. They would answer our questions. I remember staying up with the father just quizzing him. I was an inquisitive kid. I didn’t understand organized religion. I don’t think I believed in it.
02:48
We ended up befriending these girls, and they took us along. They took us to a baptism at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to Sunday school.
03:27
Then, separately from that, we had this friendship for years. Around 17, my twin sister, during a tough family patch, saw a Lamb of God video on VHS. She called the MTC, and a missionary there connected with her. He said he’d send missionaries, but my sister didn’t feel comfortable with them coming into our home.
04:04
She told the missionary our story, and he got emotional. Our family didn’t really cry. It really touched my sister. So, she told me about it in passing. I came home from school one day, and the missionaries were sitting in my living room.
04:39
I quizzed them intensively. My twin sister and I took the lessons and got baptized on Christmas day, which is right around the corner.
05:21
Nice!
05:22
I know, it was fun! Were they elders, sisters, an older couple?
05:27
They were elders, young guys, but to us, they seemed like they had all the answers. I met up with one years later. He said that my twin sister and I were exactly the kind of people they wanted to convert. I was analytical and always quizzing them doctrinally, while my sister just wanted to feel peace and confirmation.
05:55
Looking back, they must have been babies, if I was 17. They could’ve been only a year older. But I still remember when they shared the Joseph Smith story. And now, after years of confirmation and experience, you understand the depth of what they shared. At the time, I just felt the light.
06:32
I remember feeling hooked. I had felt that peace before, and I was like, “Whatever it takes, I’m in. I’m committed.” I asked them if I could be baptized, and they said, “Whoa, you need to learn about the Book of Mormon first.” But I just remember feeling such wholesomeness and light, and I wanted that.
07:03
That’s wonderful! Was there one specific thing that sticks out in your head, where they said something and you went, “Wait a minute, that really makes sense”?
07:47
You know, not particularly. I always think about it doctrinally. Was there something that resonated with me more than others? I think the Joseph Smith story was the pivotal one. He was this young kid searching for answers, just like I was. I hadn’t found them yet, but I knew I was lacking a connection with God, and I didn’t know how to bridge that gap.
08:29
When they shared the story, it just made sense. He had been through tough times, with people trying to discredit him, but he couldn’t deny his personal experience. That’s how I felt when I talked with the missionaries.
09:06
When they spoke to me, they had such a light in their eyes. Later in life, when I served a mission, sharing the Joseph Smith story was always the most powerful experience for me. I knew that no matter who I shared it with, the Spirit would be present, because I knew that God promised that this is truth.
09:42
That’s exactly what I experienced with the missionaries. It was truth.
10:17
Okay, so that kind of segues into this: What has your life been like since you found the gospel? That could include your mission, too.
10:22
Oh yeah, I’d love to know where you went.
10:25
I went to Texas, San Antonio.
10:28
Fun!
10:29
It was a great experience for me, because coming from Maryland, dealing with a lot of family pain, Texas was a very hospitable environment. The people were warm and welcoming, and it helped open me up a bit.
10:57
Life since finding the gospel has been a journey, one of constant learning. That’s something I really love about our church—you’re never going to learn it all. There’s so much out there, and you’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible intellectually.
11:08
But what I will say is that it’s been a journey of healing. It’s not been through huge spiritual experiences, though I’ve had some really strong ones, but it’s been through these constant little steps forward.
11:36
Experiences where I’m sitting in sacrament meeting, and I can feel the Spirit, or when I’m sitting with someone I’m ministering with—I’ve felt that. So, I feel like life since finding the gospel has been one of joy. One of the most difficult things that I’ve learned that you can really feel in this life is joy—the emotion of joy. And what I’ve found through the gospel is that I’ve been able to uncover what joy is, and I’ve been able to live a life of joy. It’s been magnificent that way because now I have children growing up in a loving home, an environment of safety, nurturing, learning, and having these experiences. I look back and feel absolute gratitude.
12:12
Since finding the gospel, I feel like my life has just been altered. Dan, I look at pictures of myself before I went on my mission, or even before I joined the church, and my eyes were sad. I look at my eyes from before the gospel, and I feel like the eyes are the window to the soul a little bit. Now, my life and my eyes are full of genuine happiness. I never thought as a 17-year-old that I would be able to have a life that was truly happy, knowing there would be rough moments, but also that I would have a good ride.
13:28
Since finding the gospel, my life has been joyful, full of gratitude, healing, and happiness, compared to the kid who didn’t feel those things before.
13:52
Dan: Wow, that’s really profound—the way you can look back and see the light in your eyes. That’s moving.
14:03
Megan: You’re so nice, Dan. Thank you.
14:05
Dan: Is there anything else that you wanted to say that we haven’t had the opportunity to touch on?
14:12
Megan: What I would say to people who are trying to find answers or seek out answers is that what I have found through the gospel of Jesus Christ is access to understanding Christ in a different way—as a friend. I don’t want to just say as a friend, but as a real, actual person. I’ve found that the journey has been one where, doctrinally, I’ve tried to understand things, and I’ve found more profound meaning in life by going along this road. I think it’s worth checking out because there’s something here for everyone. It’s just a matter of being open to it.
15:24
Dan: I’m so pleased to have you as a sister in the gospel, and I’m glad that both you and your sister have found it. You’re raising another generation of kids who will love it and continue on this great work.
15:34
Megan: Oh, thanks, Dan. Me too. I’m psyched!
15:39
Dan: Alrighty, bye-bye now!
15:41
Megan: Bye!
15:45
Dan: Well, I think that went just fine.
15:47
Megan: Oh, okay, great! Thanks, Dan. Great stories. And I really did feel what you’re talking about—the light in your eyes. When you were talking about Joseph Smith, I thought, “Here she is, she’s a 17-year-old being taught by kids who are maybe 18 or 19, telling her the story of a kid who’s 14 or 15.” It’s all relatable.
16:02
Megan: Wow, it’s all relatable. It’s also interesting because I feel like all of us are seeking answers, but we’re all on different paths in our journey—both in and out of the gospel. We’re all just seeking. There are times when it ebbs and flows. For example, this Christmas season, it’s easy to believe. You see the joy around you. But there are other times, like in the monotony of daily life, when you have to remember that it’s bigger than that. Do you know what I mean?
16:29
Dan: Right, yeah.
16:32
Dan: What made you start this, by the way, Dan? And how have people been responding to the interviews?
16:38
Dan: Well, I was sitting in a fast and testimony meeting, and I realized that the stories I really like are the ones where people talk about their conversion stories. I thought, “What makes a convert special?” And I realized that we’re all on a spectrum of how much we believe. But to become a convert, you have to hit a certain mark before you’re willing to change your life. Those are the stories I really like. Then, my brother-in-law, who used to do a radio show with me, started a political podcast. I thought, “Maybe there’s room for a podcast about converts.” Recently, I’ve seen a lot of anti-podcasts popping up, and I thought, “You know what? I’m going to do what I can to fight back.” That’s when I came up with the idea for the LDS Converts Podcast. You all have such great stories!
17:36
Megan: Well, you’re the one who’s surfacing it all, and I’m glad you followed that impression. I do feel like, at this time, there is… I mean, there’s always antagonism, but I feel like the morality of the world is shifting. You can feel the shift.
18:09
Megan: Every day, I turn on YouTube, and all my thumbnails come up showing me what I can watch. I think, “Is the world just full of stupid people and evil people? What are they doing?” The content is awful. I won’t say all of it, but the majority is not fulfilling. It’s not helping you gain a skill set or think critically. It’s just vapid. Honestly, I should use that word with my kids because this is just bad content. I want them to watch things that actually edify them and teach them something. We can all enjoy funny things, but there’s a line—something funny can go really low. I’m just glad we can discern these things.
19:18
Dan: Thank you for putting this on. It’s very good of you.
19:21
Megan: You’re very welcome.
19:24
Dan: Everyone’s a convert, right, Dan?
19:28
Megan: Oh, which answers the other question. I’ve asked 200 people so far. I’ve kept track, and I’ve done 12 interviews. I’ve got another 10 who said yes, but I can’t get them to commit to a time.
19:54
Dan: Oh really? So, you’ve had 12 people on the show?
19:57
Megan: Yeah, I think you’re number 12.
20:00
Dan: That’s great! And how has the podcast been received?
20:05
Dan: It’s been received well. I had a cop, who’s not a member, tell me that he saw one of my episodes while at the gas station. I’m not sure how he found it, but he said he was really impressed. He’s a Baptist, but he said, “I was really impressed with the gospel knowledge your guest had, and the knowledge you had.” He was really touched by it.
20:26
Dan: I’ve heard other great things, too, but it’s mostly from people who know me. This guy was just a random guy, and I thought it was good feedback.
20:30
Megan: I also like, personally, Dan, that the episodes aren’t too long. People don’t have time to listen to half-hour shows or anything like that. Yours are short and to the point. When my sister was on, she was holding her baby, and that’s a mom who’s holding and sharing.
20:55
Going through a separation, and it just felt like you were in their home with them. I like that. I saw my sister, and then I saw another guy that you interviewed, who was sitting at his kitchen table. He was talking about his experience and how he met someone. His partner, the girl he was dating, was a member, but he wasn’t. He would attend their family activities and things like that, and eventually, he ended up joining.
21:26
Yeah, that’s right. It was just very unapproachable, not that he was unapproachable, but he was very approachable. I felt like the people you had on were like everyday people you’d want to sit and speak to. It’s different than you know, seeing people as just normal people. It’s nice to see that you’re a normal person and I’m a normal person, and we’re just people, instead of imagining some stereotype or a “wacko” out there.
21:59
But you’re right, seeing your sister there with her little baby made me realize, wow, she has a hard road ahead. I don’t know if she has five or six kids herself, but she’s a young woman—God bless her. How many other people have been in that situation, right? Exactly. And then I think of the guy you interviewed, the other one. When he said, “I came in, and everyone else had been members for a long time,” and he felt like he was new to it, like they all knew more. The reality is, none of us know what we’re doing. We’re all just making steps, figuring it out, day by day.
22:33
It’s great. I really do enjoy it, so thank you for putting it on. I’m glad you followed that prompting, and that these are stories people can take to heart. If you happen to know any other converts, send them my way because I’m putting everybody on who will come on.
23:05
Oh, I will. I can think of one person in my ward—I’ll reach out to him and see if he’d be game. He’s a solid guy, so I think he would.
23:39
Alright, well this was great. Thanks for taking the time. If there’s anything else you need, let me know. Actually, stop—I have something. My sister hasn’t done it yet, but she’s going to start this week. She’s going to do a podcast talking to people who went on missions.
23:59
I’d be happy to. Absolutely! I’ll give her your contact info. Her name is Tracy Lee.
24:10
I’d love to. You know, I was the first person in my family to serve a mission, and it was just an awkward experience. You don’t know what clothes to buy. It’s probably better now than 20 years ago, but back then, I was buying all the wrong things. Adjusting to the culture shock was tough, too.
24:42
I totally get that. Where did you serve?
24:50
I went to Bangkok. How was that?
24:53
Well, I went there in 66, so I’m old. I went just as the Vietnam War had ended, and the Americans had pulled out. Thailand was still fighting the war. I served in border towns, and there were times I heard machine gun fire and grenade explosions. I spent the full two years there, and didn’t baptize anyone except for one girl on my last day. The sister missionaries walked into the yard as I was packing to leave. They said, “Too bad you’re not catching the 3 o’clock train—you could baptize our girl at noon.”
25:13
So, you missed the 10 o’clock train to do the baptism and caught the 3:00 train after?
25:16
Yes, that’s right. It was my last day, so it felt right to be able to do that.
25:50
Looking back, did you feel like the mission was more for you than for the people you taught?
25:56
Oh, absolutely. I learned more than I could have ever taught anyone. When I was there, there were only about 10 or 12 branches, and the ward was mostly white people—soldiers and government workers. The branches were mostly women. I honestly thought there was no hope for the country. We went out every day, but there was no success. It taught me that I could do hard things. If I could make it through that, I could face anything.
26:31
Yeah, exactly. You realize it’s about more than just the people you taught—it’s about how it changes you.
27:08
Do you feel like that’s your main takeaway from serving a mission? You look back and realize how much you grew personally?
27:12
Oh, 100%. It saved me. I mean, Jesus saved me through my mission. The good I did is negligible. My life was completely changed after that.
27:44
You should share that on your sister’s podcast!
27:48
She’s going to practice with me, her daughter, and a couple cousins, and then she’ll reach out to you.
28:13
That sounds great! Where are you guys based?
28:16
She and I live just a couple miles from each other. I’m in Louisiana, and she’s in Texas.
28:25
Oh, nice. Right by Texarkana, huh?
28:28
Yeah, exactly! It’s as far as you can get from San Antonio and still be in Texas.
28:41
That’s great. Thanks for chatting. I wish you a Merry Christmas. If anything else comes up, let me know. Also, please give your sister my number. If I think of anyone in the ward who might be a good fit for your show, I’ll send them your way.
28:56
If you’re ever in Texas or Louisiana, give us a shout. We’d love to take you to dinner!
29:13
I appreciate that. Honestly, I feel like this kind of work is a calling. I had another channel where I was teaching guitar lessons, and I was almost ready to monetize. But when I got this feeling to start this podcast, I just felt like it was what I was meant to do. This is where my heart is now, and it’s what I think about all the time.
29:34
I hope it continues to spread. Merry Christmas to you and your family. You too, God bless. It’s been great getting to know you.
29:50
Take care!
