Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast
The Highlands Ranch Ward is a sharing of spiritual experiences, family history and inspiring Christian principles. The goal of the podcast is to help our members get to know each other better as well as inspire people to draw closer to Jesus Christ through prayer, scripture study, family history and living the principles Jesus taught.
Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast
Amy York
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Claire Stucki interviews Amy York about her spiritual journing, family history, and advice for younger generations.
Hi everyone, welcome to the Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast. Thanks for taking the time to tune in and listen. This is Claire Stukey. I am your host today. Today we are interviewing Amy York. She's an awesome member of our ward. Amy, thank you so much for joining us today. Hi. Yay, thank you for having me. Of course, yes. Okay. All right. With that, our first question is um, how did you convert to the gospel?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so when I think of converting, I think of something changing from one thing to another. And I grew up in a family that was very rooted in the gospel. I have pioneer heritage on both sides of my family for you know generations and generations. And so faith has been uh a historic part of what my family knew and lived. And so that was not something that was new or needed changing. But when I think of converting for a personal conversion, it really is like changing that family um knowledge and creating my own knowledge and becoming um my own version of a disciple of Jesus Christ. And so that I mean, with such a sturdy foundation, there was a lot to grow from. But the conversion process really has taken my whole life, and I think it will continue throughout all of the rest of my life. Um, but it's been taken um some required me to be honest about what I personally personally believe, um, and assess for myself how maybe some differences in the things that I personally believe and the values I personally have that might be in conflict or um dissonance with some of the things maybe the church does, and find some truth, some overarching truths that it can hold on to. And so the conversion really has landed me solidly in a faith of Jesus Christ as my savior, and that everything else I can, you know, continue to work with, but that that is the essential piece for me.
SPEAKER_02I love that so much. I love how you said that you have always been very deeply rooted in the gospel and especially your family, and that you kind of got that from your family, but you took those deep roots in that great foundation, and you made that your a part of your foundation, and then you turned it into something that is your own, and that is your own belief, and you have molded it through experiences into something that is you can say that is your own, and you can truly believe in the gospel for yourself, which I think is so important. So thank you for that. Yeah, of course. Um, okay. Next question is um, what is a favorite family history story that inspires you?
SPEAKER_00Well, I have a great great grandma. Her name is Lavina Google, and she um, like I said, we have a lot of pioneer ancestry, and she lived in uh Pleasant Grove, and she was known as the Dahlia Lady, and she actually had a like a business card because she would sell her dahlias. Dahlias are, you know, some beautiful flowers, they get really big, and hers were dinner plate dahlias, a lot of them they were like 10 inches wide, as like as bigger than my face, beautiful flowers, and her plants grew to be 10 to 12 feet tall, and she had 250 different plants. Um, and she was just really um she just had a love of nature, of the outdoors, and of beautification of the earth, and she really put a lot of effort into this dahlia, I mean, patch in her yard, and she was um she actually created a lot of the um flowers for general conference when she was alive, so in the 50s, and for Spencer W. Kimball, and then she had a personal relationship with Hubert J. Grant and would give them flowers. And in her history, there's all kinds of um letters back and forth from Hubert J. Grant and her, and she just was known as the Dahlia lady. And then with proceeds from her dahlia, she actually sent all her children on their missions with that money. So I love that she had this passion and that she shared it with the community and with the church in general and in large through her service. And so, in I um had heard of her story um years ago because my sister and I like to talk about flowers, and my mom is a florist, and so there's a lot of like flower lore in our family, and so about her, but this past year, I have been feeling like I want a dahlia garden, and so I put up five grow beds in my backyard and I filled them with dirt, and Evan and Jane like they were very unhappy about all the shoveling of dirt that they had to do this spring. Yeah, planted all of these dahlias, and then I remembered because I've been looking at our family history, I remembered about Lavena, and I just felt like I feel like this connection to her because it's very not like me to want to grow things, and this has just started to generate in my heart, and so I feel connected to her and her dahlias. And I can't wait because I planted my beds on the side where the road is, and I did raised beds, and so my dahlias should grow over the fence. So people who are like driving by, because we're on this corner lot, um, will be able to see the beautiful dahlias. And I do have some dinner plate dahlias planted, so I'm really pumped about that. And her story and her legacy has become to mean more to me as you know, I've been investing some time in this gardening project.
SPEAKER_02So I love that. That's amazing. I I love it. Sounds like she was a very like giving person, especially with you know her talents. And I think that's such a an amazing thing when I think it's so great when someone's works so hard to be good at something. And not only that, but they work hard to share it with other people. And I love that now you're kind of taking that and doing that today. That is so awesome. I love that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I hope they grow.
SPEAKER_02Yes, I know. I'm not, I'm not the big planter either. My dad uh definitely likes to do that kind of stuff, but I just don't, yeah, I just don't get it.
SPEAKER_00You never know, Claire. Like your ancestors might be touching your heart at some point. Like you might be like, what is this happening to me? Yeah, Lavina, she also, I mean, she was such an incredible woman. She was uh selected as the national mother of the year, and I really exactly what year, but like there was a lot of press about it. I mean, it was a really big honor because this is the when being a mom was everything. So she just impressive, and her children, her daughters specifically, after um they just did amazing things with their lives. Like one of my so my my great grandma, she um she served a mission for the church, and that was not culturally like what women did at that time, but as a young woman, she served a mission in the church, and then yeah, husband also served a mission later. So the roots are deep on the the like faith and working in faith and teaching and and giving back to the community. So there's a lot of things that I'm really proud of in my family history.
SPEAKER_02Wow, that is so cool. I love that, and I love that you've um made the effort to stay connected to them and learn more about them. That's and that is just inspiring to see how um your family did so much before you and you're like, wow, I really want to keep this going. That's amazing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I'm lucky that there is so much history, it's really easy for me to do that because so many written resources that I just you know log into family search and it's all there. So if that's not someone else's experience, then it's great. Just create what where you are, create you know your own history, and who knows who will be reading it in a hundred years.
SPEAKER_02Totally, totally. There are some people who still like love to read the whole stuff, and like we need to keep like writing it down so they people can learn about us. So that's awesome. Okay, uh, with our next question, it is what is a favorite scripture story of yours and why?
SPEAKER_00Sure, I have always been drawn to King Benjamin's sermon um from the tower that he created. And I just love all of those chapters in the early chapters of Mosaic, but I I think it's because of the clarity of the doctrine that's taught from him, and specifically the verse that says, like, believe in God, believe that he is and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth, believe that he has all power and all wisdom, believe that man does not comprehend all things that the Lord can comprehend. Like those that verse specifically is written deep in my heart, and it's because it's simple. And as I have worked through some transitions in my faith, like the simple truths are what have kept me connected. So I think that's maybe why I've always been drawn to that story. That's amazing.
SPEAKER_02I love what you said about the simple truths. Um I feel like, as like, you know, being rooted in that through, especially if you grew up in the church, um, I think being a primary getting to grow up as a primary child was such a blessing in my life. And I know it is to everyone else's life and to the war just to see the primary kids and like what a faith they have. And those things that we learn in primary, the simple truths and the simple beliefs we learn are what you always revert back to when it's hard, when times get hard and what you hold on to. And I love that you build such a firm base when you're in primary, and that's kind of what I thought of when you said simple truths, and that means a lot to me. So thank you for sharing that.
SPEAKER_00It's gonna be so beautiful as you go on your mission for you to be able to teach those simple truths, like it is so beautiful.
SPEAKER_02Totally. I kind of get to learn them all over again, which is so awesome. Yeah, I love that. Okay, um, with our next question, it is what is a time you struggled with something in your life and you felt that Christ was walking with you in that trial.
SPEAKER_00Well, I've mentioned several times in my testimonies in the Word that there's been some transitions in my faith, um, especially as I went to grad school and was introduced to some um just difficult things to reconcile with belief versus science versus uh data that's been collected on certain issues in social circumstances. And it's been difficult for me to navigate that, but I do think that the redemptive power of Jesus Christ has been there with me all along the way, um, especially because at times I could really feel my heart getting hardened. Um and the power of the atonement for me has a lot been that softening. Again and again, having Christ soften my heart and um just allow me to feel his presence. And it's something that's hard to describe or explain, but it's very real and personal, and I just haven't felt alone in the challenges that I've faced.
SPEAKER_02I love that. That's amazing. I think it is easy to feel alone in our trials, and um I think there's two ways you can go when you're faced with trials. You can either lean closer to Christ or you can blame Christ for your trials. And nothing bad comes from Christ. Um, but I think all trials are part of his plan and he knows that they will strengthen us, and they only strengthen us if we choose to lean towards him. And like you said, like choose to accept that fact that he is always with us in our trials and he is walking right with us, even when it feels like we're alone.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, and sometimes in that walk, I have felt like I have felt promptings and I have felt him directing me in ways that I did not want to go. And I think you know, it's that that pruning of my my I don't know, pruning away of the things that are not necessary or important. But also, for example, I in this transition, I had a lot of questions about the temple specifically, and they became pretty difficult. And during that time, I had a very strong and persistent prompting to serve as a temple worker, and that was the opposite of what I wanted to do, because I there were parts of me that just wanted to never go to the temple again, and instead the savior was inviting me like, no, just come serve. I'm going to teach you things, I'm going to be with you, don't leave me. And um, that was really hard because that is not what I wanted to do. Um, but I, you know, he's he's there, he knows, and following those little promptings has really made a big difference in acting with him.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think it's amazing that you chose to listen to those promptings. I think sometimes we'll just like be like, okay, these prompting, like I'm just constantly getting these thoughts, like it's just annoying. Like, I'll just do it. Like, but when we tune into those thoughts, and okay, why is this specific thing constantly coming up? And what can I do to not just make it go away, but to fulfill what um Christ is telling me. And I think that's awesome that you chose to listen to what he was saying. So that's amazing. Thank you for sharing that.
SPEAKER_00Well, it wasn't right away, we'll just say that. Yeah, I yeah, sometimes it takes time, and that's okay. Stubborn, right? I needed that softening of my heart to be totally, but totally it's been good, and I I think that it really gave me some stability in a time that I needed it, even though it was difficult for me for a lot of people. So yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Thank you for sharing that. Okay, our next question is what do you love most about our ward?
SPEAKER_00Well, I love the structure of a ward family. Um I have learned to value that more and more because of the work I do in the world, helping people um work through addiction, specifically women. Um, and there's a cash phrase in addiction recovery that uh connection is the opposite of addiction. And I I work with people on building community so much. And I don't have to work to find community, it's built in because we have a shared faith, we have shared values and goals, and so I value that more than I ever have before because I've seen I've had a little um insight to what it looks like for those who don't have it and how detrimental it is. And so, even though I mean, I'm sure there's times when I've rubbed people wrong, I've said the wrong thing, and I've you know been annoying in many ways, and you know, I I've had conflict with people in the church at times and seen things differently, but overall it's a place of growth and learning and connection, and I don't have to really seek it out, I just have to engage with it. That is a huge gift.
SPEAKER_02That's amazing. I I think I've definitely heard that before that to breaking an addiction cycle, one of the most powerful things you can do is make a connection with someone else. Um, that can I've heard that's really helped you break an addiction, but um just like kind of relating that to like just like instead of like an addiction, like breaking a sadness of depression or sadness. I think turning to community and turning to other people, especially our word community is so powerful, and our word specifically is so amazing at that, just um like surrounding the people who feel alone and who are going through something. I think our word is so good at that. And um something that I've noticed is um this is kind of random, but like I guess like we've talked about before, like proximity to the pulpit, like the closer you sit to the pulpit, the um I guess like kind of the more you'll get out of sacrament meeting. And I'm like, ah, like that can't be true. Like we're all hearing the same thing, like no matter where you are. But I've even noticed that as like sometimes I'll be late and we'll sit in the back. Like, I'm not paying attention as much. I'm like, but when you're up front and you're closer, I feel like you get so much more out of that, and it's similar to a community experience. The more you're closer and you lean into it, the more you'll get out of it. So I I just love our word so much. I think it's amazing. Yeah, it's good. Yes. Okay, next question. Um, what is a recent time that you have felt in spirit?
SPEAKER_00Um, the most recent um was going to the temple with Evan. Um he received his endowment last Saturday. And the thing that was so powerful is that we had several family members come from out of the states, and just the overwhelming feeling of love and connection was so powerful and strong. And um, yeah, I mean, I don't know if that's specifically the Holy Ghost, but I feel like it's related. And my promptings from the Holy Ghost are pretty consistent and usually things I don't want to do. So I think I already already shared one of those. Yeah. I'm grateful for it because I need a lot of direction. I uh if I just stick to my own ideas, we'd be in a totally different place.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's amazing. The temple is such a powerful place, and I've been thinking about that a lot about when I should go to the temple. And I think God's time is perfect and it'll be such a special thing for me. And I think it's such a special thing for families to experience. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, okay, our last question here is if you go 100 years into the future and talk to your posterity, what advice would you give them?
SPEAKER_00I mean, it really circles back to this idea that like get have your own personal relationship with Jesus Christ and trust him and just believe in him and believe that he is, and his ways are not our ways. And I have a lot of comfort in that statement because I think our ways are just not very great sometimes. I just think there's mistakes that are made. Well, I know there's mistakes made, and that's you know, part of being human and what makes the atonement so meaningful, but also there's a lot of pain in those mistakes and the way the church has been organized at times. I mean, I can get on some really, you know, soapbox kind of discussions with this. But if I was to go into the future and speak to my um like my posterity, I would say find Christ for yourself and trust him. And then you can work out whatever else because the church changes over time, and what you think is absolutely the law is maybe just some culture, and like and yeah, there's a bigger plan, thank heaven.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's amazing. I love what you said. It um find your find your own testimony, find your own belief, um, like find your own reason to follow Christ. Um because it's it just makes it so much harder and it will cloud your vision of the church if you feel like your testimony is being forced on you. You feel like you're you're being forced by your parents to go to church, or it's like you don't really want to do any of it. You have you can't force people to want things, they have to want them for themselves, and I think that's why agency is so powerful. So I love that. Find your own um reason to follow Christ is that's so powerful, and that's Christ wants that for you. He you can't do that. That's something that you can't do for other people. You that you have to do it for yourself, is find your own testimony. So that's amazing. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00Of course, it's like both though, you know, you need your own testimony, but we also need the community of Christ. Because if I'm just on my own island, there's things I'm never gonna see or learn. Like I gotta open the windows to understanding by being so beautiful, Claire.
SPEAKER_02Yes, thank you. Thank you so much. Well, um, that's all we have for today. Um yes, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. Thanks for your time. Of course, bye, see you later.