The Temple is a Jesus Place | An Interview with Gary Miller

Leading Saints Podcast

Leading Saints

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.9 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 22 March 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Gary Miller is the host of the "Hope In Him Today" and "Outside The Lane" podcasts. Before joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served as an independent fundamental Baptist pastor. He spent 11 years in the United States Air Force, dividing his time between critical care medicine and professional development training as a master military training instructor. He holds a B.S. from Wayland Baptist University and studied theology at Liberty Theological Seminary. Currently, he works as a director of marketing for a Salt Lake City-based insurance firm and serves as a stake high councilor in the Katy Texas Stake. He and his wife, Crystal, live in Katy, Texas, with their four children. You’ll likely find him at a NASCAR race somewhere when he's not doing these things.

Links

From Baptist Preacher to Latter-day Saint | An Interview with Gary Miller
Hope in Him Today podcast
Outside the Lane podcast
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Highlights
This conversation delves into Gary's journey of faith, focusing on the challenges and triumphs he has experienced as he navigates the cultural differences between his previous faith and his new one. Gary shares insights into the complexities of conversion, emphasizing that it is not merely a one-time event but an ongoing process that requires time and reflection.

Throughout the episode, Gary discusses the significance of the temple in his faith journey, highlighting how his understanding evolved from initial confusion to a deeper appreciation for its role in connecting him to Jesus Christ. He stresses the importance of personal connections and clear messaging when discussing the temple, advocating for a focus on the principles of Jesus rather than the mystique often surrounding the temple experience. Gary also addresses the challenges of being perceived as a newcomer in the faith, noting the need for patience and understanding as individuals navigate their spiritual journeys at their own pace.

02:08 - Gary's Journey from Baptist Minister to Latter-day Saint
03:01 - Conversation Dynamics Between Friends
04:11 - Life Updates from Gary Miller
05:44 - The Complexity of Conversion Stories
06:34 - Cultural vs. Theological Conversion
09:14 - The Ongoing Nature of Conversion
10:27 - The Binary Nature of Faith Commitment
12:14 - The Importance of Personal Reflection in Faith
13:18 - Navigating the Journey of Faith
15:23 - The Cage Stage of New Believers
18:12 - The Need for Quiet Reflection
19:08 - Balancing Old and New Faith Communities
21:00 - Building a Foundation in Faith
22:33 - The Role of the Temple in Conversion
25:49 - Personal Connections and Understanding the Temple
29:06 - The Temple as a Place of Worship
30:40 - Messaging the Importance of the Temple
32:07 - The Need for Authentic and Simple Messaging
34:01 - Engaging with Old Friends about the Temple
36:29 - The Gravity of Worship in the Temple
37:34 - Current Calling and Church Involvement
38:32 - Gary's Podcasting Journey
41:08 - Balancing Scripture

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Transcript

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0:00.0	How's your teaching calling going?
0:03.6	Have you ever asked a question during the second hour and suddenly everyone is looking at the carpet and silence?
0:09.4	There are proven methods to stimulate class discussion that work like a charm.
0:13.7	David Farmsworth does a massful job presenting on this very subject in the Teaching Saints Virtual Library.
0:20.5	What questions get people talking?
0:22.3	How can you effectively listen to the answer they're saying without being distracted of where
0:26.9	you want to take the class next? These are crucial principles to consider, especially in this time
0:31.7	of Come Follow Me Sunday School. You can watch David Farnsworth's presentation by visiting
0:36.8	leadingsaints.org
0:38.3	slash 14.
0:39.3	There you can gain free access for 14 days to the Teaching Saints Virtual Library, where you'll find hours and hours of content to help you be a better prepared Sunday teacher.
0:49.3	Hey, if your newbie to Leading Saints is important that you know, what is this
0:58.7	leading Saints thing? Well, Leading Saints is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping
1:04.0	Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. And the way we do that is through content creation.
1:10.3	So we have this phenomenal podcast.
1:11.9	We have a newsletter. We have virtual conferences. So much more. Articles on our website. I mean,
1:17.1	I could go on and on, right? And we encourage you to jump in, check out leading saints. Go to the
1:22.6	search bar at leadingsaints.org and type in some topics and see what pops up. We're just glad you're here to join us.
1:33.2	I'm getting excited to welcome back Gary Miller onto the Leading Saints podcast. I interviewed Gary
1:38.4	back in August of 2021 and it's been a few years. He's been on a journey. If you're not familiar with Gary Miller's story,
1:45.3	I will definitely link to that original episode where we get into it. And his story's online here and there,
1:50.6	but Gary was a fundamentalist Baptist minister who was used to preaching, you know, hellfire,
	...

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