One of my all-time favorite stories tells of an old man, who one day, as he was walking along the shore, saw a young boy frantically reaching down in the sand, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

As he got closer he asked the boy what he was doing.

The boy replied “I’m throwing starfish into the ocean. The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

Upon hearing this, the old man commented, “But don’t you realize that there are many miles of beach and thousands of starfish? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

At this, the boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he turned and said, “It made a difference to that one.”

Just over a year ago my co-host Alisha Marie Coakley and I launched the Latter-Day Lights podcast ( https://latterdaylights.com ) and I have to say that it has been A LOT of work.

To be honest, there have been several times where I’ve felt like the skeptical old man, thinking to myself, “Don’t you realize that even with all the work and effort you’re putting in you can’t possibly make a difference?”

But then, out of the blue, someone will post a comment or write us an email about how grateful they are that one of our guests was able to share their story, and how much it truly meant to them.

It’s these moments when I then find myself in the shoes of the boy, and realize that it doesn’t matter how much work or effort it takes, because every single person matters to God, and that’s why we’re doing it.

The world needs more inspirational stories! The world needs more light! And the world needs more people who are willing to stand up and help those who are struggling with their faith, self-worth, and spirituality.

– Even when it looks impossible.

– Even when they’re struggling themselves.

– Even if they have to do it alone.

So if you are looking for a way to stand up and help share light and hope with others on a regular basis, one of the easiest and effective ways to do that is by simply sharing the Latter-Day Lights podcast with your friends and family every Sunday.

Latter-Day Lights is a ‘light amplifier’ – and thanks to the wonders of the Internet, all you have to do is press one button – the Share button – on whatever platform you’re on, and everyone you know and love instantly has the opportunity to receive more light, hope, and inspiration in their lives.

It’s basically magic.

The great thing about Latter-Day Lights is that there’s no pretense. There’s no hidden agendas. It’s just members of the church sharing inspirational stories of faith and hope that virtually anyone can relate to.

On the podcast we jokingly call it “doing your 5-second missionary work”, but seriously, where else can you share inspirational stories of the gospel without any pressure, or worrying that you might offend or upset someone?

It’s the perfect no-pressure, no obligation missionary tool.

The bottom line is that you never know when someone you love might be the starfish stranded on the beach, but by sharing the Latter-Day Lights podcast each week, you can be the one that helps to throw them back into the water when they are spiritually struggling or stranded.

It doesn’t matter if they join the church – that’s not the point. Everyone needs more hope and light in their lives regardless of who they are or what church they go to.

So help us to help you to help others.

Sincerely,

Scott Brandley and Alisha Coakley

P.S. A perfect example is the story we recently shared of Vinnie Tolman. He died in a Dairy Queen bathroom for over an hour. The paramedics pronounced him dead on the scene and put him in a body bag! But a rookie paramedic on his first week of training got a prompting from the spirit distinctly telling him that Vinnie was still alive, and so he completely broke protocol, unstrapped him in the ambulance while they were driving, and shocked him 3 times! And that’s not even the cool part. Vinnie had one of the most incredible near-death experiences I’ve ever heard that you have to see to believe!

Now who do you know that doesn’t want to hear that story? You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/ML2wSU6EgVo Then, once you’ve watched it, share it!