Podcast Summary: Broken, but Not Down • followHIM Favorites

Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway
Air Date: October 16, 2025
Focus: Doctrine & Covenants Sections 121–123

Overview

This “followHIM Favorites” episode features hosts Hank Smith and John Bytheway sharing a personal and inspiring story to complement the week’s Come, Follow Me lesson (Doctrine and Covenants 121–123). The hosts reflect on adversity, faith, and perseverance, drawing from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s memorable conference address, while highlighting enduring hope in trying times. The episode serves as a lead-in to a companion interview with Dr. David Holland, providing fresh perspective and personal connection to the scriptural themes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Scriptural Context and Theme Introduction

• The featured scriptures (D&C 121–123) delve into Joseph Smith's hardships and the Lord’s counsel on enduring adversity.
  • Hank: “The story I thought of goes with what the Lord tells Joseph in the very beginning of section 121. He says, My son, peace be to thy soul. Thine adversity and thine affliction, so they are real, shall be but a small moment...” (01:10)
  • The Lord promises later that the adversity “will be for thy good. It will give you experience.” (01:32)

2. Elder Holland’s Story of Adversity and Hope

• Hank shares Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s personal story from his 1999 General Conference talk, “The High Priest of Good Things to Come”.
• The story recounts Elder Holland’s journey as a young father, moving cross-country with his family and facing car trouble shortly into the trip.
  • The car breaks down 34 miles into the journey, is patched up, then breaks down again in the exact same spot with “the same pyrotechnics from under the hood.” (03:17)
  • Elder Holland, feeling the weight of responsibility and discouragement, seeks help in the small town of Kanarraville.
  • A local resident wryly advises, “...well, son, you might make that trip, and your wife and those two little kids might make that trip, but none of you are going to make it in that car.” (04:50)
  • Years later, Elder Holland reflects as he passes the same spot in a safe, reliable car, with his wife by his side, the hardships of the past now a distant memory and source of perspective.

3. Memorable Quotes from Elder Holland’s Story

• Pivotal words spoken in the imaginary dialogue between Holland’s older and younger self:
  • Elder Holland (quoted by Hank Smith):

    “Don’t give up, boy. Don’t quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. A lot of it. Thirty years of it now and still counting. Keep your chin up. It'll be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.” (07:02)

• Hank and John draw parallels to the Lord’s encouragement to Joseph Smith: even when the trials seem overwhelming, “good things are coming.”

4. Relevance to Doctrine & Covenants and Listeners’ Lives

• Hank: “Don’t you wonder, John, if that Elder Holland from the late 60s kind of... do you hear that, right? You just wonder, did he hear that the Lord is maybe saying that to Joseph here a little bit.” (08:00)
• The message is universal: hardships are not minimized, but are temporary and purposeful. God exhorts saints to endure and promises eventual exaltation and blessings.

5. Personal Connection: This Week’s Guest

• The episode casually teases that Dr. David Holland, Elder Holland’s son, is the guest expert for this week’s followHIM main episode.
  • The story ties in personally, as Dr. Holland is “the little brother who later joined them” on those early family journeys.
  • Hank: “It is incredible, the things he shows us and the tenderness he brings out of these sections is really touching, really touching.” (09:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Hank Smith (on adversity):

  “Thine adversity and thine affliction, so they are real, shall be but a small moment... Later, it will be for thy good.” (01:10, 01:32)

• Elder Holland (via Hank):

  “Don’t give up, boy. Don’t quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. A lot of it. Thirty years of it now and still counting. Keep your chin up. It'll be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.” (07:02)

• Narrative Moment:

  “I couldn't help calling out to him... just for an instant, I thought perhaps I saw on that side road an old car with a devoted young wife and two little children making the best of a bad situation.” (06:26)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 - Introduction to the week’s theme and scriptures
• 01:10 - Opening the story with D&C 121 context
• 02:10 - Elder Holland’s car breakdown story begins
• 04:50 - Wise local’s prophecy and its later fulfillment
• 06:26 - Elder Holland’s reflection—speaking to his past self
• 07:02 - Memorable encouragement: “Don’t give up, boy...”
• 08:00 - Drawing connection to Joseph Smith’s adversity
• 09:05 - Introducing Dr. David Holland as guest expert

Structure & Tone

The episode is emotionally rich, warm, and deeply relatable. Hank and John adopt a conversational and personal tone, making spiritual lessons accessible for all ages. The language is empathetic and uplifting, mirroring Elder Holland’s comforting style and the Lord’s own words in the scriptural sections.

Conclusion

This “followHIM Favorites” episode provides a touching narrative demonstrating the real, sometimes lengthy, but ultimately redemptive nature of adversity. By weaving Elder Holland’s story into the week’s scriptural study, Hank and John encourage listeners to hold fast, trust in God’s promises, and anticipate “good things to come.” The invitation to hear more from Dr. David Holland in the extended episode promises further insights grounded in lived experience and scriptural wisdom.