Enemies to Sisters to Besties • followHIM Favorites • July 7 - 13 • Come Follow Me

Summary

Follow Him Podcast Episode Summary: "Enemies to Sisters to Besties • followHIM Favorites • July 7 - 13 • Come Follow Me"

Release Date: July 3, 2025

Hosted by Hank Smith and John Bytheway, the "followHIM" podcast delves into enriching stories and insights to enhance the study experience for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Come, Follow Me course. In this episode, titled "Enemies to Sisters to Besties," Hank and John share an inspiring narrative that underscores the transformative power of intentional relationships and personal growth.

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1. Introduction to Section 76

The episode begins with Hank Smith highlighting the significance of Section 76, referring to it as "the Vision" (00:18). He emphasizes its importance, describing it as "big, big, huge, maybe... the most important section up to this point" (00:02). This sets the stage for the story they are about to unfold, linking it to the broader themes of celestial living and spiritual maturity.

2. Savannah and Katie: A Strained Sibling Relationship

Hank introduces the central story of a young lady named Savannah and her sister Katie. Originally, their relationship was fraught with constant conflicts. Savannah recounts, "We constantly fought over everything. We fought over clothes, food, chores" (00:27). The siblings often had to "fake apologize to each other so we could get out" when their parents enforced sitting together as punishment (01:10).

Challenges Faced

• Conflict Triggers: Arguments were frequent, especially when Savannah wanted to spend time with friends (00:27).
• Parental Mediation: Parents would make them sit in the same room until they made superficial apologies (01:10).

Hank notes, "John, in a teenager that has a close relationship with a sibling, that's a sign of spiritual maturity" (01:18), contrasting Savannah and Katie's tumultuous relationship against this ideal.

3. The Turning Point: Recognizing the Need for Change

As Savannah matured, she observed a decline in Katie's self-esteem due to bullying both at school and home. Savannah reflects, "I watched my sister's self esteem sink lower and lower" (02:45). This realization was pivotal, leading her to confront the nature of their relationship.

Key Moment of Revelation

When Katie expressed to Savannah, "They're bullying you. Almost like no one gets to bully you except for me" (03:35), Savannah experienced a profound self-realization. Hank shares, "She said, I sat on my bed going, I'm a bully... I'm a bad guy" (03:44), highlighting Savannah's internal conflict and self-awareness.

4. Embracing Change: From Conflict to Compassion

Determined to mend their relationship, Savannah set a personal goal: "My goal was to tell my sister I loved her every day" (04:05). She began by expressing love daily, even when met with resistance. For instance, when Savannah said, "Bye, Katie. I love you," Katie would initially respond with, "ew" (05:18). However, persistence led to gradual change.

Steps Toward Reconciliation

• Daily Affirmations: Savannah made it a habit to express love, fostering a new dynamic (04:05).
• Mindful Interactions: She started "doing little things when I felt a fight coming on... pause and take a step back" (05:23), preventing conflicts from escalating.

As a result, their apologies became genuine, bringing "some peace and some happiness" into their lives (05:26).

5. The Outcome: Best Friends for Life

The transformation in Savannah and Katie's relationship culminated in a heartfelt farewell when Savannah was leaving for college. Amidst tears, Savannah expressed, "Don't leave me," and after some hesitation, Katie responded with, "I love you" (05:40). This moment signified the deep bond they had rebuilt.

Hank shares an epilogue from a recent encounter with Savannah and her husband, Nate. Nate humorously remarks, "It's like I married two people. She's always there," to which Savannah adds, "if you're going to marry me, my best friend comes with me" (07:16). Their relationship stands as a testament to the power of intentional love and effort.

6. Insights and Reflections

Hank concludes by relating Savannah's story to the teachings of Section 76, suggesting that "it [is] inviting us to live a higher, holier way" (07:34). The narrative exemplifies moving "from a telestial way of living to a celestial way of living" through strengthened relationships and personal growth.

He further teases an upcoming episode featuring Dr. Spencer Fluman, hinting at "a life-changing experience" (08:29), and encourages listeners to stay tuned for more enlightening stories.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Hank Smith: "Maybe of all the sections, it was called the Vision. Before they started calling the first Vision the first Vision. This is the Vision." (00:18)
• Savannah: "We constantly fought over everything. We fought over clothes, food, chores." (00:27)
• Hank Smith: "John, in a teenager that has a close relationship with a sibling, that's a sign of spiritual maturity." (01:18)
• Savannah: "My goal was to tell my sister I loved her every day." (04:05)
• Savannah: "I sat on my bed going, I'm a bully." (03:44)
• Hank Smith: "It's inviting us to live a higher, holier way." (07:34)
• Savannah: "If you're going to marry me, my best friend comes with me." (07:34)

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Conclusion

This episode of "followHIM" masterfully weaves a personal story into the broader spiritual teachings of the Come, Follow Me curriculum. Through Savannah and Katie's journey from conflict to compassion, listeners are reminded of the profound impact of love, intentionality, and personal growth in transforming relationships. The narrative not only offers hope but also practical steps for those seeking to enhance their own familial bonds.

For more insights and inspiring stories, join Hank Smith and John Bytheway every Wednesday morning on the "followHIM" podcast.

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Connect with followHIM:

• Show Notes: https://followhim.co
• YouTube: followHimOfficialChannel
• Instagram: @followhimpodcast
• Facebook: followhimpodcast

Note: The followHIM Podcast is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The opinions expressed represent the views of the guests and podcasters alone.

Transcript

[Hank Smith]

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Follow Him Favorites. This is where John and I are sharing a single story to go with each week's lesson. John, we're in section 76. You know how big this one is? Big, big, huge, maybe. Most important section up to this point.

[John Bytheway]

Maybe of all the sections, it was called the Vision. Before they started calling the first Vision the first Vision. This is the Vision. Yeah.

[Hank Smith]

Well, that fits perfectly with the story I want to tell you. It's a vision that a young lady had for a relationship that she could change. I noticed in section 76, it seems to be a lot of invitations to living celestially. Here's this celestial glory. Come live this way. Years ago, I was in a seminary class. I noticed that one student, her name was Savannah, she had a really close relationship with her younger sister. She's about two years younger than her. They were such good friends and I admire that. John, in a teenager that has a close relationship with a sibling, that's a sign of spiritual maturity. Well, I asked Savannah about it. I said, have you always been this close? And she said, no. Like there's a story behind this. No. Once she told me, I asked her to write it down. Here's what she wrote. She said, brother Smith, my sister Katie and I never got along as well as my parents wanted us to. When Savannah was beginning high school and Katie was in junior high, she said I never put any effort in getting along with her. We constantly fought over everything. We fought over clothes, food, chores. She said we especially fought when she wanted to hang out with me and my friends. She said as a punishment, our parents would make us sit in the same room until we got along. Do you ever do that with, you know, you gotta wear this sibling shirt where you both have to wear the shirt, she said. So we would just fake apologize to each other so we could get out. She said as I got older, I would yell at her for doing things in the back of my mind. I would realize that I used to do those same things when I was that age. She said, I always felt sorry about that. I knew I should apologize, but I wouldn't. I couldn't let go of my pride. I rationalized thinking things like all siblings fight. It's normal. She said, come on, I know we'll be friends when we grow up. What's the point of trying now? But things changed. John, she said, as time went by, I watched my sister's self esteem sink lower and lower. What had happened is that Katie had entered junior high. You know what I say about junior high?

[John Bytheway]

Oh, it's one of my favorite Hank Smith quotations. It's just a bad idea.

[Hank Smith]

It's a terrible idea. Let's take the most insecure people in society. We'll put them in the same building together for eight hours a day. It's like an emotional Hunger Games. We'll see who comes out with self esteem. Katie was going through a lot of bullying at school. Then she was getting bullied at home. She couldn't get away from it. Savannah says this. She said, I know she needed me. I know I couldn't keep putting in such minimal effort to get along with her. There was this moment Savannah told me about John, where Katie had told her about some of the girls at school who were bullying her. Savannah got really mad. They're bullying you. Almost like no one gets to bully you except for me.

[John Bytheway]

That's my job.

[Hank Smith]

That's my punching bag. She said it was kind of a gut check moment when Katie said, you're way worse than them.

[John Bytheway]

Oh, ouch.

[Hank Smith]

She said, brother Smith, I'm a good person. My church leaders love me. My teachers love me. I'm a good person. But she said, I sat on my bed going, I'm a bully. She said it was like finding out I was Prince Hans in Frozen. I'm a bad guy. Yeah, she said, I saw I only had a couple of years left. I was going to leave for college. I would probably be out of chances. She's decided one goal, John, she said, My goal was to tell my sister I loved her every day. She said. I remember distinctly I'd never heard my sister tell me she loved me. She said that saddened me. My own sister wasn't comfortable enough to just tell me that she loved me. I made that my goal. I was going to hear my sister tell me that she loved me without me having to say it first. She went into the bathroom that first day as she's leaving for school and said, bye, Katie. I love you. I love you. And Katie went, ew. What? She goes, I love you. She said, ew, I don't love you. Ah, so frustrating. She said. But I would do little things when I felt a fight coming on. I would pause and I would take a step back and say, is this really worth fighting over? She said, the answer was always no. Things started to change slowly. We still fought, but our apologies became real. Instead of hating to apologize, saying sorry actually gave me some peace and some happiness. There she is, John, every day, going to school.

[Savannah]

Bye, Katie. I love you.

[Hank Smith]

Katie would say, kay, thanks.

[Savannah]

Bye.

[Hank Smith]

Every time Bye, Katie.

[Savannah]

I love you. K. Thanks.

[John Bytheway]

Thanks.

[Savannah]

Bye.

[Hank Smith]

Which I think all girls should say to boys in high school. I love you.

[Savannah]

Kay.

[John Bytheway]

Thanks.

[Savannah]

Bye.

[John Bytheway]

Yeah, especially the bye part.

[Hank Smith]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

Goodbye.

[Hank Smith]

She said, I still remember the day it happened. I was on my way out of the house. I was in a hurry. And I didn't tell her that I loved her. She said, well, I hear her chase me down out of the bathroom, down the hall and over the railing. She said, savannah. And Savannah said, what? She said, you know, say it. Say what? And she said, you know. You know. She gave the little heart sign, like, come on. Savannah was funny. She said, what do you mean? Like, what are you talking about? She said, savannah, I love you. And Savannah said, I don't think she realized how happy she made me that day. That's all I could think about. And then she wrote this. John, think about this. From going from a telestial way of living to a celestial way of living. This is what she said. I had a taste of what a relationship with my sister could be like. And I wanted more. There's actually an epilogue to this story, John. I ended up seeing Savannah just a couple of years ago. And she was married to a wonderful guy named Nate. I said, nate, how great is it being married to Savannah? She was such a great seminary student. I said, do you ever see Katie? He kind of looked at me like this. He's like. He said under his breath, he's like. It's like I married two people. She's always there.

[John Bytheway]

Oh, that's great.

[Hank Smith]

Savannah laughed and she said, I told him, look, if you're going to marry me, my best friend comes with me. They're the best of friends. It was a girl, John, who saw something telestial happening in her life and decided, I'm going to make a change.

[John Bytheway]

Wow. I love it. This could bless a lot of people out there listening. Because it's not. Well, she had it coming. It's not. She makes me mad.

[Hank Smith]

It's.

[John Bytheway]

I could change. I could do something different. She did. Great story.

[Hank Smith]

It took her a while. She said it didn't turn around overnight because Katie didn't trust me at first. Cause I had heard her for so long. It took a while to earn her trust. But once it happened, I remember going to Savannah's farewell. I'd never seen a little teenage girl crying so hard as her sister. Don't leave me. They are still best of friends. I think Section 76, John, is inviting us to live a higher, holier way. We hope you'll join us on our full podcast. It's called Follow Him. You can get it wherever you get your podcast. We're with Dr. Spencer Fluman this week and John, recording with Dr. Fluman was a life changing experience.

[John Bytheway]

It really was so excited for everybody to hear this.

[Hank Smith]

Yeah, he does a great job. He knows the history, he knows the verses, he knows the doctrine. It's really great. Come back here next week. We'll do another Follow him favorites.