Episode Overview

Title: Get Your Mother and the Marshmallows • followHIM Favorites • Sept 22-28 • Come Follow Me
Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway
Date: September 18, 2025

This brief "followHIM Favorites" episode focuses on the power of strengthening one another in every aspect of our lives, inspired by Doctrine and Covenants 108:7. The hosts share personal anecdotes and uplifting stories, including those of Thomas Edison, to illustrate how faith, resilience, and positivity can turn even the worst setbacks into opportunities for growth, connection, and encouragement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Charge to “Strengthen Your Brethren” – Doctrine and Covenants 108:7

[00:03]

• Main Verse:
  “Strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, all your prayers, all your exhortations, all your doings.”
• Insight:
  Hank explains that "all" is a "pretty high percentage word"—the Lord asks us to be uplifting in every interaction, not just when things are going well.

Thomas Edison: A Model of Resilient Optimism

[00:20]

• Edison's Adversities:

  • Lost 90% of his hearing at age 12—family devastated, but Edison reframed it:
    “I like helps me concentrate.”
  • Spent years perfecting the light bulb. When media called him a failure, he countered:
    “I have not failed. I have found over a thousand ways in which it will not work.” ([00:55], paraphrased by the Host)
  • Age 67, his factory burns down causing $3 million in damages (insurance covered only a fraction).
    • When his son arrives, Edison exclaims:
      “Charlie, find your mother fast and bring her here. She'll never see a fire like this as long as she lives.” ([01:44], attributed to Edison)
    • The next day, Edison tells his employees:
      “There is great value in this disaster, my friends, because all of our mistakes are burned up. Now we get to start brand new.” ([02:12], Edison via Host)

• Lesson:
  Even in disaster, Edison found opportunities to strengthen and encourage those around him—embodying the call to lift others “in all your doings.”

Everyday Challenges & Humor

[02:47]

• Personal Example:
  John shares a relatable story about his own (much smaller) house fire, joking about the advice he received and how it didn’t land quite the same way as Edison’s approach.
• Memorable Banter:
  • John: “My attitude was too soon, too soon.” ([02:54])
  • Host: “Don't joke about that.” ([03:02])
  • John: “And here's Thomas Edison saying, go get your mother.” ([03:04])
• Takeaway:
  The difference in attitudes toward setbacks can be both humorous and insightful; the hosts use levity to reinforce their point.

Jesus as the Ultimate Example

[03:24]

• Insight:
  Drawing on Jesus’s intercessory prayer from John 17, Hank notes how Christ focuses on praising and uplifting His apostles—offering a pattern for how we can pray for and speak about our own loved ones.
  • “Maybe when we pray for our families we could say, aren’t these people amazing? Aren’t I so lucky to have these wonderful children and this wonderful spouse. Strengthen people in prayers.” ([03:38], Host)

Avoiding Gossip and Negativity

[03:50]

• John Observes:
  “It doesn’t leave us a lot of wiggle room for gossip or tearing people down, does it? None. All your doings, comings, goings, conversation.” ([03:51], John)

• Final Reflection:
  The hosts encourage always striving to strengthen others, even in mundane situations, and highlight how the gospel encourages positivity and faith.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:09], Host (paraphrasing Edison):
  “I have not failed. I have found over a thousand ways in which it will not work.”
• [01:44], Edison:
  “Charlie, find your mother fast and bring her here. She'll never see a fire like this as long as she lives.”
• [02:12], Edison:
  “There is great value in this disaster, my friends, because all of our mistakes are burned up. Now we get to start brand new.”
• [03:51], John:
  “It doesn’t leave us a lot of wiggle room for gossip or tearing people down, does it? None. All your doings, comings, goings, conversation.”

Important Timestamps

• 00:03 – Introduction and context from Doctrine and Covenants 108:7
• 00:20 – Early story of Thomas Edison’s hearing loss
• 00:55 – Edison's resilience during his lightbulb experiments
• 01:44 – Edison’s reaction to his burning factory
• 02:47 – John’s personal house fire anecdote
• 03:24 – Application of Jesus’s intercessory prayer in our own prayers
• 03:51 – Call to avoid negativity and strengthen others in all things

Closing

The hosts close by inviting listeners to the full-length episode featuring Dr. Brent Topp, who shares further insights on Doctrine and Covenants Sections 106–108, focusing on church organization and the priesthood. The message of this favorite remains: whatever happens, in all situations—good or bad—seek out opportunities to lift and strengthen those around you.