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My friend Kristen Jarvis told me her mother killed her father, so I had to find out more. Join as me as I reconnect with an old friend and hear a story I never would have expected to hear.

Can a faithful Mormon be a Democrat? We are joined by my friend Matt Gardner, a faithful Mormon, a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and a proud member of the Democratic Party. We discuss what brought him to identify as a Democrat, and some unique challenges that come from being a LDS Democrat in Utah.

Imagine being nineteen, finally moving out on your own, and after years of being a "kid" you are finally an adult.And then your hair starts falling out and your doctor tells you that you have a disease called Lupus, and that you are in kidney failure.This is the story of Melissa Bartholomew. She battled Lupus, kidney failure, seizures, and she did it with a smile.  

Zack Shutt is a Utah native, former radio host, and current Vice President of Xidax Computers. Zack is also adopted. Recently he took a DNA test through 23AndMe, and through it found his biological family. Zack tells us the story, including how he felt, what it was like to finally meet his biological family, and what happened next.

Richie Steadman is a man of many talents. He produces a popular morning show in Salt Lake City, DJs at weddings, and performs regularly the Desert Star Theater. He still finds time to engage in a number of podcast projects, and completely renovate his home. Once a year Richie extends "24 hours of honesty," where he will answer one question honestly from anyone who asks it. We talk about his motivation for doing this, what he has learned, and what it all might mean about people. We finally discuss that some of the most visible people might be the most lonely, and we talk about what we can do to fix that.

Alice Won is a first-generation Korean-American, who moved to a small Michigan town with her family. They were the only Asians, and she had a southern accent. We discuss what it was like being in an immigrant family, seeing how her own mother and sisters struggled adapting to the American way of life that Alice was born into. We also talk about the her sister's suicide, what might have contributed to it, and what what we can do to help those in need.

How will we remember the previous generation once they are gone? Are books, photos, and videos enough? What about the human connection? I talk with Hillary Preston, who is a participant in a program called "Generation to Generation." This program connects people with survivors of the Holocaust. These partnerships get to know each other, and over time the Holocaust survivor gives their story. Over time the responsibility of sharing this story will be owned by Hillary and others like her. She has become a living historian, having known and been touched by the living piece of history. We also discuss parallels between life today and what her partner witnessed during World War 2, what we can learn from their experiences, and what the future might hold.

Mandy Humphreys is a biologist, scientist, and (despite how bad things seem now) an optimist for the future. She's also a woman, which is important! I talk with Mandy about what it is like to be a female in the sciences. We swap stories about bats, rabies, and what it's like to be in a female dominated fields that seems to be always run by men. We eventually talk about what she thinks is coming next; how the current (and upcoming) diverse makeup of those in science will help propel us into a better world.

Matt Jarvis is a politician scientist, university professor, and open critic of the Trump Administration. We discuss his professional take on the current political climate, what exactly seems to be happening with the Republican Party, and what the future might hold for us. We make quick discussion about political polling, Gary Condit, and taking politicians out to the wood shed.

Archie Egbert is a friend of mine that I met while we both lived in the Philippines. I've known him longer than most people that I call my friend. Yet, like most, I rarely speak with him. We catch up a bit, and talk about what it was like for him to be diagnosed with testicular cancer not once, but two times.

Mike Norton is one of the most polarizing people I know. He has made a name for himself by secretly filming (and publishing) the ceremonies inside of the Mormon Temple. We decide to talk to Mike about anything but the subject for which he is the most well-known. Mike recounts the days when he had the local newspaper convinced he was behind a rash of crop circles. Eventually he met the people actually responsible, and joined them for an evening of creating these crop circles. Mike also talks about the war protest he staged at his own home, and the ridicule and praise he received.

Jonas Winn can be described as many things: a doomsday prepper, an outdoors enthusiast, and a cycling aficionado. We talk with Jonas about the time he rode his tall bike from Washington State to Washington DC.

In the very first episode of My Friends List Podcast, we talk with Cat Palmer, a Utah-based photographer, activist, and all around great person. She recounts being a teen who wanted nothing more than to be arrested by border patrol. We discuss her start in photography, some of her first subjects - Spoon and Squid - and what happened to them.