followHIM Podcast
Two religion educators supplement the LDS 'Come, Follow Me' curriculum with weekly expert interviews and short, faith-promoting stories.
A structured, weekly scripture study aid for Latter-day Saints, using guest experts to provide deeper context and application for the official 'Come, Follow Me' curriculum. The show is released in two formats: multi-hour, deep-dive interviews with a single academic or religious educator, often split into two parts, and shorter, co-hosted 'followHIM Favorites' segments that share a single illustrative story.
“The podcast's primary distinction is its strict adherence to the official church curriculum, making it a direct, weekly supplement rather than a general-interest religious show. Its dual-format of long, academic interviews and short, digestible story segments allows it to serve both deep study and quick inspiration.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by Dr. Hank Smith and John Bytheway, both instructors at Brigham Young University and popular speakers in the Latter-day Saint community. The podcast closely follows the weekly "Come, Follow Me" scripture study curriculum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, bringing on guest experts to provide deeper context. The show's stated goal is to make scripture study "fresh, faithful, and fun."
Credentials & credits
- Hank Smith: PhD from Brigham Young University
- Hank Smith: MBA from Utah State University
- Hank Smith: Professor, Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University
- John Bytheway: Master's Degree in Religious Education from BYU
- John Bytheway: Instructor, BYU Salt Lake Center
- John Bytheway: Former member, Young Men's Advisory Council for the LDS Church
Other ventures
- Hank Smith: Author of books including 'Be Happy' and 'Unconquerable'
- Hank Smith: Corporate trainer and motivational speaker
- John Bytheway: Author of dozens of books including 'How to Be an Extraordinary Teen' and 'Life Rocks'
- John Bytheway: Speaker at 'Especially for Youth' (EFY) and BYU Education Week
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 021 Kings 12-13; 17-22 Part 2 • Dr. Lili Anderson • June 29 - July 5 • Come, Follow MeJun 24, 2026 · 1h 08m
- 031 Kings 12-13; 17-22 Part 1 • Dr. Lili Anderson • June 29 - July 5 • Come, Follow MeJun 24, 2026 · 1h 05m
- 04
- 05
- 06
- 07Blind Faith on Everest • followHIM Favorites • June 15-21 • Come, Follow MeJun 11, 2026 · 4 min
- 08
Notable episodes
- 011 Kings 12-13; 17-22 Part 1 • Dr. Lili Anderson
The hosts note that the podcast's title, 'Follow Him,' is taken directly from this week's scripture block, a significant moment for the show.
- 021 Kings 12-13; 17-22 Part 2 • Dr. Lili Anderson
The guest, Dr. Anderson, connects modern attachment theory to spiritual principles and shares a personal story of faith after the death of her husband.
- 03The Most Unexpected Meal Ever • followHIM Favorites
A representative example of the 'Favorites' format, this short episode recounts the 'Miracle of the Quail' from LDS history as a supplement to the main lesson.
What you'll be asked on this show
The hosts, Hank Smith and John Bytheway, act as facilitators more than interrogators. They often open by asking the guest what they are excited to discuss, effectively handing them control of the episode's agenda. The conversation is frequently structured around the guest's pre-selected talking points, with the hosts allowing for long, uninterrupted monologues. They show engagement through affirmations and ask clarifying questions like "Can you elaborate on...?" or navigational questions like "Where do you want to go next?" to gently guide the flow.
The show is co-hosted by Hank Smith and John Bytheway. Main episodes are long-form (often 2+ hours, split into two parts) interviews with a single guest expert. Shorter 'followHIM Favorites' episodes are co-hosted narrative segments without a guest. The tone is consistently faithful, educational, and encouraging, blending academic insights with personal testimony.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
5 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
process
2- Q.01
“What are you looking forward to discussing today?”
This is often the opening question, used to let the guest set the agenda for the entire episode.
- Q.02
“Where do you want to go next?”
The hosts use this to transition between topics, ceding control of the conversation's flow to the guest.
craft
1- Q.01
“Tell us about the new project you're working on.”
Asked after the introduction, this gives the guest a chance to promote their own books or work.
doctrine
1- Q.01
“Can you elaborate on that specific phrase or concept?”
A targeted follow-up used to get deeper clarification on a doctrinal point the guest has raised.
personal
1- Q.01
“What story do you have for us this week?”
This is the standard opening for the shorter, non-interview 'Favorites' segments, teeing up the co-host's narrative.
Signature segments
- · followHIM Favorites
- · Part 1 / Part 2 Episode Splits
- · Weekly alignment with 'Come, Follow Me' curriculum
- · Guest experts from the Church Educational System
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically academics, authors, and educators with expertise in scripture, theology, and history relevant to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They often hold PhDs or are current or former instructors within the Church Educational System.
- Dr. Lili Andersonon 1 Kings 12-13; 17-22 Part 1 & 2
- Dr. Shon Hopkinon 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 3; 6-9; 11 Part 1 & 2
- Bro. Mike Madsenon 1 Samuel 17-18; 24-26; 2 Samuel 5-7 Part 2
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast primarily promotes its own free resources, such as PDF quote books and show notes available on their website. No third-party ads were observed in the provided evidence.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch this show
People also ask
- Who are the hosts of followHIM?
- The podcast is hosted by Hank Smith and John Bytheway, both of whom are authors and religious educators at Brigham Young University.
- What is the format of the podcast?
- The podcast releases weekly episodes that follow the 'Come, Follow Me' curriculum. This includes long-form interviews (often split in two parts) with guest experts and shorter 'followHIM Favorites' episodes that tell a single story.
- Is the followHIM podcast still active?
- Yes, new episodes are released every Wednesday morning.
- Who is this podcast for?
- It is designed for individuals and families in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who use the 'Come, Follow Me' curriculum for their scripture study.
- Where can I find show notes and transcripts?
- Show notes for all episodes are available on the podcast's official website, followHIM.co.
- Is this an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
- No, the podcast's website and descriptions state that it is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]followHIM Podcast Official Websitefollowhim.co
- [02]Dr. Henry "Hank" Smith - followHIM Biofollowhim.co
- [03]John Bytheway - followHIM Biofollowhim.co
- [04]Hank R. Smith - BYU Religious Studies Centerrsc.byu.edu
- [05]John Bytheway - BYU Religious Educationreligion.byu.edu
- [06]John Bytheway - LDS Livingldsliving.com
- [07]Hank Smith – Author | Speaker | Corporate Trainerhanksmith.com
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