Ezra shares a life shaped by service, resilience, and steady faith. From growing up in Show Low, Arizona, to serving a mission in Rapid City, South Dakota, and later working in firefighting, law enforcement, hospice, and mortuary care, his story centers on helping people through crisis and grief. He also opens up about divorce, the meaning of his temple marriage, and the brutal recovery from a tumor, sepsis, and an 11-hour Whipple procedure.In this episode, we hear how Ezra’s upbringing, missionary habits, and belief in keeping the Spirit close carried him through the hardest seasons of life. Key topics Ezra grew up in Show Low, Arizona, and stayed in the same school from first through twelfth grade, giving him a strong sense of rootedness and community.He explains how his mother named him after Ezra Taft Benson, including the family connection to Benson’s birthday and the scripture Ezra 10:4 that became a lifelong anchor for him.Ezra describes his missionary family, with siblings serving in Ecuador, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Brazil, Arkansas, and his mother later serving as well.He shares how his own mission call to the Rapid City, South Dakota Mission felt almost providential, including the story of being led to the same mission area once served by a friend.Ezra reflects on the biggest lesson from his mission: he is not the teacher, only a tool or vessel, and the Spirit is what actually teaches people.He discusses coming home from his mission, adjusting to life without a companion, and helping his father with branch work on the reservation while rebuilding a normal routine.Ezra opens up about his first marriage, the challenge of being “opposites,” the pain of divorce, and the two children that came through that relationship after years of miscarriages and medical uncertainty.He talks about a severe viral meningitis illness that forced him to sell a 30,000-card sports collection, then later led him to work at the Mesa Temple as a gardener and eventually lead gardener for 12 years.Ezra explains how his unusual career path through firefighting, law enforcement, behavioral health, hospice chaplaincy, and mortuary work all fit his lifelong drive to serve.He shares why hospice was the most rewarding work he ever did, describing how listening to older adults helped them realize their stories, wisdom, and relationships still mattered.Ezra recounts his recent cancer crisis, including pancreatitis, sepsis, a blocked stent, and the difficult decision to proceed with a Whipple procedure that turned into an 11-hour surgery.He describes the emotional toll of recovery, the weight loss, the long hospital stay, and the peace he felt during surgery despite the danger.Ezra explains how his family history of heart failure made him wonder whether he was nearing the end, and how he felt his deceased parents stay emotionally distant until he began recovering.He introduces Core Strong for Life, a nonprofit focused on concentrating on eternal values, relationships, kindness, gratitude, and helping people stay centered on what matters most.Ezra shares the story behind Tenny’s Sweet and Sassy Treats, a dessert shop built around his wife’s long history in the restaurant business and her gift for making people feel welcome.
