Retreats

The Light Within Retreat provides an extensive deep-dive into learning how to continuously experience transformative growth and has been instrumental in changing many lives.

The Light Within retreat is an intensive, three-day experience. You will be taught a lot of potentially new concepts and have the opportunity to practice new skills and learning in a group setting. The retreat program intentionally moves quickly so that you can have significant breakthroughs in just a few days.

For details of our upcoming retreat please go to the Registration page.

Women’s Retreat
TBA 2025

Men’s Retreat
TBA 2025

The Light Within Retreat is an experiential retreat designed to help you:

See yourself as
God sees you

Recognize and change limiting beliefs

Gain Emotional
Mastery

Build faith in the Christ’s Atonement

Who are you from God’s perspective?

You are beautiful. You are smart. You are divine. Even if you don’t believe it right now. As you practice letting go of the fear, guilt, and shame you feel, your divinity will reveal itself more clearly and you will have the power to live a more fulfilling life.

Accepting yourself as you are leads to greater peace

Recognize your
divine gifts

Practice
self-compassion

Forgive yourself for
past mistakes

Hope for a
brighter future

Claim Your Joy / Take the Next Step

Join us for a three-day retreat that will change your life as we share and practice principles that have changed our lives. As followers of Christ, we’ve had our own struggles to overcome and we’re here to help you overcome your struggles as you draw closer to Christ.

This retreat will help you unveil a deeper you!

What do you believe about yourself?

Have you ever felt like a failure? Not good enough? Inadequate or weak? Through your life you may have taken on different beliefs about yourself, some of which may be limiting your progress. As you liberate yourself from the limiting beliefs you have acquired, you will find yourself more able to create the life you choose.

If you can believe, you can do all things through Christ
(Mark 9:23)

I can do all things
through Christ
(Phillipians 4:13)

Whatever you ask, believing, ye shall receive
(Matt 21:22)

What you believe about yourself, becomes your reality (Prov 23:7)

Are you at peace with your emotions?

You may try to hide, suppress, or numb your emotions. You may have learned that it is not safe to express them. Or you may fear hurting someone with your emotions. However, emotions are part of life, and – with practice – you can allow your emotions to teach you.

Find relief from
life’s pressures

Understanding your emotions gives you a path to release them, which brings relief from life’s many pressures.

Release your
emotions

Part of life is about learning to handle your emotions in a safe and healthy way. All of them…

Make time for
yourself

You may face tremendous pressure to meet expectations, and spending time on self care helps everything operate more smoothly.

Live without
the stress

Your stress may feel unavoidable, but with some perspective and tools, you can manage life’s expectations without feeling stress.

Do you ever wonder why God isn’t showing up for you?

Sometimes in despair, you may hear that God will make everything right in the future. You do not need to be a victim, waiting for God to resolve your problems. Christ’s atonement is more than just a promise after death; it is a tool to be used now. Doing so can empower you to grow, and give you hope and joy as you do so.
You have been told to exercise faith, and you have most likely heard scriptures that say, “come unto Christ;” but how do you do that? Atonement is not a one-time event. The process of Atonement is ongoing, iterative, and continual, and if done right, will yield real results.
Our unique Atonement in Action process can help you to experience tangible growth and healing in real-time through Christ and His power.

Atonement in Action

See Your Blindness

  • Be honest with yourself
  • Recognize your judgments
  • Honor your feelings

Witness Transformation

  • Engage with community
  • Rewrite your Story
  • Experience renewal

Choose to Act

  • Embrace vulnerability
  • Trust the process
  • Surrender to Christ

Live Reborn

  • Own your identity
  • Live Wholeheartedly
  • Continue to engage

Do you ever feel like nobody understands you?

The Lord has said, “If ye are not one, ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27), and Christ has invited us into “oneness” with Him and the Father (John 17:11). But in today’s “connected” society, we have never been more isolated.

Form a solid support network

It may feel like nobody can understand the road you’re walking, and you may feel like you will be rejected if others know the real you. You are not alone; there are others who are walking similar paths, who can walk with you and support you.

Experience the joy of better relationships

At The Light Within, you will have the opportunity to safely experience meaningful connection, and practice the tools to then take this into all of your relationships, experiencing more profound intimacy with those you love.

Feel the power of deep connection

Connection with others is an essential part of God’s plan. “The Lord called His people Zion because they were of one heart and one mind…” (Moses 7:18). To truly become unified in love requires learning the principles of unity and applying them.

Jeff B

Are you healing after a divorce?

Tonya

Have you felt betrayal or abandonment?

Heidi & Matthew

Have you been affected by perfectionism or addiction?

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect at The Light Within retreat?

At The Light Within, you can expect a safe, loving environment where a group of your peers will support you through a transformative journey over the course of approximately 48 hours (spread over three days). Like any journey, the program will walk you and the other participants through a series of educational and experiential processes to gain and practice the knowledge that will open the door greater to peace, love, and connection in your life.

Our unique Atonement in Action process is at the core of the entire program. We will regularly reference Christ and His atonement, so that its power can become more tangible to you.

The Light Within is offered for both men and women in a gender-segregated environment to allow for deeper safety and intimacy. Sometimes there will be limited staff of the opposite gender to support participants on their journey.

Your agency will be respected through the entire program. This is your journey and you get to choose how it influences your life.

Who are you, and why have you created this retreat?
We are a diverse group of individuals who have a few commonalities:

  • We each have a background with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • We have wounds from our past. Somewhere in life, we learned that we can’t face our wounds alone
  • We have found a healing path which has deeply impacted our life and brought us closer to Jesus Christ.
  • We desire to share that path with others.

The Light Within is a peer-led, voluntary group. Collectively, we envision a world where men and women have deep, authentic, personal connections with God and mankind and are living each day to fulfill their divine purpose. We do this by creating a safe place to turn to Jesus Christ and find joy by consciously processing emotions, healing past wounds, and creating a vision of the future. We know that we can’t do it alone – having support from others is an essential part of healing.

We do this in the context of the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While remaining separate from the Church, we strive to support the Church and its members in their earthly mission.

What kind of people attend the retreat?
The Light Within is designed for people who are familiar with the culture and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; however, all are welcome. Beyond that, there is no single demographic to define who attends the retreat. We have participants who are:

  • In their 20’s and in their 70’s
  • Local church leaders, active members, former members, people who have been excommunicated, or members of other faiths.
  • Single, married, or divorced
  • Straight and gay
  • Born in pioneer families and recent converts to the Church

At The Light Within, we focus on our commonality as children of God, and respect each person’s unique expression of their own life.

What will I get out of attending the retreat?
That depends on you. Every participant will have their own unique experience.

At the retreat you will be offered tools and opportunities to view your life, your relationship with Christ, and your relationship with others in a new light, with the intention of feeling peace, wholeness, and clarity. Most participants leave the retreat feeling a deeper sense of joy and connection with themselves, their loved ones, and Jesus Christ.

Our hope is that:

  • you’ll touch–in a newer, deeper way–the light within yourself to see the gift you are to the world;
  • you’ll feel empowered to live that way; and
  • you’ll know you have a group of brothers or sisters who support you in living as the divine man or woman you are.

To hear what past participants have to say, check out our testimonials.

What topics are covered at the retreat?
The topics and themes that you will find covered at The Light Within include:

  • Gaining the ability to master your emotions and to learn from them
  • Applying the power of Jesus Christ’s atonement more actively
  • Becoming conscious of your own judgements, and come to see what they can teach you about yourself
  • Learning to understand and change your own limiting beliefs
  • Transforming past wounds into future growth while releasing pain from your past
  • Navigating guilt and shame in a healthy way
  • Building connection, love, and unity with self, others, and God
  • Opening the door to engage with the world authentically as your true self instead of living your life to satisfy other’s expectations of you
  • Being honest with yourself and others
What is an “experiential” retreat?
An experiential retreat is a little bit like life, in that you are not told what will happen before you “experience” it. Experiential retreats primarily use active participation methods—live, personal experience—rather than lectures, discussion, or analysis as teaching methods. The program is designed to create “aha” moments of insight into yourself, your behavior patterns, thinking patterns, and feelings. These types of processes tend to elicit more profound self-awareness and dramatic, even cathartic, emotional shifts than typical teaching or dialogue.
What happens after I register?
A few weeks before your retreat, you will receive email communication that will include:

  • The exact location of the event
  • Some forms to fill out prior to the event to help the retreat staff prepare to support you
  • What to pack and how to prepare for the retreat
  • An offer to arrange carpools or group travel between you and other participants, though ultimately, it is your responsibility to make your own travel arrangements
Why do you charge for the retreat?
We would love to offer The Light Within for free, but unfortunately, it costs money to host a retreat. Our biggest costs are accommodations, food, travel costs for experienced facilitators, and materials. If you compare the cost of similar retreats, The Light Within is one of the lowest cost retreats on the market.

All of the staff are volunteers who contribute their time, expertise, and energy without any financial compensation. We do it because this work has changed our lives and we want to offer that to others.

Is there any financial assistance available?
For individuals who have a serious interest in attending, but can’t afford the full cost of the retreat, some need-based scholarships are available on a first-come first-served basis. The scholarship fund is established by donations from alumni who have experienced the power of this program and want to offer it as a gift to others.

For more information, please see the financial assistance page and application.

How am I supposed to share about my life with people I don’t know?
At The Light Within, we create a safe environment where you can share certain parts of your life, as you see fit. There are invitations to share, but nobody is required to share. It is our hope that in the safe space provided, you will have the courage to share whatever you need in order to bring to light the painful parts of your life, surrender them to Christ, and find healing.

To give you some added safety, know that:

  • you will always have the option to opt out of any activity. You will be encouraged to participate, but your choice to opt out will always be respected.
  • many of the activities are structured so that you experience the activity for yourself—in your own mind and body—simultaneously with others. We then invite you to share your insights after the experience, if you choose.
Can I arrive late or leave the retreat early?
The retreat is not like a seminar or class where you can miss a portion and still remain current with the content. The program is designed to build upon itself, so for attendees to get full benefit out of the program, they are asked to arrive on time and remain on site through its duration.

While we don’t allow any participants to leave the site temporarily and return back to the program, anyone is allowed to leave the program altogether, at any time, for any reason. No one is required to stay who does not wish to continue with the program.

Most participants find that once it gets started, they don’t want it to end.

Is this retreat endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
The products (services) offered by One Heart One Light are neither made, provided, approved, nor endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or opinions expressed, implied, or included in or with the goods (services) offered by One Heart One Light are solely those of One Heart One

Light and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

However, the retreat was created and is presented to be in harmony with the teachings and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

What if I disagree with something you teach?
We welcome people of all beliefs, faiths, and walks of life who desire to experience our program. We value individual agency, or the ability to choose, and believe it is an essential aspect of life. We allow all people the privilege of worshiping how, where, or what they may (Article of Faith 11).

We provide a series of teachings and tools that have worked for us to provide greater peace, clarity, and structure to life. If it differs from your personal belief, your belief will be respected and we will do our best to accommodate your belief as we support you on your journey.

What if I’m not an “active” church member?
The Light Within is not a “reactivation” tool. Our only intent is for you to learn, grow, and become the best version of you. We have no expectations about whether someone is attending church or not. We love you, just as you are.

While a majority of the participants and staff are active church members, some are not Church members or “active” Church members, and that’s ok. There is no anticipated outcome for the participants with regard to participation in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any choices that individuals make regarding their relationship with the Church will be respected and supported.

You will find reference to the culture and teachings of the Church during the retreat, along with using the Church’s scriptural canon and teachings of General Authorities.

Is this a therapeutic retreat that addresses mental health or other serious emotional issues?
No. What The Light Within Retreat offers is not therapy, and is not a substitute for professional mental health services.

Many therapists highly recommend retreats like this for those committed to ongoing treatment and personal growth. If you are involved in ongoing treatment, talk to your provider about whether an intense experiential retreat could be valuable to you.

This is a peer-led retreat. While it will explore how to access healthy emotions, how to get past self-limiting beliefs, and provide skills that anybody can use for greater wholeness, it is not “therapy.” There may be individuals serving as staff members who have mental health training and/or credentials, but they are serving at the retreat as peers, experienced in creating and supporting personal growth opportunities.

What if I have some physical limitations?
The Light Within is not generally a physically rigorous retreat for most participants. Most of our activities occur indoors. We have always been able to accommodate the physical limitations of participants, whether due to age, weight, physical fitness, or some type of disability. If you have concerns about physical limitations, please let us know beforehand and communicate any concerns with staff as they arise. We will do our best to support and accommodate you.
What if I have specific dietary limitations?
Like the rest of our staff, our kitchen team are volunteers who simply believe in this program and want to support it. Generally – with advance notice – our kitchen team is able to accommodate various types of dietary limitations, within reason. If you have specific dietary limitations, please communicate them to the kitchen staff well in advance of the retreat. If they are unable to accommodate your limitations, they will let you know so you can bring your own food with you.
Why is The Light Within segregated by gender?
Men and women have unique experiences and perspectives, and offering The Light Within in a gender-segregated space creates safety and opportunities to go deeper into issues commonly encountered by each gender.

On occasion staff of the opposite gender will be present at the retreat to offer a specific perspective to support participants on their personal journey.

What is the Post-Retreat Program?
The Post-Retreat Program is a six-month group coaching experience to help you solidify the things you learned and experienced at The Light Within Retreat, integrating them into your daily life.

For more detailed information about the Post-Retreat Program, click here.

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