Gather your family for great stories from great storytellers. Stories bring us together and the stories on The Apple Seed will spark memories that you can share with the people you love. The Apple Seed is a storytelling podcast by BYUradio and is hosted by Sam Payne.

Episode List

Heroic Rodents - Stories for the Whole Family by Dovie Thomason and Alton Takiyama-Chung

Mar 5th, 2026 7:00 AM

Gather your family for great stories from great storytellers about rodents, and uncommonly heroic ones at that. These mice and this gerbil may have a lesson or two to teach you about the consequences of the choices we make. (00:00) Introduction by host, Sam Payne. (01:25) "Mice Make Peace" by Dovie Thomason. A story about the mice that live among Haudenosaunee. The mice live a peaceful life until the men secretly plan to go to war with their neighbors. (13:49) "Befriending the Cat Family" by Sam Payne. A heartwarming story about the thought and care Sam's family put in to take care of a group of wild cats. (18:24) "Model Rocketry" by Alton Takiyama-Chung. A thrilling story about how Alton and a few of his friends from his middle-school science club decide to make rockets from Oreo creme. They bring along their class pet, Fred, an animated, adventurous gerbil. What could go wrong? Stories bring us together and the stories on The Apple Seed will spark memories that you can share with the people you love. The Apple Seed is a storytelling podcast by BYUradio and is hosted by Sam Payne. The Apple Seed is produced by Sam Payne, Wendy Folsom, and Brian Tanner. Assistant Producers - Madie Clasby, Keri Griggs, Paige Jensen-Rutter, and Kay Hendrickson Post-Production Supervisor - Trent Reimschussel Editor - Madie Clasby Audiovisual Technician - Kiplin Merrill Post-Production Audio Engineers - James Call and Kiplin Merril

Know the Code - Stories for the Whole Family by Lyn Ford and Mara Menzies

Feb 26th, 2026 7:00 AM

Gather your family for great stories from great storytellers about the rules the we both grow up with and the ones we learn that guide us through life. (00:00) Introduction by host Sam Payne. (01:24) "Opossum and Snake" by Lyn Ford. A story about a sneaky snake trying to trick a gullible possum into ignoring what his parents had taught him. (13:34) "My Code of Life" by Sam Payne. A story about growing up with a code of conduct created by his mom and how certain circumstances can challenge those codes for better or worse. (16:38) "Nyamgondho" - Mara Menzies tells a story about a fisherman who pulls a blessing, in the form of a girl, from the sea. In order to keep his blessing, he must keep his promises to her. Will he be able to keep his promises as the years roll by? Stories bring us together and the stories on The Apple Seed will spark memories that you can share with the people you love. The Apple Seed is a storytelling podcast by BYUradio and is hosted by Sam Payne. The Apple Seed is produced by Sam Payne, Wendy Folsom, and Brian Tanner. Assistant Producers - Madie Clasby, Keri Griggs, Paige Jensen-Rutter, and Kay Hendrickson Post-Production Supervisor - Trent Reimschussel Editor - Madie Clasby Audiovisual Technician - Kiplin Merrill Post-Production Audio Engineers - Taehyeon Ted Kim and Kiplin Merril

Fractured Magic - Stories for the Whole Family by Kim Weitkamp and Willy Clafin

Feb 19th, 2026 7:00 AM

Gather your family for great stories from great storytellers. Both of today's stories are based on classic tales such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Jack and the Beanstalk. Our storytellers have taken their own spin and fractured these classic tales to give us something new. (00:00) Introduction by host Sam Payne. (01:45) "So What and Drop Dead" by Willy Clafin. This is told by Maynard Moose, Willy's puppet friend. This fractured tale is about a time when Snow White and Rose Red have a run in with a nastified dwarfy bearded man. (10:55) "Careful With Your Words" by Sam Payne. A story about a time when Sam and his wife reflect on the words they said during a heated conversation and gain perspective on how we should use our words with the people we love. (14:01) "Jack and the Jellybean Stalk" by Kim Weitkamp. A story about a boy named Jack who moves to a new village and learns how to make new friends, one of whom is a giant. Stories bring us together and the stories on The Apple Seed will spark memories that you can share with the people you love. The Apple Seed is a storytelling podcast by BYUradio and is hosted by Sam Payne. The Apple Seed is produced by Sam Payne, Wendy Folsom, and Brian Tanner. Assistant Producers - Madie Clasby, Keri Griggs, Paige Jensen-Rutter, and Kay Hendrickson Post-Production Supervisor - Trent Reimschussel Editor - Madie Clasby Audiovisual Technician - Kiplin Merrill Post-Production Audio Engineers - James Call and Kiplin Merril

Learning to Serve - Stories for the Whole Family by Bil Lepp and Antonio Sacre

Feb 12th, 2026 7:00 AM

Gather your family for great stories from great storytellers about the act of giving and the act of being given to in times of need. Those acts can be some of the best moments for reflection and growth. (0:00) Introduction by host Sam Payne. (01:32) "Canned Beets and Peas" by Bil Lepp. A heartfelt story about how Bil first learned who the poor were and how his donations to his local canned food drives were forever changed. (14:10) "The Cheneys" by Sam Payne. A story about a time when Sam was asked to sing at the funeral of his former English professor. And how the stories told by other students during that funeral helped Sam remembered how this English professor opened his home to help struggling, far from home college students, including himself. (18:21) "A Mango in the Hand" by Antonio Sacre. A fictional story based on the real "dichos," or saying that Antonio's father would tell him, as well as the neighborhood where his grandmother lived and the mango tree in her backyard. Stories bring us together and the stories on The Apple Seed will spark memories that you can share with the people you love. The Apple Seed is a storytelling podcast by BYUradio and is hosted by Sam Payne. The Apple Seed is produced by Sam Payne, Wendy Folsom, and Brian Tanner. Assistant Producers - Madie Clasby, Keri Griggs, Paige Jensen-Rutter, and Kay Hendrickson Post-Production Supervisor - Trent Reimschussel Editor - Madie Clasby Audiovisual Technician - Kiplin Merrill Post-Production Audio Engineers - Taehyeon Ted Kim and Kiplin Merril

Epic Ballads - Stories for the Whole Family by Charlotte Blake Alston and Josh Goforth

Feb 5th, 2026 7:00 AM

Gather your family for great stories from great storytellers. This weeks' stories features traditional and modern ballads, one of the world’s oldest storytelling forms, used for centuries to preserve epic events, big emotions, and pivotal moments in human history. (00:00) Introduction by host Sam Payne. (01:26) "Barbara Allen" by Josh Goforth. A traditional ballad, "Barbara Allen," which is more than 300 years old and reflects the enduring storytelling culture of the Appalachian region. (10:29) "Building a Doorway to Story," by Sam Payne. A story about when Sam and his siblings helped his dad build a special bookshelf, that held a record player. And how that record player helped him find the doorway to some of the great works of famous poets and musicians. (14:52) "Hammers of Steel - The Ballad of John Henry" by Charlotte Blake Alston. A powerful spoken ballad about the legendary American folk hero John Henry, who famously challenged a steam-powered machine in a battle of human strength versus modern technology. Stories bring us together and the stories on The Apple Seed will spark memories that you can share with the people you love. The Apple Seed is a storytelling podcast by BYUradio and is hosted by Sam Payne. The Apple Seed is produced by Sam Payne, Wendy Folsom, and Brian Tanner. Assistant Producers - Madie Clasby, Keri Griggs, Paige Jensen-Rutter, and Kay Hendrickson Post-Production Supervisor - Trent Reimschussel Editor - Madie Clasby Audiovisual Technician - Kiplin Merrill Post-Production Audio Engineers - Taehyeon Ted Kim and Kiplin Merril

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