Called to Create: An LDSPMA Podcast: Recent Episodes
LDSPMA
Called to Create is a podcast where your desire to create will be supported and celebrated through interviews with inspiring Latter-day Saint creators who are passionate about their craft and share helpful, real-life experiences that will guide you on your creative journey. Look for new episodes on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
Jennefer Johnson is a program administrator of Brigham Young University’s Continuing Education Events, and oversees BYU Women's Conference, where she has been gathering women for over 28 years. Jen is from Salt Lake and St. George, Utah. She is the mother of three and grandmother of four. And her claim to fame is being the older sister of popular Latter-day Saint podcaster and teacher Hank Smith.
https://www.instagram.com/jennefer161
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennefer-johnson-612b4516
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=17830802
Kathy Fincher creates meaningful artwork that moves the soul. She is renowned for her Norman Rockwell style paintings of children. Classically trained, her attention to details and lighting have earned her many international awards. Fincher's painting, The Dream Keepers, was presented to the president in the Oval Office and later inducted into the permanent collection of the G.B. Bush Presidential Library. For the city of Duluth, Georgia, Fincher designed The Dream Keepers 911 Memorial, featuring seven children using their handprints to restore the American flag, encased in glass and aged brick. Her greatest work to date is the monumental bronze of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. where she captures his premonition of death with his eyes longing for heaven.
Lisa Valentine Clark was part of the sketch comedy/improv troupe The Garrens, and co-founded the theater-as-improv troupe The Thrillionaires which performs original, improvised plays and musicals in a variety of genres. She has been featured in a variety of commercials, including the “real mom” in the viral videos for Chatbooks. Lisa works as a freelance writer for commercials, webseries, and scripts. She wrote the book, Real Moms Making It Up As We Go, hosted the feel-good service show “Random Acts,” and headlined the musical improv tv show Show Offs, for three seasons on BYUtv. She has starred in movies like Stalking Santa, and was a script consultant, producer, and starred as “Carrie Carrington” in the film Once I Was a Beehive and Once I Was Engaged. She currently hosts the weekly podcast The Lisa Show on BYUradio.
www.thelisashowpodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheLisaShow
http://www.thelisashowpodcast.com
https://www.instagram.com/yourfunnyvalentine
Ben Lomu is a religious educator for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and teaches Seminary and Institute.
Lomu is also an actor and host of BYUtv’s “Come Follow Up”. He has appeared in a number of productions for the Church, including the Book of Mormon videos as King Lamoni.
He has appeared in Cinderella in the Caribbean, Lights, Camera, Romance, The Outpost, Singing with Angels, and Being Charlie.
He was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Mesa, Arizona. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah studying sociology and criminology and holds a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix in education.
https://www.byutv.org/come-follow-up
https://www.instagram.com/comefollowme
https://www.youtube.com/@ComeFollowUp
https://www.facebook.com/comefollowup
https://www.instagram.com/ben_lomu
Chaplain Dawn Dimick is the first woman to study military chaplaincy in BYU's graduate program.
Her journey began when she enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2013 on a prayer, and in need of money for school. She later received undergraduate degrees from Utah State University in International Studies and Religious Studies, with minors in Russian and Military Science. She went on to receive a Master's Degree in Chaplaincy from Brigham Young University, and now happily serves the Soldiers of 6-17 Aviation Combat Support Unit in Fort Carson, CO.
Chaplain Jenna Carson is the first female military chaplain endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
She is a chaplain and officer in the United States Air Force and currently serves as chaplain at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi where she provides spiritual care for Airmen, Guardians, Marines, and Sailors. She earned a BA from Brigham Young University and a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School.
Chaplain Dawn Dimick
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2022/4/2/22991301/first-woman-student-military-chaplain-brigham-young-university-faith-religion-lds-church-mission
Chaplain Jenna Carson
https://www.thechurchnews.com/23283247/chaplain-latter-day-saint-military-air-force-jeremy-jaggi-jenna-carson-byu-harvard/
38.9.7 Latter-day Saint Chaplains, Church Handbook
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#p753
Wendy Osborne is the Founder and Executive Director of Tabitha’s Way Local Food Pantry, a non-profit organization based in Utah. Wendy was called to serve her community and switched from a career in telecommunications to start Tabitha’s Way in 2010. Over the past 14 years, this organization has grown from a small food pantry to include three locations across Utah County that served over 150 thousand food-insecure individuals in 2024. Wendy’s compassion, positivity, and vision have been key drivers to Tabitha’s Way’s success as she provides constant support and innovates new ways to help those in need.
Website: https://tabithasway.org/about-us/about-us-south-pantry/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-osborne-54b746150/
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3iWMGeihao/
Clint strongly believes that a single moment in time can change a person’s life. He has traveled the world speaking to a wide spectrum of diverse audiences, challenging them to dream, excel, connect, and believe--both in themselves and in the power of others. His mantra? “It’s not about being the best in the world…it's about being the best FOR the world.”
Known as the leading authority on employee retention, Clint helps organizations
retain, engage, and inspire their team members from the front desk to the board rooms and everyone in between. He expertly helps audiences navigate generational complexities, communication challenges, leadership missteps, and culture cues.
A self-motivated entrepreneur, he is well versed in business start-up, leadership, sales management, management training, and helping teams grow multi-million-dollar accounts. He uses that experience to create teachable relationship and business strategies based on trust, service, support, connection, and consistent follow-through.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/clintpulver/
https://www.instagram.com/clintpulver
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpWB8oLO5HOjstE9gmL9Qxg
https://www.facebook.com/clintpulverspeaks/
Sam Payne is a national and international musician and storyteller. He hosts The Apple Seed podcast that features stories for families. He was part of the Peabody-nominated team that created Treasure Island 2020, the serial podcast based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel. As a live performer, Sam has brought his stories and songs to Canada, Bulgaria, Tokyo, and from coast to coast in the United States, including performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the nation's capital, the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and the Timpanogos Storytelling festival in Lehi, Utah.
Sam serves as the Weber State University Storytelling Fellow, and has written books and stage pieces, including Sanctuary: The Story of Zion for the centennial of the National Parks Service, Echoes of Hammers and Spikes (With Suzanne Christensen) for the sesquicentennial of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, and One of a Million Stars, commemorating the 14-year mission of the Mars rover Opportunity.
https://www.sampayne.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/savoylive
https://www.facebook.com/p/Sam-Payne-100063648694280
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-payne-82134a44
Alexis and Chanté are sisters and best friends. They grew up in Utah and raised both of their families there. Together they have seven children and two hunky husbands. They love building bridges and connecting communities. As sisters they are intentionally teaching about race, diversity and human connection in their homes! They are motivational speakers, advocates, mothers, and educators.
https://www.instagram.com/letstalk_sis
https://www.facebook.com/p/Lets-Talk-Sis-100064131965479
Brandon Mull is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Dragonwatch, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife, Erlyn, their eleven children, and three mischievous cats. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.
Brandon graduated from BYU in 2000 and served a two-year mission to Chile, Antofagasta for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
https://www.brandonmull.com
https://www.facebook.com/authorbrandonmull
https://www.instagram.com/writerbrandon
https://www.twitter.com/brandonmull
For the Truman Brothers, music and faith are in their DNA. Raised in Nashville, Tennessee as sons of Latter-day Saint musician, Dan Truman (of the Grammy-winning group Diamond Rio), they spent their formative years in green rooms and tour buses as well as sacrament meetings and early-morning Seminary classes. Despite their musical upbringing, the brothers didn’t really begin making music together until attending BYU, where they won the campus-wide Battle of the Bands two years in a row. Now as recording artists signed to Shadow Mountain Records, the Truman Brothers draw on their unique background to create Spirit-filled music not just for Sundays—but for every day of the week. With its energetic, pop-driven anthems, their debut album Quiet Revolution landed in the Top 10 on the iTunes Christian chart. Their songs have earned three Praiseworthy Awards presented by the LDSPMA, including “Best Original Religious Song” for their song “Oh Child". In addition to their work as a duo, the brothers are also longtime members of the Nashville Tribute Band.
https://www.trumanbrothers.com
https://www.instagram.com/trumanbrothers
https://www.tiktok.com/@thetrumanbrothers
https://www.facebook.com/trumanbrothers
https://www.youtube.com/user/trumanbrothers
Fiona Smith is British born with Jamaican roots and is a modern-day renaissance creator who focuses on projects that bring unique stories out of obscurity.
Fiona was the TV host for “Road to Zion,” a documentary on early pioneers in Great Britain who immigrated to the United States. In England, she earned a Bachelor of Law Degree, and in America, graduated with a Master’s Degree in Theatre and Media Arts from Brigham Young University. Her thesis focused on Black American pioneers and included her role as Jane Manning James in the “Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration” movie. As a singer, Fiona has a cameo in The Singles Ward movie, sang alto in The Tabernacle Choir, and created a band to perform her songs at the 2002 Olympics Salt Lake Downtown Festival in Utah. Fiona also enjoys communicating in British Sign Language and German.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0808203
https://mormonarts.lib.byu.edu/works/road-to-zion-3
Winning over live audiences has been Shupe’s natural-born talent since childhood. A fifth-generation fiddler, he started performing with his siblings at age 10. He formed the RubberBand with the idea of drawing from a pool of musicians who could wander in and out. However, certain members seemed to stick, and the band soon became a cohesive unit. Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand, took the long-running Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado by storm, winning the live band contest. This launched them into the national music scene. After becoming regional favorites, they signed a deal with Capitol Records, and cut an album in 2005 called "Dream Big." The title song became the theme song of Amy Grant's TV show, Three Wishes.
Ryan Shupe’s band plays americana, bluegrass, country, folk, rock.
https://www.instagram.com/theryanshupe/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClv-fdBqOShy7t88ZtuQqIg
https://www.facebook.com/ryanshupemusic/
Shannon Foster is a wife, mother, and the founder of The Red Headed Hostess. She has a passion for helping children and adults understand and fall in love with the scriptures.
After thirteen years of teaching seminary full-time for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Shannon had her first child and then focused her attention on helping parents teach in their home. She started a little blog called “The Red Headed Hostess,” a name her friends used to call her. The blog quickly grew and grew and now Shannon has written over 30 scripture study books and has a team of 16 dedicated creators.
https://www.facebook.com/redheadedhostess
https://www.instagram.com/redheadedhostess
https://www.pinterest.com/rhhostess
https://www.theredheadedhostess.com/fortify-podcast
Boyd Matheson is the host of KSL NewsRadio’s Inside Sources, KSL-TV’s Sunday Edition and a nationally recognized social and political commentator. Prior to joining KSL, he served as opinion editor for Deseret News, chief of staff in the United States Senate, president of a public policy think tank, and spent years as an international business strategist. Boyd and his wife Debbie have 5 children, 8 grandchildren and he is currently serving for a season as disciple-bishop of the Manila 9th Ward.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/boydmatheson/
https://muckrack.com/boyd-matheson/articles
https://twitter.com/boydmatheson
In 2001, at the age of 27, Chad’s life changed in an instant when a 2,000-pound bale of hay shattered his neck, leaving him a quadriplegic. But Chad’s dreams were not paralyzed that day—he became an example of what is possible.
Chad is a best-selling author, president of his own communications company, and recognized world-class wheelchair athlete. In 2003, he set a world record by wheeling his chair from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas (513 miles).
Chad inspires, motivates, and moves audiences, creating an experience that touches hearts for a lifetime. He is one of the youngest ever to receive the Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE) and to be inducted into the prestigious National Speaker Hall of Fame.
https://www.instagram.com/chadlhymas
https://www.facebook.com/chadlhymas
https://twitter.com/chadlhymas
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadhyma
Alice Faulkner Burch is general editor of “My Lord, He Calls Me: Stories of Faith by Black American Latter-day Saints.” She also serves on the Utah State Historical Records Advisory Board, is on the Signature Books Editorial Advisory Board, and is the Director of Special Events on the Executive Committee of Sema Hadithi African American Heritage & Culture Foundation, (Utah’s only 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the researching, preserving, and teaching of Utah’s Black American history founded by her husband). She enjoys writing, cross-stitching, and doing the dying art of whole-cloth quilting – a skill she learned on her own to honor her maternal Grandmother.
Deseret Book
deseretbook.com/product/P6001723.html
Amazon
amazon.com/My-Lord-He-Calls-Latter-day/dp/1639930299
Sema Hadithi African American Heritage & Culture Foundation
https://semahadithifoundation.org
Dr. Stacy Taniguchi is a motivational speaker and experiential education consultant.
He is a retired university professor from BYU's Marriott School of Business and works as an outdoor wilderness guide, specializing in remote adventures in Alaska and international mountaineering. Dr. Taniguchi is also an expert witness for tort liability cases involving outdoor recreational risk management and product liability and an advocate for the "Choose to THRIVE" movement. He co-founded Beta Experiences which helps people on their journey to living a life of thriving.
Dr. Taniguchi’s BETA Experience website
https://www.betaexp.com
[PDF] What 100 things do you want to do with your life?
https://intermountainhealthcare.org/-/media/files/services/eap/etips/what-100-things-do-you-want-to-do-with-your-life.pdf?la=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacytaniguchi
https://www.facebook.com/kahiltna.visions
Jeanette Bennett earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in journalism from BYU and is the founder/editor of Utah Valley Magazine, BusinessQ Magazine, Utah Valley Bride and UtahValley360.com. She has also been a regular guest on HuffPostLive and has moderated gubernatorial debates and numerous business panels.
Jeanette plays the piano and organ, but her feet did the talking when she took third place in “Dancing with the Community Stars.” Jeanette has a love/hate relationship with deadlines, half marathons and the stock market — and she has a love/love relationship with glossy pages, watching her kids play sports and enjoying Utah’s canyons.
Website
https://jeanettebennett.com
https://www.instagram.com/jeanettewbennett
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanettebennett
Jared and Marcie Austin are owner creators of Latter Day Kids! They have worked together for the last 4 years as a husband and wife team to deliver free weekly videos and lesson bundles that support gospel learning in the home.
Jared earned a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education, and a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. He is an art teacher by trade and worked as a public school teacher until he resigned in 2021 in order to focus on producing content for “Latter Day Kids.”
Marcie spends her days homeschooling, loving on her children, and doing her best to fit creative endeavors in between it all. She does graphic design and photography work for Latter Day Kids, and is a freelance graphic designer.
Jared and Marcie have been married for 17 years, and are the proud parents of 5 beautiful children who are the true inspiration behind Latter Day Kids and the talented voice actors behind all of the Latter Day Kids videos!
Website
https://www.latterdaykids.com
Instagram @latterdaykids
https://www.instagram.com/latterdaykids
Facebook Latter Day Kids
https://www.facebook.com/latterdaykids
YouTube @LatterDayKids
https://www.youtube.com/@LatterDayKids
Pinterest @latterdaykids
https://www.pinterest.com/latterdaykids
Summerisa is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BFA in Music Dance Theatre and a Minor in Ballroom Dance. She and her husband moved to NYC and performed professionally as actors for seven years, working with many of the top directors and choreographers in the business. Summerisa was awarded Best Actress in a Musical by Broadway World for her portrayal of Doralee in the production 9 to 5. While living in NYC, they also owned and operated their own performing arts training studio in Manhattan. In 2017, Summerisa helped found and currently works full-time as President of the nonprofit organization Harrington Center for the Arts located in American Fork. The nonprofit began with the vision of her father and local doctor, the late Dr. Carl Bell. Harrington Center for the Arts will renovate the historic Harrington School building to become a home for the arts in the local community as well as constructing a new Studio Theater.
Website https://www.summerisa.com
Instagram: @summerisa
https://www.instagram.com/summerisa
Facebook: summerisa.stevens
https://www.facebook.com/summerisa.stevens
YouTube: @summerisabellstevens7328 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCjGyKUeHd89ZEH8WdZRciw
Brooke Walker is the host and executive producer of KSL’s “Studio 5 with Brooke Walker.” She is an Emmy award-winning journalist and a member of the KSL News Team, where she contributes as an anchor and reporter. Brooke is also the host and executive producer of “Family Rules” on BYUtv and BYU Radio. Brooke’s most important and cherished titles are wife and mother. She and her husband are the proud parents of four children.
Facebook www.facebook.com/BrookeWalkerKSL
X (Twitter) www.twitter.com/BrookeWalkerKSL
Instagram www.instagram.com/brookewalker
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-walker-12039a31
Reyna Aburto was born in Nicaragua and studied Industrial Engineering there. She holds a degree in Computer Science from Utah Valley University and has worked in the language industry for more than 30 years. Reyna and her husband own a translation business. She has served as Relief Society General Presidency Second Counselor and as a member of the Primary General Board for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She currently serves on the Correlation Committee in Church Headquarters. She is the author of Reaching for the Savior (Acudamos al Salvador, in Spanish), and co-host of the Consecrating Your Life podcast (@consecratingpod) with her daughter Elena.
Deseret Book https://deseretbook.com/p/reaching-for-the-savior
Instagram: @consecratingpod
Facebook: Consecrating Your Life Podcast
Bonnie Oscarson, a native of Utah, has lived in eight states and one foreign country. She and her husband served as Mission President and Companion in the Sweden Gothenburg Mission in the 1970s. Thirty years later they returned to Sweden as Temple President and Matron for the Stockholm temple.
Bonnie wrote a book in 2015, What Makes Us Sisters, urging women to encourage and inspire others in ways that help them realize their great potential. She and Paul have seven children and 29 fascinating grandchildren. Bonnie served as the Young Women General President of the Church from 2013 until 2018.
Deseret Book
https://deseretbook.com/products?query=bonnie%20oscars
Tarsha Joyner’s most cherished roles are that of wife, mother, grandmother, creator, and Latter-day Saint. She also owns and is head Treatmaker at Mrs. Joy’s Absolutely Fabulous Treats. She created and built her business based on a project she worked on in her graphic design classes at University of Lynchburg. At 41 years old, wanted to open a bakery but didn’t know how to bake. But she was determined to learn and went on to become the winner of the Food Nework’s Christmas Cookie Challenge in 2015. Tarsha wrote and illustrated A Quilt for Josie Joy for her senior thesis at University of Lynchburg in Virginia and has made all the quilts in the book.
Website
https://mrsjoys.com
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/missusjoy
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MissusJoy
Steven Sharp Nelson is the only cellist in history to play atop the Great Wall of China, among the Chichen Itza ruins in Mexico, in front of The Christ Redeemer Statue in Rio, at the Petra sandstone city in Jordan, near the Iguazu Falls in Brazil and Argentina, on the grounds of the most iconic castle (Eilean Donan) in Scotland and, best of all, on the Death Star! He has written hundreds of compositions, including two full length symphonies, and sings, plays the piano, the drums, guitar, the bass, the mandolin, the ukulele, and the nose flute. Steven is considered a pioneer in a style he coined, called “cello percussion.” Steven feels grateful that he’s just barely famous enough to make a living, but plenty obscure enough to have a life. And that life, he has found, is best lived when striving to follow the teachings and example of his Best Friend and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Steven’s duet with his wife
https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=1000EMNU
Website
https://thepianoguys.com
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@thepianoguys
https://www.instagram.com/stevensharpnelson
https://www.facebook.com/StevenSharpNelsonMusic
Deseret Book
https://deseretbook.com/t/author/steven-sharp-nelson
Jenny Doan is more than just a quilting icon. She’s a wife, mother, and popular YouTube personality. Her professional quilting journey began over 27 years ago, back when her family first moved to rural Missouri. Little did she know their random point-and-go selection of the Midwest guided them to an epic adventure atop a quilting empire. Watch this week’s podcast episode and learn how Jenny’s children led the way to the formation and exponential growth of the Missouri Star Quilt Company and its corresponding quilting channel on YouTube.
Website
https://www.missouriquiltco.com
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@MissouriQuiltCo
https://www.instagram.com/missouriquiltco
https://www.instagram.com/jennymsqc
https://www.facebook.com/QuiltingDeals
https://www.pinterest.com/missouriquiltco
Thrift Books
https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/jenny-doan/1881208
Brooke Romney, a writer, speaker, and connector, is committed to sharing real life with a hopeful twist. She is the best-selling author of three books: “52 Modern Manners for Today's Teens” Volume 1 and 2 and “I Like Me Anyway: Embracing Imperfection, Connection, and Christ”. Brooke comes from girly roots but has morphed into an outdoor adventuring, dirt loving mom of 4 boys. Meaningful connection with family, friends, strangers, and God is where she finds purpose and joy.
Website
https://brookeromney.com
https://www.instagram.com/brookeromneywrites
https://www.facebook.com/brookeromneywrites
https://www.pinterest.com/brookeromneywrites
Amazon Author Page
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brooke-Romney/author/B08L8WQN6C?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Scott Christopher is the best-selling author of People People, The Levity Effect, and The Seven UPs of Happiness. He has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, Fox Business Channel, CNBC, National Public Radio, and BBC. Since 1995, Scott has circled the globe entertaining and motivating thousands of audiences from senior leader retreats to all-staff meetings. Applicable to all audiences in any industry, Scott’s unforgettable messages and off-the-cuff humor illustrate firsthand how levity, humor and becoming a ‘people person’ enriches lives at work and at home.
Website https://scottchristopher.net
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/official_scottchristopher
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scottchristopheractor
Anthony Sweat is an Associate Professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University. He received his bachelor's degree in painting and drawing and his Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction. He is the author of several articles and books dealing with the teachings and history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His most recent book is The Holy Covenants: Living our Sacred Temple Promises. Anthony is the host and producer of BYU religious education’s popular podcast, Y Religion. As a practicing artist his paintings center on religious themes, including underrepresented events in Church history
Website https://www.anthonysweat.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/brotheranthonysweat
Deseret Book https://deseretbook.com/products?query=anthony%2520sweat
Dave Finnegan is a seasoned “human experience collector” who dedicated an entire year to exploring the world to gain a deeper understanding of cultures and human experiences. In 2022 he traveled over 130,000 miles, setting foot on every continent including Antarctica, and navigated some of the world's largest rivers such as the Ganges, Amazon, Nile, and Mekong. He hiked iconic trails such as Kilimanjaro, the Himalayas, Patagonia, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. As a diver, he explored some of the world's most beautiful underwater environments including the Great Barrier Reef, the Red Sea, and the Galapagos Islands. All with a carry-on-sized backpack. Overall, Dave's journey was a transformative experience.
**In 2013, Dave was named to the “Top 100 CIO” list by CIO Magazine and was nominated as “Innovative CIO of the Year” by Retail Information Systems magazine. He worked at the Orvis Company for seven years (2014-2021) where he was the Customer Experience Officer. Prior to Orvis, he helped to start up Build-A-Bear Workshop (1999-2014) where he served as Chief Information and Interactive Officer for the company. He was instrumental in the development of the award-winning Build-A-Bear Workshop Store of the Future: an innovative blend of digital technology and store experience.
Exploring Planet Earth 2022, Instagram page -
https://www.instagram.com/exploringplanetearth2022
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefinnegan**
The National CIO Review magazine interview - https://nationalcioreview.com/interviews-with-technology-leaders/qa-dave-finnegan-chief-experience-officer-orvis/
Hilary Weeks loves hearing stories and imagining what it would be like to feel and experience the things someone else does. She feels drawn to unlock and express the feelings of the heart through music. Sometimes her music collections feel a little like children in that they consume her thoughts, energy, and creativity and she hopes they add good to the world. She strives to put God first in her life because she knows He makes everything else fall into place.
hilaryweeks.com
facebook.com/hilaryweeks
instagram.com/hilaryweeksmusic
youtube.com/@HilaryWeeksMusic
Best songs list https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hilary-weeks-mn0000140840/songs
Limitless by Kris Krohn https://youtu.be/yU6VuEMZatg
Inspirational speaker, entertainer Jason Hewlett is the author of the Facebook post entitled, “I Saw My Wife at Target Today”, a viral post that was seen by more than 100 million people across the globe. Jason has delivered thousands of presentations and was one of the youngest speakers to be inducted into the prestigious Speaker Hall of Fame. His talks inspire leadership from the perspective of a Promise while giving attendees an engaging, entertaining, and educational experience.
instagram.com/jasonhewlett
facebook.com/jasonhewlettentertainer
linkedin.com/in/jasonhewlett
youtube.com/user/jasonrhewlett
twitter.com/jasonhewlett
Cali Black is an author, podcaster, speaker, and content creator who loves the scriptures. At the beginning of 2019, Cali felt called to start an Instagram account titled @ComeFollowMeStudy. Little did she know that a worldwide pandemic would hit the following year and her content would be needed more than ever. She was able to pivot her content and focus on using the Book of Mormon to share peace and joy. Cali also co-hosts the popular podcast, One Minute Scripture Study, and has co-written two Amazon best-selling books, “One Minute Scripture Study in the New Testament” and also a version of the Old Testament. Above all, Cali knows that the scriptures hold the keys to pointing us toward our Savior Jesus Christ.
Website https://comefollowmestudy.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/comefollowmestudy
YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@comefollowmestudywithcaliblack/videos
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1462144446/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_XYQBQ0HCG90YB203KWVK?linkCode=ml1&tag=comefollowm0f-20
One Minute Scripture Study podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-minute-scripture-study-a-come-follow-me-podcast/id1501755896
Lauren Walker is one of six sisters, THE Six Sisters, who have published 10 cookbooks, released cooking and freezer meal courses, and recently launched two podcasts: “Table Talk for Moms” where listeners can sit down together each week to tackle difficult topics of motherhood; “Start-up Spark” offers quick tips to help listeners take their start-up business to the next level. It all started with Lauren and her sisters sitting around a long kitchen counter watching their mother cook, and later, after they left home for college and marriage, starting a blog to stay in touch by sharing family recipes and the things they were doing to keep their children occupied.
Six Sisters Stuff website: https://www.sixsistersstuff.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixsistersstuff
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SixSistersStuff
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SixSistersStuff/videos
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/SixSistersStuff
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sixsistersstuff
If he can help students find joy in reading and writing by telling them the story of how he wore an eye patch in first grade and told classmates he was a pirate, then J. Scott Savage will do it. In this episode of “Called to Create: An LDSPMA Podcast” with host Connie Sokol, Scott shares insights garnered over decades of experience, telling how it took debt and two recessions for him to unearth his talent and become a popular writer of middle grade books. Now he travels all across the country inspiring youth and adults with the joy of reading.
https://www.jscottsavage.com
https://twitter.com/jscottsavage?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/jscottsavage/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057711893215
Award-winning journalist Jane Clayson Johnson has traveled the world covering domestic and international stories for two decades, interviewing the biggest newsmakers of the day. Widely known for her work at CBS News, ABC News, and on the nationally syndicated NPR program, On Point, she co-anchored with Bryant Gumbel, worked with Peter Jennings, and anchored coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attack and its aftermath. She is also the best-selling author of “I Am a Mother” and “Silent Souls Weeping.” Jane and her husband, Mark, are the parents of five children and grandparents of three.
Website https://www.janeclaysonjohnson.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/janeclaysonjohnson
Books https://deseretbook.com/t/author/jane-clayson-johnson
Fine art painter Crystal Despain wasn’t so sure she wanted to be an artist at first. As a high school student, she “thought arguing for money sounded like a good plan and wanted to be a lawyer.”1 Now a distinguished artist with many awards, Crystal credits her mentor artists but especially her persistent husband for dragging her paints out and reminding her that she wanted to do it, she wanted to paint.
1https://segullah.org/genre/interviews/a-visitation-with-crystal-despain
Webpage https://www.crystaldespain.com
Blog https://www.superlegitblog.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/crystal.despain.art
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crystal.despain.art
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@crystaldespain1127
Adassa exudes a zest for life. She’s fiery and confident and speaks with a passion that makes you want to eat whatever salsa she’s eating. Above all her fame, she knows what’s important and how to stay in an eternal lane. A proud descendant of Latin ancestors who sacrificed dreams and pleasures, Adassa is a talented musician of world-class renown who is the voice of Delores in Disney’s “Encanto.” She is wildly popular for her rendition of We Don’t Talk About Bruno. Her creative journey is inspiring and eventful and laced with hot sauce.
Website https://adassa-official.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/adassaofficial
@adassaofficial
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@adassaofficial
@adassaofficial
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/adassaofficial
@adassaofficial
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/adassaofficialpage
@adassaofficialpage
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kPz6xSxBDGOYc_triQn1w
Ganel-Lyn Condie, popular speaker and author, pulls back the curtain on what it's like to be a creative who feels a passion to share principles that empower others.
Through her own challenges of contracting lupus when newly married and later in life the suicide death of a sister, Ganel-Lyn shares what it is like to "throw every dart at the board" to find answers. In the crowded media swimming pool where spiritual creatives often bump into each other, Ganel-Lyn shares how focusing on the "one" allows heaven to amplify each unique voice.
Website https://ganellyn.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ganellyn/
@ganellyn
Instgram https://www.instagram.com/ganellyn/?hl=en
@ganellyn
YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@ganel-lyncondie1064
LDSLiving articles https://www.ldsliving.com/ganel-lyn-condie
Deseret Book https://deseretbook.com/t/author/ganel-lyn-condie
Mauli Junior Bonner is an energetic, joyful member of the Bonner family, a beloved Latter-day Saint family of talented singers. As a young man, Mauli traded his college football scholarship for airline tickets to Los Angeles, without his parents' knowledge, to start his career in the music industry. He now writes music for top pop artists and is a much sought-after vocal director.
In this LDSPMA podcast Called to Create, Mauli shares how he felt a need to tell the history of enslaved black members of the Church. With faith and the help of heaven, he created the highly acclaimed documentary His Name Is Green Flake which details the life of a 19-year-old enslaved young man who drives the first wagon into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.
Green Flake Movie website
https://www.greenflakemovie.com
Shadow Mountain
https://shadowmountain.com/author-book/mauli-junior-bonner-and-chantel-bonner/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mauli.bonner.7
@maulibonner
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maulib/
@maulib
Jon Heder, best known for his acting debut role as Napoleon Dynamite in the movie of the same name, is also a filmmaker and voice actor of a number of films and television shows including the voice of Napoleon Bonafrog in an episode of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Jon performed at the Children’s Educational Theater in Salem, Oregon from fourth grade to eighth. Later he filmed homemade movies with his brothers on their dad’s video camera and went on to study film and computer animation, graduating from BYU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He and his wife, Kirsten, are the parents of four children.
https://www.instagram.com/hederjon/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/hederjon?lang=en
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1417647
Steve Young, best known for his 15-season NFL professional football career as quarterback, first for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then the San Francisco 49ers, previously set school and NCAA records playing college football for Brigham Young University (BYU). While playing for the NFL, Young received a graduate law degree from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School and later co-founded successful private equity firm Huntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC). Young and his wife, Barb, co-founded the Forever Young Foundation which seeks to lift up underserved communities and children around the world. He is the best-selling author of “QB: My Life Behind the Spiral” and released his second book, “The Law of Love,” in 2022.
Twitter ~ https://twitter.com/steveyoungqb @SteveYoungQB
Forever Young Foundation ~ http://foreveryoung.org/
Linkedin ~ https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-young-26131a38
Huntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC) ~ https://www.hggc.com/about
Contact Steve ~ https://www.hggc.com/team/j-steven-young
A fine arts painter best known for his award-winning contemporary religious art, J. Kirk Richards urges creators to exercise faith and take the next step forward. In his early teens, Kirk decided to put aside the music lessons he’d been taking his “whole life” and follow a persistent tug toward visual arts. Illustrating the book “The Carpenter of Galilee and the Welcoming Door,” solidified his preference for painting scenes he envisions and feels strongly about.
Website- https://www.jkirkrichards.com/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/jkirkrichards
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/jkirkrichards
Twitter - https://twitter.com/jkirkrichards
YouTube - https://youtube.com/user/jkirkrichards
Deseret Book- https://deseretbook.com/t/author/j-kirk-richards
MyShopify - https://jkirkrichards.myshopify.com/
Jackson VanDerwerken knew he didn’t fit the casting criteria for the role of Nephi in the Church’s new Book of Mormon video series, but his mother urged him to send in his audition video anyway, even if a day late. Despite his lack of screen acting experience and being “skinny as a string bean”, he was chosen for the part out of a thousand applicants. Portraying young Nephi helped Jackson better understand what Nephi went through and taught him how to relate his life to the experiences of Nephi and his family.
Instagram: @jackson_vanderwerken https://www.instagram.com/jackson_vanderwerken/
Facebook: @jacksonvanderwerken https://www.facebook.com/JacksonVanDerwerken
Link to the Church’s Book of Mormon Videos page: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/collection/book-of-mormon-videos?lang=eng
Jason F. Wright is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. Also a popular speaker, he enjoys speaking about the miracle of opening doors, faith, failure, the Christmas Jars movement, the lost art of letter writing, and many other topics. Each year Jason visits schools across the country and presents assemblies and writing workshops to students at all ages.
Jason grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, but has also lived in Germany, Illinois, Brazil, Oregon, and Utah. In 2007, while researching Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley for his novel “The Wednesday Letters,” Jason fell so in love with the area that he moved his family westward from northern Virginia to Woodstock.
Website https://jasonfwright.com/
Podcast https://wrightwhereyouare.buzzsprout.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jasonfwright
Twitter https://twitter.com/jasonfwright?lang=en
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jasonfwright/
“Giving a Lift” videos https://jasonfwright.com/givingalift
This episode of Called to Create: an LDSPMA Podcast features prolific author and highly regarded speaker, Camille Fronk Olson. She shares her journey as a single woman who began her career with no great dream in mind but was led on a God-directed course that has paved the way for women to serve in Church education in expanded capacities. Camille’s counsel to aspiring writers is to refine their motives for creating, saying that fame may or may not come but if your desire is selfless and driven by a desire to bless others, then sometime, somehow, there will be someone out there who is guaranteed to be blessed.
Camille’s BYU Religious Studies page lists her many articles:
Amazon
Deseret Book
Dan Clark, world-renowned motivational speaker, United States Distinguished Silver Medal winner, contributing author to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and Utah Father of the Year, is a man who has literally done it all, yet he self-describes as “a funny man with a serious message.” In this episode, Dan shares what his experiences have taught him and what he’s learned from the people around him as he focuses on the needs of others and identifies the help he can provide.
Webpage
Facebook @danclarkspeak
Twitter @danclarkspeak
Linkedin @danclarkspeak
YouTube: Dan Clark Global Speaker
Instagram @danclarkspeak
Chicken Soup for the Soul website
Honorable Sela Tukia, Tongan fan of popular 80s dance-pop band The Jets, sat down with host Connie Sokol for a delightful ten-minute interview about the faith and family values The Jets have brought to the music industry in the past and the new generation of Wolfgramm family musicians, 13 Crowns.
Tonga Consulate General
The Kingdom of Tonga 13 Crowns
The Jets, a popular 80s dance-pop, teen pop, R&B band, including LeRoy, Eddie, Eugene, Haini, Rudy, Kathi, Elizabeth, and Moana Wolfgramm started out performing luaus in Canada. They eventually settled in Minnesota and started a band they named “Quasar” after a brand of television set. The band enjoyed great success with several Billboard Hot 100 hits, including ten singles, the most popular being “Crush on You.” The family band also performed at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Las Vegas Show
Dora Whitaker knew at a young age that she was more interested in the business side of the entertainment industry than being an actress. Now, a 28-year industry veteran and CEO of Whitaker Entertainment, Dora focuses her efforts on providing and producing quality entertainment. Along the way, she has been able to share her faith in Jesus Christ with her clients and colleagues in normal and natural ways.
Email: doralwhitaker@gmail.com
Website
IMDb
Jennifer Nielsen is an accomplished New York Times bestselling author of young adult and children’s fiction and a 2022 LDSPMA Conference keynote speaker. In this episode, she shares her failures and triumphs with her trademark optimism and encouragement for all who struggle to keep going when everything is going wrong. Tune in for this inspiring episode with our host, Connie Sokol. You’ll be glad you did.
Author website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Deseret Book
Amazon
Gerald Lund has written 57 books, including the famed Work and the Glory series, and is arguably the most widely read author of Latter-day Saint literature with 3.5 million copies sold over the course of 51 years. In this episode, he shares little-known details of how “The Work and the Glory'' series came to life and grew from one volume into an exhaustive nine-volume series. He also answers his most often asked question: “Where do you get your ideas?” Lund, an equally prolific writer of fiction and non-fiction, never took a writing course but has loved books since his childhood when he and his siblings carried armfuls of books home from the library to read as a family.
Webpage
Facebook @geraldnlund
Goodreads
Deseret Book
Amazon Author Page
BYU Religious Studies Center list of articles he’s written
Sherry Meidell’s loves include her five boys, mountain biking, kneaded erasers, her sketchbook, and watercolors. Her artistic talent with watercolors has led her to illustrate several books by other authors and one of her own, titled “The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs.” On a humanitarian trip to Kenya, Africa, she used her talents to help school children take part in turning a blank wall into a work of art that included their hand prints. Sherry generously shares her knowledge of art and watercolor with school children, adults, and anyone who is interested.
Webpage
TeetertotterTales Blog
Instagram @sherrymeidell
Facebook @sherrymeidellart
YouTube watercolor painting videos
Goodreads
Amazon Page
Allison Hong Merrill’s multiple award-winning book, “Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops”, is more than a memoir; it is her “humble offering” to her children. Her deepest desire was to write it so they would know about and cherish their Chinese roots. As a Mandarin-speaking Taiwanese immigrant and newlywed, Allison lived in the United States for sixteen months before she was abandoned and left to fend for herself, speaking and understanding only a few words of English. Through her struggles to acclimate to her new country and to life as a divorced young single adult in Utah, she learned to rely on her Heavenly Father to guide her through to her happy endings.
Allison's Webpage
Twitter @Xieshou
Instagram @allisonhongmerrill
Facebook @allisonhongmerrill
Goodreads
“Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops” book trailer
Amazon Author Page
Twenty-five years ago, Laurel Day was a college graduate with a useless degree who felt called to move to Utah and work at Deseret Book. When a friend told her about a part-time position as an event specialist with Deseret Book, she applied for and got the job. Opportunity followed opportunity until she came to work under Sheri Dew, who became her mentor. Now president of Deseret Book, Laurel looks back on the unique experiences that helped prepare her to innovate a communication company during a difficult transition. In this engaging episode of “Called to Create: an LDSPMA Podcast” with host Connie Sokol, Laurel describes the need to gather Israel by creating content that represents the diverse voices and testimonies of members around the world.
Deseret Book website
Deseret Book submission guidelines
Time Out For Women
Time Out for Women on YouTube
Laurel’s books
The hero of Tiffany Rosenhan’s heart-pounding spy thriller, “Girl from Nowhere,” is a common, everyday teenage girl who uses her unique abilities to conquer the bad guys. Tiffany’s hope is that her book will help young women “feel empowered to magnify their skills and talents…and embrace [their] different characteristics and unique qualities.” In this week’s “Called to Create” podcast episode, Tiffany also talks with Connie about how she put her writing career on hold to take care of her husband after he suffered a sudden, debilitating illness.
Email: hello@tiffanyrosenhan.com
Publicist: jenmartinpublicity@gmail.com
Webpage
Instagram-Tiffany
Instagram-Girl From Nowhere
“Girl From Nowhere” book trailer
Amazon
Cheryl Knowlton is a popular speaker brimming with enthusiasm for helping people in her profession learn the craft. She has won numerous awards, most notably the coveted Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association. As a 22-year veteran in the real estate and mortgage industry, Cheryl is a teacher, storyteller, author, and influencer. In this week’s episode of the “Called to Create” podcast with Connie Sokol, Cheryl shares her heroic journey as a professional and as a daughter of God. “Create the life that invites the Holy Ghost,” she says. “Be the conduit for magic.”
Email: cheryl@cherylknows.com
Webpage
Cheryl’s mentors:
Michael Port’s podcast
Mike Ganino’s podcast
Conductor, composer, pianist, CJ Madsen, with his mom, Laura, won LDSPMA’s 2021 Praiseworthy Award for “I Saw a Pillar of Light” in the Audiovisual-Recorded Music category. A recent graduate of Brigham Young University, CJ earned both a bachelor’s degree in piano performance and a master’s degree in choral conducting. CJ’s most recent project culminated in the June 2022 world premiere performance of his opera, "He Shall Prepare a Way", based on events from the first seven chapters of “The Book of Mormon”. The opera performance was directed by his wife, Samm, who recently graduated in theater and dramaturgy. Next to God, CJ’s top two sources of inspiration and support are Samm and Laura.
Webpage
YouTube channel
“I Saw a Pillar of Light” composed by Laura Madsen, arranged and conducted by CJ Madsen
“He Shall Prepare a Way” opera by CJ Madsen
Amazon
Dan Allen, a scientist, writer, and comic who is out to fill the world with funny, is the award-winning author of “Pizza Boy and the Super Squad”. From his secret-not-so-secret laboratory in the attic, he shares his experience writing his first book on a dare and how he has looked to his kids for character ideas. Dan has also lit a three-story electron accelerator on fire, designed sensors for smartphones, and enjoys having fun with his kids and his drummer-artist wife.
Webpage
Amazon
Goodreads
Dr. Jeffery A. Thompson is an author, speaker and professor who knows the secret to finding one’s calling in life. He learned from his own winding and twisting experience that life is a bewildering journey, and those who succeed at discovering their talents and gifts are those who persist through the uncertainty and anxiety to a better place. His and a colleague’s study of “work as a calling” among zookeepers led them to write “The Zookeeper’s Secret,” a book that applies research, personal experience and gospel truths to help readers discover their true calling in life.
Email Dr. Thompson: sorensencenter@byu.edu
BYU Devotional
Deseret Book
Amazon
Heather B. Moore’s beginner attempts to write books were akin to making tossed salad; She threw in ingredients and hoped they’d turn into a good story. Now, as a USA Today award-winning author of over 70 books in multiple genres, she views those early experiences as her version of “going back to college and learning how to write a novel.” Heather, who has also published as H.B. Moore, attended high school and college in the Middle East and thought of her first story idea while compiling her grandmother's personal history.
Website
Email list
Blog
Goodreads
Deseret Book
Amazon
Susan Easton Black’s accomplishments range from becoming the first female professor of religion at Brigham Young University to writing 170 books, including President M. Russell Ballard’s biography, to being a key partner on her pickleball team. Tune into her delightful conversation with our host, Connie Sokol. You’ll be glad you did.
Email: susan_black@byu.edu
AmazonInstagramSusan & George: Devotional
Back for its 8th year! The annual conference of Latter-day Saints in Publishing, Media & the Arts (LDSPMA) is the best networking, learning, and professional development opportunity for all Latter-day Saint creatives. In this podcast bonus episode, our host, Connie Sokol, and her guests, Rachelle J. Christensen and Jen Brewer, share fun and life-changing conference experiences that have propelled their careers forward. Registration for the October 20 - 22 conference is open now! Choose virtual, in-person, or both! Early bird registration ends Saturday, April 30th.
Register now!
Jen Brewer
Rachelle J. Christensen
Host, Connie Sokol
Dan Wells
Rachelle's writing tips plus 7-Point Story Structure videos featuring Dan Wells
Eight-year-old Emmy Eaton’s “7 Questions with Emmy” segment on “The Drew Barrymore Show” resulted from a comment on Facebook suggesting she swap roles with her news reporter dad. She accepted the challenge and has gone on to interview over 40 high-profile people, including Elmo, Jeff Foxworthy, Dana Perino, Keith Morrison, and Joy D. Jones. Her dad, Nate Eaton, an Edward R. Murrow Award recipient and four-time winner of Virginia Associated Press’ Outstanding Reporter of the Year Award, has interviewed a serial killer, covered the execution of the D.C. Sniper, reported on President Obama, and attended the White House Easter Egg Roll. In 2015, Nate launched EastIdahoNews.com, a news website that is now the news leader in eastern Idaho.
Emmy
“7-Questions with Emmy” on The Drew Barrymore Show (via East Idaho News)
Nate
“Measuring Snow with the Kit-Kat-O-Meter”
“Waiting Upon the Lord: the Power of Heaven,” Henry B. Eyring, BYU Devotional, 30 September 1990
Josi Kilpack, an award-winning author of over 30 books covering multiple genres, distinguishes her stories by creating likable, relatable characters with quirks. Never intending to become an author, she wrote her first manuscript while pregnant and bedridden with her third child. In this interview, she shares tips and tricks she uses with every book that have kept her writing when she didn’t want to write.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/josi.s.kilpack
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/authorjosiskilpack/
Josi’s website https://www.josiskilpack.com/
Josi’s books can be found at Deseret Book, Seagull Books, Amazon, or her website.
Heidi Tucker is an award-winning author and speaker. She has won multiple “best inspirational” awards for her books which include "Bridge of Miracles", "The Secret Keepers", "Finding Hope in the Journey", and "Servie’s Song". Her passion for writing and speaking about light and hope has inspired thousands. Heidi is known as a great storyteller who believes that every story not only teaches an important principle but can make you feel it. She has inspired many to rise up, cling to their faith, and position their hearts to recognize God’s hand in their life. When Heidi isn’t writing her next book or speaking at a conference, you’ll find her spending time outdoors with her husband, four grown children, and eleven grandchildren. She loves sunflowers, hiking, and ice cream ... not necessarily in that order.
Latest Book: Bridges of Miracles
Instagram Twitter
YouTube
Heidi’s website
Heidi’s books can be purchased atHer websiteAmazonDeseret BookHistory of the Saints Barnes and Noble
Dubbed ‘America’s Violinist’ for the magic of her artistry, Jenny Oaks Baker is a Grammy nominee and Billboard No. 1 recording artist who knows the thrill of soloing at Carnegie Hall. A devoted wife and mother of four children, Jenny has experienced highs and lows in her life and career but has always trusted God to guide her. “I knew I needed to work really hard, stay very close to the Spirit and do what is right, and everything would work out.”
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/JennyOaksBaker
“Free At Last Medley” with Condoleezza Rice (March 4th) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veYkOvsYGjU
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=jenny%20oaks%20baker
Twitter https://twitter.com/jennyoaksbaker
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jennyoaksbaker/
**Jenny Oaks Baker’s Music: iTunes, Spotify, Deseret Book
Jenny’s website https://www.jennyoaksbaker.com/**
Lisa Mangum knew from her earliest years that she wanted a life surrounded by words and books. Growing up, she and her mother “bonded over punctuation marks and paper clips.” Now as managing editor at Shadow Mountain Publishing, Lisa has guided several writers who have become New York Times bestselling authors. In this episode, Lisa tells all writers, “You are important, and the story that you have is important.”
Lisa Mangum Books
Shadow Mountain Publishing
Email: lmangum@shadowmountain.com
Al Carraway’s infectious enthusiasm and “wild optimism” has helped propel her forward through her difficult and uncanny journey of faith. A multi-award-winning author and international speaker, she shares her passion for life, happiness, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. True to her bold New York authenticity, Al talks about her disappointments and frustrations and how bringing them to God makes all the difference.
Al Carraway Books
Instagram
Youtube channel
Known for her work as an actress, writer, radio show host, and co-producer of Once I Was a Beehive, Lisa Valentine Clark has “stumbled into” a variety of roles throughout her life and career. With her trademark humor, Lisa shares what she has learned from her experiences and how she feels “called to create a beautiful life” to honor the legacy of her late husband, Christopher.
Real Moms: Making It Up As We GoBYU Radio's: "The Lisa Show"BYU Devotional Speech “Yes, and . . .”: The Creative Art of Living
An experienced podcast host, Connie Sokol brings her trademark enthusiasm and positivity as the new host of the LDSPMA podcast Called to Create. She is a bestselling author, media personality, speaker, and devoted mother of seven children. Connie describes the Called to Create podcast as “part devotional, part scripture, part life experience, and part kitchen table chat.” With her expert guidance, podcast guests will share their successes and struggles as Latter-day Saint creatives, along with tips and tricks for navigating the journey of one who feels called to create.
Rachel Christensen -Guest Host
Rachelle J. Christensen award - winning and bestselling author of over twenty books, was born and raised in a small farming town in Idaho. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology and a minor in music. She enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading. Rachelle has an amazing husband, five cute kids, three cats, and dozens of chickens.
Sherry Meidell is a watercolor illustrator who often sees in life what others miss. For her, art is a way to connect with people and highlight the grandeur of life. Sherry serves as president of the Utah Watercolor Society and has received acclaim for illustrations of children’s books and landscapes. Watercolor is magic, she says. You don’t always know how water is going to react to paper. “Often,” she says, “it turns out better than expected. ” For Sherry, creating art is a spiritual experience—the inspiration coming from without. Like her granddaughter who gave $3 to her grandfather’s medical care, all the money she had, Sherry counsels to “give the creative process all you have.” Finding that inspiration sometimes means climbing to the cliff’s edge for the right perspective or noticing the pioneer mansions that line Onion Street in her hometown, or stopping to see a spray of flowers outside the front door. Sherry has illustrated several children's books. She is currently serving as president of the Utah Watercolor Society. You can find her work at sherrymeidell.com.
This episode starts with a conventional interview, but then we caught Sherry on a live microphone sharing some candid words of wisdom and encouragement to an aspiring artist. Her advice was so good that we decided to leave that part of the conversation in.
CJ Madsen is a graduate student studying choral conducting at Brigham Young University. CJ received his bachelor's degree in piano performance, also from BYU. CJ is fluent in composing, piano accompanying, arranging, and singing. He has performed in over 275 concerts and recitals during his time at Brigham Young University. CJ's recent choral/orchestral composition, One Fold, One Shepherd, has been performed seven times and was recently released as an album. He is currently writing "He Shall Prepare a Way", an opera based on the opening chapters of The Book of Mormon. CJ's musical inspirations as a conductor and composer come from his beliefs in Jesus Christ, from his life as a Utah college student, and from his family. https://cjmadsenmusic.com/
Becky Fawson pursues her passion for art with the same ferocity she did as an 18-year-old first-generation college student. Over the years, as she raised her family, she continued to hone and refine her skills as a graphic designer and illustrator. But it wasn’t until the grandchildren needed better picture books that she found her niche. “There are books that you want to hide from your children because you don't want them to bring it to you one more time,” she says. Great children’s books, she says, will entertain, inspire, and visually delight. Fame and worldly notoriety are not the end game for Becky, but helping others feel valued by illustrating their story is. “I'm working with people, and they need somebody to value them too,” she says. If her art helps another feel their life has meaning, then Becky has lived well. Where some grandmas make quilts for their grandchildren, “I paint portraits,” she says.
Since 2014, Margaret has worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo to help start the film industry there. Her Congolese team recently released its first feature--Heart of Africa--in both the Congo and the USA. Margaret worked for twenty years with Darius Gray telling stories of Black Latter-day Saint pioneers. She taught creative writing at BYU for thirty years and is a much-published author.
Jeff Wheeler is a sensitive soul. He once broke into wild tears as a young teen after reading a novel. But now, as a writer who creates books so engaging that readers stay awake late into the night, he feels no guilt for their loss of sleep. In this week’s podcast, Jeff shares his desire to create spellbinding fantasy fiction using religious themes that depict protagonists of strong moral character. His books, many of which are on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list, stand in stark contrast to the grim and the dark and the gruesome that editors in the popular fiction field crave.
**Gregg Deal is a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Husband and father of four, Deal describes himself as a professional disruptor of the cowboy/Indian stereotype. He combines his artistic skills with a love of history to tell the story of his people, stirring new appreciation and soul searching in his audience.
On this episode Deal and host Ted Finch talk about the compelling drive to create, having persistence and faith despite setbacks and misunderstandings, the need to be true to your own beliefs, the healing power of art, and the covenant responsibility of Native Americans to care for their homeland.**Learn more about Gregg Deal and his work.
Be prepared to be stirred by two authors, Ka Hancock and Spencer Hyde. They both share how they portrayed the delicate subject of mental health by drawing on their up-close and personal perspectives. Ka Hancock, the author of Dancing on Broken Glass, is a former psychiatric nurse, and Spencer Hyde, professor at BYU and author of Waiting For Fitz and What the other Three Don’t Know **uses his experience with severe OCD to speak through his characters. This subject is real and plucks at the deepest heartstrings.
As mentioned in the Podcast: Kay Redfield Jamison**
This week’s podcast features Heidi Tucker, a grandmother of 10 whose irrepressible happiness and deep-rooted hope have inspired many to take heart and rise to their opportunities. She is an award-winning speaker and writer who has been awarded Book of the Year, Best Inspirational, and Best Cover awards for her first two books Finding Hope in the Journeyand Servie’s Song. Her latest release,The Secret Keepersis catching traction with readers around the world. Heidi is a mesmerizing storyteller with a nose to detect the gospel lesson in the most common events in life. The secret to abundant living, she will say, is to look a little closer to find God’s hand governing the little details in your life. As a mother of four who has bandaged her share of knees and risen to her own challenges, Heidi has much to say and an engaging way to say it.
Check out her web page at: https://www.thepickledsunflower.com/my-story
Jason F. Wright is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. He is also a popular speaker about the miracle of opening doors, faith, failure, the Christmas Jars movement, the lost art of letter writing, and many other topics. Each year Jason visits schools across the country and presents assemblies and writing workshops to students at all ages.
Jason grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, but has also lived in Germany, Illinois, Brazil, Oregon and Utah. In 2007, while researching Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley for his novel The Wednesday Letters, Jason fell so in love with the area that he moved his family westward from northern Virginia to Woodstock.
Jason is married to Kodi Erekson Wright. They have two girls and two boys.
In 2017, President Clark G. Gilbert became the first president of BYU-Pathway Worldwide, a global online organization serving over 50,000 students in over 150 countries. President Gilbert previously served as the president of BYU-Idaho, the CEO of the Deseret News and Deseret Digital Media, and on the faculty of the Harvard Business School. President Gilbert currently serves as an area seventy, assigned to the Utah area. He and his wife Christine are the parents of 8 children.
Abigayl Finch is a writer, baking expert, theatre aficionado, and might be a little obsessed with musicals. She is currently a public policy major at BYU-Idaho. On our journey to become voices of light, we don’t travel alone. Sometimes you are the hero. Other times you might be the mentor or an ally. You might even be all of these roles at the same time across several different life stories. In today’s interview Abigayl and I talk about how you can be a mentor or ally to the creatives in your life. We will share how I have supported her as her father and how she has supported me as my daughter – allowing both of us to become stronger sources of light.
Rob Eaton has authored or co-authored multiple books for an LDS audience, including President Eyring’s biography, I Will Lead You Along. He is currently a professor of religious education and a Learning and Teaching Fellow at BYU-Idaho, and he serves as a stake president. Rob has worked as an attorney, institute director, seminary teacher, and other leadership positions at BYU-Idaho.
Al Carraway is a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ, writer, multi-award-winning international speaker, and author of the best-selling books, “Wildly Optimistic,” “More Than the Tattooed Mormon,” and “Cheers to Eternity!” After a decade spent in Arizona & Utah, she is now living with her husband, Ben, and her three kids back where she was raised, in New York, She has spent the last 10 years traveling worldwide inspiring others of her conversion and faith through difficult times. Her passion is to tell everyone that happiness exists, and it comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. That He’s real. And how to find and love Him in the hard, in the unwanted, and the unexpected. Because through it all, with God, we have every reason to be wildly optimistic. In this episode, Al talks about how she has shared her voice of light and gives ideas for how others can share theirs.
Steven Piersanti is one of the founding members of the Latter-day Saint Publishing and Media Association. He currently serves as the director of conferences and programs. Steve is also the president and publisher of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., a leading independent publisher of books on current affairs, personal growth, and business and management.