LDSPMA

Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

Called to Create Conversations

A Conversation with Al Carraway

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Al Carraway is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as a multi-award-winning international speaker and author of the books Wildly Optimistic, More Than the Tattooed Mormon, and Cheers to Eternity. She currently lives in Arizona with her husband, Ben, and their three children. For the past eleven years, she’s traveled the world telling her story of conversion and faith through difficult times.

According to Al, “Joining the Church is the most personal thing you could ever ask of someone,” as you have to change the way you think while leaving behind traditions, culture, and more that were once all you knew. Al began navigating these changes as a newly baptized tattooed twenty-one-year-old, and found that many established members of the Church did not treat her well. Being productive rather than destructive in the face of obstacles has become her process, and paying attention to her recurring thoughts has helped her incorporate God in that process.

Al has continually built her relationship with God since her conversion sixteen years ago. Whether mad, hurt, or confused, she’s honest with Him about how she feels and speaks to Him as though He’s right in front of her. During times when she’s felt He’s not there or not listening, she’s discovered that she simply hadn’t been willing to see how He showed up for her in ways she didn’t desire or expect. The adversary can get in our heads and alter our perspectives. Al fights his influence by being productive, by casting him out, and by removing the limitations she has placed on God while rooting herself deeper in her knowledge that He is real.

As her relationship with God has developed, Al has learned that, for her, the unexpected and unwanted things in her life are always God intervening on her behalf. All good things come from God, and she finds reminders of Him in even the smallest of good feelings. “That is God participating in your personal life. That is you experiencing God.”

Self-love has bridged the gap between insecurity and Al’s God-given purpose. As a writer and speaker, she doesn’t put stock in what others think of her, good or bad, because those opinions do not fill her. Allowing them to affect her can be disheartening and unmotivating. When she moved to Utah, strangers told her, “God could never love someone like you. Why would I ever want to date you? Who is going to marry someone that looks like that?” In recent years, Al continues to receive hate that sometimes escalates over extended periods. She trusts her relationship with God and does what He asks her to do, even if she knows she will face unpleasant backlash. She invests in loving herself and witnesses the ways God participates in her life. “Love God and serve Him and everything else is just noise. And when you do that . . . life just blossoms.”

A few years ago, Al’s family lived in a single hotel room in New York for two months while looking for housing. COVID, insurance, and other circumstances beyond their control left her feeling helpless. When talking to God about how she had been left out to dry, God responded, “Why won’t you let me bless you? Why won’t you let me take you somewhere better? That’s why I exist.” Al has learned to let God show her how great He is through all her trials and seasons of life. While there may be plenty to be said about what Peter could have done “better” when walking on the water, the truth remains that Peter is the only one who got out of the boat and tried to get closer to Christ. When Christ said, “O thou of little faith,” it wasn’t to rebuke Peter for his shortcomings—it was in response to Peter doubting that Christ would save him. Christ was always going to rescue him.

Not only will Christ rescue us, but He will also take us somewhere better, whatever that path might look like. Al shared, “Our God is one who only exists to bring us to greater magnifications.” She continues to work on trusting Him better, stating, “My favorite things have come from my sinkings.”

Al also voiced, “Our God is not a god of avoidance and prevention.” How many miracles and conversions would be lost if God had prevented the suffering that preceded them? In every detail of our lives, God is working to keep His promises and prepare for us something better than what we want for ourselves, even in the middle of the suffering. Many times, Al has acted on a prompting that didn’t seem to pan out only to find significance in it with the passing of time. The point isn’t that God can calm the wind and water—it’s that we continue reaching for Him, even in the storm.

Al is passionate about embracing a lifestyle that reflects God’s importance. She’s teaching her family to try new things, to invest in themselves, to be intentional with their time, and to talk to God. Even when they didn’t have much money, they would spend time together by getting in the car and driving, with or without a specific destination in mind. When someone says or does something hurtful, Al lets it hurt for a little bit, but she doesn’t let a bad day turn into a bad life. Her goal is to continually seek more ways to magnify her life.

As for her old nickname, “the tattooed Mormon,” Al confesses that she has always hated it. Years ago, she received a blessing and was told that God does not see her tattoos. To Him, they do not exist. If He doesn’t see them, why should she care what others think about them? Ninety-nine percent of the time, she doesn’t think about them, and once people start to know her, they don’t seem to see them either.

Loving herself and accepting the love of others, including God, continues to change her life. Al testifies that all of God’s future blessings for us are already prepared by Him. We are His, and that is all that matters in making us worthy. “That is everything.”

This article is based on a Called to Create podcast aired season 2, episode 2. To hear the full podcast, click here.

A Conversation with Lisa Valentine Clark

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Lisa Valentine Clark, a self-described “plucky, spirited gal from Lincoln, Nebraska,” graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and began her career in the improv group The Garrens. Later, she starred in the movie Once I Was a Beehive, hosted the TV show Random Acts, published a book called Real Moms: Making It Up as We Go, and currently hosts BYUradio’s The Lisa Show.

Lisa didn’t plan on being an actress, author, comedian, or podcast host. “I just sort of stumbled into my life,” she says. “[I had] lots of hopes and dreams, and I always knew that I would have a fun [and interesting] life, but the details were all very muddy.”

Lisa met her husband, Christopher, in college. He had just returned from his mission in Finland, and she was the president of the English Society. Together they performed what she describes as a “really horrible, really cheesy” play called The Mysteries, which they took very seriously. It was a collection of Bible stories wherein he was cast as Satan and she was cast as a chicken on Noah’s Ark. Lisa recalls, “[I was] the best chicken, the most committed chicken. My mother-in-law, to this day, remembers my performance and asks me to do it regularly.”

Lisa credits her parents with nurturing her creativity and willingness to be vulnerable. “My dad just made us laugh all the time. My mom didn’t take herself seriously. She was really super committed to whatever she did.”

 Still, growing up was sometimes difficult for Lisa, being “a little bit awkward” and feeling different because of her faith. “I always felt off, I think, like most people do.” Instead of feeling bad about her otherness, she decided to commit to it one hundred percent, embracing her self-deprecating humor. “I’ve collected people in my life that also love ‘their thing,’ but don’t take themselves too seriously.”

While she and her friends are all artists, in the end, they all just want to make each other laugh. She says, “I don’t try to pretend that I don’t care…But I can’t control the outcome, or if people like it or don’t.” This confidence allows her to have fun with the people she cares about, taking her to exciting new places in life.

Lisa’s open and honest approach to life enables her to connect with others and communicate with them in a relatable way. She doesn’t try to divide her life into categories or pretend that she or her family is perfectly put together. The image she portrays in public matches who she is at home. “Come into the fold. [. . . ] And let’s have a dinner party after.”

This mindset has been a springboard to lift Lisa from dark times in her life, most significantly the loss of her husband in 2020 from Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). Lisa says, “You’ve got to really feel your feelings…the deepest, darkest lows crack you wide open to feel higher highs. And I do feel like there’s a purpose in it, and I don’t want to be, like, ‘Oh, there’s purpose in suffering,’ because I sort of hate myself when I say that. But I do think it is true.”

Christopher’s terminal diagnosis meant that Lisa witnessed her talented husband slowly decline over four and half years. A trained classical pianist, he had always found joy and expression in music. Lisa remembers, “He closed the piano, and I said, ‘What are you doing?’ And he said, ‘My piano playing days are over. It was a good run…So now I just want to focus on [directing and doing] other things that I love.’” For Lisa, accepting that Christopher could no longer play the piano meant coming to terms with his impending death. She told herself, “This is happening. You’d better get with the program and learn how to carry this, or you’re going to fall apart every day. And you’re going to miss the joy that is surrounding you.”

Even while Lisa was caring for him by brushing his teeth, dressing him, and getting him ready for the day, Christopher assured her that he didn’t blame God for his trials and helped her see that life isn’t fair for anyone. “[His outlook] really softened it and changed my whole perspective of God’s purpose for each one of us, how He loves us, how He trusts us, and what faith really means,” Lisa says. “Something that Chris taught me in going through this is that, no matter what we go through, God is with us. And I saw evidence of that every day. And then I was telling the kids, ‘Oh, do you see that? That means God loves us.’”

Lisa expands her innate capacity for joy through humor, sharing that she and Christopher laughed together every day. “But when he needed to feel the gravity of his situation and the deep sense of loss, he felt it.” Sharing this balance with Christopher sustained her during the hard times.

After his passing, Lisa carried these lessons into her own healing process. She admits that it’s not always easy to maintain a joyful attitude and that sometimes she would rather stay in her comfortable bed than face her grief. “I try not to let it ruin my entire day as it used to. I try to honor it and feel it for as long as I need to, and recognize that I’m not going to feel that way all the time.”

Talking with supportive friends and family helps Lisa sort through her thoughts and emotions. She also stresses the importance of having a goal or purpose to give herself a break from the heaviness of life. Lisa recalls, “I haven’t played the piano for years, probably over a decade. And then about six, seven months after Chris died, I just was so in my head and not ready to see people or be in the world. And I started playing the piano again.” Learning a musical piece helped her focus on something good. “Those kinds of coping skills have saved my life.”

Despite the challenges Lisa has faced, she maintains that life is not meant to be a punishment, but to bring joy. “We have the opportunity to show and share love,” she says. In the final weeks of Chris’s life, this was manifested in how people wanted to express their love to him, and how all he wanted to do was tell everyone how much and why he loved them. This experience deepened her conviction that relationships and expressions of love outweigh creative achievements and résumés.

While she acknowledges that it would be easy to say “This is it” after such a profound loss, Lisa promised Christopher that she wouldn’t give up. “I feel called to create more relationships, better relationships with my children and friends…None of us knows how much time we have, and our time on earth is so precious and important.”

Lisa’s journey has taught her to appreciate and create meaningful experiences for herself and others. “I feel that so passionately,” she says. “That includes art, right? It’s all-encompassing. But the real focus, I feel, is those relationships and how we show up for the world, because it does have a rippling effect.” She finds that humor isn’t just about punchlines—it’s about using the unique talents and gifts we are given. Making people laugh is inseparable from her faith, and in the end, she says, “It all boils down to love.”

This article is based on a Called to Create podcast aired season 4, episode 17. To hear the full podcast, click here.

A Conversation with Jon Heder

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Most people know Jon Heder as the hilariously awkward character Napoleon Dynamite, but landing that iconic role was just the beginning of his successful career. Beyond acting, he is a producer, filmmaker, animator, speaker, husband, and father of four children. He received the MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Performance and Breakthrough Male Performance for his role in Napoleon Dynamite. Since then, he has appeared in or lent his voice to several films, including Just Like Heaven, The Benchwarmers, Monster House, Blades of Glory, Walt Before Mickey, and many more. In an LDSPMA podcast interview with Connie Sokol, Jon discusses his creative journey from theater camp to Hollywood fame and the values and lessons that shaped his craft.

Jon’s passion for acting began in childhood when his family participated in the Children’s Educational Theater summer camp. He recalls, “The CET was a big thing in our house. We would learn about various aspects of theater and perform plays. My siblings were the stars, especially my older brother, who was always the lead.” Despite enjoying the spotlight, Jon admits he had not yet developed “the chops” to project himself with confidence.

But everything changed when Jon and his identical twin brother, Dan, discovered their dad’s video camera, prompting them to explore video production. Creating and starring in home videos helped Jon overcome his anxiety about acting by allowing him to step outside himself. By college, he’d enrolled in animation and filmmaking classes, which opened the door to on-screen acting. He recalls, “I was in a production class where we had to produce a short film. They needed an actor for a story called Amazing Grace about a goofy guy who wanted to become a daredevil stuntman. It was like, ‘Oh, Jon could be goofy and stupid. Let’s put him in there.’”

One of his classmates, Jared Hess, noticed Jon’s performance in the film and asked for feedback on a script he had written called Peluca. Jon shares, “I knew a little about Jared and had seen one or maybe two of his other projects. I thought he had a very keen eye, a creative mind, and a specific point of view. I loved the script. I was like, ‘Oh, this is my style; this is my jam.’ So when he approached me, I was like, ‘Yeah, this makes sense.’”

Jon and Jared workshopped the Peluca character, Seth, into Napoleon Dynamite by blending their visions and collaborating on how Napoleon looked, dressed, spoke, and moved. They received funding for the feature-length film from a friend’s brother, who wanted to make a movie about “some kid in Idaho.” When Jared’s wife asked, “Jon, what do you think about getting a perm?” Jon recalls the suggestion as “almost the final nail in the good coffin.”

The experience on set felt like a throwback to summer camp, where everyone from the cast to the crew was there because they genuinely loved the project. Jon says, “There were no egos or crazy, weird experiences. It was just making the film and having the time of our lives.” He didn’t feel too much pressure because the set was similar to those he’d worked on while making student films. No one thought anyone would actually see the movie, let alone that it would become such a big hit.

The film debuted at Sundance, and everything changed for Jon. He says, “After the screening, I was getting wined and dined by agencies and management companies.” As he completed his last year at BYU, he began receiving offers and audition invitations. He thought, “Well, I can always fall back on animation if this doesn’t work out.” However, the movie began to gain more buzz, and by the end of 2004, he was fully committed to acting.

Jon was rapidly becoming a public figure, and he recognized the whirlwind of opportunities that came with it. “I saw the beginning of the rest of my life, even though I didn’t  know exactly how that would be spelled out.”

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jon knew the industry’s pitfalls. “I knew it had its ups and downs, its goods and bads,” he reflects. While acknowledging that any profession can test one’s faith and that some LDS actors have struggled to maintain their standards, Jon took responsibility for his choices. His testimony was solid, and he was determined to keep it that way. He put on his “coat of armor” to protect himself from tempting offers and difficult situations. Unlike missionaries with handbooks spelling out dos and don’ts, Heder had to create his own guidelines, relying on scriptures and church principles to guide his decisions.

Being a young adult at the time, Jon was flooded with scripts for “raunchy, R-rated teenage and college-age comedies.” He made his values clear to his agents, explaining what content and scenes he wouldn’t perform. He found a lot of respect from people in the industry by being upfront about his values and asking a series of questions to decide whether a project was worth his time: “What is the purpose of this film? What is the purpose of this character? What is it trying to say? Is it worth saying?”

Jon employed this approach when he met with Judd Apatow, a big name in the industry whose comedy films were gaining success. Apatow offered Jon a role in his new movie, The 40-Year-Old Virgin. After meeting to discuss the project, Apatow learned about Jon’s faith and recognized that it probably wouldn’t be a good fit given the film’s content.

This scenario played out with other directors and producers. Creative meetings were filled with mutual respect and excitement, but ultimately, Jon declined the roles, with the directors asking, “Man, are you sure?”

James Gunn, director of Marvel movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, offered Jon a role in a smaller film he was working on. Jon recalls, “I loved the script and thought it was a really fun project, but there was one scene that made me uncomfortable.” Respectful of Gunn’s vision, Jon asked if he’d consider altering it. Gunn declined, opting to keep it as is. “He was a really cool guy and very respectful,” Jon says of their cordial parting. For Jon, choosing roles is about following his gut and staying true to his values.

When asked if he felt pigeonholed by his iconic role, Jon says that while it is hard at times to be thought of only as Napoleon, his life is bookended by the film. He adds, “It’s a really great feeling when you know you’ve come out of the gate with something so impactful and strong.” He and the cast embark on tours for Napoleon Dynamite, where they sit for question-and-answer forums and attend movie screenings for major fans. “We love the film. It has this ageless quality. If we didn’t love the film, [the constant references] would really stink.” Still, he sometimes has to work harder to do a different character or bring out a different side of himself.

When people ask Jon where he’s been or what he’s up to, he advises them to look a little harder. “I’m still doing movies quite often, but you have to search streaming channels like Netflix or Hulu.”

Jon’s gospel-principled approach to selecting roles has kept him grounded and helped him maintain his integrity in Hollywood. Rather than chasing every opportunity that comes his way, he considers the stories he’s telling and the messages behind his projects to ensure his work resonates with audiences and his values. He continues to expand his repertoire by taking on various projects, including voice acting in animated films and developing new roles that challenge him as an artist.

He embraces his iconic status and the nostalgia that comes with Napoleon Dynamite. The film has also given him a platform to connect with fans, who often express how deeply the movie impacted their lives, cheered them when they were down, and gave them a good laugh with their families. You can find him on Instagram @hederjon. He also has an email, but he’s not going to share it with everyone. Geez Louise.

This article is based on the Called to Create podcast featured during Season 3, Episode 2. You can listen to the full podcast here.

A Conversation with Cali Black

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Cali Black is an author, podcaster, speaker, and content creator who loves the scriptures. She received her bachelor’s degree in education at Brigham Young University in 2019. She started an Instagram account called Come Follow Me Study and has consistently shared spiritual thoughts, study resources, and helpful videos ever since, growing to over a hundred thousand followers. She co-hosts the popular podcast “One Minute Scripture Study” and has co-written four Amazon bestselling books—One Minute Scripture Study for each of the standard works.

In her interview with LDSPMA podcast host Connie Sokol, Cali credited her parents with her love of the scriptures. “Both of my parents have always been avid scripture readers. They always are in their scriptures. I think my dad’s a genius in gospel topics. He taught our early morning seminary class in California, and I got to learn even more from him. I wanted to be the person who knew the scriptures and could talk about them confidently.”

She decided to increase her understanding of the scriptures by serving a full-time mission. Both her parents had served, so she felt that was her natural path and was excited to go. But she got married instead.

Rather than waiting for a future mission call, Cali began studying the scriptures from that point on. “I’m gonna figure out how to understand the scriptures and love them and feel confident in them and be able to teach them without having the mission to jumpstart me in that area,” she said.

Connie said that the desire to understand the scriptures is key to unlocking their mysteries. Cali’s approach to understanding the scriptures is to link them to personal experiences with a story.

“I’ve trained my brain to have a story view. There are moments where my kids will say something and I’m like, well, there’s a post right there. That [experience] perfectly explained that gospel principle. I have those moments all the time, and I have a note on my phone . . . where I write down a quick summary of what happened, whether it’s in the moment . . . reflecting at the end of the day.

“I truly believe that when we stop and we reflect, that allows the Spirit to bring things to our remembrance.”

Connie asked Cali what led her to her current path.

“I taught for four years and had my daughter, and I wanted to keep teaching. This truly was a passion of mine. [But] I had the strongest feeling to quit my job. I didn’t want to quit my job. I could do this. I [could] be a mom. I [could] be a full-time teacher. [But] I could not escape that prompting. I had to do a lot of internal work . . . and to be okay with other people’s judgment of what I was doing.

“I was a great teacher and I loved what I did, and I loved being able to help kids and change their lives and make an impact. It was really hard for me to just be like, I’ve got to follow this prompting. If I love God above all else, I’ve gotta put my ego away. I’ve gotta listen to what He is telling me to do, and I’ve gotta trust. It was scary, but I did it.

“And then the Come, Follow Me program started.

“I was serving in Young Women at the time, and I [thought] I should send them an Instagram account [about Come, Follow Me] that they all can follow. The only accounts that came up were like family activities to teach your little kids, but that’s not what my Young Women needed.

“Immediately, the thought came to my mind, ‘You should start the account, fill the space, fill the need that you see.’

“It was terrifying. I was like, not me. But one of the scriptures I had been studying that week then came to my mind. It was Doctrine and Covenants section 58 verses 22 through 24, where it talks about how it is not meet that [the Lord]should command in all things, but be engaged in a good cause, and do many things of your own free will and bring to pass much righteousness.

“I felt like the Lord was saying, ‘Cali, I’m not telling you that you need to start this account. I’m telling you that you get to choose if you want to use your good influence to start a Come, Follow Me study account.’ And I said, ‘I’m gonna use my agency, and I’m gonna do it.’”

Cali says it started small, but then it snowballed. When COVID hit, people searched for online Come, Follow Me resources like never before. Cali feels that Come, Follow Me was inspired for situations like COVID where church members are unable to meet in person.

“During those first few months of COVID when everything just felt so big and scary and unknown, I really just dug into [the question], how can I use my words? We were studying the Book of Mormon that year. It was so good to share peace and to share joy because I have found over and over again that’s the real blessing of the gospel, right?”

During the pandemic, Cali began hosting a podcast and writing books about the scriptures with her friend Kristen Walker Smith. “I feel like a lot of our strengths are aligned,” Cali says about their partnership. “But then we also have our own unique voices behind that. We have our own ways of sharing our own perspectives.” Cali believes that she’s able to accomplish more working with Kristen.

Connie then asked Cali to share her thoughts about some of the obstacles she has faced while teaching about Come, Follow Me.

“Biggest thing, hands down, is I see people misunderstanding what Come, Follow Me is supposed to be,” Cali says.  “It’s not meant to replace all the good things we’re already doing. It’s meant to keep the whole Church on the same reading schedule. That’s so much fun. It doesn’t have to be every day. It could be individually or with your family . . .  or it could be once a week, or it could look like so many different things.

“. . . I think people feel so much guilt and constraint over what Come, Follow Me should be, and instead, I love sharing this message of do what you want, do good things . . . [Do] Come, Follow Me whenever you’re able to, and connect with God, access personal revelation, whatever that looks like to you.”

In conclusion, Connie asked how things have changed for Cali since she began teaching the gospel on social media.

“I’ve developed my personal professional strengths. I love teaching, and so speaking and storytelling has become a huge passion of mine, and I feel like I’ve been able to practice that thousands and thousands of times. I absolutely love it. I’ve loved writing and being able to figure out how to take [a] spiritual prompting [I’ve received] and turn that into a good social media post is such a creative challenge for me. I absolutely love that challenge of trying to get what’s in my brain into other people’s brains through my words . . . I love what I’m doing right now, and I feel so content with it. And then I also look to the future and just think, man, I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store. Whatever that path looks like, I’m super excited . . . My desires can align with the Lord’s desires for my life.”

This article is based on the Called to Create podcast featured during Season 3, Episode 1o. You can listen to the full podcast here.

A Conversation with Bonnie Oscarson

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Salt Lake City native Bonnie Oscarson served as the Young Women general president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2013 to 2018. She and her husband, Paul, served as mission president and companion in the Sweden Gutenberg Mission and later in the Stockholm Sweden Temple as temple president and matron. Together, she and Paul have seven children and 29 grandchildren. Bonnie also authored the book What Makes Us Sisters, which addresses women’s roles to develop and share their talents and gifts. Connie Sokol, who until recently was the host of the LDSPMA podcast Called to Create, interviewed Bonnie about her callings in the Church and her creative pursuits.

Bonnie recognizes a pattern throughout her life that prepared her to serve as the Young Women general president. Growing up, she developed empathy by living in several different states and attending wards and branches of various sizes. No matter where she was, she found ways to relate to the young women.

Forty years after first attending BYU, Bonnie returned to earn a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis on British and American literature. Though she has always found writing challenging, she gradually improved her craft through the many essays assigned to her in school. Bonnie hadn’t guessed that writing would become a necessary skill for her, but later, she found herself called upon to write articles for conferences and magazines. She looks back on this and other experiences as evidence that Heavenly Father knows what opportunities lie ahead and places experiences in our paths to prepare us for the future.

Sometimes, we may wonder why we are having certain experiences and what purpose they serve. At times, it’s only in looking back that we can see how important these lessons were in shaping who we have become. Bonnie feels that choosing to devote oneself to a life of faith allows the Lord to provide some of these experiences. “I think sometimes if we hold back, we may miss a few of them,” she shares.

Connie adds that as creators, we may be tempted to focus solely on the art we are creating. However, if we shift our focus to creating a meaningful life and allow the Lord to guide our experiences, we will be prepared for the future He has in store. This approach won’t negate any other pursuits we’ve chosen; instead, it will enrich them.

Bonnie asked multiple stake and ward Young Women leaders, “How do your young women see themselves in this work?” Every answer she received came down to, “We support.” This insight prompted her to focus on shifting the young women’s perspectives from being cheerleaders to becoming fully engaged participants in the gospel of Jesus Christ. She encouraged leaders to step back to allow the young women to teach lessons, to conduct meetings, and to help minister to others.

Bonnie and Paul now serve in the MTC as ecclesiastical leaders, and she has seen an increase in young women choosing to serve missions. “I just see greater self-confidence [in them] and a belief that [they are] an important part of this work.”

After Bonnie spoke in a women’s session of general conference, Deseret Book asked her to write a book. She was surprised that they thought so highly of her talk. They referenced her Pinterest board to find images that reflected her personality. Bonnie had gone through her boards to make sure nothing would reflect poorly on her new calling. Connie points out that as creators and Christians, our focus should be on reflecting the Savior’s light, including how we present ourselves on social media. She extends the invitation to review our social media accounts to note whether they reflect that light.

Bonnie has had many mountain and valley experiences, as we all do, where she chose to let go of something to create a more meaningful life. She met her husband while working on a degree in commercial art, which she loved, but chose a future with him instead of pursuing her education at the time. Upon having children, she repurposed the drawing board her parents had bought her years earlier into a baby-changing table. Though she put aside art in many ways, she feels that raising children is a creative process. Bonnie found fulfillment outside the stereotypes of “Mormon mothers” and taught her children how to use their creativity. When she and her husband moved to Sweden to serve as mission president and companion, she was 25 years old with five small children. Though the experience was difficult, she has no regrets.

Looking back, Bonnie can see how God prepared her to return to Sweden to serve as temple matron and then to fulfill her calling as Young Women general president. Her experiences helped her guide young women, missionaries, and those learning about the Church to focus not just on the baptismal font but also on the temple.

As Connie describes it, we may leave our creative projects on the altar as a sacrifice. However, like Bonnie using her drawing board as a changing table, what we sacrifice is recompensed in many different ways because we don’t only gain—we change. We become more capable and effective.

Bonnie notes that because we are all trying to keep the same commandments and meet the same expectations, we may think we have to be alike in every way. However, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are diverse and should embrace our differences. Living a creative life requires following our unique paths and using our unique gifts rather than trying to fit a mold. We ought to follow those paths confidently, bringing our families along with us.

This article is based on the Called to Create podcast featured during Season 3, Episode 2o. You can listen to the full podcast here.

A Conversation with Scott Christopher

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Scott Christopher is the author of the best-selling People People, The Levity Effect, and The Seven UPs of Happiness. He is also a sought-after actor who has appeared in many network television series, including NCIS, Modern Family, Criminal Minds, Granite Flats, Touched By an Angel, and many other movies on Disney Channel, Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, and Amazon. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Salt Lake City and have five sons and two grandkids.

Scott knew he wanted to be an actor when he was three years old and his sister taught him to read. From there, he began to read and copy scripts or whatever literature he could get his hands on. Every movement he made became a scene in his head, imagining a camera trained on him no matter what room he was in.

Validation for his creative pursuits came years later when he and his brother won a national acting competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Before their turn to compete, they stepped outside through the emergency exit for a moment. “And we two elders of Israel… folded our arms and said a prayer right there on the bank of the Potomac.” They didn’t ask for the Lord’s help to win the competition, though they and their young wives needed the money.

Instead, they prayed, “Father, please just help us to do our best. We’ve been rehearsing and have yet to [finish our routine within] the time limit, which is five minutes.”

They came in at four minutes and fifty-nine seconds, winning the whole competition by a unanimous decision from the judges. Scott won best actor, and his brother won best partner. The win motivated Scott to continue pursuing his goals. He recalls thinking, “I’ll keep trying this. I wasn’t gonna change my mind anyway, but that helped.”

Born in Michigan and raised by a single mother who converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Scott learned to trust in the Lord. Thanks to his mother’s faith, he grew up believing God was in charge of his life. Once his mother realized he was set on being an actor, she told him “to trust the Lord. Let Him be your agent.” And while that wasn’t the most practical advice from a business standpoint, Scott still pleads with Heavenly Father to point him in the direction he needs to go.

One of the first moments Scott realized he had made it in the acting world was working on the BYU-TV scripted show Granite Flats, which was a well-received and highly rated show. Scott says, “I made good friends with one of the actors who was very helpful in connecting me to [directors and producers in] Los Angeles. She understood that I had pretty strict values and standards and that I wasn’t looking to audition for everything under the sun.”

He goes on to say how critical the writing process is in terms of the creative whole. “If it’s well written, just hand me the script, give me a minute to memorize it, and I’ll just come out and play as me—within the context of the script. I put my life in the hands of the Lord and just see what’s out there.” Sometimes the parts are only two lines, but if the TV episode is clean, he can leave the set without feeling embarrassed about his work.

There are things, however, that Scott won’t do for the sake of an acting part. During his LDS mission in Barcelona, Spain, he became fluent in Spanish, a skill that opened up unique opportunities in his career. When offered a Spanish-speaking part on a major Amazon Prime series, his “spidey sense” started tingling over the possible content. Though he knew the show would be grittier than his other projects, it wasn’t until he reviewed the scripts and discovered the TV-MA rating that he realized he couldn’t lower his standards to take the role. He says, “Within two minutes, I was on the phone with my agent, and I said, ‘It’s not gonna happen.’”

While the producers begged him to be a part of the show, the writers refused to change the script to conform to his standards. Scott says, “So we parted ways. I thanked and praised the Lord for letting me see the scripts before I signed anything. I was heartbroken, but I was happy and at peace.”

As he concludes his discussion about his creative journey, Scott says, “Be 100% true to what you know and have felt and believed, that truly the perspective of the great plan of salvation is not about what we can take with us. We automatically assume that we’re talking about the money, jewelry, cars, and boats. And while that is true, there are    
 other things you can’t take with you, like the desire to have these things. We each have our own little gifts. Those carry on through eternity, but their worldly importance does not.”

Scott emphasizes how service and loving others truly make a difference. Joy comes from helping others. “Find what you’re passionate about, and hopefully what you’re passionate about does make a difference, even if it’s minute and small and local. Go after it.”

This article is based on the Called to Create podcast featured during Season 3, Episode 15. You can listen to the full podcast here.


A Conversation with Adassa

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From the introduction to Adassa’s podcast interview with LDSPMA: 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.

Connie Sokol, the host of the “Called to Create” podcast, hosted Adassa in March 2023. Much of their conversation focused on how Adassa has kept her family at the center of her life while being called to create. Here are three ways Adassa has prioritized her family while continuing to create music for the world to enjoy.

Remember Family Stories and Sacrifices

Aspiring to be part of the music industry isn’t new to Adassa—both her mother and grandmother loved to sing and had dreams of being singers. Adassa herself dreamed of being a singer since she was little. Neither her mother nor her grandmother were fully able to live out their dreams—they instead went into the medical field.

Adassa shared her family’s story when she auditioned for “Encanto” at Disney. Her parents had both made many sacrifices to be able to come to the United States. As a result, Adassa had many opportunities that she wouldn’t have had without them. She says, “If this is all they (the producers) hear of me, they’re gonna hear my father’s name… I don’t know when I will have the opportunity for their names to be remembered in the minds of these creatives.”

Keep Family the Top Priority

Since being signed to her first record deal at eighteen years old, Adassa has traveled the world. Her career has given her opportunities to sing with Luis Fonsi, Missy Elliott, and Pitbull, among many others. She sang at Madison Square Gardens and in the American Airlines Arena.

Connie asked Adassa, “How did you keep your head? How did you keep grounded?”

Adassa said, “Well, family to me is number one and has always been my first love… the first thing is to keep them together.”

She went on to say that she wanted to be the best at the beginning of her career, so she had to study the market, follow trends, and be competitive. As a result, she became famous. She found herself pushing the line until she couldn’t go further. She was grateful for the opportunities she’d had in her music. And then she said, “I know what I believe and I know my principles, and I am unwilling to compromise my principles to go to another level.” She was comfortable, so she decided to retire. And then she was home, making bread and teaching her kids.

Connie later asked her, “You (and your husband) both are working in the same industry, and you’re both parenting, and then there’s gotta be time for you guys. How do you navigate the shifting of gears together?”

Adassa said, “I would say it becomes a list of priority. And for us, because our kids are first priority, we have tried to have a live-in [working style]… We kind of do it in the way that works for us.” Adassa and her husband Gabe, who is a music producer, take turns being the stay-at-home parent while they each travel, go on tour, and take advantage of the opportunities that come their way.

Don’t Be Afraid to Turn Down Money for Moments

Adassa’s family principles are very important to her. She has learned to say, “Thank you, but no” when an opportunity doesn’t line up with what she ultimately wants in life. She asks herself, “Does this align with my priorities and my principles?”

Adassa recommends that other creators imagine every step, every yes, and every no to achieve a dream. She said, “Like a chess game, you gotta see the end result before you move a piece.” Otherwise, creators could feel resentment toward their family members for unrealized dreams and expectations.

She has turned down seven- and eight-figure opportunities because they don’t align with her principles. She said, “Sometimes you have to say no to money so you can say yes to moments—and moments you can never get back.”

Adassa went on to say that moments are priceless. She looks for opportunities to take her family of seven children with her whenever she can. They come to see her perform and go on tours with her. “No amount of millions of dollars could ever pay for that moment that I’m gonna miss.”

This article is based on the Called to Create podcast featured during Season 3, Episode 5. You can listen to the full podcast here.

A Conversation with J. Scott Savage

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Tech executive J. Scott Savage had always dreamed of becoming an author; however, it wasn’t until the collapse of a $100-million deal to sell his internet company that he turned to writing to relieve stress. He explains, “I would write a few chapters, and my sister, DeAnne, would read it and go, ‘Hey, this is great. You’re going to write more.'” Encouraged by his sister’s positive feedback, he sent his high-tech thriller to Covenant Communications, a small Utah publisher. Six months later, they offered to publish his book. Looking back at his first novel, J. Scott says, “There are a lot of things that I would have done differently with that story now… But at the time, because there were no aspirations of getting it published, I didn’t know enough to know what I was doing wrong.” Despite facing numerous rejections after his first acceptance, he continued working toward his dream of writing books. He says the obstacles are all part of the process, and making mistakes helped him learn what he knows now.

Initially, he thought, “Okay, that’s it. I’m an author. I’m going to quit the high-tech world. I’m going to go buy a cabin by the lake, and then I saw my first royalties, and I was like, oh no, I guess I won’t do that.” If he had depended on the income from being a writer during the first two decades of his writing career, he would have likely given up. Instead, he realized that creators must engage in creative endeavors out of love for their art rather than financial gain. “You never want to tell someone, hey, you can’t make a living at this, because you can make a living at any creative endeavor. But you’ve got to start doing it because you love it because most creative people are not making enough money to live off it. And oftentimes, it’s combining it with something else or a different approach.”

Later, J. Scott transitioned into writing middle-grade fantasy books. He recalls, “So, I started writing adult books, didn’t think I could write kids’ books, but I eventually discovered that [writing middle-grade books] was… my calling, and my very first middle-grade book came out literally within months of… another recession.” He used the severance pay from his tech job to embark on a school tour to promote his debut middle-grade book. His efforts to promote the book weren’t successful in the way he had hoped, but he loved inspiring children to read and write. He recalls, “Looking back, though, what felt like a failure was where I really learned to do what I do now.”

J. Scott highlights the importance of treating young readers respectfully instead of talking down to them. When he visits schools, he shares stories from his own childhood that kids can relate to, like growing up with ADHD, wearing an eye patch, and going to speech therapy. He says, “As a writer myself, I think it’s valuable to know that someone who has published numerous books believes that others can do the same. My message to aspiring writers is to find their unique voice, make an impact, and celebrate their differences.”

In a world filled with countless distractions for children, J. Scott aims to provide opportunities for kids to learn to express themselves through writing. “Sharing stories can help us understand each other’s perspectives and appreciate our differences.” His two goals for nurturing empathy in young writers are to show them that reading and writing are fun and safe. “I tell them there is no wrong answer. I’ve had some somewhat questionable things that we come up with, whether a butt monster or a farting unicorn or whatever, but the thing is that once they know that there’s no wrong answer, that it’s not a right and wrong test, it changes things.”

Teachers verify that his teaching technique works, citing instances where children previously hesitant to write were inspired to craft engaging narratives, such as a story about a farting chipmunk. In the past, the teachers would have rejected this idea for being inappropriate, but because of his advice, “literally, by the end of the day, [the students] had put together a five-page story.”

By fostering a love for books in school-age children, J. Scott has been able to instill within them a desire to read that lasts throughout their lives. He is often approached by young adults who say, “I know you don’t remember, but when I was in fifth or sixth grade, you came to my school. I hadn’t read anything, but after your assembly, I wanted to read that, and I finished that book, and I told my mom I wanted to read more. I just wanted to come and thank you… it’s because of you coming and visiting my school that I love reading now and that I’ve continued to read.”

J. Scott’s life lessons and personal triumphs echo through the pages of his books. His narratives, replete with compelling characters navigating challenges, inspire readers embarking on their personal journeys. According to him, reading about characters in challenging situations triggers the release of specific chemicals in the brain. When young readers immerse themselves in books, the same chemical reactions occur. This phenomenon has a transformative power. Readers see their favorite characters triumph over adversity and think, “I can do that too!”

The positive messages J. Scott gets from readers and teachers help keep him motivated when the business of writing becomes discouraging. He points out that the goal isn’t necessarily to write the next bestseller, but to sell enough books to keep writing more. Despite facing times when he doubts himself and money is tight, he finds strength in moments when people tell him that his stories or classes made a difference in their lives. He shares a story about a friend who wrote a book that didn’t sell well. He assured her that it wasn’t her fault—it’s just how the publishing world works sometimes.

J. Scott encourages new authors to involve loved ones in their writing journey, seek local mentors and organizations, and use the internet to connect with like-minded individuals. He emphasizes that the gift of writing is a calling from God to impact lives positively. “Whether you’re writing your first book or your twentieth book or whether you’re selling a lot of books or not, whether you’re touring or whatever—I feel like you’ve been given that talent as a calling, and magnifying your calling doesn’t guarantee you’re going to make a lot of money or be famous, but it does guarantee that you’re taking those talents and you’re doing something with them.”

This article is based on the Called to Create podcast featured during Season 3, Episode 8. You can listen to the full podcast here.