Last October, Brittney and Alysha—sisters with a shared passion for writing and music—made the long drive from Cardston, Alberta, to Provo, Utah. Their destination? The annual LDSPMA conference, a gathering of over four hundred Latter-day Saint writers, musicians, and media professionals.
For three days, Brittney and Alysha immersed themselves in workshops and classes. They also made connections.
What connections? Oba Bonner, for one. Oba, an accomplished songwriter and producer, saw their potential and agreed to help them write and record a song—that weekend!
“They met Oba on Friday,” recounts their father, “got the backing track from him that night and started writing vocals to it, then finished writing the song with him the next day. Then they pulled an all-nighter, recording vocals and making a music video, all before they had to leave for Canada the next morning.”
Oba submitted the song to Nik Day, the youth music manager for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nik accepted the song for the 2025 Strive to Be FSY youth album.
What are Brittney and Alysha up to now? “They’re getting asked to perform at lots of things, doing interviews, possibly doing a music video,” their mother reflects. “All sorts of wonderful things are happening—all as a result of their attendance at LDSPMA last year!”
What Is the LDSPMA Conference?
The annual conference of Latter-day Saints in Publishing, Media, and the Arts (LDSPMA) brings together writers, editors, publishers, artists, and musicians in a faith-centered environment. Held annually since 2015, the conference is for creators of any content—religious or secular—who are motivated in their craft by their faith in Jesus Christ.
“I’m blown away by the incredible material our members create,” says the conference manager, Jeremy Madsen. “Their craft is already top-notch. What they need, in most cases, is the know-how to get their work in front of more people. Our conference shows how to do that.”
This year’s conference runs October 17–19, 2024, at UVU. Keynote speakers will include
- Michael McLean (songwriter, author, playwright, and filmmaker)
- Kristin M. Yee (Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, and former manager at Disney Interactive Studios)
- Ally Condie (New York Times bestselling author and stay-at-home mother of four)
- Brigham Taylor (Disney producer and executive with over 20 years of major movies to his credit)
Over 80 other presenters will deliver dozens of classes and workshops. Authors will also have the opportunity to pitch to publishers.
“We had 435 attendees last year,” Jeremy reflects. “This year we’ve already sold 210 tickets in six weeks. The venue caps at 500, so we’ll likely sell out.”
For more information, visit ldspma.org/conference. LDS Living readers can use the code LDSLIVING2024 for a $30 discount when registering. Students qualify for additional discounts.