Learn more about
Our Mission
At Latter-day Hymn Stories, we aim to capture, preserve, and share the stories behind our Latter-day Saint hymns. We provide a platform for our songwriters to share the inspiration behind their music and some of the life experiences that helped to shape their testimonies. We hope these stories will foster in our listeners a greater understanding for, and deeper connection to, the songs in our new hymnal, “Hymns — For Home and Church.” We also discuss the beautiful, unique doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ found in these hymns, and seek to honor Him as we honor what we consider to be His sacred music.
meet your host
Alaina Larsen
Alaina Larsen is a podcaster, songwriter, filmmaker, author, and certified life coach. Like many of her podcast guests, Alaina is a Christian songwriter. Her song, Believe in God, arranged by Daniel Blomberg, received an Award of Distinction in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ 2021 Music Submissions.
After producing professional recordings and music videos of her own songs, she directed and edited music videos for other LDS songwriters, including Angie Killian and Blake Gillette. She has also co-authored a sing-along picture book with her mother entitled, “The First to See: Mary’s Easter Story,” published by Cedar Fort Publishing and Media.
Alaina received her bachelor’s degree in Theater and Media Arts from Brigham Young University and certified as a life coach through The Life Coach School. As the Director of Community for the nonprofit organization LDSPMA (Latter-day Saints in Publishing, Media, and the Arts), she helped to create a home for the LDS musician community, whom she continues to serve with this podcast.
Alaina is passionate about the human story and the choice for faith. She hopes all those who listen to this podcast will be uplifted and strengthened in their resolve to live a faith-filled life.
MEET MEMBERS OF
Our Team
We are currently seeking people to join our team! If you would love to be a part of this historic project, please reach out to us at info@17thousandsongs.org.
Director of Production
Tres Larsen
Tres studied
Director of Research
Cris Conerty
Cris is a hymn enthusiast who loves the lyrics, music, and stories behind the hymns. She has been a ward music chairman and choir director many times, and loves helping others learn to sing and appreciate our sacred music. She assists our team in pre-production research, gathering information on our guests’ works, life experiences, and collaborators, as well as relevant articles about the hymns themselves and the gospel topics they discuss.
As the mother and arranging partner of our host, Alaina Larsen, Cris has also written and arranged many faith-promoting songs to bring comfort and courage to followers of Christ. As an award-winning songwriter, she has penned a lifetime of original music inspired by the highlights, heartbreaks, hopes, and heroes of her life, as well as arranged several songs in the a cappella barbershop harmony style. With the publication of The First to See: Mary’s Easter Story” (a children’s picture book inspired by her original folk song by the same name), Cris is humbled to now add “author” to her list of accomplishments.