2019 Conference
March 14-17, 2019
2019 Conference
A Perfect Brightness of Hope
March 15-17, 2019
Salt Lake City, Utah
Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel
150 W 500 S, Salt Lake City, UT, 84101
President’s Message
My beloved brothers and sisters,
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, I welcome you to the 2019 North Star Conference. Please know that you are among friends who love you dearly and who share your desire to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are so grateful you are here and look forward to learning and growing with you this weekend.
The purpose of the North Star Conference is to bring together Latter-day Saints who share a unique path and precious perspectives, to gather with their loved ones, families and church leaders, so that we might learn from and strengthen each other as we strive to live the gospel and make and keep sacred covenants. The Conference Committee has spent the last year seeking the guidance of the Lord to put together a program that will educate and edify our dear North Star family. Here you will have the opportunity to attend general keynote sessions and a wide variety of breakout sessions. We hope that you will find what you might be seeking while you are here. I believe with all of my heart that we have been blessed with unique capabilities and perspectives that are crucial to building the kingdom of God and establishing Zion. There is within each of us a strength and an aptitude that could come in no other way.
I encourage you as you go through this Conference weekend to consider what unique talents, abilities and perspectives you bring to the gospel that can help your fellow saints grow and learn, and how you can bring them to bear in your part of the vineyard. As Elder Holland has said, “Believe in yourself, and believe in Him. Don’t demean your worth or denigrate your contribution. Above all, don’t abandon your role in the chorus. Why? Because you are unique; you are irreplaceable. The loss of even one voice diminishes every other singer in this great mortal choir of ours, including the loss of those who feel they are on the margins of society or the margins of the Church.”
I pray the Lord’s blessings be upon each of you while you are here and hope that you might strengthen your voice, lengthen your stride, and be filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
With love and gratitude,
Bennett B. Borden
President, North Star International
Conference Program
Keynote Speakers
Sistas in Zion
Friday Morning
Ganel-Lyn Condie
Friday Afternoon
Brad Wilcox
Saturday Morning
Tim Timmerman
Saturday Afternoon
Friday
7:00am - 8:45am Breakfast/Meet & Greet
9:00am - 10:30am Opening Session
Conducting: Brigit Pack
Hymn: How Firm a Foundation (verses 1,3,5,7), #85
President’s Address: [Presentation] Bennett Borden
Musical Number: [Presentation] Noteworthy
Keynote Speakers: [Presentation] Sistas in Zion: Tamu Smith & Zandra Vranes
10:45am - 12:15pm Breakout Session 1
- Wasatch: Closer to Christ Through Personal Revelation
Presenter: Becky Edwards
Target Demographic: General - Deer Valley: Legit Tools for Dealing With Compulsive and Addictive Sexual Behaviors
Presenter: Dan Gray
Target Demographic: SSA Men - Brighton: Awake and Arise: Centering Faith in an dApplying the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Presenter: Tonya Cox
Target Demographic: General - Sundance: Steps to Loving, Joyful, and Fulfilling Relationships
Presenter: Tera Brown & Rosa Lauper
Target Demographic: Spouses - Powder Mtn: Panel: How to Have Hope and Remain Faithful Regarless of Your Transitionary State
Presenter: Brandon Jenson
Panelists: Landon Phillips, Victoria Adam, Jeremy Adamiak, Nick Gregory
Target Demographic: Gender Identity, Trans - Snowbird: Being the Parent Your Child Needs
Presenter: Scott Mackintosh & Preston Jenkins
Target Demographic: Parents
12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch
1:45pm - 2:45pm Breakout Session 2
- Wasatch: Building Brotherhood
Presenter: Tim Timmerman
Target Demographic: SSA Men - Deer Valley: Panel: Pursuing Mixed-Orientation Relationships: What to Consider
Presenter: Vaughn Armstrong
Panelists: Brent Ebmeyer, Courtney Ebmeyer, Lucas Jones, Wrylon Jones, Jamie Ellis, Brittany Ellis
Target Demographic: Couples, Spouses - Brighton: Faith in Every Footstep: Stepping Into a New World of Family, Church and Friendships After Your Child Has Come Out
Presenter: Rebecca Silva
Target Demographic: Parents - Sundance: Finding Peace in My Sexuality as a Same-Sex Attracted Woman
Presenter: Laurie Campbell
Target Demographic: SSA Women - Powder Mtn: Finding Hope in God: Principles for Thiving in Life and Fostering Self-Acceptance
Presenter: Ben Schilaty
Target Demographic: General - Snowbird: Building the Trans Community: Coming Together Regarless of Our Differences
Presenter: Ed Hayward
Target Demographic: Gender Identity, Trans - Big Cottonwood: QPR: Suicide Prevention Training
Presenter: Debra Coe, Don Coe, Jeff Case
Target Demographic: General
3:00pm - 4:00pm Breakout Session 3
- Wasatch: Led by the Spirit: How I Felt My Way Back
Presenter: Preston Jenkins, Ann Pack, Neil Petersen
Target Demographic: Gender Identity, Trans, SSA Men - Deer Valley: Empowering Tools to Build My Community at Church and Amongst Peers
Presenter: Courtney Ebmeyer
Panelists: Wendy Eldredge, Joe Eldredge, Rod Mortensen, Alex Lindstrom
Target Demographic: General - Brighton: Understanding Healthy Male Relationships
Presenter: Blaine Hickman
Target Demographic: SSA Men - Sundance: Working Through Trauma in Marriage and Relationships: Balancing Compassion with Self-Care
Presenter: Marianne Downing
Target Demographic: Spouses - Powder Mtn: Building and Keeping Healthy Relationships with Women
Presenter: Kara Posner
Target Demographic: CLOSED DOOR: Women - Snowbird: A House Divided: Navigating Family Dynamics
Presenter: Debby Jackson
Panelists: Janae Monson, Rebecca Silva, Joey Shepard
Target Demographic: Parents
4:00pm - 6:00pm General Session
Conducting: Ty Mansfield
Musical Number: Align, by Peter Morgan & Adam Taylor
Keynote Speaker: [Presentation] Ganel-Lyn Condie
Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almight, #72
Saturday
7:00am-8:45am Breakfast/Meet & Greet
9:00am - 10:15am General Session
Conducting: Becky Borden
Hymn: Our Savior’s Love, #113
Speaker: Larry Richman, Director of Priesthood and Auxillary Programs, Priesthood and Family Department, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Musical Number: I Know That My Redeemer Lives
Keynote Speaker [Presentation]: Brad Wilcox
10:30am - 12:00pm Breakout Session 4
- Wasatch: And Jesus Beholidng Him Loved Him
Presenter: Eric Huntsman
Target Demographic: General - Deer Valley: Panel: How to Better Understand Your SSA/Gay or Trans Members in Your Congregation
Presenter: Kurt Francom
Panelists: Brittany Ellis, Ben Schilaty, Travis Steward
Target Demographic: Church Leaders - Brighton: As I Am – Finding Myself Through Christ
Presenter: Curtis Brown
Target Demographic: SSA Men - Sundance: Navigating Challenges of Faith
Presenter: Jana Spangler
Target Demographic: Gender Identity, Trans - Powder Mtn: How to Combat Depression and Anxiety While Staying Faithful
Presenter: Taryn Dipo
Target Demographic: General - Snowbird: Extreme Ownership: Empowering Your Marriage Through Understanding Boundaries
Presenter: Shelley Mangum
Target Demographic: Couples - Big Cottonwood: Viviendo Entre Dos Mundos: Quuien Esperaban Que Fuera Vs Quien Soy
Presenter: Liv Mendoza
Target Demographic: SSA Women
12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm - 2:30pm Breakout Session 5
- Wasatch: Ministering to LGBT Teens
Presenter: Diana Hoelscher
Target Demographic: Church Leaders - Deer Valley: Panel: Healthy Ways to Communicate Your Needs in Marriage
Presenter: Tera Brown
Panelists: Rupert Reyneke, Janel Reyneke, Erick Hacking, Kathi Hacking. Blake Smith, Denise Smith
Target Demographic: Couples - Brighton: My Story: Finding Hope While Single
Presenter: Quinn Kelly, Mark Buckley, Bryan Hill
Target Demographic: SSA Men, SSA Women - Sundance: Increasing Self-Awareness: How to Respond to My Attractions in a Healthy Way
Presenter: Pret Dahlgren
Target Demographic: SSA Men - Powder Mtn: The Dead-Ends, U-Turns, and Roadblocks of SSA Women’s Journeys: Navigating Emotional and Spiritual Health
Presenter: Brittany Ellis
Target Demographic: SSA Women - Snowbird: Strengthening Your Marriage With Your Transgender Spouse
Presenter: Blaine Hickman
Target Demographic: Gender Identity, Trans - Big Cottonwood: QPR: Suicide Prevention Training
Presenter: Debra Coe, Don Coe, Jeff Case
Target Demographic: General
2:45pm - 3:45pm Breakout Session 6
- Wasatch: How to Maintain Open, Constructive and Vulnerable Conversations With Loved Ones
Presenter: Kim Giles
Target Demographic: SSA Men, SSA Women - Deer Valley: Panel: Finding Hope Through Other SSA Women’s Experiences
Presenter: Liv Mendoza
Panelists: Cynthia Miller, Jenn Curtis
Target Demographic: SSA Women - Brighton: Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven
Presenter: Bryan Young
Target Demographic: General - Sundance: Panel: How to Help Others Know About Your Dysphoria and Let Them in to Help
Presenter: Tricia Green
Panelists: Mark Green, Kris Irvin, Brandon Jenson
Target Demographic: Gender Identity, Trans - Powder Mtn: Having Hope in My Identity as a Child of God
Presenter: Brent Ebmeyer, Jeremy Wengren, Alma Wilson
Target Demographic: SSA Men, SSA Women - Snowbird: Thriving With No Conclusion
Presenter: Andy Proctor
Target Demographic: General - Big Cottonwood: QPR: Suicide Prevention Training
Presenter: Debra Coe, Don Coe, Jeff Case
Target Demographic: General
4:00pm - 6:00pm Closing Session
Conducting: Kurt Francom
Keynote Speaker [Presentation]: Tim Timmerman
Musical Guest: Calee Reed
Hymn: Press Forward, Saints, #81
Sunday
9:00am-11:00am Post-Conference Sharing Session
Leadership
Board of Directors
- Brigit Adams, Chair
- Becky Mackintosh, Member
- Julio Ospina, Member
- Ty Mansfield, Member
- Jeff Bennion, Member
- Kurt Francom, Member
- Tera Brown, Member
- Becky Borden, Member
- Quinn Kelly, Member
(Current List of Board Members)
Executive Committee
- Bennett Borden, President
- Liv Mendoza, Executive Vice President
- Chris Staggs, VP, Marketing & Content
- Kevin Denny, VP, Finance
- Mark Buckley, VP, Online Communities
- Rob Wood, VP, Information Technologies
- Sarah Langford, VP, Community Relations
- Brandon Langford, Co-VP, Community Events
- Brittany Ellis, Co-VP, Community Events
- Travis Steward, VP, Church Leader Outreach
- Spencer Thompson, VP, Conference Events
(Current List of Executive Committee Members)
Conference Committee
- Spencer Thompson, Chair
- Vaughn Armstrong, Vice Chair
- Becky Mackintosh, Youth Track Chair
- Brent Ebmeyer, Program Lead
- Courtney Ebmeyer, Program Lead
- Chris Staggs, Marketing Lead
- Ryan Warnick, Technical Lead
- Lana Garfield, Logistics Lead
- Debby Jackson, Logistics Lead
- Terry Stroud, Finance Lead