Last weekend, thousands of Latter-day Saint young adults gathered in the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, for a concert headlined by Ben Rector, Rachel Platten, and Emma Nissen. The show was one of the final events of the 2024 Utah Area Young Single Adult (YSA) Conference and featured inspirational videos of young adults sharing their testimonies of Jesus Christ.
A highlight of the evening for many attendees was Ben Rector’s performance of “I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus,” which he learned just for the event. “I’m kind of nervous—it’s a beautiful song,” he shared with the Friday audience before singing the Primary song.
While Ben isn’t expressly a religious artist, he says his Christian faith influences his approach to music.
“I grew up playing music in church; that’s where I learned how to play music,” he shared in an interview with BYUtv. “And I sometimes feel like people [who] grew up playing in church … almost learn, like, the emotion of music. Like, you learn what those feelings are and how to connect to those things. That is something that is still a central part of how I make music and why I make music.”
At the YSA conference, Ben performed originals like “Brand New,” “Old Friends,” and “Loving You Is Easy,” as well as a song he wrote about seeking peace in Christ called “Follow You.” Latter-day Saint artist JTM, formerly known as James the Mormon, joined Ben as a surprise guest artist for the song “Sunday.”
Sharing Light through Song
During her setlist, Rachel Platten shared a similar message about finding hope and faith in God. The singer-songwriter spoke about her experiences facing postpartum anxiety and depression after the births of her two daughters, saying that prayer was a crucial tool in helping her find light in the darkness.
She performed newly released songs like “Mercy” and “Bad Thoughts,” as well as her 2015 pop ballad hit “Fight Song.”
Of her Jewish faith, Rachel shared in an interview: “It’s part of my DNA, so I’m sure it [affects my career]. … [My songwriting] is a place of healing; it’s where I’m working out all this stuff. And I’m sure my Judaism has a role in the deep dive into the ‘dark night of the soul’ and then finding what you need there.”
Latter-day Saint artist Emma Nissen also sang and spoke about her faith, sharing her experiences serving as a missionary in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although she said it was difficult to manage the uncertainty throughout that time, she felt prompted to turn to the Lord and share messages of light through original songs—which her mom shared with some of Emma’s first listeners using Google Drive.
Singing in her characteristic “Christian Jazz” music style, Emma performed favorites like “Flesh and Bone,” “Gotta Have Faith,” as well as her newly released single “Love Like You,” which was produced by Adam Blackstone—the musical director for acclaimed artists like Justin Timberlake and Rihanna.
Emma’s new album Love Like You releases on August 28 and will be available at Deseret Book, deseretbook.com, and all of your favorite streaming platforms.
Learn more about Emma Nissen’s music in the stories below:
▶ Meet the Latter-day Saint singer who gives us Lauren Daigle and Adele vibes
▶ Latter-day Saint blows away NYC jazz club with her ‘jazzy Jesus’ vocals
▶ Run, don’t walk. Jazzy gospel singer Emma Nissen dropped a new single that lights up the dark
