Al Fox Carraway, also known as the tattooed Mormon, teamed up with LDS artist “James the Mormon” in a YouTube video to invite people to tune in to this October’s general conference.
James Curran has been making music since he was 17. He grew up in Russia, China, Taiwan and Uzbekistan and said he didn’t hear rap until he was 14. He moved to Virginia and also lived in Maryland because his mother was a U.S. diplomat.
He said on his mission, he often felt frustrated with members who were fearful to share the gospel or even tell their friends they were members.
“From that moment on, I made a promise that no matter what, I would always be a member missionary,” Curran said, “and everyone would know that I’m Mormon. Hence, Jamesthemormon.”
Curran has his own businesses and work endeavors, but he said his videos and music is all for the purpose of sharing the gospel. “All my music and videos are just to do missionary work,” he said. “Everything I do to share the gospel is for free. All my music is free to download.”
Carraway, previously known as Al Fox, wrote about her first impressions of Utah and Utah’s first impression of her, in a blog post titled “Tattooed Mormon.” Since then, Al Fox became Al Carraway. She has a baby girl, and she continues to speak at firesides and church events nationwide.
In the video, Carraway says she loves conference because she gets “super charged,” “way great answers” and “all the feels.”
Curran agreed with her in the video: “I watch conference for the feels,” he said. Curran said he prepares for conference for six months, and he tries to listen to a previous conference talk on the way to work each day.
Filmmaker Cameron Gade shot the video in Salt Lake City. Gade has worked with rising stars like Tiffany Alvord, Mimi Knowles, Ashley Hess and Aaliyah Rose.
Gade stopped people in Salt Lake to ask them about general conference. Many talked about their favorite speakers and the chance to hear who the new apostles will be.
Most people in the video said they looked forward to hearing Jeffrey R. Holland speak. Curran echoed their praises and said he’s “sticking by Holland.”
He and Fox Carraway went back and forth in joking banter to talk about Holland’s popularity, with Fox Carraway calling him the “In-N-Out” of conference.
Others mentioned famous conference moments, including Thomas S. Monson’s ear wiggling and the LDS conference fly, which made its appearance during Elder Vinson’s October 2013 talk.
“You’ll be uplifted and probably find answers to questions you’ve had your whole life, maybe even questions you didn’t even know you had,” one commenter said.
Curran said at general conference, he always learns something new or someone says something he needed to hear. Fox Carraway said that during conference, “you feel things you have not felt before.”
The first session of general conference begins Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10:00 a.m and will stream on BYUTV.
