Megan – I was raised in an active LDS family and have been a member of the LDS church since my baptism at age eight. I was married in the Manti temple in 2003 and have a lovely growing family that I delight in caring for and nurturing full-time. Currently, our family consists of an almost four year old son, a two year old daughter and a newborn baby boy. It is humbling and hugely rewarding to see my children learning the gospel in our home!
Ben – I am an orthopaedic surgeon in rural Wyoming. I live on a farm with my wife and five children. My hobbies include riding horses and hunting. I am actively engaged in my local community and church. I love my wife, I love my kids, and I love God.
Jan – I am married to that handsome surgeon up above. I became converted to the Church myself in high school. I served a mission in Russia for a year and a half and saw the miracle of joy that enters people’s hearts when they understand their purpose on earth and God’s love for them. Now I live in small-town Wyoming with my husband, five fun children and a menagerie of animals. I also blog at www.indefenseofwomen.wordpress.com.
Curtis – After finishing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering I migrated west to tech-land where I currently work at Apple in acoustics. I owe much to the man who, in a high school English class, introduced my dad to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s ridiculous the amount of good that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has brought into my life. One of the best blessings is knowing that my marriage to my lovely wife will continue after this life. Anxious to share some of the good I have had in my life, I served for two years as an LDS missionary in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. I am still anxious.
Emily – I also grew up in the same house as Jan and Thaddeus. I love my family and being an aunt to 8 (almost 10) of the sweetest little humans on the planet. I recently graduated in Continental Philosophy at UVU (yay!) and am working in home health care in Chico, California. Traveling is one of my passions and I’m mildly obsessed with Africa and anything Latinamerican. I served a full-time mission in Rancagua, Chile for 18 months. There, I witnessed the peace that answers can bring to those who sincerely seek them. I am a firm believer in questioning and have been able to understand the ‘why’ of many gospel principles as I’ve studied and questioned them.
Bus – I was born and raised in Provo, Utah in the shadow of BYU the Church’s university. Therefore, I got a Building Construction degree at Utah Trade Tech., a bachelor’s at Utah State University, a master’s at the University of Utah, and another master’s through the University of Phoenix. I grew up in the Church, served in many positions including: Sunday School Teacher, Primary Teacher, Scoutmaster, Young Men’s Leader, Elder’s Quorum President, and most recently as a Bishop. I served a mission in the beautiful land of Austria, und ich spreche noch ein bißchen Deutsch. I am the proud father of six wonderful children who are engaged in doing good in their respective spheres of life. After teaching high school history and government classes for 28 years at Orem High School I retired and shifted my career path. I work as an educational counselor at Alpine District’s alternative school, East Shore High, and I also teach classes in everything from philosophy, psychology, history, and sociology for the University of Phoenix.
Kendra – I am a convert to the LDS faith. My mom, brother and I joined when I was 11 years old. Prior to this we were active Lutherans living in Mesa, Arizona. Although I was surrounded by Mormons I was a little skeptical of the religious beliefs I heard from my friends, and my stepdad who was also a Mormon. When my family moved to Indiana, my mom started listening to the LDS missionaries and decided to be baptized into the Mormon church. My brother and I then began taking the lessons and my young heart began to change. I always believed in God and loved going to church, but as I listened to the missionaries, I felt something new and I began to understand who God really was. I wanted to be baptized, and it has been the best decision I ever made. Later in life, I served a mission to Argentina to share my testimony with the wonderful people of that land. After my mission I moved to Utah where I now live and enjoy life.
Steve G – Originally I’m from Utah but now we’ve settled in the heat of Arizona. My wonderful wife and I have five kids that keep us busy. I enjoy playing basketball and am a fan of the Utah Jazz. I like playing board games and computer games. A side hobby that I have has been creating a children’s educational YouTube channel. I’m so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. The teachings of Jesus Christ bring peace to my life and the hope for eternal salvation in the life to come.
Steve Stacey – I love life. Life, for me, consists of my family, my religion, my hobbies, eating, sleeping etc. I live in Missouri where I am studying medicine.
I joined the Army shortly after getting accepted into medical school. I have a super cute wife, a terribly adorable daughter and a stupendous son. I love running, hiking, biking, reading, writing poetry, taking pictures, eating, Photoshop, vacations, video editing, healthy food, s’mores, fires, eating, guitar, rock climbing, surfing the net, listening to music, watching movies, making fun of popular TV shows, going to school, eating, going to church, playing with my kids and going on long romantic walks with my wife. My wife, Emily, and I do everything together that we can. We love making memories in digital scrapbooks and movies.
Jodie – I grew up on a small farm in Idaho, where I learned two things: 1) Hard work pays off, and 2) I hate mosquitoes (thank goodness for repellant, right?). Somehow I was lucky enough to serve a mission in Brisbane, Australia – a land of friendly, easygoing people who enjoy a long summer and no winter. I graduated with a physics degree from Utah State University and am putting it to good use doing cool science experiments with my kids as a stay-at-home mom. My favorite hobbies include volleyball, softball, playing the piano, and reading classics. The coolest and most exciting thing to me about the gospel of Jesus Christ is that there is always something more to learn and new insights to have as I continue to study.