Brent M. Rogers, Ph.D., is a managing historian for the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He worked for thirteen years on the Joseph Smith Papers and, for three of those years, served as the project’s managing historian. Brent is the award-winning author of numerous books and articles. His first book, Unpopular Sovereignty: Mormons and the Federal Management of Early Utah Territory (University of Nebraska Press, 2017), received The Charles Redd Center-Phi Alpha Theta Book Award for the Best Book on the American West, the Mormon History Association’s Best First Book Award, and the Utah State Historical Society’s Francis Armstrong Madsen Best History Book Award. Brent is also the author of Buffalo Bill and the Mormons (Bison Books, 2024) and several articles including “A ‘distinction between Mormons and Americans’: Mormon Indian Missionaries, Federal Indian Policy, and the Utah War,” Utah Historical Quarterly (Fall 2014), which won the Western History Association’s Arrington-Prucha Prize for Best Article on the History of Religion in the West. When he is not researching and writing history, Brent enjoys reading about history, watching movies, walking his dog, and trying to keep up with his family’s busy schedule of school, sports, and music.

Joe Wilson was born in American Samoa, Alao and currently lives in Laie, Hawaii. He married Melissa Meyers in the Laie, Temple and has 5 wonderful children, Miyamoto, Teylon, Cedar, Liam, Leyton, and one grandson Iosefa. After receiving a Master's in MFT Joe worked in the Mental Health field for a few years and decided to get a Life and Health Broker Insurance license. Currently he is the first American Samoa Surf Team Coach and has an incredible team ready to compete in the upcoming Olympic Games. On Sunday Joe is teaching Sunday School and any other time he loves surfing and other water sports. He is the President of the Board Directors with Koolauloa Wellness Center and really enjoys serving the community and giving back.

Matthew J. Grow is Managing Director of the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In that capacity, he leads a team of history professionals who collect documents and artifacts, preserve them, and promote understanding of the Church’s past through a publishing program, a research library, a museum, and many historic sites. Grow also serves as a general editor of the Joseph Smith Papers and Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days. He has published widely on Latter-day Saint history and American religious history. Grow received his PhD in American history from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife Alyssa live with their four children in Sandy, Utah.

A few years ago, a dear friend challenged me to read the Book of Mormon in 28 days, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it changed my life. I only had one baby at that time, and was able to read while he napped during the afternoons. I would make myself a little lunch, sit down on the couch with a comfy blanket, and read for around an hour every day in the quiet family room of our tiny third-story condo.

Joshua M. Matson is a scholar of the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls and an assistant professor in ancient scripture at Brigham Young University with an appointment to the Jerusalem Center where he teaches classes related to the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, and Ancient History. Josh holds a PhD in religion from Florida State University, with an emphasis in religions of western antiquity and a minor in American religious history. In addition to his academic training, Josh spent time teaching with Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, with appointments as a Religious Educator at Bingham High School and as a teacher and director of the Tallahassee Institute of Religion. Josh and his wife Erin are the parents of four children and reside in Santaquin, Utah.

Liz Hansen is a lead writer for the Church's Book of Mormon video, director, and consultant who has gone from acting on Broadway to a Byline at the Los Angeles Times to the classrooms of Brigham Young University. She holds an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute, has won the prestigious Writers Guild Award, an EMMY nomination, and was a finalist for the Humanitas Prize for excellence in children's television programing. In addition, she has a Telly award and two Crystal Awards for excellence in corporate video writing.

Jessica Nelson is a historian and documentary editor for the Joseph Smith Papers. She completed a BA in American studies at Brigham Young University and an MS in history at Utah State University, where she held the Milner/Butler Editorial Fellowship at the Western Historical Quarterly. Her thesis, titled “‘The Mississippi of the West’: Religion, Conservatism, and Racial Politics in Utah, 1960–1978,” was awarded the Lester E. Bush Best Thesis Award by the Mormon History Association in 2018. Previous to joining the Joseph Smith Papers, she worked as a research assistant for the women’s history team at the Church History Department.

Michelle Franzoni Thorley is a Mexican American visual artist, anti-racism consultant and plant lover. Her work and words are available on Instagram at @florafamiliar.

There are over 7.1 million members of the Relief Society—the largest women's organization in the world. Though there are many similarities among Latter-day Saint women, like a shared belief in the gospel, everyone has a different background and story. Here are some outstanding women who show the wonderful diversity of our worldwide sisterhood.

Named one of Country Music Television’s “Next Women of Country” for 2018 and listed among the “2018 Artists to Watch,” 20-year-old country singer Abby Anderson is not only a rising country star, she is also an active believer in Christ and in the LDS faith.