Dr. Shannon was born in Quantico, Virginia, and spent most of his young life in Virginia. He served a mission first in the Oregon Portland Mission and then in the Washington Kennewick Mission after the Oregon Portland Mission was split. Dr. Shannon earned a BA in ancient Near Eastern studies from Brigham Young University (2007), a master of studies in Jewish studies from the University of Oxford (2008), and a PhD in Near Eastern languages and cultures with a graduate interdisplinary specialization in religions of the ancient Mediterranean from The Ohio State University (2015). He and his wife, Thora, have seven children.

Kathryn Davis is a full-time seminary teacher. She is an EFY/FSY speaker and session director. She loves skiing, football, golf, and trail running with her dog London—who they got because she lost a bet with her daughter. She met her husband at EFY—no, they were not participants. After serving a mission in Hamburg, Germany, and teaching at the MTC, she and her husband Steve were both counselors at EFY. She graduated from BYU with psychology and English teaching degrees. She taught high school English, German, and psychology.

Chad and Kymberly Wells are Utah transplants as of 2001 by way of California and Hawaii. They are the parents of five children with two who have already flown the nest. The three at home keep them hopping and running to various sports and activities. Chad works in the biotech field (cancer) and Kymberly is a part-time substitute teacher. When they have free time, they are often playing in the mountains or boating on some lake but they always try to put the gospel at the center of their lives.

Britney Mellen loves living well and sharing her passion with others. She enjoys food, music, nature and travel with her husband, three children and miniature schnauzer, whom she lives with in the foothills of Salt Lake City. She currently writes for Foundation Goods, a home design and decor destination in Salt Lake.

Dr. LaShawn C. Williams is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Relational Change Strategist focusing on the interactions between people and across differences where connection matters most. Her anti-oppression work centers on the effects of marginalization, isolation, and disconnection in personal and professional spaces. She specializes in interpersonal and organizational change from the margins to the center. Grounded in Relational Cultural Theory, Dr. Williams works with leaders at every organizational level to help them engage the taboo concepts of interpersonal shame and humiliation then commuting to create pathways toward mutual empathy and empowerment. She is an accessible consultant to local, regional, and national organizations. She is passionate about Relational Transformation and eagerly supports individuals, couples, families and groups through her practice, Relational Spaces at The Utah Center for Connection in Orem.

Emily Estes wears many hats- wife, best friend, mother of three, service operations executive, autism advocate and faithful Latter-day Saint- just to name a few. Emily attended Brigham Young University to study sociology while beginning a career in customer service. After establishing her career as a customer service manager, and one really bad sunburn, Emily met her husband Matthew in a Dayton, Ohio singles ward. One magical date with dinner and a 'Beatles' concert, and life has never been the same since! Emily, Matthew, their two boys and rambunctious shih tzu recently settled in Utah and patiently await the day when they can be reunited with their daughter in Heaven.

Christopher Jones is a father, husband, and historian. A graduate of Brigham Young University (BA, 2007; MA, 2009) and the College of William & Mary (PhD, 2016), he is currently an assistant professor of history at BYU, where he teaches a variety of courses, including Revolutionary America, African American Family History, Slavery and the Slave Trade, Family and Law in American History, and Missions and Missionaries in American History. His research focuses on religion, race, slavery, and family in early America and the Atlantic World, and his work has been published in Religion & American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation, the Journal of Mormon History, and BYU Studies Quarterly. He is currently completing two book projects - a study of Methodism in Revolutionary America and a co-edited volume on Protestant and Latter-day Saint missions in American History. Christopher lives in South Jordan, Utah with his wife, Karim—a content creator, author, and photographer—and their four children. As a family, they enjoy food (both cooking and eating), hiking, reading, travel, and sports.

DeAnn Hansen is a lover of Diet Coke, good dark chocolate, and teeny tiny things. She is an expert girls camp leader (like 20 times+ kind of expert.) She also loves being an aunt, jogging in the park (okay so it's more of a walk/jog kinda thing,) and yoga. She is blessed with dear friends and most importantly loves the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She has a heart of service and has been helping solve customer service problems and concerns at Deseret Book for 30 years.