Ruth grew up in Sandy, Utah and currently resides in South Jordan, Utah with her husband and four children. She has degrees from both the University of Utah and the University of Phoenix. Aside from that, she’s probably a lot like your Grandma. She likes to spend time with family, is addicted to the library app, and listening to audiobooks while cleaning. Her favorite hobbies are digging in the yard, doing Monday-level New York Times crossword puzzles, and taking care of her family (including extended family and those friends she claims as family). Ruth delights in thrift stores and has a talent for finding good things. Other hobbies include watching documentaries, America’s Test Kitchen, and Monty Don gardening shows. She shows her love to others by cooking and baking for them, and she is the neighborhood go-to for missing ingredients. Fun facts include that she can rarely follow a recipe exactly, and that she has a habit of tinkering in the kitchen using only what she has on hand. According to her kids, she is “really good at cooking,” the “best mom in the world,” “caring,” and “good at drawing slugs."

Brady C. MacKay is a retired U.S. Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration. His career spanned 24 years serving throughout the world, conducting all types of drug enforcement operations. With his family, he spent many of those years working and living in Thailand and China. He is a certified linguist in Mandarin Chinese, Thai, and Lao, along with many dialects of those languages. Brady currently works as a director of corporate security. Brady served in the Thailand, Bangkok mission and always knew he would return to Thailand. Upon arriving there for work, with his wife and children, they quickly realized their paramount reason for being sent to Chiang Mai, Thailand was for the Lord’s purposes. Brady and his family were the only foreigners for most of the six years there with the missionaries and the native members of the church. He served as the district president over an area that included the northern half of the country. His life in Thailand was quite the dichotomy—he would work in the jungles on drug interdictions and then oversee the affairs of the church on weekends. Brady and his wife, Hollee, are the parents of five children. He currently serves as a member of the high council in his stake. Brady is a true American patriot but more importantly, a dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Kelsey grew up in Littleton, Colorado. She graduated from Brigham Young University where she studied Communications and Family Studies. Kelsey was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2015 and served in the Honolulu, Hawaii mission from 2016-2018. Kelsey met her husband Dallin in high school and they currently live in Orem, Utah where Kelsey works as a marketing associate and fitness instructor. She loves being outside, watching movies, and testing out new desserts! 

Jalynne Geddes is from Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada. She currently lives in Hillsboro, Oregon (on the historical territories of the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde and Kalapuya). Jalynne and her husband raise their two children in loving partnership and in a way that they hope honours Nehiyaw (Cree) traditions. Jalynne is a beadwork artist and operates her own website, specializing in heirloom pieces that draw on my Cree sensibilities. See some of Jalynne’s work here: Nehiyanahk_Creations

Melanie Thomas Bullock hails from the upbeat city of Orem, Utah and “can cook an egg on the sidewalk” Marana, Arizona. She spent some time in Maine where she met her hilarious and raucous husband Brent, who passed away suddenly 6 years ago. She has 3 amazingly fabulous daughters that bring joy to her soul. Because she has impeccable timing, she decided to enter the medical field a few short weeks before a worldwide pandemic. Melanie doesn’t do anything “easy.” She’s currently remodeling her home along with her 9-year-old daughter who loves swinging a sledgehammer, watching plumbing videos and laying floors. Melanie loves Del Taco, Jesus and Diet Coke. She also loves vacationing anywhere exotic (or wherever her budget takes her).

Harry Michael is from Beardy’s and Okemasis' Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada. Raised in the Catholic religion, Harry joined the Church when he was 19 years old. Harry and his wife taught their six children (four boys and two girls) the gospel and their Cree traditions, culture, and language. Harry is retired from working in the Criminal Justice system in Canada, where he worked with Federal penitentiary systems. He did case management work and set up two healing centers for the penitentiary system. Harry likes to spend time with his wife and 10 of his grandchildren who live very close to him.

Grown from the good grounds, Paige celebrates differences among culture, faith, and people. In between story times and adventures with her children she speaks, teaches, and presents on themes radiating from the intersection of the humanities and deity and has addressed thousands on the glory of diversity, the exquisite beauty of individuality, and the fulfillment of creation.

Kari Whisenant Howell is a native of Salt Lake City and currently resides in Draper, Utah, with her husband and three children. She holds a bachelor's degree in Human Development from Brigham Young University. She served a Latter-day Saint mission in The Netherlands and Belgium, studied abroad in Jerusalem and she and her family recently returned from living in Tokyo, Japan, for two years. She loves learning from peoples' stories and perspectives. In her free time, Kari loves boating, running, hiking, and hanging out with awesome people. She currently serves with the young women in her ward.