Richard E. Turley Jr. is a former Managing Director of the Church Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Assistant Church Historian and Recorder. He served as chairman of the editorial board of the Joseph Smith Papers and has authored many books on Latter-day Saint history. During nearly three and a half decades of Church employment, he also served as managing director of the Church’s Family History, Communication, and Public Affairs Departments. He is spending much of his retirement researching and writing about the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Mercedes Ng grew up in Hong Kong. She attended the University of Utah for her freshman and sophomore years and then transferred to Brigham Young University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in art. In 2015, she went on a mission to Hawaii, primarily at the Laie Temple Visitor Center. Mercedes is married to Mark Reber, and they live in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Mercedesis an oil painter and artist. She loves creating artwork and listening to audiobooks.

Mary Wood grew up in Louisiana and graduated from the Honors College of the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in music performance. She performed with the Orchestra at Temple Square and worked with the Utah Symphony until switching careers to start a thriving professional organizing business. Mary is a single mom of two and loves to seek beauty through reading and travel. Always up for a good road trip, Mary has been to all 50 states and is currently working on visiting the national parks of the US.

Sara and Doug Christensen have been married for nearly 32 years. They went to Junior High and High school together, but only dated after Sara returned from a mission to Portugal. Sara spent several years at BYU, but completed a BA in History at the University of Utah. She runs a business called Jenibee Market with her sister Jeni Gochnour. Sara sells her scented Bluelily Candles and room sprays along with other seasonal crafts at their market and at various outlets along the wasatch front. Sara and Doug enjoy traveling, making food, watching shows, working in the yard, hiking, and playing pickleball together; they enjoy all of the above with their children: Hannah (Brandon), Adelide (Chase), Henry (Kaylie), & Lillie Jane. But above all, they delight in the company of their granddaughters Edith (2) and Posy (6 mo).

Sara and Doug Christensen have been married for nearly 32 years. They went to Junior High and High school together, but only dated after Sara returned from a mission to Portugal. Following a mission to Sweden, Doug earned a BA in English Literature and an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Utah. In 2005 he returned to the U to pursue a degree in Rhetoric and Writing Studies. While pursuing his PhD he taught a variety of Writing classes and has had the good fortune to continue as an associate instructor in the Writing and Rhetoric Studies Department. He began teaching Seminary full time in 1992 and currently teaches at SLCC, Taylorsville Institute. Doug devotes any extra time to building furniture in his backyard shop and he writes regular book reviews for the Association of Mormon Letters. Sara and Doug enjoy traveling, making food, watching shows, working in the yard, hiking, and playing pickleball together; they enjoy all of the above with their children: Hannah (Brandon), Adelide (Chase), Henry (Kaylie), & Lillie Jane. But above all, they delight in the company of their granddaughters Edith (2) and Posy (6 mo).

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.