Brian Mead is a faculty member in the Church History and Doctrine Department at Brigham Young University and primarily teaches the Eternal Family course. In that class, he talks with students about both the beautiful ideal of Heavenly Father’s plan for families and the very real circumstances, some joyful and some painful, that families experience. He hopes to help students recognize the hope, healing, and belonging made possible through the gospel of Jesus Christ in every season of life.

Before joining the BYU faculty, Brian taught with Seminaries and Institutes of Religion and then worked at the Church Office Building. Much of his work centered on helping individuals and families navigate life circumstances related to family dynamics, disabilities, mental and emotional health, suicide prevention, LGBTQ+ experiences, poverty, and many other parts of the human journey. He earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from BYU and a PhD in applied social psychology. Brian and his wife, Annie, live in Salem, Utah, and are the parents of four children.

Matt and Debbie Miller live in South Jordan, Utah, and have been married for 14 years. Neither of them ever expected to find themselves in a second marriage, but they have both learned that, with the Lord’s help, broken hearts can heal and life can be rich, full, and rewarding even after loss.

Debbie is originally from St. Louis, Missouri. When she was 14 years old, her parents were called as mission leaders in Stockholm Sweden where they served with all 6 of their children for 3 years. Learning at this early age how to be resilient and embrace new and different experiences has been a blessing throughout her life. She has lived in a variety of places since then and has loved learning and growing from the experiences had in each one.

Matt grew up in Orange County, California, in a family of 4 boys. After completion of a mission in Des Moines, Iowa, he returned home and sang in an institute choir, “The Grandland Singers,” who performed and held firesides throughout Southern California.

After nearly 30 years of marriage, Debbie and Matt suddenly found themselves divorced and widowed and living in Utah. They recognize God’s hand in bringing them together and helping them create a new and beautiful chapter, one filled with opportunities to love and serve. Matt currently serves as Stake President in the South Jordan Country Crossing Stake. He and Debbie both enjoy serving as temple workers in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. Together they have 6 children and 18 grandchildren, most of which live in the Salt Lake area.

Matt and Debbie love studying and learning together, especially from the scriptures and modern-day prophets. They enjoy watching “K-Dramas” as they work out together, time with family, fishing, fresh mountain air, and Hawaiian sunsets.

Dr. Jason Whiting is a professor at Brigham Young University. His research projects have included initiatives to reduce abuse and strengthen marriage, and he is currently directing a project on healthy and unhealthy intimate relationships. In addition to his scholarly work, he has written books, including Love Me True: Overcoming the Surprising Ways We Deceive in Relationships, and blogs for a general audience. He teaches courses on addictions, violence, and grounded theory research methods.

Bonnie H. Cordon has discovered that life rarely follows our plans. Some of the very best opportunities begin with an unexpected invitation to simply say yes.

One of those unexpected invitations resulted in her appointment as the 10th President of Southern Virginia University, where she led during a season of growth and renewal. Her leadership focused on strengthening faith, developing student leaders, advancing academic excellence, and building a sustainable future for the university.

Before joining Southern Virginia University, Cordon served for seven years as a General Officer of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including five years as the 15th Young Women General President.

Those years placed her in the middle of some remarkable changes for the rising generation. She helped lead the worldwide implementation of the Children and Youth program, the expansion of For the Strength of Youth conferences, the inspired adjustments to the Young Women theme, and the development of For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices.

Her leadership has also included service on the Church Educational System Board of Education, the Missionary Executive Committee, Brigham Young University Broadcasting, Humanitarian XP board, and the National Board for the Boy Scouts of America. Along the way, she has worked with religious, civic, educational, and community leaders across cultures and continents.

President Cordon grew up as the third of seven children on an Idaho farm, where leadership training included early-morning chores, late-night chores, and the realization that chickens are remarkably unimpressed by your résumé. She competed in gymnastics and track, served a full time mission in Portugal, earned her bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, built a career in the software industry, and started her own business.

At BYU she met Derek Cordon. They became good friends and ski buddies and were, for a time, firmly and unmistakably in the friend zone. Fortunately, friendship eventually became something more. They have four children, plenty of adventures, and a growing collection of grandchildren who remain their favorite leadership team.

Bonnie and Derek served together as mission leaders in Curitiba, Brazil, one more unexpected assignment that became a treasured chapter of their lives.

If you ask Bonnie what truly shaped her, she will point less to résumés and more to moments— answered prayers, unexpected assignments, and doors that opened only after she stepped forward in faith.

Together, Bonnie and Derek made a quiet covenant: they would always say yes to the Lord— even when it didn’t make sense. That promise has led them to places they never would have imagined going, and to people they now hold very dear to their hearts, a growing family that includes each of you.