Mormon Insights is published by students in the capstone course of the editing minor at Brigham Young University (BYU). Every member of the Winter 2017 Mormon Insights staff (above) assisted with planning, writing, editing, and designing articles; publishing them on the Internet; and promoting them through social media.
Photos by Megan Matheson Photography
Monica Allen
Hometown: Lindon, Utah
Major and minor: English major; editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Associate Editor, Pinterest Manager, Design Team Member
Dream job: Librarian
Favorite Mormon Insights article or topic: “The Good in Grief” by Bradley Elders
What is your perfect pizza? Pepperoni, olives, cheese, a few mushrooms, a good crust that’s really hard, and more olives
If you could have dinner with any person (living or dead, real or imagined), who would it be? John Keats
Read Monica’s Mormon Insights articles.
Sarah Brown
Hometown: Riverton, Utah
Major and minor: English major; editing and music minors
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Assistant Managing Editor, Instagram Manager, Web Team Member
Unique hobbies: Zumba, puns, and blind contour portraits
What is something hard that you’ve had to do in your life? Come to terms with not wanting to serve an LDS mission
Favorite vacation spot: Arches National Park or Hawaii
If you could have dinner with any person (living or dead, real or imagined), who would it be? Louie Armstrong
Read Sarah’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or her professional portfolio.
Charlotte Noelle Champenois
Hometown: Originally from Allerød, Denmark; moved to Provo, Utah, in 2002
Major and minor: Double major in family history–genealogy and German studies; minor in editing
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Translation Team Director and Liaison
Favorite book: Fairy tale retellings
One item on your bucket list: Visit Greenland
Favorite vacation spot: Denmark, although Iceland is gorgeous too
Languages I would love to learn: Finnish, Navajo, Greenlandic, and Persian (I just speak English, Danish, and German currently, and I studied Spanish and a tiny bit of Chinese and French a few years ago)
Read Charlotte’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn or her professional portfolio.
Leah Emal
Hometown: Destin, Florida
Major and minor: English major; editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Analytics Director, Copyeditor, Facebook Team Member
Favorite quote: “Just keep swimming.” —Dory from Finding Nemo
Unique hobbies: Playing fetch with my cat and eating more than the recommended amount of french fries
One item on your bucket list: Visit as many countries as possible
If you could be any superhero, who would you be? Ironman because I like his gadgets!
Read Leah’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Instagram as @leahemal, LinkedIn, or her professional portfolio.
Joshua W. Felix
Hometown: Brigham City, Utah
Major and minor: English language major and editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Associate Editor, Facebook Manager, Assistant Web Team Director
Favorite book: Too many! The Eragon series is an old favorite, but lately I’ve been loving the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson
Favorite quote: “Anyone can love a thing because. That’s as easy as putting a penny in your pocket. But to love a thing despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.” –Patrick Rothfuss
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: Finished two tubes of chapstick without losing them!
Read Joshua’s Mormon Insights articles.
Michela Fleshman
Hometown: Potomac Falls, Virginia
Major and minor: English major, editing/digital humanities minors
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Web Director, Associate Editor, Assistant Pinterest Manager
Dream job: Professional dragon wrangler. Or YA/middle-grade author. Same thing, really.
Favorite vacation spot: Italy. My mom’s family is from there.
If you could be any superhero, who would you be? Plot twist: I already am one! But if I could be another superhero, I’d be Miraculous Ladybug. Look her up if you don’t know who she is. She’s the coolest.
Read Michela’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Stephanie Fudge
Hometown: Kennesaw, Georgia
Major and minor: English major, editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Assistant Art Director, Assistant Copyrights Director, Associate Editor
Favorite quote: The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. —Martin Luther King Jr.
What is something hard that you’ve had to do in your life? Live away from the East Coast/family
If you could have dinner with any person (living or dead, real or imagined), who would it be? Darth Vader, because I wonder how he eats
Read Stephanie’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on her professional portfolio site.
Tyler Garrett
Hometown: Sacramento, California
Major and minor: English language major, editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Copyeditor, Copyrights Director, Assistant Analytics Director
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: I got married
Unique hobbies: Beatboxing, drumming
Favorite conference talk: “Safety for the Soul” —Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, October 2009
Personal motto: “You won’t get anything unless you ask for it.”
Read Tyler’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with him on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Sarah Keenan
Hometown: Medford, Oregon
Major and minor: English major, editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Managing Editor
Favorite quote: “The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” —Paulo Coelho
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: I went to Canada with my husband and was introduced to poutine and Chocolats Favoris, the best chocolate-dipped ice cream shop in the known world.
One item on your bucket list: Become an extra in a Marvel movie
If you could be any superhero, who would you be? Batman. Always Batman.
Read Sarah’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn, or her professional portfolio.
Emily Russon
Hometown: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Major and minor: journalism major, editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Social Media Director, Associate Editor, Analytics Team Member
Favorite book: The Last Lecture
Favorite quote: “I’m not superstitious. . . . I’m just a little stitious.”
One item on your bucket list: Skydiving
If you could have dinner with any person (living or dead, real or imagined), who would it be? AMELIA EARHART. I can’t handle not knowing what happened to her.
Read Emily’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or on Instagram as @emmajanel.
Camille Lazelle
Hometown: Meridian, Idaho
Major and minor: English major; editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Copyeditor, Translation Team Member
Unique hobbies: Salsa dancing
Favorite conference talk: “Safety for the Soul,” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
What must you always have on your person: My phone and chocolate
Favorite band/singer/group: James Bay
Read Camille’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or her portfolio.
Morgan Lewis
Hometown: I was a military brat, but I’m most recently from St. George, Utah
Major and minor: English major; editing and digital humanities minors
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Assistant Managing Editor, Design Team Member, Twitter Manager
Favorite book: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. It breaks my heart in the most beautiful way.
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: I cried real tears over the model of Hogwarts castle at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London.
Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere with a beach
Read Morgan’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram as @morganalewis_, LinkedIn, and her professional portfolio website.
Nathan Miller
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Major and minor: English, editing/writing and rhetoric
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Web Team Member, Twitter Assistant Manager, Associate Editor, Assistant PR/Correspondence Director
Favorite quote: “She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it).” —Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: Got two cats that are unhappy with each other and so fight a lot—not physically, but they are super territorial and hissy. I know so much about resolving conflict with cats now . . .
Read Nathan’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with him on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Alyssa Nielsen
Hometown: Weston, Idaho
Major and minor: communications–news media major; editing and political science minors
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Associate Editor, PR/Correspondence Director, Assistant Pinterest Manager
Favorite book: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Favorite quote: “Life is so constructed that an event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.” —Charlotte Bronte, Villette
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: I rode an elephant.
What must you always have on your person? My great-grandma’s ring
Read Alyssa’s Mormon Insights articles. Follow Alyssa on Twitter or visit her portfolio website.
Sophia Parry
Hometown: Alpine, Utah
Major and minor: English language major, editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Assistant Managing Editor, Design Team Member, Analytics Team Member
Dream job: Editing and writing fiction. My big dream is to write a book and voice the audiobook.
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: I traveled to Europe with my husband and tried to be a native Londoner for six weeks.
Unique hobbies: I teach yoga and I like to draw. I recently drew crayon portraits of three of my nieces.
Read Sophia’s Mormon Insights articles.
Olivia Snow
Hometown: Bigfork, Montana
Major and minor: Interdisciplinary humanities major (emphasis in English literature); editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Art Director, Associate Editor, and PR/Correspondence Team Member
Dream job: Writer and illustrator of children’s books
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: I traveled to Hawaii to present a paper at a humanities conference.
What must you always have on your person? My wedding ring
Read Olivia’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn or visit her online portfolio.
Austin Tracy
Hometown: Highland, Utah
Major and minor: Spanish translation major and editing minor
Positions on Mormon Insights staff: Associate Editor, Assistant Translation Director, Copyrights Team Member
Unique hobbies: Writing with both hands at the same time and scrubbing dishes in the same manner
What must you always have on your person? An unwavering determination to do what’s right
Do you speak any foreign languages? I speak Spanish, and I am working on ASL, Danish, and Hebrew
Read Austin’s Mormon Insights articles. You can also connect with him on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Marvin K. Gardner
Position on Mormon Insights staff: Editor in Chief
Position at Brigham Young University: Professor, Department of Linguistics and English Language, College of Humanities
Most memorable thing you’ve done in the past year: Spent a week in Paris with my wife for our fortieth wedding anniversary; then co-directed a group of 30 BYU students on a six-week study abroad in Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland
Current favorite quote: “If sacrifice for others is the highest manifestation of love, then the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the grandest demonstration of love this world has ever known. The compelling, driving force behind his sacrifice was love, not duty or glory or honor or any other temporal reward. It was love in its purest, deepest, most enduring sense.” —Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement
Connect with Professor Gardner on LinkedIn.
My thoughts on how an LDS hymn has influenced my life.
I love to visit the ocean and watch the waves rush in and out in an endless rhythm that seems like the music of angels. On my last visit to the Oregon coast, I was walking solo along the sand and I suddenly felt so homesick for heaven that I could hardly breathe. At that moment, the words to “O My Father” came rushing into my mind with such force that it brought me to tears and “when will I regain Thy presence, and again behold Thy face?” became the plea of my heart. Since that time, this hymn often forms the soundtrack to my day, and I strive to live each moment in a way that brings me closer to a homecoming filled with joy and not regret.