Ensign College Devotionals

Richard Elms grew up in California and Utah. He served a full-time mission in the Washington DC North Mission. Upon his return, he attended Utah State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. He furthered his education and received a master’s degree in Secondary Ed and an Ed. D. from Washington State University. He has taught seminary and institute for 30 years in Washington, Michigan, and Utah. He married Lisa Gardner in the Salt Lake Temple. They have five children and seven grandchildren.

May 27, 2025 11:15 AM

Sister J. Anette Dennis was born in Provo, Utah, to C. Lamar Herrin and Patricia Stewart Herrin. Sister Dennis studied elementary education and Spanish at Brigham Young University. She is married to Jorge Dennis, and they have four children and nine grandchildren. Sister Dennis has served in many assignments, including the Primary general advisory council, the Davis County church communications council, mission leader with her husband in the Ecuador Guayaquil West Mission, assistant to the matron of the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple, temple ordinance worker, Primary president, counselor in the Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society organizations, as well as a teacher in those organizations. Sister Dennis is currently serving as the first counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency.

May 20, 2025 11:15 AM

Elder Jed E. Jensen was born and raised in the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming. He grew up in the small town of Byron, Wyoming. He received an AAS degree from Casper College, a Bachelor of Independent Study degree from Brigham Young University, and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from the University of Wyoming. Elder Jensen is currently serving as a full-time missionary assigned to the Utah Salt Lake City Headquarters mission with an assignment to labor at Ensign College, where he is a Student Success Advisor.Elder Jensen is married and sealed to Sister Joyce Jensen. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have four children, eleven grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters.

May 13, 2025 11:15 AM

President Bruce C. Kusch became the 13th president of Ensign College on April 17, 2017. He previously served as the Chief Academic Officer from March 2016 until assuming his current role. President Kusch began his Church Educational System service in August 2002, joining the Business Management Faculty at Brigham Young University-Idaho. While there, he also served as the Associate Academic Vice President for Curriculum and as Associate Dean for Online Programs.  Before joining the BYU-Idaho faculty, President Kusch worked in the high technology industry in Silicon Valley, CA. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix, an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management, and a PhD in instructional design from Idaho State University.  President Kusch served as a full-time missionary in the Guatemala-El Salvador Mission, and from June 2012 to June 2015, President and Sister Kusch served as mission leaders of the Mexico Cuernavaca Mission.  He currently serves as an Adult Sunday School teacher in his ward.Sister Alynda Kusch is a graduate of BYU-Idaho. Following her graduation, she taught for the BYU-I Culinary Arts department until she and President Kusch left for their missionary service in Mexico. She currently serves as a counselor in the Young Women presidency in her ward.Both President and Sister Kusch were born and raised in Southern California. They were married in the Los Angeles Temple and are the parents of four children and 15 grandchildren.

An address given by President Philip Howes, delivered on April 01, 2025, at Ensign College. Sister Judith Howes and President Philip Howes both grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. President Howes served a mission in Peru. President Howes graduated from dental school and Sister Howes graduated as a schoolteacher. President Howes opened his practice in 1978 and worked as a sole practitioner his entire career. Sister Howes taught full-time until the birth of their first child, then returned to part-time work in the same school that their children attended 11 years later.The Howes' retired in 2008 and received a call to serve as President and Matron of the Adelaide Temple. Upon their release in 2011, they moved to Sydney, where they served as Mission Leaders in the Australia Sydney Mission. In 2017, they moved to Auckland, New Zealand to serve as Mission Leaders in the New Zealand MTC. In 2020 President and Sister Howes began serving as missionaries in the South America Northwest Area as secretaries to the Area Presidency. Due to covid 19, they served for 23 months via Zoom before finally receiving their visas and traveling to Peru, where they continued to serve for 8 months.

An address given by Sister Judith Howes, delivered on April 01, 2025, at Ensign College.Sister Judith Howes and President Philip Howes both grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. President Howes served a mission in Peru.President Howes graduated from dental school and Sister Howes graduated as a schoolteacher. President Howes opened his practice in 1978 and worked as a sole practitioner his entire career. Sister Howes taught full-time until the birth of their first child, then returned to part-time work in the same school that their children attended 11 years later.The Howes' retired in 2008 and received a call to serve as President and Matron of the Adelaide Temple. Upon their release in 2011, they moved to Sydney, where they served as Mission Leaders in the Australia Sydney Mission. In 2017, they moved to Auckland, New Zealand to serve as Mission Leaders in the New Zealand MTC. In 2020 President and Sister Howes began serving as missionaries in the South America Northwest Area as secretaries to the Area Presidency. Due to covid 19, they served for 23 months via Zoom before finally receiving their visas and traveling to Peru, where they continued to serve for 8 months.

An address given by Emily Reynolds, delivered on March 25, 2025, at the Ensign College. Emily Reynolds was raised in Boston, Massachusetts and Provo, Utah.  She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology at Brigham Young University, where she was then adjunct faculty. Sister Reynolds is now the Assistant Director of the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University. with primary responsibility for student programming. Sister Reynolds and her husband, Mark, have seven children and 36 grandchildren.

An address given by Massimo De Feo, delivered on March 18, 2025, at the Conference Center Theater.

Elder Massimo De Feo was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2, 2016. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy in the Europe Area. He is currently serving in the North America Southeast Area Presidency.Elder De Feo has served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary from 1981 to 1983 in the Italy Rome Mission, branch president, district president, counselor in a bishopric, stake high councilor, stake president, and Area Seventy.After serving as a full-time missionary, he began his career in international relations at the American Embassy in Rome. Elder De Feo was a member of several committees of the U.S. government for bilateral agreements on Social Security and worked as the Federal Benefits Operations Supervisor at the American Embassies in Rome and Paris for more than 30 years. He also worked as the Deputy Regional Officer of the Social Security Administration for the Europe South, North Africa, and Middle East Regions.Massimo De Feo was born in Taranto, Italy, on December 14, 1960. He married Loredana Galeandro in August 1984. They are the parents of three children.

Elder Marcus B. Nash was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2006.He has served as President of the South America West and South America Northwest Areas and as assistant in the North America Northeast and North America Southeast Areas. He has also served as an Assistant Executive Director in the Church History and Correlation Departments, Executive Director of the Correlation Department, and as a member of the Boundary and Leadership Change Committee. He is currently serving as a member of the Africa West Area Presidency.Elder Nash graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and earned a law degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU. He was a partner in a major Seattle law firm at the time of his call as a Seventy.Elder Nash has served in many Church callings, including full-time missionary in the El Salvador San Salvador Mission, stake president, bishop, ward young men president, elders quorum president, and gospel doctrine teacher.Marcus Bell Nash was born in Seattle, Washington, on March 26, 1957. He married Shelley Hatch in May 1979. They are the parents of five children.

Elder David F. Evans was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2, 2005. He was released from this assignment and granted Emeritus Status at the October 2021 general conference.In 1976, Elder Evans received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Utah in community health education. In 1979 he received his juris doctor from Brigham Young University. His professional career involved working as an attorney and as an executive for an investment banking firm.Prior to his call as a General Authority, Elder Evans has served in a number of Church callings, including full- time missionary in the Japan Mission, bishop, stake president, and president of the Japan Nagoya Mission (1998–2001).