Stake High Council

Brother Jeff Davis

Sister Lora Davis

Brother Jeff Davis ...  was born and reared right here in Mesa, AZ.  Mesa Jackrabbit: student council, wrestling, choir. Nihon, Okayama Dendoubu. Konnichiwa! O-genki desu ka? (Japan Okayama Mission). Graduated from BYU (Japanese), Thunderbird (Business) and NYU (math and statistics). Spent 20 years in banking: Chicago, London and New York.  Lending, derivatives and private placements respectively. Spent 20 years as an entrepreneur: PeopleSoft managed services, largely for university clients.  Being an entrepreneur: strongly recommend. Married my smoking-hot college sweetheart, Lora Davis.  Didn't make her change her maiden name.  Because her maiden name was also Lora Davis. We have four amazing, awesome really good children.  And a surprise fifth child after a 12-year gap.  He's also amazing, awesome and really good.  Older four are married with children.  12 grandchildren at the moment.  Youngest son is serving in the Ohio Cincinnati Mission.  Is assigned to teach in Swahili.  Is also learning Kinyarwanda because he is an over achiever. And his mission president said "Sure. Go for it." Super excited, blessed really, to be in the YSA East Stake working with Bishop Bench and attending the Painted Mountain Ward. Looking forward to getting to know you all.  Want to collect all 703! That is a made up number. But still looking forward to getting to know you all.

Sister Lora Davis  ... Sister Davis grew up in Escondido, CA.  She is the third oldest of seven children, the oldest daughter. She ran the house growing up.  She still runs the house now that she is grown up. Attended San Pasqual High School and was on the brainiac track.  Attended BYU, also on the brainiac track.  Has made only one fatal mistake in her life, marrying Jeff Davis.  Also has 5 amazing, awesome really good kids and 12 adorable grandkids. Loves horseback riding, four-season weather, hanging with the grandkids and New Canaan CT, which greatly resembles any Norman Rockwell painting.  Possible that she may someday forgive her husband for taking her away from New Canaan CT.  Possible. In the meantime, also super excited to be serving in the YSA East Stake and looking forward to meeting all of the wonderful people who worship here.

Testimony:  

Brother Kyle Johnson

Brother Johnson  is the youngest, by 10 years, out of his 4 sisters and brother. He goes to school at Arizona State University, and he is a senior who is pursuing a bachelor's in mechanical engineering. In his free time, he prefers hiking, playing pool, competing in pickleball, and doing anything active outside in the sun.

 Testimony: I know that my Savior Jesus Christ lives! His authority is on the Earth again in the form of His Restored Church, and everyday miracles are the fruits of His Priesthood power! Through that power, families can be knit together in love and unity. I testify of the truthfulness of His Gospel, and I know following God's Will is the happiest way to live my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen!

Brother Todd Johnson

Sister Janis Johnson

Brother Todd Johnson ...  Todd grew up in Northern Arizona wrapping up high school in Snowflake. He served a mission to Peru and spent his working career in high tech and higher ed IT. We love to spend time with family in the mountains and at the beach. Todd & Janis served as Stake Mission Prep leaders for several years and love working with the youth. 

Sister Janis Johnson  ... Janis grew up in Mesa and served a mission in the Philippines. We met at ASU institute and we were married and sealed in the Mesa Temple. Janis has a degree in secondary education as she is a big history buff and loves to plan historical adventures. Janis has been serving as the Stake Religion Teacher and she has the true heart of a teacher. 

Testimony:  We believe in Christ, we speak of Christ,  we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we worship Christ and we look to Christ in all aspects of our lives.  We love the temple, we have been serving as ordinances workers for several years and we see the blessings of serving in the temple and being found in the temple often. The weight of the world’s problems are lifted from us there and the plain and simple truths of the gospel are revealed to us every time we are in the Temple. 

Brother Jacob Lee

Brother Lee was raised here in Mesa and graduated from Red Mountain High School in 2022. He then served as a full-time missionary in the Chile Santiago North Mission. He is currently studying Civil Engineering at ASU and, in his free time, loves to play pickleball, participate in choirs, and spending time with family and friends.

Testimony: I know that Jesus Christ lives! This is His church, and He actively leads and directs it through His prophet, apostles, and all other local and global church leaders. Our Father and His Son are merciful beings that know and love us perfectly. Speaking from personal experience and from various accounts in the Scriptures, They are anxious to forgive, help, and heal each of us. Our covenants bind us to Them in such a way that we leave neutral ground forever. Because of our covenant relationship with Them, we do not have to face life alone. As we renew our covenants each week during the sacrament and during frequent temple worship, we come to know Them, become more like Them, and spiritually progress so we can one day return to Their presence.

Brother Mark Millett

Brother Millett is an ASU accounting major who grew up in West Mesa.  He served a mission in Salt Lake City.

Testimony: I have a testimony of Christ's role as my Savior, the Book of Mormon, the restoration of Christ's church through the prophet Joseph Smith, and the continued direction of His church through modern prophets.

Brother Carter Owens

Brother Owens was born and raised in Mesa. He served my mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina and is currently a Pre-Med student at Arizona State University studying Biochemistry. He really enjoys playing and watching sports, especially basketball and football. 

Testimony: My testimony is that Jesus Christ loves and loves each of us. I know that he has a very specific plan for all of us that culminates in our returning to live with him. I know that Jesus Christ restored his church in the earth through Joseph Smith and that Priesthood Power has been restored to the earth.

Brother Chris Rash Sister Mistie Rash

Brother Rash is a Commander for the Mesa Police Department.  He joined the church at 16 and served a mission in the Florida Ft. Lauderdale mission.  He is an avid reader of non-fiction books and loves reading about history, leadership, and biographies.  Family history is another one of his passions and when not reading a book, he is engaged in family history work.

Sister Rash is a retired piano teacher  She loves spending TIME with her family.  Both Mesa natives, Brother and Sister Rash have 5 children and 6 grandchildren.

Testimony:  We know that as children of a loving Heavenly Father, he knows each of us individually and loves us.  We have a deep and abiding testimony that  Jesus Christ is our Savior.  It is only through Jesus Christ that we will be able to return to and abide in the presence of our Father in Heaven.  The scriptures are given to us to assist and guide us in the covenant path that leads us back to Heavenly Father.  God reveals truth to us through the scriptures and his Holy Prophets.  We testify that Joseph Smith was a Prophet and that through him the priesthood and fullness of the gospel was restored.  We also testify that President Russell M. Nelson is a Prophet and that we will be blessed as we follow his counsel for us today.  We testify that true joy and happiness are found in living the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the covenant path.

Brother TJ Shelley

Brother Shelley  was born and raised in Mesa and served his mission in the Colorado Denver North Mission. He is a dedicated Sun Devils fan and currently work as a Business Analyst at Arizona State University. In his free time, he enjoy spending time with family and friends and traveling the world.

Testimony:  I have come to know for myself that God and Jesus Christ live. I have a strong testimony of the restoration and I know that Joseph Smith was called of God. I know that our Heavenly Father is deeply aware of us, and wants each of us to return to him. I have a strong testimony that he is in the small details of our lives. He is real, and he cares about each one of us!

Brother Travis Swallow

Sister Jennifer Swallow

Brother Swallow is a CPA, working as the Chief Financial Officer at the Arizona House of Representatives.  He loves biking, hiking, fishing, camping, and spending time with his family.

Sister Swallow has a degree in Elementary Education and was blessed to stay home with their 3 boys.  She loves to sing, dance, and be with people.

Testimony:  We are excited to serve in the YSA and consider it a dream calling!  We have 3 boys with the youngest currently serving a mission in California.  We know God loves us and seeks to bless us as he hears and answers our prayers and that God's timing always works out better than we had planned.  Jesus Christ lives!  He is our Savior and Redeemer and we are so thankful that He loves us so much to give us the Book of Mormon, which testifies of Him, Joseph Smith to restore the Gospel, and living prophets to help guide us back to him.

Brother Doug Waldie

Sister Kristen Waldie

Brother Waldie is a 4 th generation Arizonan, a proud graduate of ASU with a degree in Finance and Real Estate, and lifelong contractor who is currently working as a public insurance adjuster. He served a mission as a young man in the Idaho Boise Spanish speaking mission. He and his wife recently returned from a senior mission in Costa Rica San Jose West Mission and the Honduras Comayaguela Mission. He has a great love for the outdoors and mostly enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren.  He loves to travel and whenever possible he can be found riding his side by side in Baja Mexico.

Sister Waldie was born in Boise Idaho and moved to Arizona at the age of 4. She is a proud mother of 8 children, who have blessed her with 33 grandchildren. She is an avid Sun Devil fan who graduated from ASU with a degree in Elementary Education. She retired after a 30-year career in her cake decorating business to serve with her husband in the Costa Rica San Jose West Mission, also serving remotely for the Honduras Comayaguela Mission. She loves to travel and to spend time in the kitchen cooking and baking and enjoys any time she gets to be with her family.

Testimony:  We love our Savior Jesus Christ and serving Him in His church. We have enjoyed watching and participating in the growth of the church. We know Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration and that that restoration continues even today. We testify that miracles still exist today. We testify of the power of prayer and the power that comes from reading the Book of Mormon. We have a deep love of the great plan of salvation and how the Temple plays an important role in our eternal salvation. We testify that all saving ordinances can be found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that as we are obedient to the teachings of Jesus Christ and follow his gospel plan, we can return to live with Him and our Father in Heaven.