Institute Faculty
Biography :
Bro. Barlow was born and raised in Bountiful, Utah of very "goodly parents." He is also blessed with a very "goodly" wife who is multi-talented and "fair to look upon". He and his wife Julie have been blessed with 2 girls and 4 boys who range from 7-20 years. Recently, he and his wife went out for Chinese food. The fortune cookie they received accurately stated, "You have a lively family." Never a dull moment. As a family, they love skiing, camping, and hiking. Bro. Barlow loves to work on electronic media, bike, and study the Gospel with the youth and young adults. He LOVES the Ogden Institute and feels extremely blessed to be here! He graduated from Viewmont High School in Bountiful, Utah where he served as a Student Body Officer. Later, he attended the University of Utah where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Finance and a Master's degree in Social Work. He has been a Seminary and Intitute Instructor for 22 years teaching between Salt Lake and Ogden at Highland High, Wasatch Jr., East High, Mueller Park Jr., and Viewmont High. He has served in various callings associated with the youth. He also served on a writing committee for the Church where he worked on the footnotes for non-English Bibles and on a president of the church manual.
Biography :
John Brassell, a convert to the Church, was born in Washington DC. He was raised on the east coast and attended high schools in Florida, Virginia, California and Utah. After serving a mission in Puerto Rico he earned a BA at Weber State and a MaED at the University of Phoenix. He taught seminary in Roy and Weber High Schools in Utah. For the last twelve years he has been coordinating religious education in Miami, Florida and southeast Virginia. In Miami he was able to work with many young single adults from South America, Central America and the Caribbean. In Virginia he was able to work and associate with wonderful people who made the bible belt a place with great moral standards and a reputation for warm hospitality. He met his wife, Roberta Bracey, at Weber State and together they have five children and one grandchild. The gospel and his family have brought him the greatest joy. His life has been one great adventure.
Biography :
Ron Buhrley is in his 33rd year of teaching with Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, and his 16th year at the Ogden Institute. He is married to Karen Rasmussen, and they have 4 married daughters (Stephanie Hale, Jennifer Jensen, Heidi Eliason, and Jessica Francis) and one son, Blake, serving a mission in Hawaii (Sept. '08 thru Sept.10). They also have 9 grandchildren. Ron was raised on a farm in Huntsville, Utah, and currently resides in North Ogden. He received his bachelors degree from Weber State and his masters degree from BYU. His hobbies are his family, the gospel, and sports.
Biography :
Brother Delozier has been with Seminaries and Institutes for 30 years and during that time he has been a seminary teacher in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and North Carolina as a coordinator. Brother Delozier and his wife, Susie, have seven children and twelve grand-children. He received his bachelors degree from USIU in San Diego, California and his masters from Idaho State University. He loves playing his guitars, listening to music, reading and participating in anything to do with a ball.
Biography :
Brother Jay is a native of Ogden, Utah and has been teaching for Seminaries and Institutes for 34 years with assignments in Salt Lake, Mesa and Flagstaff Arizona. Brother Jay is a graduate of Weber State with a Bachelor's Degree in history and a Master's Degree from BYU in Instructional Science. He served a mission in Southern Germany and then afterward, while attending Weber State, met his wife Stephanie. They are the parents of five children and four grandchildren. Brother Jay enjoys any activity that gets him outdoors. He loves teaching the scriptures and doctrines of the Church. Next to his family, teaching for CES has been the greatest blessing in his life.
Biography :
Brother Kelley has been in the Church Educational System since September of 1982. He taught seminary for 8 years, worked in the Church Office Building for 9 years, and has taught institute for 10 years. Brother Kelley is a convert to the Church (since 1979). He received his B.A. from the University of Texas-El Paso in 1972, his M.A. from BYU in 1986 and his Ph.D. from Utah State in 2000. Brother Kelley is blessed to have married the former Becky Joy Mikkelson. They have 4 children and 1 grandchild. It is his hope that all students will come to know their Savior, Jesus Christ, through their emulation of Him. That they will love the scriptures through a life-long feast upon them. And that they may know for a certainty that God loves them, knows them personally, that they may feel His love in their lives and return that love through obedience.
Biography :
Brother Morgan has enjoyed the privilege of teaching and associating with the youth of the church for 19 years. He is a former student of Weber State University and received his Masters degree in Education. He met his wife Cori at a single young adults dance following his mission to the England Leeds Mission and was married exactly one year from the day they met. He and his wife Cori are the parents of three children. Besides his family, church service and teaching, Brother Morgan enjoys reading and construction (i.e. houses).
Biography :
Brother Page is currently serving as Ogden Institute Director. Before arriving at the Ogden Institute, he was a seminary instructor, coordinator, institute director and worked in Instructional Design and Training for the Church Educational System. He has been teaching religion for the past 30 years. He served a mission to the Alaska-British Columbia Mission and has received degrees from Weber State College, Brigham Young University and the University of Wyoming. He and his wife Susan are the parents of six children ranging in ages from 22-32. Some of his hobbies include building, golfing, hiking, and the outdoors. He enjoys teaching college students and hopes to help each of them reach their divine potential.
Biography :
Jerry Sandberg was born and reared in Roy, Utah. He served a mission in Hamburg, Germany and graduated from Weber State College in German and History. He also attended and graduated from the Ogden LDS Institute. Later he received his Masters and Doctorate degrees from BYU in Counseling and Guidance and Counseling Psychology. He is a licensed psychologist. Brother Sandberg has taught in the Church Educational System for the past 32 years in Flagstaff, Ariziona; Brigham Young University; and Woods Cross, Viewmont, and Bountiful seminaries in the Bountiful Utah area. In 1999-2000 his assignment was as a religion professor at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. This is his ninth year at the Ogden LDS Institute of Religion. He and his wife Becky have four children and live in Bountiful.
- Office : Instructor's Office #17
- Office Hours : Posted by office
- Office Phone : 801-621-1800
- Email : simonjf@ldschurch.org
Biography :
Jerald F. Simon has been employed by the Church Educational System since 1980. He received his BGS degree from Weber State University and his MA from Brigham Young University. Brother Simon is married to the former Denise Bullock. They are the parents of five sons and one daughter. They have four grandchildren. He is originally from Wisconsin, where he joined the church in 1975. Brother Simon wants to help students to 1) "Come unto Christ"; 2) Learn key doctrines pertaining to salvation; 3) Ingrain and embody teachings so each will act more like Jesus; 4) Strengthen their resolve to make and keep sacred covenants; and 5) Prepare them for service in the Kingdom of God.
Biography :
Brother Sims was raised in Seattle, Washington and served a mission in the exotic South Dakota Rapid City mission. He earned both a B.A. in Elementary Education and an M.Ed in Public School Administration at BYU. Prior to coming to the Ogden Institute, he taught seminary in Utah and Washington and wrote curriculum for the Church Educational System. Brother Sims loves to learn from the scriptures, Church leaders, his fellow teachers, and his students. Brother Sims and his wife are parents of four daughters: two are students at Weber State University (one plays soccer for the Wildcats), another is married, and one is in high school. Brother Sims appreciates a nice day when he can ride his Honda 750 motorcycle to work.
Biography :
Brother Tesch has been teaching with the Church Educational System for 34 years. He has taught in Utah, Wyoming and Nevada. He served as a seminary teacher, institute teacher, coordinator of seminary programs for 11 years in Las Vegas, taught at a medium security prison in Jean Nevada, and has taught adult classes for BYU Continuing Education for twenty-five years. He received his BA from Weber State and his Masters degree from Brigham Young University. He served in the Central America Mission. Brother Tesch and his wife, Trudy, have seven children ranging in ages from 21-35 and have seven grandchildren. Besides family, his interests include LDS Church History, traveling, motorcycles, racquetball, building, and the outdoors. Brother Tesch enjoys teaching people of all ages and seeing the "mighty change" that occurs when the principles and doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are applied in one's life.
Biography :
Brother Thacker was born in Vernal, Utah. He served a full-time mission to Adelaide, South Australia where he had the unique privilege of sharing Christ’s restored gospel in "the land down under." He attended BYU where he met and married (in the Salt Lake Temple) the most beautiful girl on campus: Wendy. They are the parents of three children and the grandparents of six. Brother Thacker enjoys backpacking, playing racquetball, and reading books of almost every variety. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from BYU in Teaching History and English and began his teaching career at Tuba City High School in Arizona where he quickly learned to love the children of Father Lehi of the Navajo and Hopi tribes. While there he also began teaching early morning seminary. He has been a full time Seminary + Institute teacher/administrator for over 23 years, teaching and supervising classes and programs in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and now in Utah. While in Arizona, Brother Thacker completed a Master of Arts Degree in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona. He helped establish a new Institute program and building in Farmington, NM where he served as the Director for seven years. In 2005, he joined the Institute faculty here in Ogden where he rejoices in getting to know the wonderful young people at WSU in the context of learning together the inspiring, eternal truths of the gospel of our Lord.
Biography :
Brother Vallace was born in Ogden and raised in Bountiful, Utah. He attended the University of Utah and received a Master of Arts in Education degree from the University of Phoenix. He served in the Netherlands, Amsterdam mission. He feels incredibly blessed that his high school sweetheart, Gwen Moore, was still available when he returned from his mission. They were married in 1983 and are the parents of four wonderful children. He has taught seminary at South Davis Junior High, Clearfield High, Layton High, Davis High, and most recently was the Principal at the Bountiful High Seminary before coming to the Ogden Institute. He loves the gospel and loves the association with his students. He has served in a variety of church callings, and is currently the Bishop in his ward. His hobbies and interests include, being with his wife!!!, family, building homes, cars, motorcycles, sports, fishing, and eating. He is not very good, but he loves to play, and welcomes any challengers on the Institute foosball table.
Biography :
Jonathan G. Woodstock has been teaching in the Church Educational System for 30 years in Utah, Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming. He joined the staff at the Ogden Institute during the fall of 1999. He is a convert to the Church from Mesa Arizona. He served a mission to Vancouver, Canada, after which he attended Brigham Young University and majored in Child Development and Family Relationships. While attending BYU he became "reacquainted" with his high school sweetheart, Vickie Church. They were married in the Arizona Temple in 1978. They have six children and seven grandchildren. Brother Woodstock received his Masters Degree from Utah State University in Instructional Technology and his Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming in Adult Education. He has served in many Church callings, including three Bishoprics and as Counselor in a Stake Presidency. He loves to play racquetball and watch all sports, but his main passions are music and folk dance.