Mary Ellen Edmunds, an author, speaker and integral part of BYU Women’s Conference, died May 21, 2026, her family shared. She was 86.
Affectionately known by her initials “MEE” and the nickname “Melon,” Edmunds’ life was defined by a legacy of lighthearted humor, deep faith and lifelong service to Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As the BYU Women’s Conference celebrated its milestone 50th anniversary this past spring, Edmunds was absent due to failing health. Her absence left many attendees wondering where she was, including one commenter on Facebook. Among that comment were a thousand more, all sharing memories of Edmunds and the light and love she carried with her.
Edmunds taught and served at the conferences for more than four decades, teaching with love and humor. Over the years, she wore many hats for the organization, acting as an annual speaker, committee member and the 25th anniversary service chair.
Friends and family recalled her presence as one that filled “rooms with laughter, faith and light,” describing her as a beloved friend who “never left anyone without a smile.”
Edmunds graduated from Brigham Young University in 1962 with a degree in nursing, which she used to bless the lives of many across the globe. Following her graduation, she served a mission to the Southern Far East, becoming one of the first sister missionaries sent to the Philippine Islands.
She later spent several years teaching and serving as a director at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, where she helped thousands of missionaries prepare for global service. An accomplished author and presenter, Edmunds wrote more than two dozen books for Deseret Book and was a frequent speaker for the publisher’s Time Out for Women events.
Edmunds frequently focused her teachings on finding joy in daily discipleship and her life was defined through her focus on serving and loving those around her as she shared her testimony and love for Jesus Christ.
“Our happiness lies in following the gospel of Jesus Christ — in having faith in him, believing him, coming unto him and becoming more like him," Edmunds taught.
In her 2004 Women’s Conference address, she added:
“However, lightheartedness is goodness — joyful goodness. It includes all that blesses and ‘happifies’ us and others. It’s being of good cheer while focusing on the things that matter. It’s a virtue. ... Our Heavenly Father and the Savior want us to experience joy, happiness and good cheer."
Her focus on joyful goodness left a profound impact on generations of those she taught, including Deseret News Editor Sarah Jane Weaver, who recalled hearing Edmunds speak for the first time as a BYU freshman.
“During that devotional she gave me an understanding that my attitude — more than my circumstances — would determine my happiness. It is a truth I have never forgotten,“ Weaver said. ”Edmunds — a woman of deep faith — influenced generations of BYU students and missionaries at the Provo Missionary Training Center and countless women through her work with BYU Women’s Conference and on the Relief Society general advisory council. Her messages were filled with laughter and always left listeners with the powerful truth that influenced me as a young student — that happiness is a choice."
Her impact left a lasting impression on those who were taught by her and who served alongside her.
Sherri Dew, executive vice president of Deseret Management Corp. and CEO of Deseret Book, first met Edmunds 40 years ago when they both served on Sister Barbara Winder’s Relief Society General Board and has “heard her speak and watched her teach countless times over the years,” shared admiration for Edmunds. “MEE, as we all knew her, is one of the most extraordinary women of our time. Her patented sense of humor combined with deep faith made her an exceptional friend, teacher and leader. Truly, no one can take her place.”