About the Author

Nancy Sarager Jackson, M.S.

Nancy Sarager Jackson holds a Master of Science Degree in Counseling Psychology. For over 20 years she worked as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the Chicago area. She began her professional career as a practitioner for LDS Social (now Family) Services where she created and facilitated a fourteen-week group therapy program designed to assist and motivate adult survivors of traumatic childhood abuse toward self-healing. She was a member of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists. While working for LDS Social Services, she had the responsibility for training local Church leaders in counseling, listening skills, personal stress management, and other related topics. She has written and presented numerous seminars and workshops to Church organizations and spoken at conferences and firesides that included a variety of subjects: overcoming depression, self-motivation, communication skills, stress reductions, and relationships. She has spoken frequently on teen anxiety, dating, and the dangers of pornography use. She wrote a two-hour educational presentation on child abuse, its symptoms, effect, and prevention.

Nancy’s private practice focused on marriage and individual counseling. She also provided counseling to missionaries that were referred by their mission presidents. She taught psychology at McHenry College.
Nancy was asked to speak at BYU Women’s Conference in 2003 about the sanctity of human sexuality.

Her Church service has centered around youth and young adults. She served primarily in Young Women and taught early morning seminary and institute for over 20 years. While living in Prescott, Arizona, she and her husband established a chapter of the BYU Management Society for the purpose of providing scholarships to youth and young single adults. The chapter also provides mentoring and career counseling. As of 2019, the Prescott Chapter has provided over $150,000 in scholarships to the young people of Prescott since 2013.

During 2016-2017, Nancy was called to serve as the Area Mental Health Advisor for the Central America Area, reporting to the Area Presidency. She served the 18 area missions in seven countries. Upon her return, she served a Church service mission providing follow-up support to missionaries who had returned home early from their missions. She and her husband serve as ordinance workers in the Phoenix Arizona Temple. They recently completed service as Pathway missionaries when he was called to be a Stake Patriarch.

A native of Arizona, she met her husband, Byron R. Jackson, while attending BYU in Provo. Upon his graduation, they moved to Chicago, Illinois where he attended Northwestern University to obtain an MBA. He worked in corporate treasury and international finance while they lived in Chicago for 35 years and raised their three daughters. Byron served in the stake presidency and as bishop while living in the Chicago area and as a young single adult bishop while they lived in Spokane, Washington. They also served as licensed Chicago area foster parents for many years. They now have 10 grandchildren, who are the joy of their life.

During her years of professional counseling with couples, work with missionaries, and her service to the youth and young single adults of the Church, Nancy has witnessed the devastating effects of pornography addiction, self-stimulation, and the efforts required for repentance and recovery. She knows these behaviors can be overcome through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. No one is alone on their path to purity and true joy.