LDS First Presidency & Apostles - Mini-Bios

First Presidency

THOMAS S. MONSON (President)

- Graduated from the University of Utah in business management
- Served in the US Navy during WWII
- Teacher at University of Utah
- Ad executive for the Deseret News
- General manager of Deseret News Press

- Bishop at age 22
- Stake counselor at age 27
- Mission president of Canada at age 31
- Apostle at age 36


HENRY B. EYRING (1st Counselor)

- Graduated from the University of Utah in physics
- Got Masters and Doctoral degrees from Harvard Business School
- Served in US Air Force
- Associate professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business
- Facutly Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- President of Ricks College

- Counselor in Presiding Bishopric at age 52
- First Quorum of Seventy at age 59
- Apostle at age 62


DIETER F. UCHTDORF (2nd Counselor)

- Born in Nazi-occupied Ostrava (current Czech Republic) in 1940
- Family fled East Germany to West Germany in 1950
- Graduated from IIMD in Switzerland with MBA.
- Served in West German Air Force
- Earned his wings in US Air Force
- Captain with Lufthansa Airlines
- Senior Vice President of Flight Operations of Lufthansa's training school

- Served as stake president twice in Germany
- Second Quorum of Seventy at age 53; First Quorum at age 55
- Presidency of Seventy at age 61
- Apostle at age 63

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

BOYD. K. PACKER

- Served as pilot in US Air Force during WWII
- Graduated from Utah State University
- Ed.D. from Brigham Young Uninversity
- Worked in Church Education System, overseeing seminary and institute programs
- City councilor in Brigham City, UT, for four years

- Called as general authority at age 37
- Mission president for New England States at age 39
- Apostle at age 45


L. TOM PERRY

- Served in US Marine Corps during WWII
- Graduated from (what is now) Utah State University in finance
- Worked in business retail all over US

- Served mission in Northern States, centered in Chicago
- Served as seminary teacher, bishopric counselor, stake presidency counselor
- Stake president in Boston, Massachusetts
- Called as general authority at age 50
- Apostle at age 52



RUSSELL M. NELSON

- Studied at LDS Business College
- Graduated from University of Utah with M.D.
- PhD from University of Minnesota
- Worked on team that developed the first heart-lung machine
- Served as medical doctor for US Army during Korean War
- Let me repeat: he was in a MASH unit during Korean War
- First doctor in Utah to perform open-heart surgery
- Established research lab at LDS Hospital
- Aided in quadrupal bypass surgery on Chinese opera singer Fang Rongxiang
- President of Thoracic Surgical Directors Association
- President of the Society for Vascular Surgery

- Stake president at age 40
- LDS Sunday School general president at age 46
- Apostle at age 59

DALLIN H. OAKS

- Graduated from Brigham Young University in accounting
- Graduated from University of Chicago Law School with JD
- Served in National Guard during Korean War, but wasn't called up
- Clerked for Justice Earl Warren of US Supreme Court
- Practiced law at Kirkland & Ellis
- President of Brigham Young University
- Chairman for Board of Directors for PBS
- Justice on Utah Supreme Court

- Apostle at age 51


M. RUSSELL BALLARD

- Graduated from University of Utah
- Served in US Army Reserve in 1950's
- Ran the Ballard Motor Company
- Worked in other real estate and investment businesses
- Recruited by Ford to sell the Edsel. He said he prayed about it, got a clear impression not to do it, did it anyway, and lost a ton of money.

- Served mission in England
- President of Canada Toronto Mission at age 46
- First Quorum of Seventy at age 48
- Apostle at age 57

RICHARD G. SCOTT

- Father was converted to church when serving with Ezra Taft Benson in Eisenhower's Department of Agriculture
- Played clarinet in school and drum major in marching band
- Graduated from George Washington University in mechanical engineering
- Worked on design of nuclear reactor for Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered sub for US Navy
- Worked on first commercial-based nuclear reactor

- Drifted in and out of activity during youth
- Dated Jeanene Watkins who said she'd only marry a returned missionary
- Married Jeanene after returning from mission to Uruguay
- President of Argentina Cordoba Mission at age 37
- First Quorum of Seventy at age 50
- Presidency of Seventy at age 55
- Apostle at age 60 (called by Ezra Taft Benson)

ROBERT D. HALES

- Has degrees from University of Utah (BS) and Harvard Business School (MBA)
- Served as pilot in US Air Force
- President of Papermate, a division of Gillette
- President of Chesebrough-Pond's
- VP for Max Factor
- Ran the Hughes Television Network

- Served as bishop for wards in Massachusetts, Chicago and Germany
- Served as branch president in Seville, Spain
- Called as general authority at age 43
- Mission president of England London mission at age 45
- Presiding Bishop at age 53
- Apostle at age 60

JEFFREY R. HOLLAND

- Played on state championship teams in football and basketball at Dixie High School
- Co-captained Dixie College's basketball team
- Graduated from Brigham Young University with BA in English, MA in religious education
- Got 2nd Masters and Ph.D. from Yale University in American studies
- Dean of Religious Education at BYU
- Commissioner for Church Education Services
- President of BYU
- President of the AAPICU

- Served mission in England
- Stake presidency counselor at age 26
- Called as general authority at age 49
- Apostle at age 53

(EYRING)
(UCHTDORF)

DAVID A. BEDNAR

- Graduated from Brigham Young University with MA
- Attained Doctorate in organizational behavior from Purdue University
- Asst. professor of management at University of Arkansas' College of Business
- Asst. professor of management at Texas Tech University
- Assoc. Dean for grad studies at University of Arkansas' College of Business
- President of Ricks College during transition to BYU-Idaho

- Served mission in Germany
- Bishop at age 25; stake president at age 26
- Area seventy at 35
- Apostle at age 52

QUENTIN L. COOK

- Graduated from Utah State University in political science and from Stanford Law School
- Worked as corporate attorney
- Volunteered for 14 years as city attorney in Hillsborough, California
- CEO of California Healthcare System
- Vice-chairman of Sutter Health System

- Served mission in England (companions with Jeffrey R. Holland at one point)
- Served as bishop and stake president in California
- Second Quorum of Seventy at age 55
- First Quorum of Seventy at age 57
- Presidency of Seventy at age 66
- Apostle at age 67

D. TODD CHISTOFFERSON

- Graduated from Brigham Young University
- Attained JD from Duke University School of Law
- Clerked for Judge John J. Sirica during the Watergate hearings
- Associate general counsel for NationsBank in Charlotte, NC
- Volunteer chairman for Affordable Housing in Nashville, TN
- Executive Director for Family & Church History Dept. of LDS Church

- Served mission in Argentina. Richard G. Scott was his mission president.
- Served as bishop and stake president
- First Quorum of Seventy at age 48
- Presidency of Seventy at age 58
- Apostle at age 63

NEIL L. ANDERSEN

- Graduated from Brigham Young University
- Got MBA from Harvard Business School
- Vice-president of Morton Plant Health System in Tampa, FL

- Served mission in France
- Served as stake president in Florida
- President of France Bordeaux Mission at age 38
- First Quorum of Seventy at age 42
- Presidency of Seventy at age 44
- Apostle at age 48

So what are some things they have in common?

We have six Cougars, five Utes, and three Aggies, though only one (Packer) can claim two (Cougar/Aggie). We have three that graduated Harvard Business School.
Three are pilots.
Three are WWII vets.
Two were presidents of BYU, two were presidents of Ricks/BYU-Idaho.