Derek A. Cuthbert
Encyclopedia
Derek Alfred Cuthbert was a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1978 until his death. He was the first resident of the United Kingdom
to be called as an LDS Church general authority while living in Britain.
, a suburb of Nottingham
, England
. He attended Nottingham High School
and then studied at the University of London
. He was trained in the Japanese language
and was a member of the Royal Air Force
. He was sent to Burma and arrived there about the end of the Second World War. He later served in Hong Kong
and India
and in the Air Ministry headquarters in England.
Cuthbert married Muriel Olive Mason. They had ten children.
After leaving the RAF in 1948, Cuthbert studied at the University of Nottingham
. He received a degree in law and economics and then worked for a major chemical company.
as he grew up. After meeting the LDS Church missionaries
in 1950, Cuthbert and his wife were baptized
as members of the LDS Church in 1951.
Cuthbert helped establish Deseret Enterprises, an agency that directed the distribution of materials for the LDS Church in Britain and on the Europe
an continent. In 1961, he became the first president of the Leicester
Stake of the church. He also served as the first president of the Birmingham
England Stake when it was organized in 1969. He was then called as a Regional Representative of the Twelve
. While serving in this position, Cuthbert was one of the planners for the 1971 Manchester Area Conference.
From 1975 to 1978, Cuthbert was president
of the church's Scotland
Edinburgh
Mission
. During his presidency, 35 new wards and branches were organized.
Cuthbert became a member of the church's First Quorum of the Seventy in 1978. He supervised the church in many areas. From 1988 until 1991, Cuthbert served as a counselor to Robert L. Simpson, and then Hugh W. Pinnock
in the General Presidency of the church's Sunday School
. Cuthbert died during the church's general conference in 1991.
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1978 until his death. He was the first resident of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to be called as an LDS Church general authority while living in Britain.
Early life
Cuthbert was born in SherwoodSherwood, Nottingham
Sherwood is a largely residential area in the north east of Nottingham, England. It is approximately 1.5 miles North of Nottingham City Centre...
, a suburb of Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He attended Nottingham High School
Nottingham High School
Nottingham High School is a British boys' independent school situated about a mile north of Nottingham city centre. It has around 900 pupils from ages 11 to 18 and there is the adjoining Nottingham High Junior School catering for younger boys and, from September 2008, the Lovell House...
and then studied at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. He was trained in the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and was a member of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He was sent to Burma and arrived there about the end of the Second World War. He later served in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and in the Air Ministry headquarters in England.
Cuthbert married Muriel Olive Mason. They had ten children.
After leaving the RAF in 1948, Cuthbert studied at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. He received a degree in law and economics and then worked for a major chemical company.
LDS Church
Cuthbert was involved in the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
as he grew up. After meeting the LDS Church missionaries
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in 1950, Cuthbert and his wife were baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
as members of the LDS Church in 1951.
Cuthbert helped establish Deseret Enterprises, an agency that directed the distribution of materials for the LDS Church in Britain and on the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an continent. In 1961, he became the first president of the Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
Stake of the church. He also served as the first president of the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
England Stake when it was organized in 1969. He was then called as a Regional Representative of the Twelve
Regional representative of the Twelve
Regional representative of the Twelve, commonly shorted to regional representative or regional rep, was a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1968 and 1995...
. While serving in this position, Cuthbert was one of the planners for the 1971 Manchester Area Conference.
From 1975 to 1978, Cuthbert was president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the church's Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
. During his presidency, 35 new wards and branches were organized.
Cuthbert became a member of the church's First Quorum of the Seventy in 1978. He supervised the church in many areas. From 1988 until 1991, Cuthbert served as a counselor to Robert L. Simpson, and then Hugh W. Pinnock
Hugh W. Pinnock
Hugh Wallace Pinnock was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1977 until his death....
in the General Presidency of the church's Sunday School
Sunday School (LDS Church)
Sunday School is an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . All members of the church and any interested nonmembers, age 12 and older, are encouraged to participate in Sunday School.-Purpose:...
. Cuthbert died during the church's general conference in 1991.