Ian S. Ardern
Encyclopedia
Ian Sidney Ardern has been a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 2011. A native and resident of New Zealand
at the time of his call, he is only the second general authority
from New Zealand
in the history of the LDS Church.
Ardern joined the LDS Church at age 8 after LDS Church missionaries
taught his family. His parents, Harry and Gwladys Ardern, did not join the church until after he and some of his siblings did. He attended the LDS Church-owned high school, the Church College of New Zealand
, where he first met his wife, Paula Judd. After serving a mission
in the France
Belgium
Mission
from 1973 to 1975 he and Paula married in the Hamilton New Zealand Temple
on 17 January 1976. They are the parents of four children.
Ardern received both bachelors and masters degrees in education from the University of Waikato
in New Zealand. In 1981 he joined the Church Educational System
as an English teacher and was later principal of the Church College of New Zealand
. In 2004 he became the Church Educational System
's Pacific Area
Director. After serving as mission president
of the Fiji
Suva
Mission
from 2005 to 2008, Ardern returned to Church Educational System employment in New Zealand as an institute
director and seminary coordinator in Hamilton
.
Ardern was called as an area seventy to serve in the Eighth Quorum of Seventy on 3 April 2010. He was called to the First Quorum of Seventy on 2 April 2011. He is currently assigned as Second Counselor in the Philippines
Area Presidency, beginning 1 August 2011. On October 1, 2011, Ardern became the first general authority from New Zealand to speak in the LDS Church's General Conference
in 24 years.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
at the time of his call, he is only the second general authority
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...
from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in the history of the LDS Church.
Ardern joined the LDS Church at age 8 after 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...
taught his family. His parents, Harry and Gwladys Ardern, did not join the church until after he and some of his siblings did. He attended the LDS Church-owned high school, the Church College of New Zealand
Church College of New Zealand
Church College of New Zealand was a private secondary school in Temple View, Hamilton, New Zealand, that was operated by the Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was closed at the end of the 2009 school year.-History:Construction of the Church College of...
, where he first met his wife, Paula Judd. After serving a mission
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 the France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
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...
from 1973 to 1975 he and Paula married in the Hamilton New Zealand Temple
Hamilton New Zealand Temple
The Hamilton New Zealand Temple is the 13th constructed and 11th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
on 17 January 1976. They are the parents of four children.
Ardern received both bachelors and masters degrees in education from the University of Waikato
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
in New Zealand. In 1981 he joined the Church Educational System
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
as an English teacher and was later principal of the Church College of New Zealand
Church College of New Zealand
Church College of New Zealand was a private secondary school in Temple View, Hamilton, New Zealand, that was operated by the Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was closed at the end of the 2009 school year.-History:Construction of the Church College of...
. In 2004 he became the Church Educational System
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
's Pacific Area
Area (LDS Church)
An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions...
Director. After serving as mission 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 Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
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...
from 2005 to 2008, Ardern returned to Church Educational System employment in New Zealand as an institute
Institute of Religion
Institutes of Religion provide religious educational classes for young single adult and university students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
director and seminary coordinator in Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
.
Ardern was called as an area seventy to serve in the Eighth Quorum of Seventy on 3 April 2010. He was called to the First Quorum of Seventy on 2 April 2011. He is currently assigned as Second Counselor in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
Area Presidency, beginning 1 August 2011. On October 1, 2011, Ardern became the first general authority from New Zealand to speak in the LDS Church's General Conference
General Conference (LDS Church)
General Conference is a semiannual world conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in April and October, where members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders...
in 24 years.