James J. Hamula
Encyclopedia
James Joseph Hamula has been a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since April 2008.
immigrants who grew up in a heavily Magyar
speaking area of metro Cleveland
, Ohio
. After his service in the Navy, Joseph Hamula attended school in Southern California
where he joined the LDS Church. At the urging of his stake president Howard W. Hunter
, Joseph served as a missionary
for the church in the Swiss
–Austria
n Mission
of the church. After his mission Joseph Hamula married Joyce Jacobs.
. Hamula then served as an LDS Church missionary in the Germany
Munich
Mission. After his mission, he received a bachelor's degree
in political science and philosophy, a master's degree
in political philosophy, and a juris doctorate, all from Brigham Young University
in Provo
, Utah
.
For one summer while studying law, Hamula did an internship in Mesa
, Arizona
. There he met Joyce Anderson, and in 1984 they married in the Mesa Arizona Temple
. They are the parents of six children: Jerilyn, Jordan, Jennifer, Julie, Jared and Joseph.
Hamula has spent most of his career working for the Arizona-based law firm
of Gallagher & Kennedy. He was largely involved in Superfund
and other environmental law
issues.
president, a member of a stake high council, and a stake Young Men
president. He was also the president of the Mesa Arizona Salt River Stake and the first president of the Mesa Arizona Red Mountain Stake when it was organized in 1992.
From 1994 to 1997, Hamula was the president
of the church's Washington D.C. South Mission. From 2000 to 2008, Hamula was an area authority in the North America
Southwest Area
of the church. He became a member of the church's First Quorum of the Seventy at the church's April 2008 general conference in Salt Lake City, Utah
.
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) since April 2008.
Parents
Hamula's father was Joseph Hamula, a son of HungarianHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
immigrants who grew up in a heavily Magyar
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
speaking area of metro Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. After his service in the Navy, Joseph Hamula attended school in Southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where he joined the LDS Church. At the urging of his stake president Howard W. Hunter
Howard W. Hunter
Howard William Hunter was the fourteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994 to 1995. His nine month presidential tenure is the shortest in the history of the Church...
, Joseph served as a missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
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...
for the church in the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
–Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n 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...
of the church. After his mission Joseph Hamula married Joyce Jacobs.
Biography
James Hamula was born and raised in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. Hamula then served as an LDS Church missionary in the Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
Mission. After his mission, he received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in political science and philosophy, a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in political philosophy, and a juris doctorate, all from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
in Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
For one summer while studying law, Hamula did an internship in Mesa
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. There he met Joyce Anderson, and in 1984 they married in the Mesa Arizona Temple
Mesa Arizona Temple
The Mesa Arizona Temple is the seventh operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Mesa, Arizona, it is the first of five LDS temples built or planned in the state.-History:...
. They are the parents of six children: Jerilyn, Jordan, Jennifer, Julie, Jared and Joseph.
Hamula has spent most of his career working for the Arizona-based law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
of Gallagher & Kennedy. He was largely involved in Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
and other environmental law
Environmental law
Environmental law is a complex and interlocking body of treaties, conventions, statutes, regulations, and common law that operates to regulate the interaction of humanity and the natural environment, toward the purpose of reducing the impacts of human activity...
issues.
LDS Church service
In the LDS Church, Hamula has served as a bishop, elders quorum president, stake Sunday SchoolSunday 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:...
president, a member of a stake high council, and a stake Young Men
Young Men (organization)
The Young Men is a youth organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
president. He was also the president of the Mesa Arizona Salt River Stake and the first president of the Mesa Arizona Red Mountain Stake when it was organized in 1992.
From 1994 to 1997, Hamula was the 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 Washington D.C. South Mission. From 2000 to 2008, Hamula was an area authority in the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
Southwest 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...
of the church. He became a member of the church's First Quorum of the Seventy at the church's April 2008 general conference in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
External links
- "General Authorities: Elder James J. Hamula", lds.org
- Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: James J. Hamula
- James J. Hamula, “The Quest for Wisdom,” Ensign, July 2002, p. 40