Jay E. Jensen
Encyclopedia
Jay Edwin Jensen has been a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1992. On 1 August 2008, he became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy of the church.
Jensen was born in Payson
, Utah
, United States
and raised in Mapleton, Utah
. From 1961-1963 Jensen served as a missionary in the Spanish-American mission, a mission concentrated on teaching the gospel to Spanish-speakers in the South-western United States. On the first of November, 1963 Jensen married Lona Lee Child in the Manti Temple. Jensen graduated with a bachelor's
, a master's
, and a doctorate degree from Brigham Young University
. Jensen's bachelors degree was in Spanish and History, his masters degree in Church history and doctrine and his doctorate degree in education.
Jensen was called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy in 1992 and to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1995. On June 7, 2008, it was announced that Jensen would become a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on 1 August 2008.
Prior to becoming a general authority, Jensen had been president
of the church's Colombia
Cali
Mission
(from 1975-1978), a bishop, and a branch president
in the LDS Church. He had also served as a counselor in the Missionary Training Center
presidency. Jensen was a full-time employee of the Church prior to his call as a general authority. He served as director of scripture coordination for the LDS Church's Curriculum Department and previously had been director of curriculum for the Church Educational System
. He also served for a time as director of missionary training for the Missionary Department of the LDS Church.
In 2004 Jensen was appointed along with Lynn A. Mickelsen
to supervise the formation and publication of a Spanish-language LDS edition of the Bible
. Their chief assistant on this project was Enrique Resek.
Jensen and his wife Lona are the parents of six children.
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 1992. On 1 August 2008, he became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy of the church.
Jensen was born in Payson
Payson, Utah
Payson is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,716 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Rick Moore, who in the 2009 election was the first write-in candidate ever to defeat an incumbent mayor in...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and raised in Mapleton, Utah
Mapleton, Utah
Mapleton is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,809 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mapleton is located at ....
. From 1961-1963 Jensen served as a missionary in the Spanish-American mission, a mission concentrated on teaching the gospel to Spanish-speakers in the South-western United States. On the first of November, 1963 Jensen married Lona Lee Child in the Manti Temple. Jensen graduated with a bachelor's
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...
, a master's
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...
, and a doctorate degree 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...
. Jensen's bachelors degree was in Spanish and History, his masters degree in Church history and doctrine and his doctorate degree in education.
Jensen was called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy in 1992 and to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1995. On June 7, 2008, it was announced that Jensen would become a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on 1 August 2008.
Prior to becoming a general authority, Jensen had been 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 Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
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 1975-1978), a bishop, and a branch president
Branch President
A branch president is a leader of a "branch" congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The calling of branch president is very similar to the calling of bishop, except that instead of presiding over a ward, the branch president presides over a branch...
in the LDS Church. He had also served as a counselor in the Missionary Training Center
Missionary Training Center
Missionary Training Centers are centers devoted to training missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The flagship MTC is located in Provo, Utah, USA, adjacent to the campus of Brigham Young University....
presidency. Jensen was a full-time employee of the Church prior to his call as a general authority. He served as director of scripture coordination for the LDS Church's Curriculum Department and previously had been director of curriculum for 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...
. He also served for a time as director of missionary training for the Missionary Department of the LDS Church.
In 2004 Jensen was appointed along with Lynn A. Mickelsen
Lynn A. Mickelsen
Lynn Alvin Mickelsen has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1990....
to supervise the formation and publication of a Spanish-language LDS edition of the Bible
LDS edition of the Bible
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publishes editions of the Bible in English and Spanish that it encourages its members to use. The text of the LDS Church's English-language Bible is the Authorized King James Version and the church's Spanish-language Bible is a revised Reina-Valera...
. Their chief assistant on this project was Enrique Resek.
Jensen and his wife Lona are the parents of six children.