Mary N. Cook
Encyclopedia
Mary Nielsen Cook was a counselor to Susan W. Tanner
in the general presidency of the Young Women organization
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since March 31, 2007 until April 2008. Since April 2008 Cook has been the first counselor to Elaine S. Dalton
in the same presidency.
Born in Midvale
, Utah
, Mary Nielsen earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Brigham Young University
in audiology
, speech pathology, and education. In her professional career, she was a school administrator and a special education
teacher.
On July 16, 1988, Nielsen married Richard E. Cook
, whose first wife had died in 1984. Richard Cook would later serve as a general authority
of the LDS Church from 1997 to 2001; he is currently the finance director of the church's Perpetual Education Fund
.
In the early 1990s, the Cooks served in Mongolia
as LDS Church missionaries
. In July 1995, when the church created the Mongolia Ulaanbaatar
Mission
, Richard Cook was asked to be the first mission president
. Mary Cook served with her husband in Mongolia until 1998. The Cooks would later live in Hong Kong
, China
while Richard served as a member of the presidency of the church's Asia
Area
.
On March 31, 2007, at a church general conference, Mary N. Cook was accepted
by the church as the second counselor to Susan W. Tanner
in the general presidency of the Young Women Organization.
Cook has no biological children, but she is the step-mother to Richard Cook's four children.
Susan W. Tanner
Susan Winder Tanner was the twelfth general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2002 until April 2008.-Biography:...
in the general presidency of the Young Women organization
Young Women (organization)
The Young Women is a youth organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since March 31, 2007 until April 2008. Since April 2008 Cook has been the first counselor to Elaine S. Dalton
Elaine S. Dalton
Elaine Schwartz Dalton has been the thirteenth president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2008. From 2002 to 2008, Dalton was a counselor to Susan W. Tanner in the general presidency of the Young Women.-Biography:Elaine Schwartz was...
in the same presidency.
Born in Midvale
Midvale, Utah
Midvale is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 27,029 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Midvale is located at ....
, 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...
, Mary Nielsen earned undergraduate and graduate degrees 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 audiology
Audiology
Audiology is the branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Its practitioners, who treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage are audiologists. Employing various testing strategies Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , -logia) is...
, speech pathology, and education. In her professional career, she was a school administrator and a special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
teacher.
On July 16, 1988, Nielsen married Richard E. Cook
Richard E. Cook
Richard Ernest Cook is the chief financial officer for the Perpetual Education Fund and a former general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He is married to Mary N. Cook, a leader in the LDS Church. Cook was the first mission president of the LDS Church to be based in...
, whose first wife had died in 1984. Richard Cook would later serve as a 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...
of the LDS Church from 1997 to 2001; he is currently the finance director of the church's Perpetual Education Fund
Perpetual Education Fund
The Perpetual Education Fund is a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first announced by President Gordon B. Hinckley on March 31, 2001...
.
In the early 1990s, the Cooks served in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
as LDS Church missionaries
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...
. In July 1995, when the church created the Mongolia Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar
Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is over one million....
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...
, Richard Cook was asked to be the first 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...
. Mary Cook served with her husband in Mongolia until 1998. The Cooks would later live 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...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
while Richard served as a member of the presidency of the church's Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
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...
.
On March 31, 2007, at a church general conference, Mary N. Cook was accepted
Common consent
Common consent is a democratic principle established by the Latter Day Saint movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., who taught in 1830 that "all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith." As it is most frequently used by the Church of Jesus Christ of...
by the church as the second counselor to Susan W. Tanner
Susan W. Tanner
Susan Winder Tanner was the twelfth general president of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2002 until April 2008.-Biography:...
in the general presidency of the Young Women Organization.
Cook has no biological children, but she is the step-mother to Richard Cook's four children.
Speeches and publications
- Mary N. Cook, “Strengthen Home and Family,” LiahonaLiahonaAccording to the Book of Mormon and other Latter Day Saint movement sources, the Liahona is a brass ball that operated as a type of compass with two spindles. One of the spindles was said to point the direction Lehi and his party should travel after their escape from Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon...
, Nov. 2007, 11–13 - Richard E. Cook and Mary N. Cook, "Mongolia", Religious Liberty and the Global Church: The Challenge of Sharing, Seventh Annual Conference of the International Society (Provo, Utah: David M. Kennedy Center, Brigham Young University) 1996-08-19
- Catherine D. Montgomery and Mary N. Cook, "'Teach Me to Know': Cultivating Teaching Skills", Rise to the Divinity within You, Brigham Young University Women's Conference, (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University) 2006-05-04