Richard P. Lindsay
Encyclopedia
Richard Powell Lindsay was a Utah
politician and a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1989 to 1994. He was a Democratic
Utah State Senator in 1965 and a member of the Utah House of Representatives
from 1973 to 1976.
Lindsay was born in Salt Lake City, Utah
to Samuel J. Lindsay and his wife Mary Alice Powell. Samuel, who was serving as bishop of the Taylorsville Ward of the LDS Church at the time, died in 1932, leaving Mary to raise her children alone. She had been trained as a nurse and through these this means was able to support the family. Lindsay was able to began his college studies because Samuel S. Smith, a son of Joseph F. Smith
who had been a bishop in the West Jordan Stake at the same time as his father, gave him a ride to the University of Utah
every day. At age 18, Lindsay joined the U.S. Navy, but World War II
ended before he was sent into combat and he spent most of his time in the navy in Colorado
. Lindsay served as a full-time missionary
for the LDS Church in Switzerland
and Austria
from 1946 to 1949. Lindsay holds a bachelors degree from the University of Denver
and a masters and Ph.D. from the University of Utah.
In November 1949, Lindsay married Marian Bangerter in the Salt Lake Temple
. During the early years of their marriage the Lindsay's lived in Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado
and San Francisco. While living in Denver, Lindsay served as a counselor in a bishopric to Victor L. Brown
. In 1959, Lindsay began a career with the government of the State of Utah. He served as Utah State Commissioner of Finance, with the Utah Juvenile Court System, as director of the Utah Council on Criminal Justice Administration and starting in 1979 as director of the Utah State Department of Human Services.
During the time he was a state legislator, Lindsay was the director of the University of Utah
Bureau of Community Development and an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University
. Then from 1978 to 1989 Lindsay served as director of Public Affairs for the LDS Church.
Among other church positions, Lindsay has been a bishop and a stake president.
In 1989, Lindsay became a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. While Lindsay was a member of the Seventy, he served as the first president of the Africa Area
of the LDS Church.
After his release as a general authority in 1994, Lindsay was the LDS Church's representative in various anti-pornography initiatives. He was named the national education director of the Religious Alliance Against Pornography in 1995. He also worked on fighting alcohol abuse, for which he was honored by the American Council on Alcohol Problems
in 1996.
Richard and Marian Lindsay are the parents of six children. Richard and Marian were named Utah's Parents of the Year in 2001. Their son Bruce
is a lead news anchor at KSL TV, and their daughter Susan is married to Gerrit W. Gong
, who became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 2010.
Lindsay died of cancer in Salt Lake City.
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...
politician and 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 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1989 to 1994. He was a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Utah State Senator in 1965 and a member of the Utah House of Representatives
Utah House of Representatives
The Utah House of Representatives is the lower house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The House is composed of 75 representatives elected from single member constituent districts. Each district contains an average population of 35,000 people...
from 1973 to 1976.
Lindsay was born in Salt Lake City, 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...
to Samuel J. Lindsay and his wife Mary Alice Powell. Samuel, who was serving as bishop of the Taylorsville Ward of the LDS Church at the time, died in 1932, leaving Mary to raise her children alone. She had been trained as a nurse and through these this means was able to support the family. Lindsay was able to began his college studies because Samuel S. Smith, a son of Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
who had been a bishop in the West Jordan Stake at the same time as his father, gave him a ride to the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
every day. At age 18, Lindsay joined the U.S. Navy, but World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended before he was sent into combat and he spent most of his time in the navy in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Lindsay served as a full-time 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 LDS Church in Switzerland
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....
and 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...
from 1946 to 1949. Lindsay holds a bachelors degree from the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
and a masters and Ph.D. from the University of Utah.
In November 1949, Lindsay married Marian Bangerter in the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
. During the early years of their marriage the Lindsay's lived in Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and San Francisco. While living in Denver, Lindsay served as a counselor in a bishopric to Victor L. Brown
Victor L. Brown
Victor Lee Brown was the tenth Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1972 and 1985. He was a general authority of the LDS Church from 1961 until his death....
. In 1959, Lindsay began a career with the government of the State of Utah. He served as Utah State Commissioner of Finance, with the Utah Juvenile Court System, as director of the Utah Council on Criminal Justice Administration and starting in 1979 as director of the Utah State Department of Human Services.
During the time he was a state legislator, Lindsay was the director of the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
Bureau of Community Development and an adjunct professor at 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...
. Then from 1978 to 1989 Lindsay served as director of Public Affairs for the LDS Church.
Among other church positions, Lindsay has been a bishop and a stake president.
In 1989, Lindsay became a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. While Lindsay was a member of the Seventy, he served as the first president of the Africa 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 LDS Church.
After his release as a general authority in 1994, Lindsay was the LDS Church's representative in various anti-pornography initiatives. He was named the national education director of the Religious Alliance Against Pornography in 1995. He also worked on fighting alcohol abuse, for which he was honored by the American Council on Alcohol Problems
American Council on Alcohol Problems
The American Council on Alcohol Problems is a federation of 37 state affiliates promoting the reduction of alcohol advertising, availability and consumption throughout the United States....
in 1996.
Richard and Marian Lindsay are the parents of six children. Richard and Marian were named Utah's Parents of the Year in 2001. Their son Bruce
Bruce Lindsay (broadcaster)
Bruce Lindsay is the lead news reporter with KSL TV in Salt Lake City. He was awarded an Emmy Award for his coverage of the 1980 Democratic National Convention....
is a lead news anchor at KSL TV, and their daughter Susan is married to Gerrit W. Gong
Gerrit W. Gong
Gerrit Walter Gong has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2010. He is a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy...
, who became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 2010.
Lindsay died of cancer in Salt Lake City.