Sheldon F. Child
Encyclopedia
Sheldon Fay Child has been general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1996.
Child was born in Ogden
but raised on a farm in Syracuse
, Utah
. He married Joan Haacke in 1957. Shortly after that, he began working at RC Willey Home Furnishings
, which then had under five employees. His brother, William Child, was the owner being the son-in-law of the original owner. The company had grown to seven stores by the time Child retired. For a time, Child was president of R. C. Willey
.
Child and his wife are the parents of six children. He has been bishop of the Syracuse Second Ward and president of the Syracuse Utah Stake. From 1991 to 1994, Child served as president of the New York
New York Mission of the LDS Church. The mission was split in 1993, with Child remaining as president of the New York New York South Mission which encompassed Staten Island
, Queens
, Brooklyn
, and Long Island
. Manhattan
, The Bronx
, Westchester County, New York
, southwest Connecticut
and a few other counties in southern New York were made into the new New York New York North Mission, with Parley L. Howell as president. While Child was mission president, Brooklyn and Queens were in districts
, so unlike many mission presidents in the United States
, he had responsibility over all church members in those areas.
From 1995 to 1996 Child served as an area authority in the Utah North Area.
In 1996, Child was became a member of the LDS Church's Second Quorum of the Seventy. Two years later, he became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. At that point he was serving as president of the Philippines
/Micronesia
Area
of the church.
In 2002, Child served on the inter-faith roundtable of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics
.
In 2004, Child was among those who accompanied Gordon B. Hinckley
on his visit with Ghana
's president
John Kufuor
. From 2001 to 2006, Child was the president of the Africa
West Area of the LDS Church. In October 2008, Child was released from the First Quorum of the Seventy and was given general authority emeritus
status. Beginning in November 2008, Child began a three-year tenure as president
of the church's Salt Lake Temple
.
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 1996.
Child was born in Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
but raised on a farm in Syracuse
Syracuse, Utah
Syracuse is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States, between the Great Salt Lake and Interstate 15, about north of Salt Lake City. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.Syracuse was incorporated on September 3, 1935....
, 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...
. He married Joan Haacke in 1957. Shortly after that, he began working at RC Willey Home Furnishings
RC Willey Home Furnishings
RC Willey Home Furnishings is a home furnishings company with stores in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and California. It was founded by Rufus Calle Willey in 1932 when he started selling Hotpoint Brand appliances door-to-door in Syracuse, Utah...
, which then had under five employees. His brother, William Child, was the owner being the son-in-law of the original owner. The company had grown to seven stores by the time Child retired. For a time, Child was president of R. C. Willey
RC Willey Home Furnishings
RC Willey Home Furnishings is a home furnishings company with stores in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and California. It was founded by Rufus Calle Willey in 1932 when he started selling Hotpoint Brand appliances door-to-door in Syracuse, Utah...
.
Child and his wife are the parents of six children. He has been bishop of the Syracuse Second Ward and president of the Syracuse Utah Stake. From 1991 to 1994, Child served as president of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
New York Mission of the LDS Church. The mission was split in 1993, with Child remaining as president of the New York New York South Mission which encompassed Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, southwest Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and a few other counties in southern New York were made into the new New York New York North Mission, with Parley L. Howell as president. While Child was mission president, Brooklyn and Queens were in districts
District (LDS Church)
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...
, so unlike many mission presidents in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he had responsibility over all church members in those areas.
From 1995 to 1996 Child served as an area authority in the Utah North Area.
In 1996, Child was became a member of the LDS Church's Second Quorum of the Seventy. Two years later, he became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. At that point he was serving as president of 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...
/Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the 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.
In 2002, Child served on the inter-faith roundtable of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
.
In 2004, Child was among those who accompanied Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
on his visit with Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
's president
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
John Kufuor
John Kufuor
John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor was the second president of the 4th Republic of Ghana and Chairperson of the African Union...
. From 2001 to 2006, Child was the president of the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
West Area of the LDS Church. In October 2008, Child was released from the First Quorum of the Seventy and was given general authority emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
status. Beginning in November 2008, Child began a three-year tenure as president
Temple President
Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual capacity....
of the church's 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,...
.