Thomas S. Monson
Encyclopedia
Thomas Spencer Monson is an American
religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator
" of God's will on earth. A printer by trade, Monson has spent most of his life engaged in various church leadership positions and in public service.
Monson was ordained an apostle at age 36, served in the First Presidency under three church presidents and was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
from March 12, 1995 until he became President of the Church. He succeeded Gordon B. Hinckley
as church president on February 3, 2008.
Monson has received four honorary doctorate degrees
, as well as the Boy Scouts of America's
Silver Buffalo
and the World Organization of the Scout Movement's
Bronze Wolf
—both awards the highest given in each organization. Monson is Chairman of the Church Boards of Trustees/Education
of the Church Educational System
, and he was appointed by Ronald Reagan
to the U.S. President's Task Force for Private Sector Initiatives. Monson is married to Frances Beverly Johnson Monson, and they are the parents of three children.
to G. Spencer Monson (1901–1979) and Gladys Condie (1902–1973). The second of six children, he grew up in a "tight-knit" family—many of his mother's relatives living on the same street and the extended family frequently going on trips together. The family's neighborhood included several residents of Mexican descent, an environment in which he says he developed a love for the Mexican people. Monson often spent weekends with relatives on their farms in Granger (now part of West Valley City), and as a teenager, Monson took a job at the printing business his father managed.
From 1940 to 1944, Monson attended West High School in Salt Lake City. In the fall of 1944, he enrolled at the University of Utah
. Around this time he met his future wife, Frances, whose family came from a higher social class on the east side of the city. Her father, Franz Johnson, felt an immediate connection because Monson's great uncle had baptized him into the LDS Church in Sweden.
In 1945, at age 17, Monson joined the United States Naval Reserve
and anticipated participating in World War II
in the Pacific theater
. He was sent to San Diego, California
but was not moved overseas before the end of the war. His tour of duty lasted six months beyond the end of the war, and after it was completed he returned to the University of Utah. Monson graduated cum laude in 1948 with a bachelor's degree
in business management. Monson did not serve a full-time mission
as a youth. At age 21, on October 7, 1948, he married Frances Beverly Johnson in the Salt Lake Temple
. The couple eventually had three children: Thomas Lee, Ann Frances, and Clark Spencer.
After college he rejoined the Naval Reserve with the aim of becoming an officer. Shortly after receiving his commission acceptance letter, his ward bishop asked him to serve as a counselor in the bishopric. Time conflicts with bishopric meetings would have made serving in the Navy impossible. After discussing things with church apostle Harold B. Lee
, (his former stake president), Monson declined the commission and applied for a discharge. The Navy granted his discharge in the last group processed before the Korean War
. Lee set him apart six months later as a bishop—mentioning in the blessing that he likely would not have been called if he had accepted the commission.
Monson taught for a time at the University of Utah, then began a career in publishing. His first job was with the Deseret News, where he became an advertising executive. He joined the advertising operations of the Newspaper Agency Corporation
when it was formed in 1952. Monson later transferred to the Deseret News Press, beginning as sales manager and eventually becoming general manager. While with Deseret News Press, Monson worked to publish LeGrand Richards
's A Marvelous Work And A Wonder. He also worked with Gordon B. Hinckley
, the LDS Church's representative on publications, with whom he later served in the First Presidency.
At age 27, Monson became a counselor to a stake president in Salt Lake City, and he became a mission president
at age 31. As mission president, he presided over the Canadian Mission
of the LDS Church from 1959 to 1962, supervising church missionaries
who were not much younger than he was. The Canadian Mission consisted of Ontario
and Quebec
; it was under the leadership of Monson that missionary work began among the French-speaking
population of Quebec.
Upon his return to Utah after his mission to Canada, Monson resumed his work with the Deseret News until he was called to be an apostle in 1963 at age 36—he was the youngest apostle in the church since Joseph Fielding Smith
, who had become an apostle in 1910 at age 33. Prior to being called as an apostle, Monson held a few positions on church committees, including the Priesthood Home Teaching
Committee.
. He was chair of the Scripture Publication Committee in the 1970s that oversaw publication of the LDS Church edition
of the King James Bible and revised editions of LDS Church scriptures
containing footnotes and guides. He has also overseen the church's Printing Advisory, Missionary Executive and General Welfare Committees. While an apostle, he continued his education and received his master of business administration
degree from Brigham Young University
in 1974.
Monson also oversaw church operations in Eastern Europe
and helped the church gain access to its members in the Soviet bloc. In 1982, he organized the first stake in East Germany and was instrumental in obtaining permission for the church to build a temple
in Freiberg, East Germany
, in 1985.
Monson was made a member of the Board of Directors of Key Bank. This was one of multiple positions that Monson resigned in 1996 when it was decided that General Authorities should leave all business boards of directors, with the lone exception of the board of Deseret Management Corporation
.
Monson was also a member of the National Executive Board of Boy Scouts of America
starting in 1969. From 1971 to 1977 he served on the Utah State Board of Higher Education and the Utah State Board of Regents
. From 1981 to 1982 he was a member of the Task Force on Private Sector Initiatives appointed by Ronald Reagan
.
in 1985, newly selected church president Ezra Taft Benson
asked Monson and Gordon B. Hinckley
to serve as his second and first counselors, respectively. Monson and Hinckley also served as counselors to Benson's successor, Howard W. Hunter
. When Hinckley succeeded Hunter in 1995, Monson became his first counselor. He served until Hinckley's death on January 27, 2008. As the second in seniority among the apostles behind Hinckley, Monson simultaneously served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
. (Boyd K. Packer
served as Acting President).
, who had died seven days earlier. Monson selected Henry B. Eyring
and Dieter F. Uchtdorf
as his first and second counselors, respectively. When Monson was born, there were fewer than 650,000 members of the church in the world, with most of them being based in the western United States. When he became president, there were over 13 million members worldwide, with the majority of the membership living outside the United States and Canada. As of November 2011, 28 temples announced by Monson are either under construction or in planning.
He and his counselors in the First Presidency met with President
George W. Bush
on May 29, 2008 during his visit to Salt Lake City. He and apostle Dallin H. Oaks
later met with United States Senator
Harry Reid
and President Barack Obama
in the Oval Office on July 20, 2009, presenting President Obama with five volumes of personal family history records.
: the Rexburg Idaho Temple
(2008), Curitiba Brazil Temple
(2008), Panamá City Panamá Temple
(2008), Twin Falls Idaho Temple
(2008), Mexico City Mexico Temple
(re-dedication; 2008), Draper Utah Temple
(2009), Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
(2009), Vancouver British Columbia Temple
(2010), Gila Valley Arizona Temple
(2010), Cebu City Philippines Temple (2010), Kyiv Ukraine Temple (2010), Laie Hawaii Temple
(re-dedication; 2010).
As a counselor in the First Presidency, Monson dedicated seven church temples: Buenos Aires Argentina Temple
(1986), Louisville Kentucky Temple
(2000), Reno Nevada Temple
(2000), Tampico México Temple
(2000), Villahermosa México Temple
(2000), Mérida México Temple
(2000), and Veracruz México Temple
(2000). Monson also attended the dedication of many other church temples while a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and while in the First Presidency.
. A Life Scout and Explorer crew member
in his youth, Monson has served in several adult Scouter leadership capacities: merit badge counselor
, member of the Canadian LDS Scouting Committee, chaplain
at a Canadian Jamboree, and a member of the General Scouting Committee of the LDS Church for ten years. He has been a proponent of the Scouting for Food
drive, and since 1969, he has served on the national executive board of the Boy Scouts of America
. He also represented the Boy Scouts of America as a delegate to the World Conferences in Tokyo, Nairobi
and Copenhagen
.
He served on the Utah State Board of Regents
. In December 1981, U.S. President
Ronald Reagan
appointed Monson to the President's Task Force for Private Sector Initiatives
. He remained with the initiative until it completed its work in December 1982.
sent a letter to local congregations in California, urging them to support Proposition 8
by donating their time and resources, stating that, "Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage."
. His first honorary degree, an Honorary
Doctorate of Laws
, was conferred upon him in April 1981 by Brigham Young University
. Subsequent honorary degrees include a Doctor of Humane Letters from Salt Lake Community College
(June 1996), an Honorary Doctor of Business from the University of Utah (May 2007), and an honorary doctorate degree in Humanities from Dixie State College (May 2011).
For his service to Scouting and the community, Monson has received the Boy Scouts of America's
Silver Beaver Award
(1971) as well as the Silver Buffalo Award
(1978), which is the highest honor bestowed by the BSA. In 1993, Monson also received the Bronze Wolf
, the highest honor and only award bestowed by the World Organization of the Scout Movement
. His citation for this award (bestowed at the October 1993 Priesthood Session
of General Conference
) says, "In his assignments throughout the world as a leader of [the LDS Church], President Monson has worked tirelessly to bring about the advancement of Scouting in many countries. He has worked closely with the World Organization of the Scout Movement to find ways to strengthen the links between the Church and national Scout associations. He is a committed, solid, hard-working volunteer in the Scout Movement. His Scouting leadership has been exemplary." The Salt Lake chapter of Rotary International
also honored Monson at its international convention with its Worldwide Humanitarian Award.
In Slate.com's "80 Over 80," a list of the most powerful octogenarians, Monson placed first in 2009, and was first again in 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator
Prophet, seer, and revelator
Prophet, seer, and revelator is an ecclesiastical title used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is currently applied to the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles...
" of God's will on earth. A printer by trade, Monson has spent most of his life engaged in various church leadership positions and in public service.
Monson was ordained an apostle at age 36, served in the First Presidency under three church presidents and was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In general, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve is the most senior Apostle in the church, aside from the President of the Church...
from March 12, 1995 until he became President of the Church. He succeeded 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...
as church president on February 3, 2008.
Monson has received four honorary doctorate degrees
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
, as well as the Boy Scouts of America's
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
Silver Buffalo
Silver Buffalo Award
The Silver Buffalo Award is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on a national basis, either as part of, or independent of the Scouting program...
and the World Organization of the Scout Movement's
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
Bronze Wolf
Bronze Wolf
The Bronze Wolf Award is bestowed by the World Scout Committee to acknowledge "outstanding service by an individual to the World Scout Movement"...
—both awards the highest given in each organization. Monson is Chairman of the Church Boards of Trustees/Education
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...
of 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...
, and he was appointed by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
to the U.S. President's Task Force for Private Sector Initiatives. Monson is married to Frances Beverly Johnson Monson, and they are the parents of three children.
Biography
Monson was born on August 21, 1927, in Salt Lake City, UtahUtah
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 G. Spencer Monson (1901–1979) and Gladys Condie (1902–1973). The second of six children, he grew up in a "tight-knit" family—many of his mother's relatives living on the same street and the extended family frequently going on trips together. The family's neighborhood included several residents of Mexican descent, an environment in which he says he developed a love for the Mexican people. Monson often spent weekends with relatives on their farms in Granger (now part of West Valley City), and as a teenager, Monson took a job at the printing business his father managed.
From 1940 to 1944, Monson attended West High School in Salt Lake City. In the fall of 1944, he enrolled at 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...
. Around this time he met his future wife, Frances, whose family came from a higher social class on the east side of the city. Her father, Franz Johnson, felt an immediate connection because Monson's great uncle had baptized him into the LDS Church in Sweden.
In 1945, at age 17, Monson joined the United States Naval Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
and anticipated participating in 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...
in the Pacific theater
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
. He was sent to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
but was not moved overseas before the end of the war. His tour of duty lasted six months beyond the end of the war, and after it was completed he returned to the University of Utah. Monson graduated cum laude in 1948 with 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 business management. Monson did not serve a full-time mission
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...
as a youth. At age 21, on October 7, 1948, he married Frances Beverly Johnson 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,...
. The couple eventually had three children: Thomas Lee, Ann Frances, and Clark Spencer.
After college he rejoined the Naval Reserve with the aim of becoming an officer. Shortly after receiving his commission acceptance letter, his ward bishop asked him to serve as a counselor in the bishopric. Time conflicts with bishopric meetings would have made serving in the Navy impossible. After discussing things with church apostle Harold B. Lee
Harold B. Lee
Harold Bingham Lee was eleventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 1972 until his death.- Early life :...
, (his former stake president), Monson declined the commission and applied for a discharge. The Navy granted his discharge in the last group processed before the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Lee set him apart six months later as a bishop—mentioning in the blessing that he likely would not have been called if he had accepted the commission.
Monson taught for a time at the University of Utah, then began a career in publishing. His first job was with the Deseret News, where he became an advertising executive. He joined the advertising operations of the Newspaper Agency Corporation
Newspaper Agency Corporation
The Newspaper Agency Corporation Inc. is a printing, delivery and advertising company jointly owned by the Deseret Morning News and The Salt Lake Tribune, the two major daily newspapers in Salt Lake City, Utah.-History:...
when it was formed in 1952. Monson later transferred to the Deseret News Press, beginning as sales manager and eventually becoming general manager. While with Deseret News Press, Monson worked to publish LeGrand Richards
LeGrand Richards
LeGrand Richards was a prominent missionary and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as the seventh presiding bishop of the LDS Church from 1938 to 1952, and was then called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles by Church President David O. McKay...
's A Marvelous Work And A Wonder. He also worked with 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...
, the LDS Church's representative on publications, with whom he later served in the First Presidency.
Young adulthood and local church leadership
On May 7, 1950, Monson became an LDS bishop at age 22. He had previously served as ward clerk, ward YMMIA superintendent, and as a counselor in a bishopric. At the time, Monson's Salt Lake City ward contained over 1,000 people, including 85 widows whom he visited regularly. He continued his visits to these widows when he was released after five years of service. He brought them gifts during the Christmas season, including poultry he had raised himself. Monson eventually spoke at the funerals of each of these women.At age 27, Monson became a counselor to a stake president in Salt Lake City, and he became a 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...
at age 31. As mission president, he presided over the Canadian 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 LDS Church from 1959 to 1962, supervising church missionaries
Mormon missionary
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...
who were not much younger than he was. The Canadian Mission consisted of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
; it was under the leadership of Monson that missionary work began among the French-speaking
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
population of Quebec.
Upon his return to Utah after his mission to Canada, Monson resumed his work with the Deseret News until he was called to be an apostle in 1963 at age 36—he was the youngest apostle in the church since Joseph Fielding Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 until his death. He was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the sixth president of the LDS Church...
, who had become an apostle in 1910 at age 33. Prior to being called as an apostle, Monson held a few positions on church committees, including the Priesthood Home Teaching
Home teaching
Home teaching is a responsibility of priesthood holders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Home teaching is a church program designed to allow families to be taught in their own homes, in addition to weekly church services...
Committee.
Apostleship
As an apostle of the LDS Church, Monson worked in many capacities all around the world. With his business background, he helped oversee many operations of the church including KSL Newsradio and Bonneville InternationalBonneville International
Bonneville International Corporation is a broadcasting company wholly owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through its for-profit arm, Deseret Management Corporation...
. He was chair of the Scripture Publication Committee in the 1970s that oversaw publication of the LDS Church edition
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...
of the King James Bible and revised editions of LDS Church scriptures
Standard Works
The Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon.* The Holy Bible * The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ...
containing footnotes and guides. He has also overseen the church's Printing Advisory, Missionary Executive and General Welfare Committees. While an apostle, he continued his education and received his master of business administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
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...
in 1974.
Monson also oversaw church operations in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and helped the church gain access to its members in the Soviet bloc. In 1982, he organized the first stake in East Germany and was instrumental in obtaining permission for the church to build a temple
Freiberg Germany Temple
The Freiberg Germany Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located in Freiberg, Saxony, Germany...
in Freiberg, East Germany
Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, administrative center of the Mittelsachsen district.-History:The city was founded in 1186, and has been a center of the mining industry in the Ore Mountains for centuries...
, in 1985.
Positions with for-profit Latter-day Saint businesses
From 1965 until 1996 Monson was a member of the Deseret News Publishing Company board of directors. He was made chairman of the board of directors in 1977.Non-Latter-day Saint business positions
Monson also served for several years on the boards of businesses and organizations not owned by the LDS Church. From 1969 to 1988 Monson was on the Mountain Bell Board of Advisors. He served as a member of the board of directors of Commercial Security Bank, including as chair of the banks' audit committee for 20 years. In 1993 when the bank was bought out by Key BankKey Bank
KeyBank is a regional bank headquartered in Key Tower within Cleveland, Ohio's Public Square. , it is the 19th largest bank in the United States based on total deposits...
Monson was made a member of the Board of Directors of Key Bank. This was one of multiple positions that Monson resigned in 1996 when it was decided that General Authorities should leave all business boards of directors, with the lone exception of the board of Deseret Management Corporation
Deseret Management Corporation
The Deseret Management Corporation is a for-profit management company of assets for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was established in 1966 by then church president David O...
.
Monson was also a member of the National Executive Board of Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
starting in 1969. From 1971 to 1977 he served on the Utah State Board of Higher Education and the Utah State Board of Regents
Utah State Board of Regents
The Utah State Board of Regents was formed in 1969 as agoverning body for the Utah System of Higher Education.The Board consists of eighteen residents of the State; fifteen regents and one student regent are appointed by the Governor of Utah and two members of the State Board of Education,...
. From 1981 to 1982 he was a member of the Task Force on Private Sector Initiatives appointed by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
.
First Presidency
Following the death of Church President Spencer W. KimballSpencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
in 1985, newly selected church president Ezra Taft Benson
Ezra Taft Benson
Ezra Taft Benson was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both terms of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.-Biography:Born on a farm in Whitney, Idaho, Benson was the oldest of...
asked Monson and 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...
to serve as his second and first counselors, respectively. Monson and Hinckley also served as counselors to Benson's successor, 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...
. When Hinckley succeeded Hunter in 1995, Monson became his first counselor. He served until Hinckley's death on January 27, 2008. As the second in seniority among the apostles behind Hinckley, Monson simultaneously served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In general, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve is the most senior Apostle in the church, aside from the President of the Church...
. (Boyd K. Packer
Boyd K. Packer
Boyd Kenneth Packer is an American educator and religious leader, and the current president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He served as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve from 1994 to 2008, and has been an apostle and member of...
served as Acting President).
Church President
Monson became the 16th president of the LDS Church on February 3, 2008, succeeding Gordon B. HinckleyGordon 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...
, who had died seven days earlier. Monson selected Henry B. Eyring
Henry B. Eyring
Henry Bennion Eyring is an American educational administrator, author, and religious leader. In 2008 Eyring became First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Eyring was the Second Counselor to Gordon B. Hinckley in the First Presidency from October...
and Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf is a German former aviator and airline executive. He currently serves as the Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is the eleventh most senior apostle in the ranks of the Church.-Early life and education:Uchtdorf...
as his first and second counselors, respectively. When Monson was born, there were fewer than 650,000 members of the church in the world, with most of them being based in the western United States. When he became president, there were over 13 million members worldwide, with the majority of the membership living outside the United States and Canada. As of November 2011, 28 temples announced by Monson are either under construction or in planning.
He and his counselors in the First Presidency met with President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on May 29, 2008 during his visit to Salt Lake City. He and apostle Dallin H. Oaks
Dallin H. Oaks
Dallin Harris Oaks is an American attorney, jurist, author, professor, public speaker, and religious leader. Since 1984, he has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
later met with United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
and President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the Oval Office on July 20, 2009, presenting President Obama with five volumes of personal family history records.
Legacy
Temple dedications
As President of the Church, Monson has dedicated ten LDS Church templesTemple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
: the Rexburg Idaho Temple
Rexburg Idaho Temple
Announced in late 2003, the Rexburg Idaho Temple was dedicated on February 10, 2008 and was the third temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Idaho. A fourth Idaho temple was subsequently dedicated in Twin Falls, Idaho temple later in 2008. The temple sits on the south end of...
(2008), Curitiba Brazil Temple
Curitiba Brazil Temple
Announced in 2002, the Curitiba Brazil Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was completed in early May 2008 and was dedicated June 1 by Thomas S. Monson, the president of the LDS Church. Located in Curitiba, the capital of Paraná state, it is the fifth LDS temple in Brazil...
(2008), Panamá City Panamá Temple
Panamá City Panamá Temple
Announced in 2002, the Panamá City Panamá Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated on August 10, 2008 by Thomas S. Monson, making it the 127th operating temple of the church...
(2008), Twin Falls Idaho Temple
Twin Falls Idaho Temple
The Twin Falls Idaho Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Twin Falls, Idaho, just south of the Snake River Canyon. It became the fourth LDS temple in the state when it was dedicated in August 2008, and the second temple dedicated in Idaho that year...
(2008), Mexico City Mexico Temple
Mexico City Mexico Temple
The Mexico City Mexico Temple is the 28th constructed and 26th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the north-eastern part of the Mexican capital, Mexico City, it was built with a unique design inspired by ancient Aztec and Mayan architecture...
(re-dedication; 2008), Draper Utah Temple
Draper Utah Temple
The Draper Utah Temple is the 129th temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dedicated as such on 20 through 22 March 2009. Prior to the dedication, the temple was open to the public from 15 January 2009 through 14 March 2009. The current president of the Draper Utah Temple is...
(2009), Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in South Jordan, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. South Jordan was the first city in the world to have two temples , followed by Provo, Utah...
(2009), Vancouver British Columbia Temple
Vancouver British Columbia Temple
The Vancouver British Columbia Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the seventh in Canada and the first in British Columbia....
(2010), Gila Valley Arizona Temple
Gila Valley Arizona Temple
The Gila Valley Arizona Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the town of Central between the communities of Pima and Thatcher in Arizona...
(2010), Cebu City Philippines Temple (2010), Kyiv Ukraine Temple (2010), Laie Hawaii Temple
Laie Hawaii Temple
Laie Hawaii Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located on the northeast shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The temple sits on a small hill a half-mile from the Pacific Ocean in the town of Lāie, from Honolulu...
(re-dedication; 2010).
As a counselor in the First Presidency, Monson dedicated seven church temples: Buenos Aires Argentina Temple
Buenos Aires Argentina Temple
The Buenos Aires Argentina Temple is the 39th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located in Ciudad Evita, near Buenos Aires, Argentina....
(1986), Louisville Kentucky Temple
Louisville Kentucky Temple
The Louisville Kentucky Temple is the 76th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Crestwood, Kentucky, a suburb of Louisville....
(2000), Reno Nevada Temple
Reno Nevada Temple
The Reno Nevada Temple is the 81st operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The first temple in Nevada was built in Las Vegas in 1989. The Reno Nevada temple was dedicated in 2000. It serves over 25,000 Latter-day Saints in the area.The groundbreaking services were held...
(2000), Tampico México Temple
Tampico México Temple
The Tampico México Temple is the 83rd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .The first Mormon temple in Mexico was built in Mexico City in 1983. Twenty-three years later, there are a total of twelve Mormon temples in Mexico...
(2000), Villahermosa México Temple
Villahermosa Mexico Temple
The Villahermosa Mexico Temple is the 85th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.In 1972 the first ward building was built in the state of Tabasco. That building later became a stake center and was finally torn down in 1999 so the temple could be built...
(2000), Mérida México Temple
Mérida México Temple
The Mérida México Temple is the 92nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The building of the temple in Mérida, Yucatán, was announced on September 25, 1998. It is one of twelve Mormon temples in Mexico....
(2000), and Veracruz México Temple
Veracruz México Temple
The Veracruz México Temple, located in Boca del Río in the Mexican state of Veracruz, is the 93rd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....
(2000). Monson also attended the dedication of many other church temples while a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and while in the First Presidency.
Volunteer work
Monson has continued to be active in community and civic affairs. He is past president of the Printing Industry of Utah and a former board member of the Printing Industries of AmericaPrinting Industries of America
Printing Industries of America is a nonprofit trade association which advocates for the United States printing industry.It is the world’s largest graphic arts trade association, representing more than 10,000 member companies and an industry with more than $174.4 billion in revenue and 1 million...
. A Life Scout and Explorer crew member
Exploring (Learning for Life)
Exploring is a worksite-based program of Learning for Life, a subsidiary of the Boy Scouts of America, for young men and women who are 14 through 20 years old...
in his youth, Monson has served in several adult Scouter leadership capacities: merit badge counselor
Merit badge (Boy Scouts of America)
Merit badges are awards earned by youth members of the Boy Scouts of America , based on activities within an area of study by completing a list of periodically updated requirements. The purpose of the merit badge program is to allow Scouts to examine subjects to determine if they would like to...
, member of the Canadian LDS Scouting Committee, chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at a Canadian Jamboree, and a member of the General Scouting Committee of the LDS Church for ten years. He has been a proponent of the Scouting for Food
Scouting for Food
Scouting for Food is an on-going annual program of the Boy Scouts of America begun in 1985 by the Greater Saint Louis Area Council that collects food for local food banks...
drive, and since 1969, he has served on the national executive board of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. He also represented the Boy Scouts of America as a delegate to the World Conferences in Tokyo, Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
and Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
He served on the Utah State Board of Regents
Utah State Board of Regents
The Utah State Board of Regents was formed in 1969 as agoverning body for the Utah System of Higher Education.The Board consists of eighteen residents of the State; fifteen regents and one student regent are appointed by the Governor of Utah and two members of the State Board of Education,...
. In December 1981, U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
appointed Monson to the President's Task Force for Private Sector Initiatives
President's Task Force for Private Sector Initiatives
The President's Task Force for Private Sector Initiatives was created by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, 14 October 1981 to advise the President, the Secretary of Commerce, and other Executive agency heads with respect to:...
. He remained with the initiative until it completed its work in December 1982.
Political activism
In June 2008, Monson and the other members of the First PresidencyFirst Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
sent a letter to local congregations in California, urging them to support Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
by donating their time and resources, stating that, "Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage."
Awards
Monson has received various awards related to his volunteer and educational involvement. In 1966, Monson was honored as a distinguished alumnus by the University of UtahUniversity 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...
. His first honorary degree, an Honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctorate of Laws
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
, was conferred upon him in April 1981 by 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...
. Subsequent honorary degrees include a Doctor of Humane Letters from Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake Community College is the largest higher education institution with the most diverse student body in Utah . The College offers and operates throughout the Salt Lake valley. Even with its large student body, the College maintains a student to faculty ratio of just 20 to 1...
(June 1996), an Honorary Doctor of Business from the University of Utah (May 2007), and an honorary doctorate degree in Humanities from Dixie State College (May 2011).
For his service to Scouting and the community, Monson has received the Boy Scouts of America's
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
Silver Beaver Award
Silver Beaver Award
The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Recipients of this award are registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council...
(1971) as well as the Silver Buffalo Award
Silver Buffalo Award
The Silver Buffalo Award is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on a national basis, either as part of, or independent of the Scouting program...
(1978), which is the highest honor bestowed by the BSA. In 1993, Monson also received the Bronze Wolf
Bronze Wolf
The Bronze Wolf Award is bestowed by the World Scout Committee to acknowledge "outstanding service by an individual to the World Scout Movement"...
, the highest honor and only award bestowed by the World Organization of the Scout Movement
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
. His citation for this award (bestowed at the October 1993 Priesthood Session
Priesthood (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind...
of General Conference
General Conference (LDS Church)
General Conference is a semiannual world conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held in April and October, where members gather in a series of two-hour sessions to listen to instruction from Church leaders...
) says, "In his assignments throughout the world as a leader of [the LDS Church], President Monson has worked tirelessly to bring about the advancement of Scouting in many countries. He has worked closely with the World Organization of the Scout Movement to find ways to strengthen the links between the Church and national Scout associations. He is a committed, solid, hard-working volunteer in the Scout Movement. His Scouting leadership has been exemplary." The Salt Lake chapter of Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
also honored Monson at its international convention with its Worldwide Humanitarian Award.
In Slate.com's "80 Over 80," a list of the most powerful octogenarians, Monson placed first in 2009, and was first again in 2010.
Publications
Monson has written a number of books, some of which are compilations of speeches given by him, or of inspiring quotes. Others discuss particular LDS gospel themes.See also
- Church Educational SystemChurch Educational SystemThe 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...
- Council on the Disposition of the TithesCouncil on the Disposition of the TithesThe Council on the Disposition of the Tithes is a leadership body in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, composed of the First Presidency, the Presiding Bishopric, and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The Council determines how the tithing funds of the church will be spent...