L. Tom Perry
L. Tom Perry | |
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Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
April 6, 1974 | – May 30, 2015|
Called by | Spencer W. Kimball |
Apostle | |
April 11, 1974 | – May 30, 2015|
Called by | Spencer W. Kimball |
Reason | Death ofHarold B. Leeand reorganization ofFirst Presidency |
Reorganization at end of term | Ronald A. Rasband,Gary E. Stevenson,andDale G. Renlundwere ordained following deaths of Perry,Boyd K. Packer,andRichard G. Scott |
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
October 6, 1972 | – April 6, 1974|
Called by | Harold B. Lee |
End reason | Called to theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles |
Military career | |
1944–1946 | |
Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Personal details | |
Born | Lowell Tom Perry August 5, 1922 Logan,Utah,United States |
Died | May 30, 2015 Salt Lake City, Utah | (aged 92)
Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery[1] 40°46′28″N111°51′49″W/ 40.7745°N 111.8635°W |
Alma mater | Utah State University(B.S.) |
Spouse(s) | Virginia Lee(1947–1974; deceased) Barbara Dayton(1976–2015) |
Children | 3 (includingLee Tom Perry) |
Signature | |
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Lowell Tom Perry(August 5, 1922 – May 30, 2015) was an American businessman and religious leader who was a member of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostlesofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(LDS Church) from 1974 until his death.[2]
Early life
[edit]Perry was born inLogan, Utah,to Leslie Thomas Perry and his wife, Elsie Nora Sonne.[3]Perry, Utahis named for Perry's ancestor, Gustavus Adolphus Perry and his family, who were among the first settlers in that area.[4]
From the time of Perry's birth until he was eighteen, his father wasbishopof their LDSwardin Logan. From 1942 to 1944, Perry served as an LDSmissionaryin the Northern StatesMission,headquartered in Chicago. He spent about 10 months inMarion, Ohio,where he was instrumental in forming a branch in that city. He also served for part of his mission based inCedar Rapids, Iowa.After returning from his mission he joined theUnited States Marine Corpsand was assigned to the2nd Marine Division.[5]While in training Perry attended church and activities at the Adams Ward in Los Angeles.[6]
Perry was then part of the American forces that landed onSaipan,and remained there for about a year. While there he participated in the construction of an LDS chapel on the island.[7]He was among the United States troops sent to occupy Japan after the war. While inNagasaki,Perry coordinated a group of Marines to help rebuild a localProtestantchurch.[8]
Education
[edit]Perry graduated from the Utah State Agricultural College (nowUtah State University(USU)) in 1949 with abachelor's degreein finance.[3]
While he was a student at USU, Perry served as president of the university's Associated Students.[2]
Employment
[edit]Perry's first job out of college was working as administrative assistant working for the USU Extension Service. He also took graduate courses in finance during this time.[9]
In 1950, before his second child was born, Perry took a Christmas retail season job withC.C. Anderson's(CCA) Department Store in Logan, Utah. CCA was a division ofAllied Stores.
In early 1951, Perry took a job with CCA at its corporate headquarters inBoise, Idaho.Later in 1951, CCA decided to appoint controllers in each of their stores. Perry was appointed as controller for theLewiston, Idahostore. When he first took this position he lived in Lewiston, but later moved toClarkston, Washington.[10]
He was later involved in business jobs that took him toWashington,California, New York, andMassachusetts.
Perry was in the retail business during his time inBoston,Massachusetts. He became a fan of theBoston Red Soxand threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game on May 8, 2004.
Early church service
[edit]In addition to his mission to the Northern States, Perry served as an LDS group leader while on Saipan. He oversaw more convert baptisms in this position than while on his mission.[citation needed]
He also served in the LDS Church as an early-morningseminaryteacher, as a counselor in abishopric,high councilor,counselor in astake presidency,and aspresidentof the church'sBostonMassachusettsStake.
In early 1963, after moving toScarsdale, New York,Perry was called simultaneously as a member of the New York Stake's high council, stake mission president, and special assistant to thepresidentof the church's Eastern States Mission. In these assignments, he worked withBernard P. Brockbankand Wilburn C. West in overseeing the creation and implementation of the LDS Church's pavilion at the1964 New York World's Fair.[11]
General authority
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/L._Tom_Perry.jpg/150px-L._Tom_Perry.jpg)
Perry was called as ageneral authorityandAssistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostlesin 1972. The death ofchurch presidentHarold B. Leecreated a vacancy in theQuorum of the TwelvewhenSpencer W. Kimball,who had been serving asquorum president,became church president. Perry wassustainedas a member of the Twelve on April 6, 1974, and was ordained anapostleon April 11, 1974.
In 2004, Perry was asked by church presidentGordon B. Hinckleyto serve aspresidentof the church's Europe CentralArea,headquartered inFrankfurt,Germany. This was a position normally held by a member of theseventy.This made Perry one of the most senior officials of the church ever to be stationed away fromSalt Lake City.While serving in this capacity, Perry initiated a more proactiveinstituteprogram that emphasized meeting the social and intellectual needs ofyoung single adultchurch members. In 2015, he met withBarack Obamaand other LDS Church leaders at a meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.[12]
Family
[edit]Perry married Virginia C. Lee in theLogan Templeon July 18, 1947.[8]They had three children together. Perry's son,Lee Tom Perry,is an academic and was dean of theMarriott School of BusinessatBrigham Young Universityfrom 1998 to 2005. Virginia Perry died of cancer in December 1974.[13]Their daughter, Barbara, died of cancer in 1983.
In 1976, Perry married Barbara Dayton.[14][2]
Death
[edit]In April 2015, Perry was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.[15]In May 2015, the church reported the aggressive cancer had spread and Perry died the following day, on May 30, 2015.[16][17]At the time of his death, he was the third most senior and oldest living apostle in the church.[18]His funeral was held on June 5, 2015.[19]Perry was buried in theSalt Lake City Cemetery,next to his first wife, Virginia and his daughter, Barbara.
Works
[edit]- Books
- Perry, L. Tom (2011),Family ties: a message for fathers,Deseret Book,ISBN978-1-60908-768-5,OCLC710044911
- —— (1996),Living with enthusiasm,Deseret Book,ISBN978-1-57345-136-9,OCLC34115910
Honors
[edit]- Humanitarian Award for Service to Others (2014) –Catholic Community Services of Utah(L. Tom and Barbara Perry)[20]
Gallery
[edit]-
Black and white Utah State University yearbook photograph of L. Tom Perry. Image dates from 1947.
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Photo of L. Tom Perry. Date unidentified.
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Black and white photo of L. Tom Perry from around 1980.
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Two color photographs of L. Tom Perry from around 2000.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Walch, Tad (1 June 2015)."Elder L. Tom Perry's funeral planned for Friday".The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Deseret News. Archived fromthe originalon 2 June 2015.
- ^abc"Elder L. Tom Perry".churchofjesuschrist.org.Retrieved2022-03-08.
- ^ab"A timeline of important events in Elder L. Tom Perry's life".Deseret.2015-05-31.Retrieved2022-03-08.
- ^Perry, Lee(February 1975),"Elder L. Tom Perry of the Council of the Twelve",Ensign:9,retrieved7 March2015
- ^"Elder Perry creates first Kiribati stake, dedicates islands",Church News,21 September 1996,retrieved7 March2015
- ^Perry.Peery.p. 126
- ^"Constructing a chapel and testimonies",Church News,15 January 2011,retrieved7 March2015
- ^abDunn, Loren C.(August 1987),"Elder L. Tom Perry: Serving with Enthusiasm",Tambuli:9,retrieved7 March2015
- ^Lee Tom Perry.L. Tom Perry: An Exceptional Life.p. 171-172
- ^Perry.Perry.p. 190
- ^Perry,An UnCommon Life,p. 232-233
- ^Burr, Thomas."Obama meets with top Mormon leaders",The Washington Post,2 April 2015. Retrieved on 17 March 2020.
- ^Stack (2011).
- ^2008 Deseret Morning News Church Almanac(Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Morning News, 2007) p. 36.
- ^"Church Issues Update on Health of Leaders",Newsroom,LDS Church,2015-05-08
- ^Stack, Peggy Fletcher."How a new Mormon apostle is chosen",The Washington Post,1 June 2015. Retrieved on 17 March 2020.
- ^"Mormon Leader L. Tom Perry Dies From Cancer at 92".NBC News.30 May 2015.Retrieved2022-03-08.
- ^Peggy Fletcher Stack,"Meet the unassuming, optimistic, LDS apostle",The Salt Lake Tribune,published 4 April 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- ^"President Monson, other LDS leaders and family honor Elder L. Tom Perry at funeral",Tad Watch,Deseret News,2015-06-05
- ^"Catholic Community Services Honors Mormon Apostle and Wife",mormonnewsroom.org, 6 November 2014.
References
[edit]- "Elder L. Tom Perry – Leader Biographies: Official Biographies for leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints",Newsroom,LDS Church, January 2014
- Stack, Peggy Fletcher (4 April 2011)."Meet the unassuming, optimistic LDS apostle".Salt Lake Tribune.Salt Lake City.Retrieved4 April2015.
External links
[edit]- General Authorities and General Officers: Elder L. Tom Perry
- Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: L. Tom Perry
- L. Tom Perry Papers, MSS 6774atL. Tom Perry Special Collections,Brigham Young University
- L. Tom Perry Special Collections records, UA 5589atL. Tom Perry Special Collections,Brigham Young University
- Digital scans of some items from the above collections
- 1922 births
- 2015 deaths
- 20th-century Mormon missionaries
- American Mormon missionaries in the United States
- American general authorities (LDS Church)
- Apostles (LDS Church)
- Assistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
- Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery
- Deaths from cancer in Utah
- Deaths from thyroid cancer
- Latter Day Saints from California
- Latter Day Saints from Massachusetts
- Latter Day Saints from New York (state)
- Latter Day Saints from Utah
- Latter Day Saints from Washington (state)
- Military personnel from Utah
- People from Clarkston, Washington
- People from Lewiston, Idaho
- People from Logan, Utah
- United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II
- United States Marines
- Utah State University alumni
- American expatriates in Japan