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| Marion G. Romney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (withHoward W. Hunter asActing President) | |
| November 10, 1985 (1985-11-10) – May 20, 1988 (1988-05-20) | |
| Predecessor | Ezra Taft Benson |
| Successor | Howard W. Hunter |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| November 5, 1985 (1985-11-05) – May 20, 1988 (1988-05-20) | |
| First Counselor in theFirst Presidency | |
| December 2, 1982 (1982-12-02) – November 5, 1985 (1985-11-05) | |
| Called by | Spencer W. Kimball |
| End reason | Dissolution of First Presidency upon death of Spencer W. Kimball |
| Second Counselor in theFirst Presidency | |
| July 7, 1972 (1972-07-07) – December 2, 1982 (1982-12-02) | |
| Called by | Harold B. Lee |
| End reason | Called as First Counselor in the First Presidency |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| October 4, 1951 (1951-10-04) – July 7, 1972 (1972-07-07) | |
| Called by | David O. McKay |
| End reason | Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency |
| LDS ChurchApostle | |
| October 11, 1951 (1951-10-11) – May 20, 1988 (1988-05-20) | |
| Called by | David O. McKay |
| Reason | Death ofGeorge Albert Smith and reorganization ofFirst Presidency |
| Reorganization at end of term | Richard G. Scott ordained |
| Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| April 6, 1941 (1941-04-06) – October 4, 1951 (1951-10-04) | |
| Called by | Heber J. Grant |
| End reason | Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Marion George Romney (1897-09-19)September 19, 1897 Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Died | May 20, 1988(1988-05-20) (aged 90) Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Resting place | Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park 40°41′52.08″N111°50′30.12″W / 40.6978000°N 111.8417000°W /40.6978000; -111.8417000 (Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park) |
| Spouse(s) | Ida Romney |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents | George S. Romney (father) |
Marion George Romney (September 19, 1897 – May 20, 1988) was anapostle and a member of theFirst Presidency ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Romney was born inColonia Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, to expatriated parents,George S. Romney and Terressa Artemesia Romney (née Redd).
His cousin wasMichigan governorGeorge W. Romney, who was born in nearby Colonia Dublan. As such, he was the first cousin, once removed of Utah Senator and former presidential candidateMitt Romney.[1]
Romney was the second of ten children. His younger sister, Lurlene Romney Cheney, later converted toCatholicism and entered a religious order as Sister Mary Catherine, aCarmelite nun at the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary inHolladay, Utah.[2]
Romney studied atAcademia Juárez until his family left Mexico in 1912, when violence from the ongoing Mexican revolution spread to their region. He lived with them for the remainder of his youth in California and Idaho. In 1917, the Romneys moved toRexburg, Idaho, where his father became principal ofRicks Academy. Romney graduated valedictorian of Ricks high school in 1918.
From 1920 to 1923, Romney served as anLDS Church missionary inAustralia. After returning, he worked in construction inSalt Lake City for his uncle,Gaskell Romney (father of George W. Romney).
Romney studied atBrigham Young University (BYU) for a year. While there, he renewed his acquaintance with Ida Jensen, a former teacher at Ricks and then a post-graduate candidate at BYU. Romney and Jensen married September 12, 1924, in theSalt Lake Temple, officiated byJoseph Fielding Smith.
Romney next studied at theUniversity of Utah, receiving abachelor's degree inpolitical science and history in 1926. Romney studied law at the University of Utah, but did not complete course work there. He passed the Utah bar exam in 1929.
Romney and his wife had three children together; two died in infancy. Their son, George Jensen Romney, survived to adulthood. They also adopted a child, Richard Jensen Romney. George served an LDS Church mission. In April 1983, he delivered aGeneral Conference sermon written by his father. Ida Romney died in 1979 at age 88.
Romney first worked for the post office, and later became an assistant prosecuting attorney in Salt Lake City. In 1934, he successfully campaigned for theUtah House of Representatives as aDemocrat. While campaigning, he wascalled as an LDS Churchbishop bystake presidentBryant S. Hinckley. After his election, his bishop ordination was delayed until after the legislature's term in April 1935, with him seeking and serving only one term. While in the legislature, Romney helped author Utah's liquor control law.
Romney's 47 years as ageneral authority of the LDS Church began as one of the first fiveAssistants to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called to the new position in 1941. In 1951, he was called to theQuorum of the Twelve.[3] In 1960, Romney helped develop thehome teaching program of the LDS Church.
In 1961, Romney was appointed area supervisor for the LDS Church in Mexico. Although he had lived his first fifteen years in Mexico, it was in the mainly AmericanMormon colonies, and he knew very littleSpanish. Assisted byEduardo Balderas in learning Spanish, Romney supervised the church's growth in Mexico for the next eleven years. He oversaw construction of many meetinghouses in Mexico, along with organization of the first Spanish-languagestakes in Mexico.
Romney became Second Counselor tochurch presidentHarold B. Lee in 1972.
Following Lee's death the following year,Spencer W. Kimball became the church president and he retained Romney as the Second Counselor. As the First Presidency, Kimball, Tanner, and Romney announced the1978 Revelation on Priesthood, canonized as "Official Declaration 2" in theDoctrine and Covenants.
When Kimball, Tanner, and Romney all aged and developed health problems at similar rates,Gordon B. Hinckley was added as an additional counselor in 1981. Upon Tanner's death in 1982, Romney became First Counselor and Hinckley the Second Counselor, though Romney was relatively inactive in his position due to poor health. When Kimball died in 1985, press reports indicated that Romney had not been seen in public for many months.[citation needed]
Ezra Taft Benson, who had beenPresident of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then became the church president and named Hinckley as First Counselor, withThomas S. Monson as Second Counselor. Romney, as the apostle with the second-longest seniority in the church, became the quorum president. However, "because President Romney’s health [kept] him from taking an active part in Church administration,"Howard W. Hunter, the next in seniority, served asacting president.[4]
Romney died fromnatural causes at his home inSalt Lake City at age 90. He served 47 years as a church general authority. Funeral services were held in theSalt Lake Tabernacle on May 23, 1988, presided over by Benson. Romney was buried at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Salt Lake City,[5] beside his wife, approximately 10 years after her death. TheDeseret News Church Almanac remembered him as a "renowned Church Welfare pioneer and Book of Mormon scholar".[citation needed]
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles November 10, 1985 – May 20, 1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | First Counselor in theFirst Presidency December 2, 1982 – November 5, 1985 | Succeeded by |
| Second Counselor in theFirst Presidency July 7, 1972 – December 2, 1982 | ||
| Preceded by | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles October 11, 1951 – July 7, 1972 November 5, 1985 – May 20, 1988 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
