David B. Galbraith
Encyclopedia
David Brian Galbraith is a retired Brigham Young University
(BYU) professor of political science who has served as head of the BYU Jerusalem Center and president
of the Bulgaria
Sofia
Mission
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Galbraith was called in 2009 to serve as president
of the Montreal Quebec Temple
of the LDS Church.
, Alberta
, Canada
to Bruce V. Galbraith and his wife Beth Heninger. As a young man he served as a missionary
in the Swiss-Austria
n Mission of the LDS Church.
Galbraith received a bachelors degree in political science and a master's degree in international relations both from BYU. He holds a doctorate in international relations from Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. His doctorate focused on Arab-Israeli relations and conflict resolution.
Galbraith married Frieda Greta Lucile Kruger a native of the Netherlands, specifically the city of Amsterdam
. Frieda and David first met in 1961 while David was living on a kibbutz and studying Hebrew. Frieda has a bachelors degree from BYU and a masters degree from Jerusalem University College
. She has taught Book of Mormon classes for students who are not native speakers of English at BYU. David and Frieda are the parents of five children.
Galbraith spent much of his academic career in the Middle East. He lived there for a total of 20 years and was the director of the BYU Jerusalem Center for 15 years, from its start as a small study abroad program in 1972 through its growth into a major program by the late 1980s. Galbraith wrote the book Jerusalem: The Eternal City with Andrew C. Skinner
and D. Kelly Ogden. Other writings of Galbraith include "The Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies: Reflections of a Modern Pioneer" with Blair G. Van Dyke in The Religious Educator Vol. 9 (2008) no. 1.
Galbraith served as president of the Bulgaria Sofia Mission from 2000-2003. When he arrived in 2000 the mission only covered Bulgaria, but in September of that year the mission was expanded to also include Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey.
Galbraith has also served as a stake president, district president and branch president
in the LDS Church. In fact in 1972 Galbraith became the first LDS branch president in Jerusalem. As such he was closely involved with the requests that led to approval of Church meetings for LDS branches in Israel on Saturday and the building of the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden. In these activities he worked closely with Harold B. Lee
, Edwin Q. Cannon
(who as Swiss Mission President in 1972 was responsible for the Church in Israel), Gordon B. Hinckley
and Howard W. Hunter
.
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...
(BYU) professor of political science who has served as head of the BYU Jerusalem Center and 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...
of the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
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 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Galbraith was called in 2009 to serve 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 Montreal Quebec Temple
Montréal Québec Temple
The Montréal Québec Temple is the 86th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The temple was announced on August 6, 1998, and was the sixth temple to be built in Canada. It was also one of the temples announced with a long list of others, which Church President Gordon B...
of the LDS Church.
Biography
Galbraith was born in LethbridgeLethbridge
Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Bruce V. Galbraith and his wife Beth Heninger. As a young man he served as a 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...
in the Swiss-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...
n Mission of the LDS Church.
Galbraith received a bachelors degree in political science and a master's degree in international relations both from BYU. He holds a doctorate in international relations from Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. His doctorate focused on Arab-Israeli relations and conflict resolution.
Galbraith married Frieda Greta Lucile Kruger a native of the Netherlands, specifically the city of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Frieda and David first met in 1961 while David was living on a kibbutz and studying Hebrew. Frieda has a bachelors degree from BYU and a masters degree from Jerusalem University College
Jerusalem University College
Jerusalem University College, founded in 1957 as the American Institute of Holy Land Studies is an undergraduate and graduate academic institution operated by a consortium of 100 American theological seminaries and Christian colleges and universities. It provides a two-year graduate program of...
. She has taught Book of Mormon classes for students who are not native speakers of English at BYU. David and Frieda are the parents of five children.
Galbraith spent much of his academic career in the Middle East. He lived there for a total of 20 years and was the director of the BYU Jerusalem Center for 15 years, from its start as a small study abroad program in 1972 through its growth into a major program by the late 1980s. Galbraith wrote the book Jerusalem: The Eternal City with Andrew C. Skinner
Andrew C. Skinner
Andrew C. Skinner was a dean of religious education at Brigham Young University and the author of a wide variety of books and articles on historical and doctrinal topics. Skinner currently serves as the executive director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.- Biography...
and D. Kelly Ogden. Other writings of Galbraith include "The Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies: Reflections of a Modern Pioneer" with Blair G. Van Dyke in The Religious Educator Vol. 9 (2008) no. 1.
Galbraith served as president of the Bulgaria Sofia Mission from 2000-2003. When he arrived in 2000 the mission only covered Bulgaria, but in September of that year the mission was expanded to also include Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey.
Galbraith has also served as a stake president, district president and branch president
Branch President
A branch president is a leader of a "branch" congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.The calling of branch president is very similar to the calling of bishop, except that instead of presiding over a ward, the branch president presides over a branch...
in the LDS Church. In fact in 1972 Galbraith became the first LDS branch president in Jerusalem. As such he was closely involved with the requests that led to approval of Church meetings for LDS branches in Israel on Saturday and the building of the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden. In these activities he worked closely with 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 :...
, Edwin Q. Cannon
Edwin Q. Cannon
Edwin Quayle "Ted" Cannon, Jr. was a Utah politician and businessman and was a prominent leader and missionary in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(who as Swiss Mission President in 1972 was responsible for the Church in Israel), 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...
and 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...
.
Sources
- Ensign, October 1991, p. 16, bio connected with article by Galbraith
- Library Thing entry for Galbraith
- LDS Church News, July 18, 2009; June 22, 2000
- Cumorah.com material on the LDS Church in Bulgaria
- The Hurst Family entry for Galbraith