George P. Lee
Encyclopedia
George Patrick Lee was the first Native American
to become a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was a member of the church's First Quorum of Seventy between 1975 and 1989, when he was excommunicated from the church. He is the most recent LDS Church general authority to have been excommunicated.
, Colorado
, to Mae K. Lee of the clan, and to a Medicine Man, Peter Lee , of the Under the Flat-Roofed House People clan. One of 17 children from his parents' marriages, Lee was called (Little Boy), until he was given a sacred name, (Boy Who is Well Behaved and Good).
When he was 12 years old, Lee became one of the first children to participate in an official Indian foster placement program sponsored by the LDS Church. Lee was transported to Orem
, Utah
, where he lived with the Glen and Joan Harker family. Lee remained in their home for seven years, returning to his Navajo family during summer vacations, until he graduated from Orem High School
in 1962.
, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree and later a Doctorate in Educational Administration, and Utah State University
, where he completed a Master’s Program. In Arizona
, Lee taught at the Rough Rock Demonstration School
and later served as President of the Ganado
campus of Diné College
. Lee married Katherine Hettich, with whom he had seven children.
for the church to the Navajo Nation
, known then as the "Southwest Indian Mission
".
Prior to his call as a general authority
of the church, Lee held a number of priesthood leadership callings, including Elders Quorum president, branch president
, district president, and president
of the Arizona Holbrook
Mission
of the church.
On October 3, 1975, Church President Spencer W. Kimball
called the 32-year-old Lee to be a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, a position with church-wide responsibilities. He was the first Native American general authority
in church history.
for "apostasy
and other conduct unbecoming a member of the Church." He was the first general authority
to be excommunicated since 1943, when Apostle Richard R. Lyman
was excommunicated for adultery
and unlawful cohabitation.
According to Lee, the action stemmed from his disagreement with Church President Ezra Taft Benson
over the role of Native Americans
in the Church. Significantly, when he became Church President, Benson ended the Church's Indian Placement Program
, which Lee cited as a key to his personal development. Lee argued that Benson was not treating Native American
Latter-day Saints in the way that the late Church President Kimball would have approved. Additionally, Lee claimed that the First Presidency
had accused him of polygamy
, immorality and teaching false doctrine. Lee's letters to the leadership of the LDS Church were turned over to the news media. The church did not publicly respond to Lee's letters or his public comments; it is the policy of the Church to not publicize the details of an excommunicant's behavior which brought about the disciplinary action.
In 1993, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that Lee had attempted to sexually molest
a minor girl in 1989, and that this was one of the reasons for Lee's excommunication. Initially, Lee denied the charges; however, on October 12, 1994, the Tribune reported:
On July 27, 2007, Lee was arrested in Washington County, Utah
, for failing to register as a sex offender
in the state of Utah
. The police reported that Lee had not registered since 2001 and that he had been "living in an area with several young children in close proximity." Lee was booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility
in Hurricane, Utah
on $5,000 bail
. The case dragged on for many months due to Lee's health issues. On March 19, 2008 the case was formally dropped due to these issues and Lee eventually registered with the sex offender registry. One year later, on March 29, 2009, Lee was removed from Utah's sex offender registry.
, Utah
from "a long battle with physical problems". After his death, Latter Day Saint sociologist Armand Mauss
described Lee as "one of the truly tragic figures in modern Mormon history".
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
to become a general authority
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). He was a member of the church's First Quorum of Seventy between 1975 and 1989, when he was excommunicated from the church. He is the most recent LDS Church general authority to have been excommunicated.
Early life
Lee was born in TawaocTowaoc, Colorado
Towaoc is a census-designated place on the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Reservation in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,097 at the 2000 census. The Towaoc Post Office has the ZIP Code 81334....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, to Mae K. Lee of the clan, and to a Medicine Man, Peter Lee , of the Under the Flat-Roofed House People clan. One of 17 children from his parents' marriages, Lee was called (Little Boy), until he was given a sacred name, (Boy Who is Well Behaved and Good).
When he was 12 years old, Lee became one of the first children to participate in an official Indian foster placement program sponsored by the LDS Church. Lee was transported to Orem
Orem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and...
, 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...
, where he lived with the Glen and Joan Harker family. Lee remained in their home for seven years, returning to his Navajo family during summer vacations, until he graduated from Orem High School
Orem High School
Orem High School is a high school located in Orem, Utah, part of Alpine School District. It was built originally in 1956 and has since undergone major renovations...
in 1962.
Early adulthood
Lee attended Brigham Young UniversityBrigham 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...
, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree and later a Doctorate in Educational Administration, and Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
, where he completed a Master’s Program. In Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Lee taught at the Rough Rock Demonstration School
Rough Rock Community School
Rough Rock Community School is a school in Chinle, Arizona. It is funded by the Bureau of Indian Education.-History:It opened in 1966 as the Rough Rock Demonstration School. It was the first Bureau of Indian Affairs school to be directly operated by American Indians and the first Navajo-operated...
and later served as President of the Ganado
Ganado, Arizona
Ganado is a census-designated place in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,505 at the 2000 census.Ganado is part of the Navajo Nation...
campus of Diné College
Diné College
Diné College is a two-year, tribally controlled community college, serving the 27,000 square-mile Navajo Indian Reservation, which spans the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah....
. Lee married Katherine Hettich, with whom he had seven children.
Church service
After graduating from high school, Lee served as a missionaryMormon 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...
for the church to the Navajo Nation
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
, known then as the "Southwest Indian 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...
".
Prior to his call as a general authority
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, Lee held a number of priesthood leadership callings, including Elders Quorum president, 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...
, district president, 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 Arizona Holbrook
Holbrook, Arizona
-Historical events:*During 1881 & 1882, railroad tracks were laid down and a railroad station was built. The community was then named Holbrook after the first engineer of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad...
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.
On October 3, 1975, Church President Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer 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:...
called the 32-year-old Lee to be a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, a position with church-wide responsibilities. He was the first Native American general authority
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...
in church history.
Excommunication and criminal conviction
On September 1, 1989, the Church announced that Lee had been excommunicatedExcommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
for "apostasy
Apostasy
Apostasy , 'a defection or revolt', from ἀπό, apo, 'away, apart', στάσις, stasis, 'stand, 'standing') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person. One who commits apostasy is known as an apostate. These terms have a pejorative implication in everyday...
and other conduct unbecoming a member of the Church." He was the first general authority
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...
to be excommunicated since 1943, when Apostle Richard R. Lyman
Richard R. Lyman
Richard Roswell Lyman was an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1918 to 1943. He was excommunicated in 1943 for unlawful cohabitation, a result of a polygamous relationship. In 1954 Lyman was rebaptized. His full priesthood blessings were restored posthumously in 1970...
was excommunicated for adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
and unlawful cohabitation.
According to Lee, the action stemmed from his disagreement with 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...
over the role of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
in the Church. Significantly, when he became Church President, Benson ended the Church's Indian Placement Program
Indian Placement Program
The Indian Placement Program, or Indian Student Placement Program was a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1947 to 1996, in which LDS Native American The Indian Placement Program, or Indian Student Placement Program was a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of...
, which Lee cited as a key to his personal development. Lee argued that Benson was not treating Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
Latter-day Saints in the way that the late Church President Kimball would have approved. Additionally, Lee claimed that the First Presidency
First 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...
had accused him of polygamy
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
, immorality and teaching false doctrine. Lee's letters to the leadership of the LDS Church were turned over to the news media. The church did not publicly respond to Lee's letters or his public comments; it is the policy of the Church to not publicize the details of an excommunicant's behavior which brought about the disciplinary action.
In 1993, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that Lee had attempted to sexually molest
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
a minor girl in 1989, and that this was one of the reasons for Lee's excommunication. Initially, Lee denied the charges; however, on October 12, 1994, the Tribune reported:
A year ago, former Mormon general authority George P. Lee proclaimed he was 'innocent before God' of sexually molesting a 12-year-old neighbor girl.
But Tuesday before a 3rd District judge, Lee humbly hung his head and admitted to touching the girl's breasts for sexual gratification ....
Lee, 51, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual abuse of a child, a third-degree felonyFelonyA felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
.
On July 27, 2007, Lee was arrested in Washington County, Utah
Washington County, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 90,354 people, 29,939 households, and 23,442 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 36,478 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, for failing to register as a sex offender
Sex offender registration
Sex offender registration is a system in various states designed to allow government authorities to keep track of the residence and activities of sex offenders, including those who have completed their criminal sentences. In some jurisdictions , information in the registry is made available to the...
in the state of 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...
. The police reported that Lee had not registered since 2001 and that he had been "living in an area with several young children in close proximity." Lee was booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility
Purgatory Correctional Facility
Purgatory Correctional Facility is the county jail of Washington County, Utah. Also known as the Washington County Jail, it is located near St. George, Utah at Purgatory Flats, hence its unusual name....
in Hurricane, Utah
Hurricane, Utah
Hurricane is a city in Washington County, Utah. Its population was 13,748 at the 2010 U.S. Census. Along with several other areas of southwestern Utah, the Hurricane area has seen a large population growth since the 1970s, and it has blended in with neighboring city of St...
on $5,000 bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
. The case dragged on for many months due to Lee's health issues. On March 19, 2008 the case was formally dropped due to these issues and Lee eventually registered with the sex offender registry. One year later, on March 29, 2009, Lee was removed from Utah's sex offender registry.
Death
Lee died in ProvoProvo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, 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...
from "a long battle with physical problems". After his death, Latter Day Saint sociologist Armand Mauss
Armand Mauss
Armand Lind Mauss is an American sociologist specializing in the sociology of religion. He is professor emeritus of Sociology and Religious Studies at Washington State University, is the most often published sociologist in the twentieth century of works on the Mormons, and is broadly recognized...
described Lee as "one of the truly tragic figures in modern Mormon history".