Joseph C. Muren
Encyclopedia
Joseph Carl Muren was a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1991 to 1996.
, California
. His father was of Slovenia
n descent and his mother was of Italian
descent. He was raised as a Roman Catholic.
As a student at San José State University
, Muren had a Latter-day Saint roommate, and from this he learned about the LDS Church and got baptized
. This ended Muren's chances of inheriting the family business.
in Argentina
. Afterwards, he was a high school mathematics teacher while he earned his master's degree
from San José State. In 1963, Muren married Gladys Smith in the Los Angeles California Temple
. Muren then got his doctorate degree from the University of Southern California
.
Muren was an institute
instructor for the LDS Church. He first taught at the institute adjacent to El Camino College
. After teaching at several institutes, Muren served as president
of the Costa Rica
San José
Mission
of the church from 1977 to 1980. This mission covered Nicaragua
and Muren was involved in both pulling out missionaries and sending them back in in the midst of war in the fall of 1978. After this mission Muren served as director of temporal affairs for the church in Peru
. Later he held the same position in Argentina and Australia
and in 1989, he assumed the same position in England
.
Muren was called as member of the church's Second Quorum of the Seventy in April 1991. In 1993, Muren was serving in the presidency of the Europe
Mediterranean Area
of the church. Muren also served for a time as president of the Central America
Area of the church.
In October 1996, Muren was released as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy and as a general authority of the LDS Church. He died in 2009 in Layton, Utah
.
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) from 1991 to 1996.
Early life
Muren was born in RichmondRichmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His father was of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n descent and his mother was of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
descent. He was raised as a Roman Catholic.
As a student at San José State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
, Muren had a Latter-day Saint roommate, and from this he learned about the LDS Church and got baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
. This ended Muren's chances of inheriting the family business.
LDS Church service
Muren then served as a Mormon 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...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Afterwards, he was a high school mathematics teacher while he earned his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from San José State. In 1963, Muren married Gladys Smith in the Los Angeles California Temple
Los Angeles California Temple
The Los Angeles California Temple , the tenth operating and the second-largest temple operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is on Santa Monica Boulevard in the Westwood district of Los Angeles, California...
. Muren then got his doctorate degree from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
Muren was an institute
Institute of Religion
Institutes of Religion provide religious educational classes for young single adult and university students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
instructor for the LDS Church. He first taught at the institute adjacent to El Camino College
El Camino College
El Camino College is a two-year public community college located partially in the unincorporated area of Alondra Park and partially in the City of Torrance in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is commonly referred to as "Elco" or "ECC"...
. After teaching at several institutes, Muren served as 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 Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
San José
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
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 from 1977 to 1980. This mission covered Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and Muren was involved in both pulling out missionaries and sending them back in in the midst of war in the fall of 1978. After this mission Muren served as director of temporal affairs for the church in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Later he held the same position in Argentina and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and in 1989, he assumed the same position in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Muren was called as member of the church's Second Quorum of the Seventy in April 1991. In 1993, Muren was serving in the presidency of the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
Mediterranean Area
Area (LDS Church)
An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions...
of the church. Muren also served for a time as president of the Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
Area of the church.
In October 1996, Muren was released as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy and as a general authority of the LDS Church. He died in 2009 in Layton, Utah
Layton, Utah
-External links:*...
.