L. Tom Perry
Encyclopedia
Lowell Tom Perry is a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), having become a member of that body in 1974. Currently, he is the third most senior apostle among the ranks of the Church, and is also the oldest member of the Twelve.
, to Leslie Thomas Perry and his wife Elsie Nora Sonne. Perry, Utah
is named for the Perry's ancestor, Gustavus Adolphus Perry and his family, who were among the first settlers at that place.
From the time of Perry's birth until he was eighteen his father was bishop of their Logan ward. From 1942-1944 Perry served as a missionary in the Northern States Mission, headquartered in Chicago
. Just after returning from his mission he joined the United States Marines. He was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. Perry was part of the American landing forces on Saipan and remained there for about a year. While there he participated in the construction of an LDS Chapel on that island. He was among the United States troops sent to occupy Japan after the war. While in Nagasaki
, Perry coordinated a group of Marines to help rebuild a local Protestant
church.
at Utah State University
in 1949 with a B.S. in finance.
, New York
, and Massachusetts
.
He had a career in the retail business during his time spent in Boston
, Massachusetts. He became a fan of the Boston Red Sox
; Perry threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game on May 8, 2004.
Perry served the LDS Church as a stake president in Boston
.
by serving in the position of Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
in 1972. The death of Church President Harold B. Lee
caused a vacancy among the Twelve Apostles when Spencer W. Kimball
of the Quorum moved from the position of President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
to that of church president. Perry was called by Kimball on April 6, 1974 to become a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; subsequently he was ordained to the office of apostle on April 11, 1974.
Today, Perry ranks after only church president Thomas S. Monson
and Quorum president
Boyd K. Packer
in apostolic seniority. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Perry is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator
.
In 2004, Perry was asked by Hinckley to serve as the area president of the Europe
Central Area
of the church, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany
, a position normally held by a member of the seventy, making Perry one of the most senior officials of the church ever to be stationed away from Salt Lake City. While serving in this capacity, Perry initiated a more proactive institute
program that emphasized meeting the social and intellectual needs of young single adult church members.
. Virginia died in 1974. In 1976, L. Tom Perry married Barbara Dayton.
Early life
Perry was born in Logan, UtahLogan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
, to Leslie Thomas Perry and his wife Elsie Nora Sonne. Perry, Utah
Perry, Utah
Perry is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 4,512 at the 2010 census.- History :Perry was originally named Welsh Settlement, but the name was shortly afterward changed to Three Mile Creek. It was renamed after Gustavus Adolphus Perry and his family, who were among...
is named for the Perry's ancestor, Gustavus Adolphus Perry and his family, who were among the first settlers at that place.
From the time of Perry's birth until he was eighteen his father was bishop of their Logan ward. From 1942-1944 Perry served as a missionary in the Northern States Mission, headquartered in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Just after returning from his mission he joined the United States Marines. He was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. Perry was part of the American landing forces on Saipan and remained there for about a year. While there he participated in the construction of an LDS Chapel on that island. He was among the United States troops sent to occupy Japan after the war. While in Nagasaki
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
, Perry coordinated a group of Marines to help rebuild a local Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
church.
Education
Perry graduated from the Jon M. Huntsman School of BusinessJon M. Huntsman School of Business
The Jon M. Huntsman School of Business is located at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. The Huntsman School is the oldest continuously operating business college in the Western United States and one of the oldest in the nation.-History:...
at 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....
in 1949 with a B.S. in finance.
Employment
Perry's first job out of college was with a retail business in Idaho. He was later involved in business jobs that took him to Washington State, CaliforniaCalifornia
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...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
He had a career in the retail business during his time spent in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts. He became a fan of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
; Perry threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game on May 8, 2004.
Early church service
In Idaho, Perry served as a counselor in a bishopric. Over the years he served in other positions including as an early-morning seminary teacher.Perry served the LDS Church as a stake president in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
General authority
Perry first became a general authorityGeneral 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...
by serving in the position of Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commonly shortened to Assistant to the Twelve or Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, was a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1941 and 1976...
in 1972. The death of Church President 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 :...
caused a vacancy among the Twelve Apostles when 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:...
of the Quorum moved from the position of President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In general, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve is the most senior Apostle in the church, aside from the President of the Church...
to that of church president. Perry was called by Kimball on April 6, 1974 to become a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; subsequently he was ordained to the office of apostle on April 11, 1974.
Today, Perry ranks after only church president Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...
and Quorum president
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In general, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve is the most senior Apostle in the church, aside from the President of the Church...
Boyd K. Packer
Boyd K. Packer
Boyd Kenneth Packer is an American educator and religious leader, and the current president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He served as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve from 1994 to 2008, and has been an apostle and member of...
in apostolic seniority. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Perry is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator
Prophet, seer, and revelator
Prophet, seer, and revelator is an ecclesiastical title used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is currently applied to the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles...
.
In 2004, Perry was asked by Hinckley to serve as the area president 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...
Central 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, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, a position normally held by a member of the seventy, making Perry one of the most senior officials of the church ever to be stationed away from Salt Lake City. While serving in this capacity, Perry initiated a more proactive 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...
program that emphasized meeting the social and intellectual needs of young single adult church members.
Family
L. Tom Perry married Virginia Lee in the Logan Temple on 18 July 1947. They had three children, including Lee Tom PerryLee Tom Perry
Lee Tom Perry is a business professor, Latter-day Saint church leader and hymnwriter. He is the son of L. Tom Perry, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
. Virginia died in 1974. In 1976, L. Tom Perry married Barbara Dayton.