Marlin K. Jensen
Encyclopedia
Marlin Keith Jensen has been a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1989 and has been the official Church Historian and Recorder
of the church since 2005. He is the 19th man to hold that calling since it was established in 1830.
. As a 19-year-old, he served as a missionary
for the LDS Church in West Germany
until 1964. He graduated from BYU
with a B.S.
in German
. He obtained a Juris Doctor
degree from the University of Utah
College of Law in 1970, graduating first in his class. At the relatively young age of 28, he served as a bishop of his ward in Huntsville, as had both his father and grandfather. Later, he also served as a Stake President. In 1987 he became a Regional Representative for the Kaysville Utah
and Layton Utah
regions.
Jensen married Kathleen Bushnell on June 9, 1967 in the Salt Lake Temple
. They are the parents of eight children.
Professionally, Jensen was an attorney in private practice in Ogden, Utah
, specializing in business and estate planning. This supported his real passion of living a farming lifestyle. His family operates a ranching enterprise called Jensens' Middle Fork Ranch, in which he is a partner.
in the New York
Rochester
Mission
of the church. In 1995, Jensen became a member of the Church's Public Affairs Committee. From 1996–8, he was Executive Director of the Church Historical Department. He served in the First Quorum of the Seventy until 1998, when he became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and in 2000 also became the general president of the church's Sunday School
. Jensen was in these positions until 2001, when he was called to the Europe Central Area Presidency. In 2004, he replaced D. Todd Christofferson
as Executive Director of the Family and Church History Department, a position he held previously when it was just the Historical Department. Then in 2005, he became the first Church Historian and Recorder
to serve since 1997.
Jensen is one of the few general authorities of the LDS Church who self-identifies politically as a member of the Democratic Party
.
positions. As a new Seventy in 1989, he was counselor to John K. Carmack
, president of the Utah Central Area. From 1990 to 1992 Jensen served as president of the Utah North Area. After that he was first a counselor in the presidency of the North America Northeast Area, and then, from 1995 to 1998, president of that area. He served as president of the Europe Central Area from 2001 to 2003.
since 2005, and executive director of the church's history department since 2004. In these roles and as a church official, he has spoken at General Conference, BYU
Women's Conference (1998), BYU
Family History and Genealogy Conference (2006), Northern Utah Family History Conference (2006), Yale's
American Society of Church History
(2007), and the Mormon History Association
Conference (2005 and 2007). Jensen has also notably attended various conferences, including the Library of Congress
' Worlds of Joseph Smith Symposium (2005) and UVSC's Mormon Studies Conference (2008).
Several major developments have occurred during Jensen's leadership over the church's history department.
to give an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune in reaction to a recent First Presidency statement and to explicitly state that someone could be a devout Mormon and a member of the Democratic Party
. He lamented the decline of the Utah Democratic Party
, and regretted that the Republican Party
might be seen as the "church party". He felt that good Latter-day Saints will have conflicts with either party's platform, from which they must selectively pick and choose.
Coming from a church official on assignment from the First Presidency, the comments surprised many prominent Utah politicians and Latter-day Saints.
documentary The Mormons. His March 7, 2006 interview probed a variety of subjects, including some controversial topics.
to show compassion in considering laws that would affect undocumented immigrants. Several bills were under debate to block undocumented access to jobs and public benefits, such as in-state tuition and driving privilege cards. On behalf of the First Presidency
at Westminster College's
Interfaith Dialogue on Immigration, Jensen said lawmakers should "take a step back" since this "deal[s] with God's children" and "a more humane approach is warranted".
's New York Times op-ed piece which claimed that FLDS polygamy "is a look back at some of the behavior of Mormonism's founding fathers". Jensen strongly disagreed and pointed out that by 19th century norms a 15-year-old bride was not unusual nor considered abused, and the "common-law marriage age for women was 12". Plural marriage
s were "not controlled by the authority of one individual" and "the consent of individual women was always honored in any marriage proposal". In addition, many 19th century polygamous wives were well educated, politically active professionals.
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) since 1989 and has been the official Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of the Church Historian and Recorder is to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of the church and its activities...
of the church since 2005. He is the 19th man to hold that calling since it was established in 1830.
Biographical background
Jensen was born in Huntsville, UtahHuntsville, Utah
Huntsville is a town in Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 649 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. As a 19-year-old, he served as a missionary
Mormon 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 LDS Church in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
until 1964. He graduated from BYU
BYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
with a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. He obtained a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
College of Law in 1970, graduating first in his class. At the relatively young age of 28, he served as a bishop of his ward in Huntsville, as had both his father and grandfather. Later, he also served as a Stake President. In 1987 he became a Regional Representative for the Kaysville Utah
Kaysville, Utah
Kaysville is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 20,351 at the 2000 census, and 25,820 as of the 2008 estimates.-History:...
and Layton Utah
Layton, Utah
-External links:*...
regions.
Jensen married Kathleen Bushnell on June 9, 1967 in the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
. They are the parents of eight children.
Professionally, Jensen was an attorney in private practice in Ogden, Utah
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, specializing in business and estate planning. This supported his real passion of living a farming lifestyle. His family operates a ranching enterprise called Jensens' Middle Fork Ranch, in which he is a partner.
General authority
In 1989, Jensen became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy at the age of 46. In 1993, he was made assistant executive director of the Church's Priesthood Department, later becoming executive director until 2001. From 1993 to 1995, while a general authority, Jensen served as the mission presidentMission 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...
in the 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...
Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
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. In 1995, Jensen became a member of the Church's Public Affairs Committee. From 1996–8, he was Executive Director of the Church Historical Department. He served in the First Quorum of the Seventy until 1998, when he became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and in 2000 also became the general president of the church's Sunday School
Sunday School (LDS Church)
Sunday School is an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . All members of the church and any interested nonmembers, age 12 and older, are encouraged to participate in Sunday School.-Purpose:...
. Jensen was in these positions until 2001, when he was called to the Europe Central Area Presidency. In 2004, he replaced D. Todd Christofferson
D. Todd Christofferson
David Todd Christofferson is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He has been a general authority of the church since 1993...
as Executive Director of the Family and Church History Department, a position he held previously when it was just the Historical Department. Then in 2005, he became the first Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of the Church Historian and Recorder is to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of the church and its activities...
to serve since 1997.
Jensen is one of the few general authorities of the LDS Church who self-identifies politically as a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Area Presidencies
Jensen has served in various Area PresidencyArea (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...
positions. As a new Seventy in 1989, he was counselor to John K. Carmack
John K. Carmack
John Kay Carmack has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1984. He is currently an emeritus general authority and was the managing director of the church's Perpetual Education Fund....
, president of the Utah Central Area. From 1990 to 1992 Jensen served as president of the Utah North Area. After that he was first a counselor in the presidency of the North America Northeast Area, and then, from 1995 to 1998, president of that area. He served as president of the Europe Central Area from 2001 to 2003.
Church Historian
Jensen has been Church Historian and RecorderChurch Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of the Church Historian and Recorder is to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of the church and its activities...
since 2005, and executive director of the church's history department since 2004. In these roles and as a church official, he has spoken at General Conference, BYU
BYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
Women's Conference (1998), BYU
BYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
Family History and Genealogy Conference (2006), Northern Utah Family History Conference (2006), Yale's
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
American Society of Church History
American Society of Church History
The American Society of Church History was founded in 1888 with the disciplines of Christian denominational and ecclesiastical history as its focus. Today the society's interests include the broad range of the critical scholarly perspectives, as applied to the history of Christianity and its...
(2007), and the Mormon History Association
Mormon History Association
The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
Conference (2005 and 2007). Jensen has also notably attended various conferences, including the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
' Worlds of Joseph Smith Symposium (2005) and UVSC's Mormon Studies Conference (2008).
Several major developments have occurred during Jensen's leadership over the church's history department.
- Joseph Smith Papers Project: In 2001, the LDS Church and BYUBYU-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
created the Joseph Smith Papers Project, intended to revise and expand on the longtime work of Dean C. JesseeDean C. JesseeDean Cornell Jessee is a historian of the early Latter Day Saint movement and leading expert on the writings of Joseph Smith, Jr.-Biography:...
to collect and publish all known writings of Joseph Smith, Jr. Under Jensen, the project expanded into a 30-some volume, multi-year effort endorsed by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National ArchivesNational Archives and Records AdministrationThe National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
. In 2005, Jensen said this was "the single most significant historical project of our generation". - Church History LibraryChurch History LibraryThe Church History Library in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah houses materials chronicling the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
: Plans were finalized in 2005 to build a new 250000 square feet (23,225.8 m²), 5 floor building near Temple SquareTemple SquareTemple Square is a ten acre complex located in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . In recent years, the usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities immediately adjacent to Temple Square...
to house the church archives and history department staff. It was opened to the general public in June 2009. - Researchers return to archives: From 1980–1982, the church moved the History Division of the Historical Department to Provo, UtahProvo, UtahProvo 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...
, to become the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church HistoryJoseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church HistoryThe Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History was an academic research organization at Brigham Young University from 1980 to 2005, which sought to promote the study of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.-History:In 1982, the History Division of the church's...
at BYUBYU-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
. In late 2004, discussions began about returning researchers to the LDS Archives to increase pace and reduce costs in the Joseph Smith Papers Project. In June 2005, the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute was closed and the staff moved back to the Church Office Building, and in 2009 relocated again to the new Church History LibraryChurch History LibraryThe Church History Library in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah houses materials chronicling the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. - Church Historian's PressChurch Historian's PressThe Church Historian's Press is an imprint dedicated to publishing scholarly works about the origin, history, and growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
: On February 25, 2008, a new imprint called the Church Historian's Press was announced as the long awaited publisher for the Joseph Smith Papers. Jensen mentioned the press could be used to publish George Q. CannonGeorge Q. CannonGeorge Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
's journals or other documentary works, and perhaps someday narrative histories and biographies that make use of the Church Archives. - Department separation: On March 12, 2008, the Family and Church History Department was divided into the Family History Department and the Church History Department.
- New Assistant Church Historian called: On March 12, 2008, when the Church History Department was formed, Richard Turley was called as the first Assistant Church Historian since Davis BittonDavis Bitton-External links:*...
was released in 1982. - Mountain Meadows landmark: At the 2007 sesquicentennial of the Mountain Meadows massacreMountain Meadows massacreThe Mountain Meadows massacre was a series of attacks on the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train, at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah. The attacks culminated on September 11, 1857 in the mass slaughter of the emigrant party by the Iron County district of the Utah Territorial Militia and some local...
, descendants of the victims petitioned the LDS Church to secure landmarkLandmarkThis is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
status for its holdings at the Mountain Meadows site. On March 28, 2008, Jensen addressed three descendants organizations and announced the LDS Church will seek National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
designation for these properties.
Major statements
Jensen has at times addressed the press and public as a church representative. While not always official church positions, his statements illustrate his views as a mainstream leader in the LDS Church. Some view his public candor as a refreshing change from the often tight-lipped public image of general authorities.Political parties
On April 22, 1998, Jensen was sent by the First PresidencyFirst 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...
to give an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune in reaction to a recent First Presidency statement and to explicitly state that someone could be a devout Mormon and a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He lamented the decline of the Utah Democratic Party
Utah Democratic Party
The Utah State Democratic Party works to elect Democrats to office in the state of Utah. The Utah Democratic Party, like other national, state, and county parties, maintains a party platform that lists general principles or issues of importance to members of the Utah Democratic Party and maintains...
, and regretted that the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
might be seen as the "church party". He felt that good Latter-day Saints will have conflicts with either party's platform, from which they must selectively pick and choose.
Coming from a church official on assignment from the First Presidency, the comments surprised many prominent Utah politicians and Latter-day Saints.
The Mormons (PBS)
Jensen featured prominently in the 2007 PBSPublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
documentary The Mormons. His March 7, 2006 interview probed a variety of subjects, including some controversial topics.
- Doubt: Jensen described questioning his religion while in philosophy classes where he had to "test [his] belief against...other theories." This led him to reinforce his faith through deeper study.
- CorrelationPriesthood Correlation ProgramIn The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Priesthood Correlation Program is a program designed to provide a systematic approach to maintain consistency in its ordinances, doctrines, organizations, meetings, materials, and other programs and activities...
: "We are really trying to take account of cultural differences and to not feel that this Utah influence or even the American influence has to be worldwide." - Folklore of the priesthood banBlacks and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsFrom 1849 to 1978, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a policy against ordaining black men of African descent to the priesthood. Whereas other churches usually have full-time salaried clergy of whom individual members are often the chief minister to several families, in the LDS...
: Jensen recalled his attempts to have the church repudiate the rationale some use to explain the priesthood ban. - Historical truth claims: "I think we take it very literally. We don't deconstruct and feel that what we have is the figment of language or our imagination, or that there is some middle ground. I know that is very polarizing. In a sense, I think the hardest public relations sell we have to make is that this is the only true church."
- Homosexuality: Jensen said the gospel allows either heterosexuality or celibacy. He sympathized with celibate gay members, since the church cannot offer them hope of eventually finding love in this life as it can with single heterosexuals.
- Faith-promoting history: Jensen questioned whether the Church Historian should only focus on reinforcing faith, or if he should also focus on "objective" histories.
- Excommunicable doctrines: Jensen mentioned that members may receive disciplinary action in supporting gay marriage or opposing Book of MormonBook of MormonThe Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
divinity, if they are "openly vocal" and "malign the leadership in the church for not adopting that position."
Illegal immigrants
On February 13, 2008, Jensen urged the Utah State LegislatureUtah State Legislature
The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 Representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 State Senators...
to show compassion in considering laws that would affect undocumented immigrants. Several bills were under debate to block undocumented access to jobs and public benefits, such as in-state tuition and driving privilege cards. On behalf of 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...
at Westminster College's
Westminster College, Salt Lake City
Westminster College is a private liberal arts college located in the Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. The college comprises four schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Nursing and Health...
Interfaith Dialogue on Immigration, Jensen said lawmakers should "take a step back" since this "deal[s] with God's children" and "a more humane approach is warranted".
Historical openness
In a February 25, 2008 press release about the new Church Historian's Press publishing the Joseph Smith Papers, Jensen offered instruction on how to approach church history. He asked for LDS historians to "not be in an apologetic mode, but to be as open, candid and fair about our own history as we can". They should foster a culture of mutual openness with the general historical community. Jensen observed "greater dialogue coming about, less suspicion and a greater openness that is coming to pass".FLDS polygamy
On May 5, 2008, Jensen officially responded to Timothy EganTimothy Egan
Timothy Egan is a Pulitzer Prize winning author who resides in Seattle. He currently contributes opinion columns to The New York Times as the paper's Pacific Northwest correspondent...
's New York Times op-ed piece which claimed that FLDS polygamy "is a look back at some of the behavior of Mormonism's founding fathers". Jensen strongly disagreed and pointed out that by 19th century norms a 15-year-old bride was not unusual nor considered abused, and the "common-law marriage age for women was 12". Plural marriage
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...
s were "not controlled by the authority of one individual" and "the consent of individual women was always honored in any marriage proposal". In addition, many 19th century polygamous wives were well educated, politically active professionals.