Ronald A. Rasband
Encyclopedia
Ronald Anderson Rasband (born February 6, 1951) is a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and since 2005 has been a member of the Presidency of the Seventy of the church since 2005. He is currently the most senior and presiding member of the seven-man Presidency of the Seventy.
Rasband was born in Salt Lake City, Utah
to Rulon Hawkins Rasband and Verda Anderson. He served as a Mormon missionary
in the Eastern States Mission
. This mission was headquartered in New York City
, but at the time not only encompassed the whole New York Metro area but stretched into western New York
and Pennsylvania
.
After Rasband returned from his mission he married Melanie Twitchell.
Rasband was called as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 2000.
Rasband was a member of the committee that planned the pioneer sesquicentennial celebrations done by the church. Prior to his call as a general authority
he was the president and Chief Operating Officer of Huntsman Chemical Corporation
. In this capacity he worked closely with Jon Huntsman, Sr.
In 1996 Rasband was called as a mission president
. As mission president he returned to the area where he had served his mission, presiding over the New York New York North Mission, which included not only Manhattan
and the Bronx but also stretched upriver to the area of West Point and also included the far western portion of Connecticut
. One of his programs was for missionaries to serve as volunteers at Ellis Island
and the Statue of Liberty
to make the missionaries more visible.
While serving as a general authority Rasband has served in several area presidencies. He first served as a counselor in the Europe Central Area Presidency. While serving in this position he dedicated the first chapel the church built in the Czech Republic
.
In 2005 Rasband was called as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. In August 2007 he was placed in charge of overseeing the efforts of the Area Seventies in the Utah North, Utah South, and Utah Salt Lake City Area
s of the church. In April 2009, after Neil L. Andersen
left the Presidency of the Seventy to join the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Rasband became the senior and presiding member of the seven-man presidency.
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) and since 2005 has been a member of the Presidency of the Seventy of the church since 2005. He is currently the most senior and presiding member of the seven-man Presidency of the Seventy.
Rasband was born in Salt Lake City, 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...
to Rulon Hawkins Rasband and Verda Anderson. He served as a Mormon 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...
in the Eastern States 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...
. This mission was headquartered in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, but at the time not only encompassed the whole New York Metro area but stretched into western 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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
After Rasband returned from his mission he married Melanie Twitchell.
Rasband was called as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 2000.
Rasband was a member of the committee that planned the pioneer sesquicentennial celebrations done by the church. 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...
he was the president and Chief Operating Officer of Huntsman Chemical Corporation
Huntsman Corp.
Huntsman Corporation is a global chemical company with over 12,000 employees. 2010 revenues were over $9 billion.Huntsman serves a variety of end markets, the largest of which is consumer durables and non-durables, followed by paints and coatings, insulation and other construction materials,...
. In this capacity he worked closely with Jon Huntsman, Sr.
Jon Huntsman, Sr.
Jon Meade Huntsman, Sr. is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Huntsman Corporation. He is the father of former United States Ambassador to China and former Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman, Jr....
In 1996 Rasband was called as a mission 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...
. As mission president he returned to the area where he had served his mission, presiding over the New York New York North Mission, which included not only Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and the Bronx but also stretched upriver to the area of West Point and also included the far western portion of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. One of his programs was for missionaries to serve as volunteers at Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
and the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
to make the missionaries more visible.
While serving as a general authority Rasband has served in several area presidencies. He first served as a counselor in the Europe Central Area Presidency. While serving in this position he dedicated the first chapel the church built in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
In 2005 Rasband was called as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. In August 2007 he was placed in charge of overseeing the efforts of the Area Seventies in the Utah North, Utah South, and Utah Salt Lake City 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...
s of the church. In April 2009, after Neil L. Andersen
Neil L. Andersen
Neil Linden Andersen is the junior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was accepted by church membership as an apostle on 4 April 2009 during the April 2009 General Conference of the church...
left the Presidency of the Seventy to join the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Rasband became the senior and presiding member of the seven-man presidency.