Michigan State University (MSU) is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan. MSU was founded in 1855 and served as a model for land-grant universities later created under the Morrill Act of 1862. The university was founded as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, one of the country's first institutions of higher education to teach scientific agriculture. After the introduction of the Morrill Act, the college became coeducational and expanded its curriculum beyond agriculture. Today, MSU is one of the largest universities in the United States and has approximately 634,300 living alumni worldwide.
Jeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University and is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the fourth most senior apostle in the church.
Russell Marion Nelson Sr. is an American religious leader and former surgeon who is the 17th and current president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nelson was a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for nearly 34 years, and was the quorum president from 2015 to 2018. As church president, Nelson is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator.
Thomas Glen Alexander is an American historian and academic who is a professor emeritus at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, where he was also Lemuel Hardison Redd, Jr. Professor of Western History and director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies. After studying at Weber State University (WSU) and Utah State University (USU), he received a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 1965. He taught history at BYU from 1964 until 2004, and served in the leadership of various local and historical organizations.
Bruce Clark Hafen is an American attorney, academic and religious leader. He has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1996.
John Sears Tanner was the 10th president of Brigham Young University-Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii) from 2015 to 2020. He previously served as first counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as president of the church's Brazil São Paulo South Mission and as Academic Vice President of Brigham Young University (BYU). Tanner is married to Susan W. Tanner, a former general president of the LDS Church's Young Women organization.
John Max Madsen is a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has been a general authority since 1992.
Richard Olsen Cowan is a historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a former professor in the Church History Department of Brigham Young University (BYU). He was one of the longest-serving BYU faculty and the longest-serving member of the Church History Department ever.
Von Gary Keetch was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from April 2015 until his death. He was a shareholder in the law firm of Kirton McConkie and a member of the firm's Constitutional, Religious and Appellate Practice section. He defended land use rights of religious groups against state regulations, and argued against liability of religious groups for crimes committed by their members.
Arturo de Hoyos was a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) and president of the Universidad Hispana in Provo, Utah.
Craig K. Manscill is a religion professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) and a historian who specializes in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, especially during the 1830s. Among other things he has edited the journal of the part of Zion's Camp that started in Pontiac, Michigan under the direction of Hyrum Smith. He is also a sociologist who has done studies on the family in Utah.
Ivan Junius Barrett was an American author, professor, and historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Joseph Wafula Sitati has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2009, when he became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He is the church's first black African general authority and the second general authority of black African descent.
Richard Edmond Bennett is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU). Prior to joining the faculty of BYU Bennett was the head of the Department of Archives and Special Collections at the University of Manitoba from 1978 to 1997. Bennett has served as president of the Mormon History Association.
Samuel Leonard Stanley Jr. is an American educator, biomedical researcher and the president of Michigan State University. He formerly served as the president of Stony Brook University. Stanley is married to Ellen Li, a practicing gastroenterologist and active researcher.
Brent LaMar Top is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU). Top served as dean of religious education at BYU and the director of BYU's Religious Studies Center from 2013 to 2018.
James R. Rasband has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2019. Due to his call as a general authority, his service as Academic Vice President at Brigham Young University (BYU) ended in June 2019, a position he had held since June 2017. He previously served as dean of the J. Reuben Clark Law School (JRCLS). He has also been the Hugh W. Colton Professor of Law.
Wolfgang W. Bauer is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University. He is also Associate Vice President for Administrative Services at MSU, with primary responsibilities in Energy, Sustainability, and Mobility. He is also an author of the introductory calculus-based physics textbook "University Physics", published by McGraw-Hill in 2013.
Jack Noel Gerard has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2018. He previously served for ten years as head of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the petroleum and natural gas industry lobby group in the United States.
Peter M. Johnson is a general authority seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is the first African-American general authority in church history.