Gary L. Browning (born 1940) [1] is an American Russian language academic and was the first mission president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Russia, and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Born in St. Maries, Idaho, Browning was a missionary for the LDS Church in Finland as a young man. [2] Upon returning from his mission, he earned a bachelor's degree in Russian from Brigham Young University, a master's degree from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. [2] In 1969, Browning lived in Moscow for six months while he worked as a guide for a United States Information Agency exhibit. [2] In 1973, Browning returned to live in Russia for six months as he researched his Ph.D. dissertation. [2]
Browning spent two years as a member of the faculty of Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, and then joined the faculty of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah as a professor of Russian language and literature. [2] In the 1980s, he founded a Utah County chapter of Utahns Against the Nuclear Arms Race and became a peace activist. [2]
In July 1990, Browning was asked by the LDS Church to become the president of the newly created Finland Helsinki East Mission of the church. [3] This mission was headquartered in Helsinki, but all its assigned missionaries preached in Russia and the Baltic states. [3] At the time, there were small branches of the LDS Church in Leningrad, Tallinn, Vyborg, and Moscow. [3] The Leningrad Branch was the first LDS Church congregation to receive official recognition within Russia. [3] Browning is recognized by the LDS Church as the first mission president in Russia and the Baltic states. [4]
In February 1992, the Finland Helsinki East Mission was dissolved and divided into the Russia Moscow Mission and the Russia St. Petersburg Mission; Browning became the first president of the Moscow Mission and served in this capacity until July 1993. [3] After his mission service, Browning returned as a faculty member of Brigham Young University. [2] He served two terms as the chair of the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages. [2] He retired and is a professor emeritus of BYU. [5]
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Dallin Harris Oaks is an American religious leader and former jurist and academic who since 2018 has been the first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called as a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1984. Currently, he is the second most senior apostle by years of service and is the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Jeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University (BYU) 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.
Charles William Penrose was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1904 to 1911. Penrose was also a member of the First Presidency, serving as a counselor to church presidents Joseph F. Smith and Heber J. Grant from 1911 until his death.
Karl Gottfried Maeser was a prominent Utah educator and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served 16 years as principal of Brigham Young Academy. Although he was not the first principal of the Academy, he is considered its founder. The Academy later became Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1903.
Merrill Joseph Bateman has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1992, originally as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. He is currently an emeritus general authority. From 2003 to 2007, Bateman was a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy. He was president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from January 1, 1996, until May 1, 2003, and was the church's twelfth presiding bishop in 1994 and 1995. In 2003 and 2004, Bateman was the general president of the church's Sunday School organization. From 2007 to 2010, Bateman was president of the Provo Utah Temple.
Joseph Taylor Bentley was the tenth general superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1958 to 1962.
John Richard Clarke was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1976 until his death. He has been a member of the church's presiding bishopric and a member of the Presidency of the Seventy.
Sidney Branton Sperry was one of three scholars who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who began the scholarly and systematic study of the Book of Mormon in the mid-20th century — the other two being John L. Sorenson and Hugh W. Nibley. Sperry was also a leading Latter-day Saint scholar of the Bible.
George Wendell Pace was an American professor of religion at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. He was a popular writer and speaker on religion in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and part of a public criticism voiced by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie in 1982.
Brigham Young University Press is the university press of Brigham Young University (BYU).
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.
Daniel Hansen Ludlow was a professor of religion at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. He was also the chief editor of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published in 1992 by Macmillan.
Victor Leifson Ludlow is an emeritus religion professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah and the author of several books on the Book of Isaiah, most notably Isaiah, Prophet Seer and Poet.
Arnold Kent Garr was the chair of the department of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU) from 2006 to 2009. He was also the lead editor of the Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History.
Richard Eyring "Rick" Turley Jr. is an American historian and genealogist. He previously served as both an Assistant Church Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as managing director of the church's public affairs department.
Arturo de Hoyos was a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) and president of the Universidad Hispana in Provo, Utah.
Mark L. Grover is an expert on Mormonism in Brazil and an author on religion in Latin America.
Harry Donl Peterson was a religion professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) who primarily studied topics related to the Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price.
Ellis Theo Rasmussen was an American professor and dean of Religious Instruction at Brigham Young University (BYU). He helped produce the edition of the Bible published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1979.
Roy W. Doxey was a theologian and mid-level leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
