L. Whitney Clayton

Last updated
L. Whitney Clayton
L. Whitney Clayton (42285050675).jpg
Emeritus General Authority
October 3, 2020 (2020-10-03)
First Quorum of the Seventy
March 31, 2001 (2001-03-31) – October 3, 2020 (2020-10-03)
Called by Gordon B. Hinckley
Presidency of the Seventy
April 5, 2008 (2008-04-05) – August 1, 2020 (2020-08-01)
Called by Thomas S. Monson
Personal details
BornLyndon Whitney Clayton III
(1950-02-24) February 24, 1950 (age 72)
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Spouse(s)Kathy Ann Kipp
Children7

Lyndon Whitney Clayton III (born February 24, 1950) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 2001. He became a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy in 2008 and was its senior president from 2015 until 2020. [1]

Contents

Biography

Clayton was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and attended the University of Utah. He served as a full-time missionary of the LDS Church in Peru. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance and earned a law degree at the University of the Pacific. [2] Clayton was a partner in the Newport Beach, California–based law firm of Call, Clayton and Jensen. [3] He was with this law firm from 1981 to 2001. [4]

Clayton married Kathy Ann Kipp in the Salt Lake Temple on August 3, 1973, and they are the parents of seven children.

LDS Church service

Clayton served previously in the LDS Church as a bishop, stake high councilor, counselor in a mission presidency, regional representative, and area seventy. At the time of his call as an area seventy, the Claytons lived in Irvine, California. [5]

Clayton was called as a general authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 2001. Previous assignments as a general authority have included serving as both a counselor and as president of the church's South America South Area and as an Assistant Executive Director of the Family and Church History Department. When Clayton was called to the Presidency of the Seventy on April 5, 2008, [2] [6] he was assigned supervisory responsibility for the church's North America West and North America Northwest areas. [7] [8] From 2012 to 2015, he supervised the church's work in the three geographical areas within Utah. [9] In August 2015, Clayton presided at the groundbreaking of the church's Cedar City Utah Temple. [10]

As the LDS Church received criticism for alleged sexual abuse of boys in the church's scouting units, dating back decades but made public by allegations in 2015, Clayton commented on the church's ongoing efforts to prevent child abuse within its programs. [11]

From October 2015 to August 2020, [12] Clayton was the senior, or presiding, member of the Presidency of the Seventy. [13] [14] [6] [15] He filled the position previously held by Ronald A. Rasband, who was called to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was designated as an emeritus general authority in October 2020. [16]

In April 2016, Clayton's brother, Weatherford T. Clayton, was sustained as a general authority. [17]

Since August 2021, Clayton has been first counselor to Mike Leavitt in the presidency of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. [18]

Clayton has been a speaker at a number of religious events or forums, frequently speaking on religious freedom. [19] [20]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Elder L. Whitney Clayton". ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  2. 1 2 "L. Whitney Clayton". Grampa Bill.
  3. ↑ New General Authorities: He learned priceless lessons of family, hard work and prayer, Church News , 14 April 2001
  4. ↑ "Clayton, L. Whitney". rsc.byu.edu. BYU Religious Studies Center. Retrieved 27 March 2019. |BYU Religious Studies Center biography of Clayton]
  5. ↑ Church names Area Authorities, Church News , 5 August 1995.
  6. 1 2 Noyce, David. "Mormon church names two more officials — Utahn and an Asian-American — to high positions". sltrib.com. Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  7. ↑ "New Area Leadership Assignments", Ensign , August 2008, pp. 78–79.
  8. ↑ Pugmire, Genelle. "LDS Church makes changes in Presidency of Quorum of Seventy". heraldextra.org. The Daily Herald. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  9. ↑ First Presidency Announces Changes, Church News archives, 11 February 2012.
  10. ↑ Passey, Brian. "LDS Church breaks ground for Cedar City Temple". thespectrum.com. The Spectrum. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  11. ↑ Zamost, Scott; Phillips, Kyra. "LDS Church: No tolerance for sex abuse in scouting". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  12. ↑ See the Church’s new 2020 leadership assignments around the world, Church News , 16 April 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  13. ↑ "Leadership Changes in Presidency of the Seventy Announced", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2015-10-06
  14. ↑ Morgenegg, Ryan (12 November 2015). "Changes announced for Area Presidencies". Church News .
  15. ↑ Church Announces 2016 Area Leadership Assignments, churchofjesuschrist.org, 29 April 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  16. ↑ "Leadership Changes Announced at the October 2020 General Conference: New calls announced for one General Authority Seventy, two members of the Presiding Bishopric and four Area Seventies", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2020-10-03
  17. ↑ "Weatherford T. Clayton: Loving the Lord and His people", Church News , Deseret News, 2016-05-05
  18. ↑ Tabernacle Choir leaders announce 4 ‘high-level’ objectives; 2022 Heritage Tour canceled
  19. ↑ Nielsen, Liesl. "Shutterstock Religious beliefs deserve as much protection as race and gender, LDS leader says". ksl.com. KSL. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  20. ↑ Mortensen, Lori. "Second conference on religious freedom set for March 19". mtdemocrat.com. Mountain Democrat. Retrieved 25 March 2019.

Related Research Articles

Jeffrey R. Holland American educator and religious leader (born 1940)

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.

Robert Dean Hales was an American businessman and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1994 until his death. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Hales was accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. At the time of his death he was the fifth most senior apostle in the church.

Kim B. Clark American academic

Kim Bryce Clark is an American scholar, educator, and religious leader who has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2015, and was the church's seventeenth Commissioner of Church Education from 2015 to 2019. He served previously as the 15th president of Brigham Young University–Idaho from 2005 to 2015, and as the dean of the Harvard Business School (HBS) from 1995 to 2005, where he was also the George F. Baker Professor of Business Administration.

Gifford Nielsen American football player and general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Stanley Gifford "Giff" Nielsen is a former American football quarterback who played professionally for the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL). He was the sports director of KHOU in Houston from 1984 until March 31, 2009. He has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since April 2013.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an area is an administrative unit that typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions. These areas are the primary church administrative unit between individual stakes or missions and the church as a whole.

Ronald A. Rasband

Ronald Anderson Rasband 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 2000. Currently, he is the eleventh most senior apostle in the church.

Neil L. Andersen

Neil Linden Andersen is an American religious leader and former business executive who serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was sustained by church membership as an apostle on April 4, 2009, during the church's General Conference. At the time of his call to the Twelve, Andersen had been serving as an LDS general authority since 1993, including service in the Presidency of the Seventy from 2005 to 2009. Currently, he is tenth apostle in order of seniority in the church.

J. Thomas Fyans American Mormon leader

John Thomas Fyans was a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1974 until his death.

Octaviano Tenorio Domínguez has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2007. He was one of the original area authorities called in 1995.

Ulisses Soares Brazilian Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Ulisses Soares is a Brazilian religious leader and former businessman who serves as 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 since 2005 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from January 2013 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. He is the LDS Church's first apostle from South America. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Soares is accepted by the LDS Church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the junior and fifteenth most senior apostle in the church.

Jay Edwin Jensen has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1992. He served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from 2008 to 2012. Jensen was designated an emeritus general authority in the October 2012 general conference.

Spencer Joel Condie has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1989. Condie previously worked as a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) and also served as a mission president for the LDS Church in Eastern Europe. In 2010, he was designated as an emeritus general authority.

Gary E. Stevenson

Gary Evan Stevenson is an American religious leader and former businessman who is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served previously as the church's Presiding Bishop and was the fourteenth man to serve in that position. He has been a general authority of the church since 2008. Stevenson was appointed to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 2015. Currently, he is the twelfth most senior apostle in the church.

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.

Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Traditionally, a church member holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister" and an "especial witness" of Jesus Christ, charged with the mission of preaching the gospel to the entire world under the direction of the Twelve Apostles. The church teaches that the office of seventy was anciently conferred upon the seventy disciples mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 10:1-2. Multiple individuals holding the office of seventy are referred to collectively as seventies.

Gerrit W. Gong Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent

Gerrit Walter Gong 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 since 2010 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from October 2015 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. He is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' first apostle of Asian descent. Prior to becoming a general authority, he served as Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University (BYU) for Planning and Assessment. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Gong is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.

Robert Christopher "Bob" Gay has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2012. He has been a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy since March 2018. Prior to becoming a general authority, Gay was the managing director, co-founder, and chief executive officer of Huntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC), a private equity firm headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with offices in Florida, Massachusetts, and Utah.

Tad Richards Callister was the 21st Sunday School General President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2014 to 2019. He served previously in the church as a general authority from 2008 to 2014, including as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from 2011 to 2014.

Otto Vincent Haleck Jr. has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2011. He is the first person from American Samoa or Samoa to become a general authority of the LDS Church and is also the first non–New Zealander from the Pacific Islands in this position.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.