Larry R. Lawrence

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Larry R. Lawrence
Second Quorum of the Seventy
April 3, 2010 (2010-04-03) – September 30, 2017 (2017-09-30)
Called by Thomas S. Monson
Emeritus general authority
September 20, 2017 (2017-09-20)
Called by Thomas S. Monson
Personal details
BornLarry Ray Lawrence
(1947-08-25) August 25, 1947 (age 71)
Cheverly, Maryland, United States

Larry Ray Lawrence (born August 25, 1947) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 2010.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a general authority is a member of the highest levels of leadership in the church who has administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church. A general authority's jurisdiction is church-wide, in contrast to the responsibilities of a local authority or an area authority, which relate to a particular area, unit, or department of the church. As a group, the general authorities are often referred to as "the Brethren". As of October 2017, there are 109 general authorities.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nontrinitarian Christian restorationist church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian, Christian restorationist church that is considered by its members to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide. According to the church, it has over 16 million members and 67,000 full-time volunteer missionaries. In 2012, the National Council of Churches ranked the church as the fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United States, with over 6.5 million members reported by the church, as of January 2018. It is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith during the period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening.

Contents

Biography

Lawrence grew up in Tucson, Arizona. As a teenager, he was introduced to the LDS Church by friends, including his future wife, Laurel Stott. In 1970, while attending the University of Arizona, Lawrence was baptized into the LDS Church by his future father-in-law. In 1971, Lawrence married Laurel Stott and they are the parents of six children.

Tucson, Arizona City in Arizona, United States

Tucson is a city and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, and home to the University of Arizona. The 2010 United States Census put the population at 520,116, while the 2015 estimated population of the entire Tucson metropolitan statistical area (MSA) was 980,263. The Tucson MSA forms part of the larger Tucson-Nogales combined statistical area (CSA), with a total population of 1,010,025 as of the 2010 Census. Tucson is the second-largest populated city in Arizona behind Phoenix, both of which anchor the Arizona Sun Corridor. The city is 108 miles (174 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 mi (97 km) north of the U.S.–Mexico border. Tucson is the 33rd largest city and the 58th largest metropolitan area in the United States (2014).

University of Arizona Public university in Tucson, Arizona, United States

The University of Arizona is a public research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885, the UA was the first university in the Arizona Territory. As of 2017, the university enrolls 44,831 students in 19 separate colleges/schools, including the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix and the James E. Rogers College of Law, and is affiliated with two academic medical centers. The University of Arizona is governed by the Arizona Board of Regents. The University of Arizona is one of the elected members of the Association of American Universities and is the only representative from the state of Arizona to this group.

Lawrence earned a bachelor of science degree in agricultural biochemistry from the University of Arizona in 1969. In 1973, he received a doctor of medicine degree from the same university and later completed an ophthalmology residency in Fresno, California. He and his family remained in the area, and he began his career as an ophthalmologist in Fresno in 1977.

Ophthalmology field of medicine treating eye disorders

Ophthalmology is a branch of medicine and surgery that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in ophthalmology. Their credentials include a degree in medicine, followed by an additional four years of ophthalmology residency training. They may or may not receive residency training in internal medicine, pediatrics, or general surgery before the ophthalmology residency. Additional training may be sought through a fellowship in a particular specialty of eye pathology. Ophthalmologists are allowed to use medications to treat eye diseases, implement laser therapy, and perform surgery when needed. Ophthalmologists may participate in academic research on the diagnosis and treatment for eye disorders.

Fresno, California City in California, United States

Fresno is a city in California, United States, and the county seat of Fresno County. It covers about 112 square miles (290 km2) in the center of the San Joaquin Valley, the southern portion of California's Central Valley.

Prior to his appointment as a general authority, Lawrence served in numerous leadership positions in the LDS Church, including elders quorum president, bishop, high councilor, counselor in a stake presidency, and stake president. From 2001 to 2004, he was president of the church's Russia Novosibirsk Mission. From 2005 to 2010, he was an area seventy in the church's North America West Area (covering California and Hawaii). In April 2010, he was called to serve as a general authority and member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. [1] From 2010 to 2012, he was a counselor in the presidency of church's Europe East Area [2] [3] and served as president of the area from 2012 to 2014. [4] [5] [6] From 2015 to 2017, he supervised the church's work in the Middle East/North Africa, which he did from church headquarters. [7] On September 30, 2017, he was released as a General Authority Seventy and was designated as an emeritus general authority. [8]

Bishop is the highest priesthood office of the Aaronic priesthood in the Latter Day Saint movement. It is almost always held by one who already holds the Melchizedek priesthood office of high priest. The Latter Day Saint concept of the office differs significantly from the role of bishops in other Christian denominations, being in some respects more analogous to a pastor or parish priest. Each bishop serves with two counselors, which together form a bishopric.

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. Depending on the particular mission, a mission president may also be the presiding priesthood leader of some or all Latter-day Saints within the geographic boundaries of the mission. Mission presidents are ordained high priests of the church.

Novosibirsk City in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia

Novosibirsk is the third-most populous city in Russia, after Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is the most populous city in Asian Russia, with a population of 1,612,833 as of the 2018 Census, and is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "New General Authorities called, Primary General Presidency reorganized", Church News , Deseret News, 2010-04-03
  2. ↑ Area Leadership Assignments, 2010, Church News (Deseret News), 8 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Area Leadership Assignments, 2011, Church News (Deseret News), 29 April 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Area Leadership Assignments, 2012, Church News (Deseret News), 5 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Area Leadership Assignments, 2013, Church News (Deseret News), 25 May 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  6. ↑ Area Leadership Assignments, 2014, Church News ( Deseret News ), 3 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "LDS First Presidency announces area leadership assignments", Church News , 2 May 2015.
  8. ↑ "Leadership Changes Announced at October 2017 General Conference: Three General Authority Seventies released", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2017-09-30

References

<i>Liahona</i> (magazine)

Liahona is the official international magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is named after the word liahona from the Book of Mormon. The Liahona is published in 51 different languages from one to twelve times per year, depending on the language. The magazine consists of articles for youth, teens, and adults, all of which are published concurrently in the church's English-language Ensign, New Era, and Friend magazines. The magazine began publication in 1977. The Liahona publishes 415,000 magazines per month in 46 languages.

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