William Duncan Oswald (born 1936) was a counselor to A. Roger Merrill in the Sunday School General Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 2004 to 2009. Oswald was also a counselor in the same organization to Russell M. Nelson in 1978 and 1979.
Sunday School is an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All members of the church and any interested nonmembers, age 12 and older, are encouraged to participate in Sunday School.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often informally called by the slang terms 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 65,000 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 there 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.
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.
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Oswald was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He served as an LDS Church missionary in England and Scotland. Oswald obtained a law degree from the University of Utah and worked as an attorney in Salt Lake City. He was involved in rewriting Utah laws related to those applicable to redevelopments. [1] His firm, Oswald and Feil, is part of the Utah Redevelopment Association. [2] Oswald helped to draft Utah's Redevelopment Authority Law in 1969 and as of 1991 was a vocal defender of its use in practice. [3]
Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints —widely known as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the LDS Church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and community service. Mormon missionaries may serve on a full- or part-time basis, depending on the assignment, and are organized geographically into missions. The mission assignment could be to any one of the 407 missions organized worldwide.
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Sharing a border with England to the southeast, Scotland is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast, the Irish Sea to the south, and the North Channel to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, situated on the northern third of the island of Great Britain, Scotland has over 790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.
Oswald was so involved in land redevelopment that one time he was fired by the Sandy, Utah redevelopment authority because he was also representing the Utah Transit Authority which was a potential buyer. [4] Before working with Sandy Oswald had been a lawyer for the Salt Lake City RDA. [5] As such he was a key player in the negotiations leading to building an arena for the Utah Jazz. [6] As of 1996 he and his partner Randy Feil were the only lawyers contracted with by the Utah Transit Authority. [7]
Sandy is a city in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population of Sandy was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah. The population is currently estimated to be about 96,145 according to the July 1, 2017 United States Census estimates.
Oswald's other callings in the LDS Church have included being a bishop in Salt Lake City, and at one point was the bishop of church president Spencer W. Kimball. In the 1980s, Oswald was a regional representative. From 2001 to 2004, Oswald was president of the church's Russia Vladivostok Mission. His wife, Mabel, who served as his companion during their mission holds a certificate in Russian from Dartmouth College. [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.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the President of the Church is the highest office of the church. It was the office held by Joseph Smith, the church's founder. The President of the LDS Church is the church's leader and the head of the First Presidency, the church's highest governing body. Latter-day Saints consider the president of the church to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" and refer to him as "the Prophet," a title that was originally given to Smith. When the name of the president is used by adherents, it is usually prefaced by the title "President". Russell M. Nelson has been the president since January 14, 2018.
Spencer Woolley Kimball was an American business, civic, and religious leader, and was the 12th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from 1973 to 1985. Grandson of the LDS apostle Heber C. Kimball, Spencer was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory. He spent most of his early life in Thatcher, Arizona, where his father, Andrew Kimball, farmed and served as the area's stake president.
In 1978 and 1979, Oswald was the second counselor to Nelson in the Sunday School General Presidency. In 1979, he also served briefly as Nelson's first counselor. Oswald was then called again in 2004 to serve in the Sunday School General Presidency with Merrill.
