M. Russell Ballard

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M. Russell Ballard

Full name	Melvin Russell Ballard, Jr.
Born	October 8, 1928 (1928-10-08) (age 79)
Place of birth	Salt Lake City, Utah
LDS Church Apostle
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball
Ordained	October 10, 1985 (aged 57)
Reason for ordination	Death of Bruce R. McConkie

Melvin Russell Ballard, Jr. (b. October 8, 1928) is an American businessman and a religious leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called to serve in the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1985. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Ballard is accepted by the church membership as a prophet, seer, and revelator.

1 Church service
2 Business activities
3 Family
4 Published works
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Church service

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, as a young man Ballard served as a missionary in England. He met his wife while they were studying at the University of Utah. In 1974, Ballard was called to be the president of the Canada Toronto Mission of the church. Following the death of apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Ballard was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 6, 1985, and ordained an apostle of the LDS Church on October 10, 1985.

Ballard is the grandson of apostles Melvin J. Ballard and Hyrum M. Smith and is a descendant of Hyrum Smith, brother of church founder Joseph Smith, Jr.

[edit] Business activities

Professionally, Ballard became involved in several enterprises, including automotive, real estate, and investment businesses. He was the top-selling salesman for his father’s Nash car dealership when he left it in the early 1950s to pursue other business interests. In 1956, Ballard returned and took over the Ballard Motor Company from his father. During this period he also served in the United States Army Reserve. When he left in 1957, he held the rank of First Lieutenant.

During the late 1950s, Ballard was recruited by the Ford Motor Company to become the first Edsel car dealer for Salt Lake City. After praying for guidance, he had the "clear impression" not to sign the franchise. He did anyway and incurred a huge loss, "without doubt the darkest period" of his business career.^[1]

One of the highlights of his business career was his responsibility as president of the Valley Music Hall in Bountiful, Utah. The theater offered high-quality family entertainment, and he worked in association with Art Linkletter, Danny Thomas, Bob Cummings, and other Hollywood celebrities who were advisers to the enterprise. Although the music hall failed financially, he made sure that investors had opportunities to recover the money they had put into it.

[edit] Family

Ballard has seven children and is the father-in-law of Peter Huntsman, the son of LDS area seventy and billionaire philanthropist Jon M. Huntsman.

[edit] Published works

Ballard, M. Russell (2002). As Women of God. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 2002.
--- (2002). Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might (Classic Talk series). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ISBN B0006S3QSY.
--- (1997). Counseling with Our Councils: Learning to Minister Together in the Church and in the Family. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-57345-209-2.
--- (1998). The law of sacrifice and What came from Kirtland. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-57345-403-6.
--- (1993). Our Search for Happiness: An Invitation to Understand the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-917-5.
--- (2001). Staying the Course: Ten Keys to Gospel Commitment. Deseret Book Company. ISBN ?.
--- (1993). Suicide: Some Things We Know and Some We Don't. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-766-0.
--- (2001). When Thou Art Converted: Continuing the Search for Happiness. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 1-57345-813-9.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ M. Russell Ballard, Our Search for Happiness: An Invitation to Understand the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1993), 85-86.