John K. Carmack Explained

John K. Carmack
Birth Name:John Kay Carmack
Birth Date:10 May 1931
Birth Place:Winslow, Arizona, U.S.
Position Or Quorum1:First Quorum of the Seventy
Called By1:Spencer W. Kimball
End Reason1:Granted general authority emeritus status
Position Or Quorum2:Emeritus General Authority
Called By2:Gordon B. Hinckley
Portals:LDS

John Kay Carmack (born May 10, 1931) has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1984. He is currently an emeritus general authority and was the managing director of the church's Perpetual Education Fund from 2001 to 2012.

Biographical background

Carmack was born in Winslow, Arizona. After attending Brigham Young University (BYU) for two years, Carmack served as an LDS Church missionary in the Western Central States Mission of the church. Upon returning home, he completed his arts degree at BYU and went on to obtain a law degree at the University of California at Los Angeles. Carmack joined a law firm in Los Angeles, eventually becoming the firm's president. Carmack also served briefly in the United States military in Korea.[1]

Carmack is married to Shirley Fay Allen and they are the parents of six children.

In the church, Carmack served in a variety of callings, including president of the Los Angeles California Stake of the church and as a Regional Representative of the Twelve Apostles. In 1981, Carmack was appointed to preside over the Idaho Boise Mission of the church.

General authority

In 1984, Carmack became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. In 1989, he was made executive director of the church's Historical Department. As a general authority, Carmack performed the groundbreaking for four LDS Church temples: the Hong Kong China Temple, the Louisville Kentucky Temple, the Nashville Tennessee Temple, and The Hague Netherlands Temple.

In 2001, Carmack was given emeritus status and released from his duties as a Seventy. Upon Carmack's release, church president Gordon B. Hinckley immediately asked Carmack to become the first managing director of the church's new Perpetual Education Fund. He served in this position until 2012, when he was succeeded by Robert C. Gay.

Carmack was very active in publicizing about the Perpetual Education Fund and related efforts.[2] On one occasion he suggested that future LDS general conferences may be held outside the US.[3]

Publications

Carmack has also written articles for BYU Studies and the Mormon Historical Sites foundation on the 19th-century era of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4]

References

Notes and References

  1. John K. Carmack, "Unity in Diversity," Liahona, August 1992, p. 27.
  2. Web site: John K. Carmack | Religious Studies Center.
  3. https://www.deseretnews.com/article/660208411/An-LDS-conference-outside-the-US.html report on statements by Carmack in 2007
  4. http://mormonhistoricsites.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/NJ10.1_Carmack.pdf