Mark E. Petersen


Mark Edward Petersen was an American news editor and religious leader who served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1944 until his death. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, he filled the vacancy in the Quorum caused by the excommunication of Richard R. Lyman. Petersen had become managing editor of the church-owned Deseret News in 1935 and editor in 1941.

Early life

As a young boy, Petersen was a newspaper carrier, and he also helped in his father’s construction business. Later, he attended the University of Utah and served a mission for the LDS Church in Nova Scotia. In pursuing a career, he became a reporter for the Deseret News and continued working for the paper for sixty years, advancing to the position of president and chairman of the board. Petersen wrote numerous editorials and published more than forty books and many pamphlets used in the church's missionary effort.

LDS Church service

In April 1944, while serving as general manager of the Deseret News, Petersen was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In his calling as an apostle, he directed the church’s public information programs and served on the Military Relations Committee. He was an adviser to the church's Relief Society, Indian Affairs Committee, and Music Committee. He served as president of the West European Mission for more than six years. Petersen was also involved in many community affairs. He was closely associated with the Boy Scouts of America and was a recipient of the Silver Antelope Award. In 1959, in response to a rash of arrests of gay men in Utah and Idaho, church president David O. McKay assigned apostles Spencer W. Kimball and Petersen to work on curing gays within the church.

Controversial teachings

At Brigham Young University on 27 August 1954, at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, Petersen delivered the speech, "Race Problems—As They Affect the Church". The speech outlined the religious underpinnings of racial segregation and supported its continued practice as it related to intermarriage between blacks and whites. Particularly, he reaffirmed the LDS Church's unofficial but prevalent teaching at that time that those with dark skin had been less valiant in their lives before coming to earth. He also reiterated the idea that blacks were to be servants to righteous white people after the resurrection, as was the case with Jane Manning James who was sealed to Joseph Smith to be his servant in the next life. Petersen said:
In spite of all he did in the pre-existent life, the Lord is willing, if the Negro accepts the gospel with real, sincere faith, and is really converted, to give him the blessings of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. If that Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the celestial kingdom. He will go there as a servant, but he will get a celestial resurrection. He will get a place in the celestial glory.

In the 1940s, Petersen coined the term "Mormon fundamentalist" to describe people who had left the LDS Church to practice plural marriage.

Death

Petersen died from longstanding complications of cancer after entering Cottonwood Hospital in Murray, Utah, and undergoing surgery. He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Publications

As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Petersen spoke at each of the church's general conferences. Those addresses from 1971 until his death are shown below.
DateTitleTopics
April 1971Morality; Prophecy
October 1971Honesty
April 1972Prophets; Restoration
October 1972Prophets; Restoration; Spirituality
April 1973Plan of Salvation; Apostasy
October 1973Obedience; Commandments; Agency
April 1974Church Leaders; Prophets
October 1974Marriage; Plan of Salvation
April 1975Obedience; Sabbath
October 1975Church Growth; Restoration
April 1976Family History; Temple Work
October 1976Government; Obedience; Heroes
April 1977Brotherhood; Kindness
October 1977Book of Mormon
April 1978Prophets; Book of Mormon; Restoration
October 1978Book of Mormon
April 1979Apostasy; Restoration
October 1979Obedience; Repentance; Honesty
April 1980Obedience; Spirituality
October 1980Adam and Eve
April 1981Obedience; Morality
October 1981Prophets
April 1982Jesus Christ; Women
April 1982Obedience; Honesty
October 1982Plan of Salvation
April 1983Jesus Christ; Resurrection; Atonement
October 1983Angels