Marvin J. Ashton

{{Infobox Latter Day Saint biography

| name = Marvin J. Ashton

| image = Marvin J. Ashton.jpg

| birth_name = Marvin Jeremy Ashton

| birth_date = {{birth date|1915|05|06}}

| birth_place = Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

| death_date = {{death date and age|1994|02|25|1915|05|06}}

| death_place = Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

| resting_place = Larkin Sunset Lawn Cemetery

| resting_place_coordinates = {{Coord|40|44|27.96|N|111|49|22.08|W|type:landmark|display=inline|name=Larkin Sunset Lawn Cemetery}}

| position_or_quorum1 = Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

| called_by1 = Joseph Fielding Smith

| start_date1 = {{start date|1971|12|02}}

| end_date1 = {{end date|1994|02|25}}

| position_or_quorum2 = LDS Church Apostle

| called_by2 = Joseph Fielding Smith

| start_date2 = {{start date|1971|12|02}}

| ordination_reason2 = Death of Richard L. Evans

| end_date2 = {{end date|1994|02|25}}

| reorganization2 = Robert D. Hales ordained

| position_or_quorum3 = Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

| called_by3 = David O. McKay

| start_date3 = {{start date|1969|10|03}}

| end_date3 = {{end date|1971|12|02}}

| end_reason3 = Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

| list_notes =

}}

Marvin Jeremy Ashton (May 6, 1915 – February 25, 1994) was a Utah politician and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1971 until his death in 1994.

Early life

Ashton was born to Marvin O. Ashton and Rachel Grace Jeremy in Salt Lake City, Utah.[https://www.deseret.com/1994/2/27/19094348/death-elder-marvin-j-ashton "Death: Marvin J. Ashton"], Deseret News, 27 February 1994. Retrieved on 17 March 2020. His father was a local LDS leader and later became a church general authority. Ashton worked in the lumber business as a youth. He graduated from the University of Utah. He worked as managing director of LDS Social Services. Ashton served as a member of the Utah State Senate from 1957 to 1961 as a Republican. He was also president of Deseret Book and involved in other business ventures including a lumber company.

LDS Church service

Ashton served a mission in Great Britain from 1937 to 1939 during which time he edited the Millennial Star. His mission president was Hugh B. Brown. From 1958 to 1969, Ashton was an assistant to the general superintendent of the church's Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. He served as an assistant to superintendents Joseph T. Bentley and G. Carlos Smith.

He was named managing director of the then-newly formed Church Social Services Department in September 1969.Avant, Gerry. [https://www.thechurchnews.com/history-revisited/2019-08-25/elder-marvin-j-ashton-battle-with-time-157646 "How Elder Marvin J. Ashton faced his ‘battle with time’"], Church News, 23 August 2019. Retrieved on 17 March 2020. A month later he was named an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Ashton was ordained an apostle on December 2, 1971, after the death of Richard L. Evans. Among his assignments, he was president of the Polynesian Cultural Center and a member of the board of trustees of Brigham Young University–Hawaii.Hollie, Pamela G. [https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/26/us/cultural-center-in-hawaii-fights-irs-tax-ruling.html "CULTURAL CENTER IN HAWAII FIGHTS I.R.S. TAX RULING"], The New York Times, 26 March 1981. Retrieved on 17 March 2020.

Ashton died on February 25, 1994, and at the time of his death was serving as chairman of the church's Leadership Training Committee and was also a member of both the Correlation Executive and the General Welfare Services committees.[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-02-27-9402270059-story.html "Marvin J. Ashton"], Orlando Sentinel, 27 February 1994. Retrieved on 17 March 2020. The vacancy created in the Quorum of the Twelve was filled by Robert D. Hales.Flake, Lawrence R. [https://rsc-legacy.byu.edu/archived/prophets-and-apostles-last-dispensation/members-quorum-o-f-twelve-apostles/90-robert-dean "Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation"], BYU Religious Studies Center, Retrieved on 14 March 2020.

Personal life

Ashton married Norma Berntson in the Salt Lake Temple on August 22, 1940, and they were the parents of four children. They won the mixed doubles championship in the all-church tennis tournament in 1954. Ashton was involved with the Boy Scouts of America most of his life and earned Eagle Scout as an adult in 1963. As an adult he was a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, the Silver Beaver Award, and the Silver Antelope Award.

Image:MJAgrave.jpg|Marvin J. Ashton's grave marker

Bibliography

{{cite book

|last= Ashton

|first= Marvin J.

|year= 1978

|title= What Is Your Destination?

|publisher= Deseret Book Company

|isbn= 0-87747-719-1

|url= https://archive.org/details/whatisyourdestin00asht

}}

{{cite book

|last= Ashton

|first= Marvin J.

|author-mask= 2

|year= 1982

|title= Ye Are My Friends

|publisher= Deseret Book Company

|isbn= 0-87747-934-8

|url= https://archive.org/details/yearemyfriends00asht

}}

{{cite book

|last= Ashton

|first= Marvin J.

|author-mask= 2

|year= 1987

|title= Be of Good Cheer

|publisher= Deseret Book Company

|isbn= 0-87579-106-9

}}

{{cite book

|last= Ashton

|first= Marvin J.

|author-mask= 2

|year= 1990

|title= One for the Money

|publisher= The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

|isbn= 0-87579-417-3

}}

{{cite book

|last= Ashton

|first= Marvin J.

|author-mask= 2

|year= 1991

|title= The Measure of Our Hearts

|publisher= Deseret Book Company

|isbn= 0-87579-564-1

}}

{{cite book

|last= Ashton

|first= Marvin J.

|author-mask= 2

|year= 1998

|title= Classic Talks

|publisher= Deseret Book Company

|isbn= 0-87579-983-3

|url= https://archive.org/details/tonguecanbesharp00asht

}}

References

External links

[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1972/03/elder-marvin-j-ashton-of-the-council-of-the-twelve?lang=eng General Authorities and General Officers: Elder Marvin J. Ashton]

{{succession box

| title= Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

| years= December 2, 1971 – February 25, 1994

| before=Boyd K. Packer

| after= Bruce R. McConkie

}}

Category:1915 births

Category:1994 deaths

Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers

Category:20th-century Mormon missionaries

Category:American general authorities (LDS Church)

Category:American Latter Day Saint writers