H. Burke Peterson

H. Burke Peterson was a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric from April 6, 1972, until April 6, 1985, when he was sustained as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He served until October 2, 1993, when he was granted emeritus General Authority status.

Peterson was born on September 19, 1923, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He began his college studies at Phoenix College and studied civil engineering at the University of Oklahoma. He joined the U.S. Navy and worked on projects in the Pacific Ocean theater during World War II. He later earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and while earning his master’s degree from Utah State University, he taught classes at the university.

He worked with the United States Department of Agriculture in the Phoenix area and co-founded a civil engineering firm, the Engineering Corporation of America.

Peterson served in various callings prior to his call as a General Authority, including bishop, stake president, and regional representative. While serving as a Seventy, he and his wife, Brookie, served as president and matron, respectively, of the Jordan River Utah Temple. They were the parents of five daughters. He died on April 14, 2013.