Mark E. Petersen

Mark Edward Petersen (November 7, 1900 –January 11, 1984) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1944 until his death. He had become managing editor of the Church-owned Deseret News in 1935 and editor in 1941.

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 he served a mission for the 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. Elder Petersen wrote numerous editorials and published more than forty books and many pamphlets used in the Church’s missionary effort.

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 he directed the Church’s public information programs and served on the Military Relations Committee. He was an adviser to the Relief Society, the Indian Affairs Committee, and the Music Committee. He served as president of the West European Mission and for more than six years he supervised Church activities there. Elder Petersen was also involved in many community affairs. He was closely associated with the Boy Scouts of America, and he was awarded the Silver Antelope citation.

Petersen died in 1984 from longstanding complications of cancer after entering Cottonwood Hospital and undergoing surgery. He and his wife, Emma Marr McDonald, were the parents of two daughters.

Further reading

• Barton, Peggy Petersen. Mark E. Petersen: A Biography. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985