Richard G. Scott

Richard Gordon Scott was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church on October 1, 1988 and was ordained on October 6, 1988 after the death of Apostle Marion G. Romney.

Scott was born on November 7, 1928 to Kenneth Leroy and Mary Whittle Scott in Pocatello, Idaho. At the age of 5, he moved with his parents to Washington, D.C., where his father served with the Department of Agriculture, later becoming an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture.

He graduated from George Washington University as a mechanical engineer, and completed postgraduate work in nuclear engineering at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He met and dated Jeanene Watkins, but marriage was delayed while they both served full time missions for the Mormon Church, Richard to Uruguay and Jeanene to the Northwestern United States. They were married and sealed on July 16, 1953 in the Manti Temple. They had seven children, five of whom survived to adulthood. His wife passed away on May 15, 1995 after 42 years of marriage.

From 1953 to 1965 Scott served on the immediate staff of Admiral Hyman Rickover, directing the development of nuclear fuel for a wide variety of naval and land based power plants. He simultaneously held positions in the Church. He served as a regional representative in the Uruguay, Paraguay, North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. areas until his call as a Seventy. Plans for a quiet life as a government servant came to an end when in 1965 he was called to preside over the Argentina North Mission. He served in that position until 1969. Upon his return he continued to hold Church positions and worked as a private consultant to the Nuclear industry. (see his entry on Famous Mormon Scientist.)

He was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1977 and was called to serve in the Presidency of the same quorum in 1983. He would serve in that capacity until his call to the Quorum of the Twelve, a group of Apostles at the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Scott, called Elder due to his apostleship, is known for delivering compassionate talks at General Conference, looking directly into the camera, and pleading for repentance and improvements in the lives of members. He emphasizes the Savior's compassion and willingness to forgive past transgressions, and pleads for members to repent and move on with their lives.

Currently, Elder Scott serves as Chairman of the Executive Committee and Member of the Church Board of Education that governs the Church Educational System.