John M. Madsen

John M. Madsen served as General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the Second Quorum of the Seventy from 1992 to 1997 and in the First Quorum of the Seventy from 1997 to 2009. He was given emeritus General Authority status in October 2009. He served also as a stake mission president, bishop, Regional Representative, president of the England Southwest Mission, member of the Young Men general board, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency, and as a missionary to the North Central States.

Madsen was born on April 24, 1939, in Washington, DC, where his father was employed by the United States Department of Agriculture. The family moved to Utah when his father was transferred to Utah State University. The family again moved to Pullman, Washington, when his father took a position at Washington State University.

With a degree in zoology and a minor in chemistry from Washington State University, Madsen set aside plans to go to dental school upon the advice of his former Seminary teacher Dale T. Tingey and earned his master’s and EdD degrees from Brigham Young University. He taught in the Church Educational System and was the first Seminary teacher sent to England. He was a CES coordinator in England and later served as an Institute instructor and then religion professor at BYU. He later worked in the Melchizedek Priesthood Department.

He and his wife, Diane, are the parents of six children.