Joseph C. Muren

Joseph Carl Muren was a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the Second Quorum of the Seventy from April 6, 1991, until October 5, 1996, when he was given emeritus status.

Muren was born on February 5, 1936, in Richmond, California. While a student at San Jose State University, he had a Latter-day Saint roommate who introduced him to the teaching of the Church by inviting him to attend Institute classes with him. When Muren was baptized, he lost the opportunity to inherit his family’s business and found relations with his family became strained because they felt that to leave the Catholic church was to leave family.

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Jose State and later his PhD in education administration from the University of Southern California. He also served as a full-time Missionary for the Church to Argentina.

He taught high school mathematics and language while pursuing his degrees. After obtaining his doctorate, he taught Institute adjacent to El Camino College, Long Beach State College, Stanford University, and Weber State College. He then worked as Director of Temporal Affairs for the Church in Peru, Argentina, Australia, and England. Before his retirement, he worked in the Human Resource Department for the Church. Muren presided over the San Jose, Costa Rica Mission from 1877 to 1980.

He and his wife, Gladys, were the parents of six children. He passed away in Layton, Utah, on July 27, 2009.