Julie B. Beck

Julie B. Beck
15th General President of the Relief Society
April 7, 2007 (2007-04-07) – incumbent
Called by Gordon B. Hinckley
Predecessor Bonnie D. Parkin
First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency
October 5, 2002 (2002-10-05) – April 7, 2007 (2007-04-07)
Called by Susan W. Tanner
Predecessor Carol B. Thomas
Successor Elaine S. Dalton
End reason Became General President of the Relief Society
Personal details
Born Julie Bangerter
September 29, 1954 (1954-09-29) (age 57)
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Residence Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Alma mater Brigham Young University (B.S.)
Spouse Ramon P. Beck (1973–present)
Children 3

Julie Bangerter Beck (born September 29, 1954) has been the general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 31 March 2007. She is the fifteenth woman to hold this position.

Contents

Biography

Born in Granger, Utah to William Grant Bangerter and Geraldine Hamblin, Beck grew up in Utah and in São Paulo, Brazil, where her father served as a mission president for the LDS Church for five years. Beck attended Dixie College and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in family science. On 28 December 1973, she married Ramon P. Beck in the Salt Lake Temple.

In October 2002, Beck was called to be the First Counselor to Susan W. Tanner in the Young Women general presidency of the LDS Church. Beck served in this capacity until her call in 2007 as the general president of the Relief Society, succeeding Bonnie D. Parkin. Beck is the fifteenth general president of the Relief Society since it was organized in 1842. As the Relief Society General President, Beck is an ex officio member of the Boards of Trustees/Education of the Church Educational System and is also a current member of the executive committee of the Boards of Trustees/Education. Beck is assisted by two counselors, Silvia Henriquez Allred and Barbara Thompson.

Family

Beck and her husband have two daughters and one son and currently reside in Alpine, Utah.

Beck's father, William Grant Bangerter, began his service as a general authority of the LDS Church in 1975, when he was called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In 1976, when the position of Assistant to the Twelve was abolished, Bangerter became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He twice served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, in 1978 to 1980 and from 1985 to 1989, at which time he was given general authority emeritus status and released from active duties.

Beck is also the niece of Utah's thirteenth governor, Norman H. Bangerter, who held office from 1985 to 1993.

Key addresses

At the October 2007 general conference of the LDS Church, Beck delivered a sermon that caused some controversy among some members of the church.[1] In her sermon, Beck equated "nurturing" with "homemaking" — which Beck said "includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home" — and stated that "Latter-day Saint women should be the best homemakers in the world".[2] A report issued a few days after Beck's speech stated that "she has caused a stir among Mormon women not seen since 1987, when President Ezra Taft Benson said unequivocally that mothers should not work outside the home except in emergencies."[1]

Beck reiterated her counsel in a March 2008 address.[3]

Beck's second annual address to LDS Church women in September 2008 focused on strengthening the role of the Relief Society in each congregation throughout the world. The address was viewed as being more inclusive of single women and women without children and was more enthusiastically received in the United States than previous addresses.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Peggy Fletcher Stack, "Conference address by LDS relief society president sparks furious debate", Salt Lake Tribune, 2007-10-11.
  2. ^ Julie B. Beck, "Mothers Who Know", 2007-10-07.
  3. ^ Julie B. Beck, "Unlocking the Door to the Blessings of Abraham", 2008-03-02.
  4. ^ Jessica Ravitz, This year, LDS women's leader steers clear of storm", Salt Lake Tribune, 2008-09-28.

External links

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles
Preceded by
Bonnie D. Parkin		 President of the Relief Society
2007–		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
Carol B. Thomas		 First Counselor of the
general presidency of the Young Women
October 5, 2002 (2002-10-05) – April 7, 2007 (2007-04-07)		 Succeeded by
Elaine S. Dalton
Presidents
E.H. Smith (1842–1844) • Snow (1866–1887) • Young (1888–1901) • B.W. Smith (1901–1910) • Wells (1910–1921) • Williams (1921–1928) • Robison (1928–1939) • Lyman (1939–1945) • Spafford (1945–1974) • B.B. Smith (1974–1984) • Winder (1984–1990) • Jack (1990–1997) • Smoot (1997–2002) • Parkin (2002–2007) • Beck (2007– )
First Counselors
Cleveland (1842–1844) • Young (1866–1887) • Richards (1888–1901) • Hyde (1901–1909) • Williams (1910–1921) • Knight (1921–1928) • Lyman (1928–1939) • Howells (1939–1945) • Sharp (1945–1974) • Cannon (1974–1978) • Boyer (1978–1984) • Evans (1984–1990) • Okazaki (1990–1997) • Jensen (1997–2002) • Hughes (2002–2007) • Allred (2007– )
Second Counselor
Whitney (1842–1844, 1886–1887) • B.W. Smith (1888–1901) • Doosenberry (1901–1910) • J.L. Smith (1910–1921) • Robison (1921–1928) • Child (1928–1935) • Barker (1935–1939) • Sorensen (1940–1942) • Spafford (1942–1945) • Garff (1945–1947) • Simonsen (1947–1956) • Anderson (1957–1958) • Madsen (1958–1974) • Boyer (1974–1978) • Thomas (1978–1983) • Reese (1983–1984) • Doxey (1984–1990) • Clyde (1990–1997) • Dew (1997–2002) • Pingree (2002–2007) • Thompson (2007– )
Presidents
E.S. Taylor (1880–1904) • Tingey (1905–1929) • Fox (1929–1937) • L.G. Cannon (1937–1948) • Reeder (1948–1961) • Jacobsen (1961–1972) • Funk (1972–1978) • E.A. Cannon (1978–1984) • Kapp (1984–1992) • Hales Beckham (1992–1997) • Nadauld (1997–2002) • Tanner (2002–2008) • Dalton (2008– )
First Counselors
M.Y. Taylor (1880–1887) • Dougall (1887–1904) • Fox (1905–1929) • L.G. Cannon (1929–1937) • Williams (1937–1944) • Goddard (1944–1948) • Bennett (1948–1961) • Judd (1961–1972) • H.H.C. Smith (1972–1978) • Darger (1978–1984) • Holland (1984–1986) • Turley (1986–1987) • Malan (1987–1992) • Pearce (1992–1997) • Thomas (1997–2002) • Beck (2002–2007) • Dalton (2007–2008) • Cook (2008–)
Second Counselors
Tingey (1880–1904) • Nystrom (1905–1923) • L.G. Cannon (1923–1929) • Beesley (1929–1937) • Goddard (1937–1944) • Andersen (1944–1948) • Longden (1948–1961) • Holt (1961–1972) • Kapp (1972–1978) • N.B. Smith (1978–1984) • Turley (1984–1986) • Malan (1986–1987) • Jack (1987–1990) • Hales Beckham (1990–1992) • Pinegar (1992–1994) • Parkin (1994–1997) • Thomas (1997) • Larsen (1997–2002) • Dalton (2002–2007) • Cook (2007–2008) • Dibb (2008–)