Robert L. Backman

Robert L. Backman
First Quorum of the Seventy
April 1, 1978 (1978-04-01) – October 3, 1992 (1992-10-03)
Called by Spencer W. Kimball
End reason Granted general authority emeritus status
Presidency of the Seventy
October 6, 1985 (1985-10-06) – August 15, 1992 (1992-08-15)
Called by Spencer W. Kimball
End reason Honorably released
Emeritus General Authority
October 3, 1992 (1992-10-03) – incumbent
Called by Ezra Taft Benson
Personal details
Born Robert LeGrand Backman
March 22, 1922 (1922-03-22) (age 89)
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Robert LeGrand Backman (born March 22, 1922) was a Utah lawyer and politician and has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1978.

Backman was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, but spent much his youth in South Africa, where his father LeGrand Backman was president of the South African Mission of the LDS Church. After returning to Utah for his last year of high school, Backman served as a LDS Church missionary in the Northern States Mission of the church.

Backman served in the U.S. Army in the Philippines during the Second World War. Following the war, he enrolled at the law school at the University of Utah. He was a member of the Utah House of Representatives for two terms.

Before his call as a general authority of the LDS Church, Backman served as the president of the Northwestern States Mission of the church, as a temple sealer, and as a Regional Representative of the Twelve Apostles. In 1972, he was briefly the second assistant to W. Jay Eldredge, the general superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. When the YMMIA was renamed the Aaronic Priesthood–MIA in 1972, Backman was called as its general president. He served in this calling until 1974, when the Aaronic Priesthood–MIA was placed under the direct supervision of the church's presiding bishopric. In 1978, Backman became a member of the church's First Quorum of the Seventy. In 1979, he succeeded Neil D. Schaerrer as the general president of the Young Men organization. Backman is the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms as the general president of the Young Men.

In 1985, Backman was released from the Young Men and became a member of the seven-man Presidency of the Seventy, with Vaughn J. Featherstone succeeding him as president of the Young Men. Backman served in the presidency of the Seventy until August 1992; in October of that year, he was granted general authority emeritus status.

In 1986, Backman was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America for his efforts in incorporating Scouting into the LDS Church's Young Men organization.

Since 2005, Backman has been the president of the church's Jordan River Utah Temple.

Backman was married to Virginia Pickett, who died in 1999. They were the parents of seven children.

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External links

General presidents of the Young Men organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Wells (1876–1880) • Woodruff (1880–1898) • Snow (1898–1901) • J. F. Smith (1901–1918) • Ivins (1918–1921) • G. A. Smith (1921–1935) • Bowen (1935–1937) • Morris (1937–1948) • Curtis (1948–1958) • Bentley (1958–1962) • G. C. Smith (1962–1969) • Eldredge (1969–1972) • Backman (1972–1974) • Schaerrer (1977–1979) • Backman (1979–1985) • Featherstone (1985–1990) • Goaslind (1990–1998) • Dellenbach (1998–2001) • Hammond (2001–2004) • Dahlquist (2004–2009) • Beck (2009–)
Aldrich · J. Young · Hancock · Rich · Coltrin · Sherman · Smith · Miles · Gould · Foster · Butterfield · Gee · Gaylord · Harriman · Pulsipher · Orton · Rockwood · Clapp · Grant · Eldredge · Gates · Van Cott · W. W. Taylor · Cannon · Lewis · S. B. Young · Fjelsted · Morgan · Roberts · Reynolds · Kimball · Wells · Stevenson · McMurrin · Hart · L. E. Young · Pratt · Ivins · Bennion · J. H. Taylor · Hardy · Evans · Kirkham · S. D. Young · Hunter · McConkie · Hanks · Tuttle · P. H. Dunn · Rector · L. C. Dunn · Pinegar · G. R. Cook · Richards · Faust · Fyans · Tuttle · Maxwell · Hanks · P. H. Dunn · Bangerter · Asay · Ballard · Larsen · Derrick · Durham · Scott · Hanks · Goaslind · Bangerter · Backman · Wirthlin · Pinnock · Poelman · Paramore · Clarke · Pinegar · Asay · Didier · Porter · Christensen · Brough · Hansen · Hillam · Goaslind · Tingey · Christofferson · M. K. Jensen · Sorensen · Banks · Neuenschwander · Didier · Samuelson · Uchtdorf · Bateman · Groberg · Oaks · Andersen · Rasband · Q. L. Cook · Costa · Snow · González · Clayton · J. E. Jensen · Hallstrom  · Callister
Abrea • Backman • Banks • Bateman • Bradford • Brewerton • Busche • Carmack • Child • Christensen • Clarke • Coleman • Cook • Condie • Dellenbach • Didier • Featherstone • Groberg • Hafen • Hammond • Hansen • Hillam • Hinckley • Howard • Johnson • Kendrick • Kerr • Kikuchi • Kofford • Larsen • Madsen • Mickelsen • Morrison • Neuenschwander • Pace •Paramore • Peterson • Pinegar • Porter • Pratt • Rector • Samuelson • Smith2 • Sorensen • Tingey • Wells • Wickman

1. Emeritus general authorities are individuals who have been released from active duties as general authorities. However, they remain general authorities of the church until their death. Most living emeritus general authorities are former members of the First Quorum of the Seventy.
2. Patriarch emeritus and former Patriarch to the Church; Smith is the oldest living general authority and the only emeritus general authority who was not a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy.