Mark E. Petersen

For the New Zealand guitarist, see Mark Petersen (musician).

Mark E. Petersen
edit data
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
April 20, 1944 (1944-04-20) – January 11, 1984 (1984-01-11)
Called by	Heber J. Grant
LDS Church Apostle
April 20, 1944 (1944-04-20) – January 11, 1984 (1984-01-11)
Called by	Heber J. Grant
Reason	Excommunication of Richard R. Lyman
Reorganization at end of term	Russell M. Nelson and Dallin H. Oaks were ordained after the deaths of Petersen and LeGrand Richards
Personal details
Born	Mark Edward Petersen November 7, 1900(1900-11-07) Salt Lake City, Utah
Died	January 11, 1984(1984-01-11) (aged 83) Salt Lake City, Utah

Mark Edward Petersen (November 7, 1900 –January 11, 1984) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1944 until his death. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, he filled the vacancy caused by the excommunication of Richard R. Lyman. He had become managing editor of the Church-owned Deseret News in 1935 and editor in 1941.

As a young boy, Petersen was a newspaper carrier, and he also helped in his father’s construction business. Later he attended the University of Utah, and he served a mission for the LDS Church in Nova Scotia. In pursuing a career, he became a reporter for the Deseret News and continued working for the paper for sixty years, advancing to the position of president and chairman of the board. Elder Petersen wrote numerous editorials and published more than forty books and many pamphlets used in the Church’s missionary effort.

In April 1944, while serving as general manager of the Deseret News, Petersen was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In his calling he directed the Church’s public information programs and served on the Military Relations Committee. He was an adviser to the Relief Society, the Indian Affairs Committee, and the Music Committee. He served as president of the West European Mission^[1] and for more than six years he supervised Church activities there. Elder Petersen was also involved in many community affairs. He was closely associated with the Boy Scouts of America, and he was awarded the Silver Antelope citation.

At Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, August 27, 1954, at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, Petersen delivered a speech on "Race Problems --As They Affect The Church". The speech outlined the religious underpinnings of segregation, and supported the continued practice of segregation as it related to intermarriage between blacks and whites.

In the 1940s, Petersen coined the term "Mormon fundamentalist" to describe people who had left the LDS Church to practice plural marriage.^[2]

Petersen died in 1984 from longstanding complications of cancer after entering Cottonwood Hospital and undergoing surgery.^[1] He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Grave marker of Mark E. Petersen.

Publications

• Petersen, Mark E. (1953). Your Faith and You. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 
• —— (1954). For Time or Eternity. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 
• —— (1959). A Faith to Live By. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 
• —— (1960). Toward a Better Life. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. 
• —— (1962). Patterns for Living. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 
• —— (1962). One Lord ... One Faith!. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. 
• —— (1963). Faith Works!. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 
• —— (1964). Guide to a Happy Marriage. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. 
• —— (1965). Our Moral Challenge. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. 
• —— (1966). Why the Religious Life. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. 
• —— (1966). As Translated Correctly. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. 
• —— (1969). The Way to Peace. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 
• —— (1971). Live it Up!. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877474508. 
• —— (1972). Marriage and Common Sense. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 
• ——; Petersen, Emma Marr (1973). Virtue Makes Sense!. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877475008. 
• —— (1974). The Way of the Master. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. ISBN 0884942716. 
• —— (1975). The Great Prologue. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877475571. 
• —— (1976). Adam, Who is He?. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 087747592X. 
• —— (1976). The Salt and the Savor. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. ISBN 0884943062. 
• —— (1977). Moses: Man of Miracles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877476519. 
• —— (1977). Marriage: Covenants and Conflicts. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 
• —— (1978). Joshua, Man of Faith. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877477205. 
• —— (1978). The Unknown God. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. ISBN 0884943372. 
• —— (1979). Those Gold Plates!. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. ISBN 088494364X. 
• —— (1979). Abraham, Friend of God. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877477809. 
• —— (1979). The Forerunners. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. ISBN 0884943763. 
• —— (1980). Three Kings of Israel. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. ISBN 0877478295. 
• —— (1981). Isaiah for Today. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877478821. 
• —— (1981). Children of Promise: The Lamanites: Yesterday & Today. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. ISBN 088494431X. 
• —— (1981). Family Power!. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. 
• —— (1981). Joseph of Egypt. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877478619. 
• —— (1982). Noah and the Flood. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877479356. 
• —— (1983). Malachi and the Great and Dreadful Day. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877479623. 
• —— (1983). Alma and Abinadi. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877479593. 
• —— (1984). The Jaredites. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877479984. 
• —— (1984). The Teachings of Paul. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877478430. 
• —— (1984). The Sons of Mosiah. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877472971. 

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} "This week in Church history". Church News (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News). January 3, 2009. http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/56392/This-week-in-Church-history.html. Retrieved 2009-01-27. 
2. ^ Ken Driggs, "'This Will Someday Be the Head and Not the Tail of the Church': A History of the Mormon Fundamentalists at Short Creek", Journal of Church and State 43:49 (2001) at p. 51.

Further reading

• Barton, Peggy Petersen (1985). Mark E. Petersen: A Biography. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 087747642X. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles
Preceded by Ezra Taft Benson	Quorum of the Twelve Apostles April 20, 1944–January 11, 1984	Succeeded by Matthew Cowley