Leader Biography

Elder Ronald A. Rasband

 

Elder Ronald A. Rasband was named an Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 3, 2015.

Elder Rasband was serving as the senior president in the Presidency of the Seventy at the time of his call to the Twelve.

Elder Rasband was called as the Senior President of the Presidency of the Seventy on April 4, 2009. He had been serving as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since 2005. He was named a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2000. He has served as a counselor in the Europe Central Area Presidency, president of the Utah Salt Lake City Area, and Executive Director of the Temple Department. He has also supervised the North America West, Northwest, and three Utah Areas as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy.

Elder Rasband attended the University of Utah. In 1995, Utah Valley University awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Business and Commerce. In 1976 he joined Huntsman Container Company as a sales representative, and in 1987, he was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Huntsman Chemical Corporation.

When he left Huntsman Chemical Corporation in 1996 to serve as a mission president in New York, he was also serving as a member of the Board of Directors.

Elder Rasband has held numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Eastern States Mission (1970-1972), Temple Square missionary guide, bishop, and member of the Church’s Sesquicentennial Committee. He presided over the New York New York North Mission from 1996 to 1999.

Elder Rasband was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1951. He married Melanie Twitchell in 1973. They are the parents of five children and have twenty-two grandchildren.

Style Guide Note:When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online Style Guide.