Leader Biography

Elder James R. Rasband

Elder James R. Rasband was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2019, at age 56. At the time of his call he had been serving as an Area Seventy and a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah South Area.

 

Elder Rasband received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Near Eastern studies from Brigham Young University in 1986 and a juris doctor degree in law from Harvard in 1989. He began his career as an attorney with Perkins Coie in Seattle, Washington. In 1995 he joined the faculty of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He later served as dean of the J. Reuben Clark Law School from 2009 to 2016. Most recently he served as academic vice president of Brigham Young University.

Elder Rasband has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Korea Seoul Mission, ward mission leader, ward executive secretary, counselor in an elders quorum presidency, high councilor, bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, ward Young Men president, counselor in a bishopric, stake president, Gospel Doctrine teacher, and assistant Scoutmaster.

James Richard Rasband was born in Seattle, Washington, on March 20, 1963. He married Mary Diane Williams in 1984. They are the parents of four children.

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