Jean A. Stevens

Jean A. Stevens
First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency
April 3, 2010 (2010-04-03)[1] – April 4, 2015 (2015-04-04)
Called by Rosemary M. Wixom
Predecessor Margaret S. Lifferth
Successor Cheryl A. Esplin
End reason Husband called as mission president
Personal details
Born Jean Alldredge
(1951-11-20) November 20, 1951
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Alma mater University of Utah
Spouse(s) Mark Stevens
Children 5
Parents Helen Alldredge, O. Claron Alldredge
Website Jean A. Stevens

Jean Alldredge Stevens (born November 20, 1951[2]) was a member of the Primary General Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 2010 to 2015.[1][3] She served as the first counselor to Primary president Rosemary M. Wixom. In 2013, Stevens made history when she became the first woman to pray in an LDS Church general conference session.[4][5][6]

Life and career

Jean Alldredge was born into a Latter-day Saint family in Salt Lake City, Utah.[3][7] While Stevens was a youth, her mother, Helen Alldredge, served as a member of the Primary General Board. She began her college education at Brigham Young University, but later transferred to the University of Utah where she earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a teaching certificate.[8][3] In 1973, she married Mark Stevens in the Salt Lake Temple and they are the parents of five children.[2][3][9]

After graduating from college, Stevens was a full-time homemaker. In the LDS Church, she has served at a local level as a Relief Society president, Young Women president, counselor in the Primary presidency, and a gospel doctrine teacher.

Stevens was called to be the first counselor in the Primary General Presidency at the church's April 2010 general conference.[10][3] Stevens had previously been a member of the Primary general board.[3] The Primary directs programs for LDS children up to age 12.[11]

On April 6, 2013, Stevens became the first woman to pray in an LDS Church general conference when she offered the benediction in the first session of the church's 183rd Annual General Conference.[12][4][5][6][13] In January 2013, a feminist group had launched a letter-writing campaign to LDS Church leaders requesting that Mormon women be invited to pray in general conference, but a church spokesman stated that Stevens had been assigned to pray in the session before the campaign had started.[5] Women had led prayers previously at LDS events other than the General Conference.[12]

On April 4, 2015, Stevens was released from the Primary General Presidency when she was called, with her husband, to lead church's London England Mission.[11][14][9][15][16]

See also

Publications

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Sister Jean A. Stevens". LDS.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 Sarah Jane Weaver, "Parents Lessons Prepared Sister Jean Stevens", Church News, August 7, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jean A. Stevens", Liahona, May 2010.
  4. 1 2 Peggy Fletcher Stack, "First prayer by woman offered at Mormon conference", The Salt Lake Tribune, 2013-04-06.
  5. 1 2 3 David Kelly, "In rare event, woman leads prayer at major Mormon conference", Los Angeles Times, 2013-04-06.
  6. 1 2 Doug Barry, "Woman Leads Mormons in Prayer for the First Time in Forever", Jezebel, 2013-04-06.
  7. ↑ Francis, Janae (4 April 2010). "LDS Church leaders focus on families". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  8. ↑ Stack, Peggy Fletcher (3 April 2010). "Families in peril, LDS leaders warn". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  9. 1 2 New Mission Presidents, Church News, 28 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Stack, Peggy Fletcher (3 April 2010). "New Primary presidency chosen for LDS children". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Mormon woman who uttered historic prayer gets new assignment". Salt Lake Tribune. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  12. 1 2 Fowler, Geoffrey (8 April 2013). "U.S. News: Woman Leads Prayer at Mormon Event". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  13. ↑ Mason, David (9 April 2013). "A Mormon glass ceiling shattered". Washington Post. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  14. ↑ Walch, Tad (28 March 2015). "Preparing to split up, LDS General Primary Presidency looks back on 5 years of service together". Deseret News. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  15. ↑ Walch, Tad (16 June 2017). "Mormon apostle at Oxford: Lessons learned from Watergate scandal". Deseret News. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  16. ↑ Wilks, Doug (14 April 2018). "Inside the newsroom: How we follow the prophet (literally) around the world". Deseret News. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles
Preceded by
Margaret S. Lifferth		 First Counselor in the
Primary General Presidency
April 3, 2010 (2010-04-03)—April 4, 2015 (2015-04-04)		 Succeeded by
Cheryl A. Esplin
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