Howard W. Hunter, 14th president and prophet of the LDS Church

Howard W. Hunter was born on November 14, 1907, in Boise, Idaho. His father was not a member of the Church, and when Howard wanted to be baptized at age eight, his father forbade it. He finally persuaded his father to let him be baptized when he was twelve years old. At fifteen he earned his Eagle Scout; he was only the second scout in Boise to earn this award. Hunter also excelled in music and learned to play the piano, violin, marimba, drums, saxophone, clarinet, and trumpet. After high school, a band he had formed was able to play on a cruise ship during a two-month tour of the Orient. When he returned he learned that his father had finally joined the Church.

On June 10, 1931, Howard W. Hunter married Clara “Claire” Jeffs, a young lady he had been dating for some time. They had three children, one of whom died in childhood. Soon after their marriage, Howard found a job working for the Los Angeles Flood Control District. It was in this job that he became interested in legal matters and decided to study law. He graduated with his law degree in 1939 and was admitted to the bar the same year.

On Hunter’s 46th birthday his parents surprised him by showing up at the Mesa Arizona Temple ready to be sealed to each other and him, along with his sister, who had also made the trip. This was a pleasant surprise for President Hunter—he and the members of the Pasadena California Stake over which he presided had traveled quite a distance in order to attend the temple in Mesa. The Los Angeles California Temple would open three years later in 1956, also during his tenure as stake president.

To read more about him: MormonWiki