Russell Ballard

About

Religious leader and author known for serving as an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death in 2023 and for being appointed acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in January 2018. He was also known for his missionary work, religious teachings, and books including Our Search for Happiness and Counseling with Our Councils as well as for amassing over 380,000 Instagram followers.

Before fame

He attended the University of Utah and served as a missionary in England from 1948 to 1950. He worked in the automotive, real estate, and investment industries before pursuing full-time church leadership. He became president of the Canada Toronto Mission in 1974 and was appointed to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 1976.

Trivia

He served in the Presidency of the Seventy from the year 1980 to 1985 before becoming an apostle in October 1985. He was the great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith who was the brother of church founder Joseph Smith.

Family life

He was born to Melvin R. Ballard and Geraldine Smith Ballard in Salt Lake City, Utah. He married Barbara Bowen in August 1951, and they had seven children including two sons and five daughters. His wife died in October 2018 five years before his death in November 2023.

Associated with

He accompanied Russell M. Nelson to a historic meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican in March 2019.