Policies, Procedures, People

Communications Director Named

Elder J. Thomas Fyans, Regional Representative of the Council of the Twelve, has been appointed by the First Presidency to the newly created position of director of internal communications for the Church.

Elder Fyans’ broad assignment, under the guidance of the First Presidency, will be to direct the planning, preparation, translating, printing, and distribution of all communications, instructional materials, and periodicals prepared for Church members. He has the additional responsibility of insuring that all communications materials under his supervision are correlated, that they are of high quality, and that they reflect Church policy, doctrine, and standards.

Working closely with Elder Fyans in this important assignment will be four additional directors named by the First Presidency:

Elder Daniel H. Ludlow, director of instructional materials, who will supervise curriculum planning, correlation, editing, and graphic design.

Elder Doyle L. Green, director of magazines, who will direct the production and circulation of the Ensign, New Era, Friend, and the unified, or foreign language, magazines of the Church.

Elder James M. Paramore, director of administrative services, who will oversee the areas of budgeting, production coordination, printing procurement, and internal printing and mailing.

Elder John E. Carr, director of distribution and translation, who will have charge of adaptation, translation, non-English printing, and distribution.

NATO Ambassador

David M. Kennedy, prominent Latter-day Saint Church leader, civic leader, and financier, has been appointed U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) by President Richard M. Nixon. Ambassador Kennedy was named by President Nixon as secretary of the treasury in 1969; he served in that capacity until 1971 and was later named U.S. ambassador at large. A native of Randolph, Utah, he was formerly president of one of America’s largest banks and served in the presidency of the Chicago Stake.

Church Historian’s Office Appointments

The Church Historian’s Department has been reorganized, with Elder Alvin R. Dyer, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, appointed as managing director. Dr. Leonard J. Arrington, noted historian, educator, and author, has been appointed as Church Historian, with Elder E. Earl Olson, assistant Church historian, as Church archivist. Dr. Arrington, a prolific writer of western history, will also occupy the recently endowed Lemuel Hardison Redd, Jr., Chair of Western History at Brigham Young University.

Elder Howard W. Hunter of the Council of the Twelve has been released from the position of Church Historian, in keeping with the Church’s policy of relieving members of the Council of the Twelve from some of their detailed administrative duties.

J. Thomas Fyans

David M. Kennedy

Elder Alvin R. Dyer

Leonard J. Arrington; E. Earl Olson