Close Topic Options

Marvin J. Ashton

Marvin J. Ashton served as a member of the Twelve for the Church. He was ordained an Apostle on December 2, 1971 after Richard Louis Evans passed away. He passed away on February 25,1994 and was succeeded by Robert D. Hales. It is interesting to note that when the Premier of China stepped on US soil in January of 1984 he was first greeted by Marvin J. Ashton.

Ashton J Marvin

He did wonderful things on his life and in his Church callings:

Elder Ashton was a great advocate of physical fitness. On one occasion, he said, "You owe it to yourself to keep fit. No matter how busy or how involved you are, you should have some type of physical program to keep the body in tune." Like in everything else, Elder Ashton lived what he counseled. Tennis was his great love, which he started playing when he was about 12. His favorite tennis partner was his wife, the Former Norma Bernston, whom he married Aug. 22, 1940, in the Salt Lake Temple and by who he fathered four children. Throughout his life, up until the time his health prevented him from continuing, Elder Ashton somehow, despite his tremendously busy schedule, found time to play tennis a couple of times a week.

He was a successful businessman before his call as a General Authority and afterward served as board member and chairman of several corporations. He served for four years in the Utah State Senate and spearheaded legislation for improvement of juvenile detention facilities. He was the first head of the Church Social Services Department, and found much satisfaction in working with the various facets of the department, including Indian placement, youth guidance, unwed mothers, adoptions, alcoholics, prisoners and those with social and emotional problems. Through his efforts, the Church established a prison program where LDS families could meet with prisoners in family home evenings.

https://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/w/o/wol3/ashtomj1.htm