L. Tom Perry - An Uncommon Life Volume 2

Elder L. Tom Perry, a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was fond of describing himself as being "as common as dirt."

L. Tom Perry's apostleship could be characterized by one word: enthusiasm! It was evident in everything he did—especially in his zeal for hastening the work of salvation in numerous ways.

This concluding volume of Elder Perry's biography shares his uncommon experiences after his call in April 1974 to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the passing of his beloved wife, Virginia, only a few months later in December 1974.

The part of Elder Perry's life story we learn about here begins with President Spencer W. Kimball's counsel to remarry and then his whirlwind courtship of Barbara Taylor Dayton, which culminated in their marriage in April 1976. Through the remaining nearly forty years of his apostolic ministry, Elder and Sister Perry traveled the globe together, speaking to audiences large and small wherever they were called to go. These decades were a time of growth for the Perry family and were also one of the most challenging periods of grown in the Church.

Lee Tom Perry, only son of Elder Perry and his biographer, shows us how Elder Perry, for twenty-one years the second most senior member of the Twelve, influenced for good the lives of countless people in the Church and in the broader community worldwide.

Elder Perry's contagious zest for living and his cheerful outlook, no matter the difficulties he had to face, were the hallmarks of his faith-filled life. This intimate story of his life and ministry inspires us to live our own lives more fully and with optimistic enthusiasm.

Pages 365

Lee Tom Perry

Lee Tom Perry, son of Elder L. Tom Perry, is the former dean of the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business (2013-2018) and the Marriott Distinguished Professor of Leadership. He holds a PhD from Yale University, and he also served twice as an associate dean at BYU Marriott (1998-2005; 2012-2013).

Brother Perry presently serves as a Sunday School teacher in his home ward. He is the author of Righteous Influence: What Every Leader Should Know about Drawing on the Powers of Heaven, as well as the first volume of this biography, L. Tom Perry: An Uncommon Life: Years of Preparation. He also wrote the lyrics of the Latter-day Saint hymn "As Now We Take the Sacrament."

Brother Perry and his wife, Carolyn Bench Perry, live in Orem, Utah. They are the parents of six children.