James E. Faust

James Esdras Faust (July 31, 1920 – August 10, 2007) was an American religious leader, lawyer, and politician. Faust was Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1995 until his death, an LDS Church apostle for 29 years, and a general authority of the church for 35 years.

Early life Faust was born to George A. Faust and Amy Finlinson in Delta, Utah. As a child, he lived in this area. His family moved to the southern part of the Salt Lake Valley before he reached high school age. He attended Granite High School in Salt Lake City, After graduation, he worked in a law firm in Salt Lake City.

In 1962, he was elected president of the Utah Bar Association, where he served for one year. The same association awarded him its Distinguished Lawyer Emeritus Award in 1996. During the 1960s, he was named to the Utah Legislative Study Committee and later to the Utah Constitutional Revision Commission.

Faust served in the House of Representatives for the 28th Utah State Legislature (1949) as a Democrat for Utah's eighth district. He also served as chairman of the Utah State Democratic Party and helped manage a campaign for Senator Frank Moss. In 1996, Faust was awarded with the Minuteman Award by the Utah National Guard.

Faust was appointed by U.S. President John F. Kennedy to the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights. He was also an advisor to the American Bar Journal. and received a national Brazilian citizenship award.

Church service In 1949, at the age of 28, Faust became a bishop in the LDS Church.

Faust was accepted by common consent as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on September 30, 1978,

He served in the Quorum of the Twelve until being set apart as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to church president Gordon B. Hinckley on March 12, 1995. Faust, together with Hinckley and First Counselor Thomas S. Monson, constituted the longest continuous serving First Presidency in the history of the LDS Church.

Family and death Faust and his wife, Ruth, raised five children: James Hamilton Faust, Janna R. Coombs, Marcus G. Faust, Lisa A. Smith, and Robert P. Faust. At the time of his death, they had 25 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.

Hymns Faust co-wrote the words to the LDS hymn "This is the Christ".