H. Burke Peterson

Harold Burke Peterson (born 19 September 1923) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1972.

Peterson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where he became an Eagle Scout. Beginning in 1940, Peterson attended Phoenix College, and in 1942 he joined the United States Navy. He completed a civil engineering course of study at the University of Oklahoma and became a Seebee, working on projects in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II.

After the war, he earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona and taught at the Utah State Agricultural College while he earned his master's degree there. After graduating, he worked in Phoenix with the United States Department of Agriculture. In 1955, he and two other Latter-day Saints founded a civil engineering firm.

Prior to his call as a general authority of the LDS Church, Peterson was a bishop and a stake president of the church in Phoenix; later he became a Regional Representative of the Twelve Apostles for the Phoenix, Mesa, and Tempe regions of Arizona. On 6 April 1972, Peterson became the first counselor to Victor L. Brown, the presiding bishop of the LDS Church. Peterson acted in this capacity until 1985, when Brown was succeeded by Robert D. Hales.

When he was released from the presiding bishopric, Peterson became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of the church. In this capacity, he was made the president of the Jordan River Utah Temple of the church, a position he held for three years. Peterson continued his activities as a general authority until he was given emeritus status in October 1993.

References

• Norman R. Bowen, “Bishop H. Burke Peterson,” Ensign, July 1972, p. 16