Elder Richard Powell Lindsay, former member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, died of cancer in Salt Lake City, on June 4, 2010. He was 84.
Elder Lindsay was called and sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 1, 1989, where he served in many capacities throughout the world. His first assignment as a Seventy was as the first counselor in the Utah North Area presidency from Oct. 1, 1989, to Oct. 1, 1990. He was then called to serve as the first Africa Area president until Aug. 15, 1993.
After his time in Africa, Elder Lindsay served as the assistant executive director in the Temple Department and as second counselor in the North America Southeast Area presidency. He was released on Oct. 1, 1994.
In his professional life, Elder Lindsay was involved in many civic responsibilities. He was a Utah State Commissioner of Finance, executive director of the Utah State Employees Association, first administrator of the Utah Juvenile Court System, director of the Utah Council on Criminal Justice Administration, director of the Utah State department of Social Services, director of the Bureau of Community and Economic Development at the University of Utah and an adjunct professor at BYU.
Elder Lindsay served as a Democratic member of the Utah State Senate in 1965 and then in the House of Representatives from 1973-76.
In 1978, Elder Lindsay started working for the Church as the director of Special Affairs and later became the managing director of Church Public Communications/Special Affairs. In that capacity he represented the Church on many interfaith coalitions. In the public arena, Elder Lindsay was an example of one who defended the right of churches to speak out about moral issues.
After his release as a general authority, Elder Lindsay served as a member of the multi-denominational national Religious Alliance Against Pornography. He also joined forces to help individuals throughout the country to reduce alcohol addiction. In 1996, the National American Council on Alcohol Problems awarded Elder Lindsay with the Clarence True Wilson Christian Leadership Award for his work in fighting alcohol addiction.
Elder Lindsay was born March 18, 1926, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Samuel Bennion and Mary Alice Powell Lindsay. He and his wife, Marian Bangerter Lindsay, have six children, 26 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held Wednesday, June 9, in South Jordan, Utah.
