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By Kent Larsen
Elder Loren C. Dunn, Boston Temple President, Dead at 70
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS -- Elder Loren C. Dunn, President of the Boston
Temple, died last night in a Boston area hospital while undergoing treatment
for cancer. Elder Dunn's death came just hours after the Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the Boston Temple's steeple could be
completed. Elder Dunn was recovering from extensive surgery May 1st that was
meant to combat an aggressive cancer. But his recovery had been difficult,
according to a report received by Mormon News, and his condition had
deteriorated rapidly in the past two days.
Even on his death bed, Elder Dunn showed the nature of his character.
Reportedly, some of his last words were expressions of gratitude, and even
the nurses in the hospital's Intensive Care Unity remarked to his family how
unique Elder Dunn was.
A native of Tooele, Utah, Elder Dunn lived for many years in the Boston
area. A graduate of BYU, he earned a Master of Science in Public Relations
from Boston University and later worked for the economic development board
in Boston, where he was noted for his work in regional economic planning.
In 1968, Elder Dunn was called to the First Council of the Seventy, while
just 37 years old, and was then put in the First Quorum of the Seventy when
it was created in October, 1976. He spent much of his Church service living
abroad, including service in Brazil, Australia, the Phillippines and New
Zealand.
From 1976 to 1979, Elder Dunn served as President of the Australia Sydney
Mission and from 1983 to 1985, he was second counselor in the General Sunday
School Presidency under Elder Hugh W. Pinnock. In 1991 he was called as
Executive Director of the Church Historian's Office and as Church Historian.
Elder Dunn may be best remembered for a talk he originally gave at a BYU
devotional, where he told about raising cows with his brother on his
father's farm. His father, then a busy stake president, gave the boys wide
lattitude in raising the cows, which led a neighbor to point out to the
father the errors the boys were making. Elder Dunn's father replied, "You
don't understand. You see, I'm raising boys, not cows."
Elder Dunn and his wife, the former Sharon Longden, are the parents of five
children, all of whom were present at his death.
See also:
Loren C. (Charles) Dunn
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