Merrill J. Bateman

Merrill Joseph Bateman (born June 19, 1936) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1992, originally as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. He is currently an emeritus general authority. From 2003 to 2007, Bateman was a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy. He was president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from January 1, 1996, until May 1, 2003, and was the church's twelfth presiding bishop in 1994 and 1995. In 2003 and 2004, Bateman was the general president of the church's Sunday School organization. From 2007 to 2010, Bateman was president of the Provo Utah Temple.

Early life and education

Bateman was born in Lehi, Utah. As he was starting the third grade his family moved to American Fork. He served as a missionary in Great Britain in the mid-1950s. After returning from his mission he married Marilyn Scholes. Bateman earned a bachelor's degree in economics at the University of Utah in 1960 and went on to receive a doctorate in that subject from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965.