Richard E. Cook
Encyclopedia
Richard Ernest Cook is the chief financial officer for the Perpetual Education Fund
and a former general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He is married to Mary N. Cook
, a leader in the LDS Church. Cook was the first mission president
of the LDS Church to be based in Mongolia
.
Cook was born in Pleasant Grove
, Utah
. He was received a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University
and an MBA degree from Northwestern University
. He spent most of his career as a financial executive with Ford Motor Company
. He served as a counselor in the Bloomfield Hills Michigan
stake presidency to W. E. Barry Mayo. He was married to Clea Searle from 1950 until she died in 1984. He married Mary Nielsen
in 1988.
In the mid-1990s, Cook and his wife Mary went to Mongolia
to serve as missionaries
for the LDS Church. He then served as the first mission president
in Mongolia. He was also a member of the church's Second Quorum of the Seventy from 1997 to 2001. During much of this time he served in the Asia
Area
presidency.
Since 2001, Cook has served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Perpetual Education Fund
.
Perpetual Education Fund
The Perpetual Education Fund is a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first announced by President Gordon B. Hinckley on March 31, 2001...
and a former general authority
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He is married to Mary N. Cook
Mary N. Cook
Mary Nielsen Cook was a counselor to Susan W. Tanner in the general presidency of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since March 31, 2007 until April 2008. Since April 2008 Cook has been the first counselor to Elaine S...
, a leader in the LDS Church. Cook was the first mission president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the LDS Church to be based in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
.
Cook was born in Pleasant Grove
Pleasant Grove, Utah
Pleasant Grove, also known as "Utah's City of Trees", is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 33,798 at the 2008 census estimates.-History:...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. He was received a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
and an MBA degree from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. He spent most of his career as a financial executive with Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. He served as a counselor in the Bloomfield Hills Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
stake presidency to W. E. Barry Mayo. He was married to Clea Searle from 1950 until she died in 1984. He married Mary Nielsen
Mary N. Cook
Mary Nielsen Cook was a counselor to Susan W. Tanner in the general presidency of the Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since March 31, 2007 until April 2008. Since April 2008 Cook has been the first counselor to Elaine S...
in 1988.
In the mid-1990s, Cook and his wife Mary went to Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
to serve as missionaries
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
for the LDS Church. He then served as the first mission president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
in Mongolia. He was also a member of the church's Second Quorum of the Seventy from 1997 to 2001. During much of this time he served in the Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
Area
Area (LDS Church)
An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions...
presidency.
Since 2001, Cook has served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Perpetual Education Fund
Perpetual Education Fund
The Perpetual Education Fund is a program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first announced by President Gordon B. Hinckley on March 31, 2001...
.