John K. Edmunds

John Kaestli Edmunds (1900–1989) was a Chicago area lawyer and a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Childhood and Young Adulthood

Edmunds was born in Wales, Utah to Thomas Edmunds, an immigrant from Wales, and Frieda Louise Kaestli, an immigrant from Switzerland. When Edmunds was ten his father died. After this the family moved to Logan, Utah. He attended Brigham Young College and Utah State Agricultural College. Edmunds then served a mission in the Eastern States Mission, presiding over the New Haven District for much of this time. The New Haven District covered all of Connecticut as well as Springfield, Massachusetts. After he returned from his mission, Edmunds continued his schooling at the University of Utah.

Edmunds married Jasmine Romney, a daughter of George S. Romney. Edmunds and his wife Jasmine were the parents of two daughters.

After graduating from the University of Utah, Edmunds studied at Northwestern University. After obtaining his juris doctorate he was involved in Corporate, Will, Trust and Real Estate Law.

Churchwide and Stake leadership

While at the University of Utah, Edmunds had served as a member of the General Committee of the YMMIA and been involved in the expansion of the basketball program of that organization. In Chicago besides various assignments in the Logan Square Branch Edmunds served as a special representative of two mission presidents, first George S. Romney and then Bryant S. Hinckley. When the Chicago Stake was organized in 1936, Edmunds was called as a member of the stake presidency. He served in this position until 1945, when he became president of the Chicago Stake. He served in this position for the next 18 years. For about 16 of these years, one of his counselors in the stake presidency was David M. Kennedy. The stake included the entire Chicago Metro Area, including North-west Indiana, and also included Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While Edmunds was stake president, among other things he oversaw the building of a monumental-style stake center that was dedicated by David O. McKay in 1962.

In 1963, the Chicago stake was divided into three stakes. The newly organized stakes were the Milwaukee and the Chicago South (later Naperville, Illinois) stakes. Edmunds was called as patriarch of the Chicago Stake (since renamed the Wilmette Illinois Stake) as well as a member of the General Church Board charged with implementing the new Home Teaching program. In the later position Edmunds not only traveled around the US, Canada and Mexico but was periodically sent on church assignments to Europe. In 1967, Edmunds was called as one of the original Regional Representatives of the Twelve in which position he remained until 1969.

From 1969–1972 Edmunds served as president of the California Mission based in Los Angeles.

He then served from 1972 until 1977 as president of the Salt Lake Temple.

Writings

After serving as Temple President, Edmunds wrote a book entitled Through Temple Doors which was published by Bookcraft.

Sources

• Deseret News Church Almanac, 2011 Edition, p. 343–44
• Martin B. Hickman. David Matthew Kennedy: Banker, Statesman, Churchman. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1987) p. 203.
• biography of Edmunds
• Church News, Dec. 16, 1989.
• Liahona: The Elder's Journal Vol. 19, p. 297
• "To Be In the World but Not Of the World", Ensign January 1974

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