In the early 1970s, L. Ralph Mecham arrived at a crossroads in his life.

Mecham, now a regional representative in the Potomac Virginia and Washington D.C. Regions of the Church, had served 13 years as administrative assistant and counsel to U.S. Sen. Wallace F. Bennett of Utah.It was clear that Bennett would not seek re-election to another term, and Mecham thought the time might be right for him to run for the Senate from Utah.

"I think he always wanted to run for public office, but he never did," recalled his son, Stephen F. Mecham. "In 1974, he had one son on a mission," Stephen explained. "I was on my way to college and a year away from a mission. My oldest brother had come home from his mission in 1972 and was pursuing a college education, as was my sister, and he felt he needed to help us through that period. The same was true in 1976 [when there was another opportunity to run for the Senate], because by that time, two of us were on missions.

"So I think he concluded that his family needs were greater than his desire to provide public service."

The experience is illustrative. Throughout his life, Elder Mecham, who today is director of the administrative office of the U.S. court system, has demonstrated the knack for placing in proper balance three rewarding but demanding endeavors: service to family, service to the Church and service to the public.

Frequently, in speaking to young people in the Church, he shares his perspective with them.

"I point out how central the gospel is to them," he said during a Church News interview. "They may think they're immortal, and in a sense they are, but eventually, they'll discover their friends are starting to die off, and they'll realize this life is only temporary. There are only certain things that you can take with you, and these are your character, your integrity, a perfected body, friends, family, reputation, education, intelligence.

"Those are the things that give you satisfaction and happiness in this life, and they'll rise with you in the resurrection. The way to be happy is through constantly learning and working toward central goals in your life and putting first the kingdom of God."

At age 60, with graying brown hair, the 6-foot-1-inch Elder Mecham has come a long way toward reaching his central goals while putting the kingdom first.

In so doing, he has put to advantage keen abilities, according to Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Council of the Twelve. Elder Maxwell served with Elder Mecham on Sen. Bennett's staff, and after becoming a General Authority, observed Elder Mecham's contributions as a stake president and regional representative.

"Ralph is caring, but he's candid," Elder Maxwell noted. "His skills are uniquely interchangeable in that you can put him in so many different settings and he will be effective in each one."

That sentiment is shared by Bennett, who recalled concerning their relationship: "He was very solid in the sense that he was dependable and capable of giving advice in so many areas. He was constructively loyal. By that I don't mean blind loyalty. If he thought I wasn't doing what I should, he'd tell me."

Bennett, a high priest in the Monument Park (Utah) 12th Ward, added that Elder Mecham was always "emblematic of the principles and standards of the Church completely."

Another man who has observed Elder Mecham in both an ecclesiastical and professional setting is J. Willard Marriott Jr., chief executive officer of the 210,000-employee Marriott Corp., and president of the Washington D.C. Stake.

"I've known him for 32 years," Pres. Marriott said. "When he was called as elders quorum president in the Chevy Chase (Md.) Ward in 1957, I was called as his first counselor. I succeeded him as elders quorum president. Then, when he became stake president, he again called me as first counselor, and again, I succeeded him. In my book, he is an outstanding Church leader.

"He is very, very highly respected on Capitol Hill. He's probably on a close personal relationship with more senators than almost anyone in Washington, not from a standpoint of having lobbied them greatly, but from a standpoint of being who he is and what he stands for."

Appointed to his government post in 1985 by Warren E. Burger, then chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Elder Mecham provides administrative support to every U.S. circuit court of appeals, district court, magistrate court and bankruptcy court in the United States. He helps prepare the judicial budget and get it through Congress.

He also is an executive for the Judicial Conference of the United States, the principal policy-making body for the federal judiciary.

Although he holds a law degree from George Washington University, he has never really functioned as an attorney.

"I gathered when Chief Justice Burger hired me he was looking for someone who had administrative ability and management skills and who knew how to operate in a government arena, particularly with Congress," he said.

Elder Mecham was tailor-made for the job. He had been vice president of the University of Utah and lecturer in political science, Washington representative for the Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO), vice president of the Anaconda Co., federal co-chairman of the Four Corners Regional Economic Development Commission, special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for Regional Economic Coordination, and vice president and general counsel of a consulting firm that evaluated federal manpower programs.

Ralph Mecham was a "Depression baby," born in Murray, Utah, a year before the stock market crash of 1929. His mother died when he was a year old, and he was raised in part by his grandmother, aunt and uncle until his father remarried.

"We, by today's standards, would have been viewed as poor, but we had everything we needed," he recalled. "Dad was bishop of our ward, and worked with President Harold B. Lee in the Pioneer Stake to get the welfare program revitalized in the late 1930s. I remember going with Dad to deliver food. Fifty percent of our ward was receiving assistance under the welfare program."

From age 11, young Mecham worked at a variety of jobs while growing up, including distributor of leaflets and fliers, and soda fountain attendant at a drugstore.

He met his wife, the former Barbara Folsom, while sitting next to her on a piano bench during a fireside at the home of their stake president, Carl Buehner. She had been raised in Chile, where her father was a prominent mining engineer. When she was about 16, her father had sacrificed his career advancement to return to Utah with his family, where the children could be exposed to a strong gospel influence.

Barbara waited for Ralph while he served a mission to Great Britain, and after he returned they were married.

"I was always interested in politics, government and history," Elder Mecham recalled. "I was always encouraged by my parents and grandmother to read and try to get a good education."

He was also influenced by G. Homer Durham, who, at the time of his death, was a member of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Elder Mecham, while studying law and political science at the University of Utah, was a teaching assistant to Elder Durham, who he described as "mentor, example and friend."

Others who influenced him toward a career in public affairs were his mission president, Selvoy J. Boyer, and Dr. Lowell Bennion. "I would say Dr. Bennion, with Homer Durham, helped me bridge the tension between intellectual pursuits and maintaining spirituality," Elder Mecham said.

The influence has carried through to his own five children, Mark, Meredith Mecham Smith, Richard, Stephen and Alison, some of whom are pursuing careers in public service.

However, Meredith pointed out: "We are all very different. When we were growing up, there was never the expectation that we would pursue any certain interest or career. But my father was always available to be supportive in whatever capacity he could be."

She said her father is characterized by the "bishop syndrome."

"A more open man you will never find, but he will not necessarily offer an opinion, even when it's asked for," she explained. "When you go to him with a problem, he wants you to talk about it and work it out, and use the mind you were given to deal with things. He will not automatically step in and make a decision for you."

Elder Mecham gave his wife most of the credit for direct teaching of gospel principles to their children, but added that both of them have taught more by example than by "preachment."

And in all situations - family, Church and professional - Elder Mecham's keen sense of humor is always at the ready, friends and family members say.

"His humor is very situational," Meredith remarked. "He plays off of whatever situation he is in, and the joke becomes funnier as it goes along."

"And that really did make it fun at home," son Stephen recalled.

Whether through his low-key sense of humor or his example, Ralph Mecham, associates say, has been an influence for good among Church members and non-members. Often, co-workers and associates, aware of his Utah background, initiate discussions with him about the Church, and he is always happy to share with them his knowledge of the gospel.

"I would like to think they view this Mormon boy as a friend and hopefully as someone in whom they can have confidence and trust," he reflected.