A young Ronald T. Halverson sat in the doorway of the stairs leading to the basement of the family home in Ogden, Utah. His mother stood at the kitchen sink doing dishes.

"I should have been standing, drying the dishes," he recalled.But the boy was listening intently as his mother explained the reason for moral chastity. "She explained why we keep those commandments in such a way that I always - throughout my life - wanted to be morally clean."

Moral cleanliness was one of many principles the youngster learned while sitting against that door frame, for as he says today, "The fundamentals of the gospel were learned at my mother's feet."

And they continue to be magnified in the life of Elder Ronald T. Halverson, 61, as he begins his service in the Second Quorum of the Seventy, to which he was sustained April 4 during general conference.

The March 2 call came as no small surprise to the new General Authority. "Out of all the wonderful, qualified people in the Church, I kept saying to myself, why me? When the reality of it set in, I had a knot in my stomach for a full month, wondering if I could measure up and do what the Lord asks. The only time I found peace was finally saying, `If this is what the Lord wants, I'll just have to rely on Him.' "

And with his wife, Linda, by his side, he seems to be doing just that. "He's an excellent leader," Sister Halverson said. "He makes decisions well, and even better than that, he makes his decisions work. He sees to the heart of a problem and has a real ability to zero in on the solution and go straight for it."

Another principle learned in his childhood home.

"Mother and Dad [Marlowe and Hilda Halverson] were always active in the Church and had strong testimonies. Mother always served as Relief Society president in the stake or as Young Women president. But her emphasis in life was not on the position she held; it was on raising children. We were always priority in her life.

"Dad was there for me, but in a different way. Dad was the person I went hunting or fishing with, or went to work with. My father was the individual who taught me the business world. He taught me business ethics, that your word is as good as your bond."

Elder Halverson fondly recalled checking in with parents every night when returning home from an activity or date. "It was our tradition, I would always kiss Mother and Dad good night. If I was frustrated about something, it wouldn't be two minutes that I would be in my bedroom and Mother would come in and sit down, just start to talk, and I'd open up."

When a young Ron Halverson was 10 years old, his father bought a farm in Weber County in northern Utah. "He built a home and we had cows and horses and chickens and pigs. Dad's idea was, `I will keep my boys out of trouble because they'll work.' "

The boys - Elder Halverson has three brothers, Dale, Gary and Phillip - learned to work together, and play together. It was on this farm the future General Authority found one of his first loves in life - horses. Sister Halverson noted: "He is still the happiest when he has his cowboy boots on. When he's on a horse, that's his heaven."

His first horse, a palomino colt, was named "Pinky" because it had a pink nose. Although Elder Halverson had a saddle, he most enjoyed riding bareback. He'd guide Pinky using knee pressure, rather than a bridle. However, if he rode in areas where there was vehicular traffic, he'd use a string as a bridle to guide the horse.

The young man spent the remainder of his youth on that farm in Weber County. From there, he went to Norway, where he served a full-time mission from 1957 to 1959. Upon returning home, he received a football scholarship to Weber State College (now Weber State University) in Ogden, where he played half-back.

One day, while sitting with a friend at the old Student Union Building, he saw a young woman walk in. "Do you know her?" he asked his friend.

"Yeah, I know her," his friend replied.

"Can you get me a date with her?" he again asked.

His friend later lined the two up. "What I didn't know at the time was he was dating her!" Elder Halverson added, laughing.

But that first date with Linda Jensen, the daughter of Leona Nielson and Verg C. Jensen, led to many dates. A short separation solidified the relationship. Elder Halverson spent a stint in the U.S. Army at Fort Ord in California. During a telephone call they discussed their future, and his wife-to-be said, "Well, if you're really that serious, then send me a ring."

He returned home on leave and proposed. They were married Oct. 13, 1960, in the Salt Lake Temple. From their union have come five children and 11 grandchildren.

After their marriage, the couple lived in Ogden, and he entered the University of Utah studying education and finished his military obligation in the Army Reserve. However, his college career was cut short when his father asked him in the early 1960s to join the family business (mechanical contracting), along with his brothers. Learning, however, has continued to play an important role in the Halverson family. "We've not stopped learning. That's part of the Church. You can't do what I've been doing for years without learning."

The family tradition of working together and playing together has continued. Elder Halverson's son, David, continues the family business, and they still have horses. "The kids are as bad as he is," Sister Halverson said, chuckling about the family love of riding.

Elder Halverson also feels strongly about good people involving themselves in government and community affairs. He recalled that in 1966, "I was sitting in the office just grumbling about what I thought government was doing to our business. Dad said, `Why don't you quit grumbling and do something about it.' "

The younger man did. He ran for and won a seat in the Utah House of Representatives, which he held until 1978, when he won a seat in the state Senate. He served there until 1981. He currently serves as chairman of the State Building Board.

Although he has served in many capacities in community and state government, Elder Halverson has not run for office since he served in the state Senate. At the end of his term, he felt other challenges might be forthcoming. And they came in the form of Church leadership. In the years since leaving the Senate, he has served as stake president, mission president in Oslo, Norway, regional representative and as an Area Authority Seventy. He was serving as the latter at the time of his call to the Second Quorum of the Seventy.

Through the years, the gospel has guided the Halversons in personal and career affairs - and in family trials. His mother died in 1976, and his oldest brother died a few years ago from complications of diabetes. Elder Halverson somberly recalled how the night before Dale Halverson's death, they were visiting together. His brother asked, "Is everything OK between us?"

"He was making sure his life was square with us, with the family, with the ones he loved dearly," Elder Halverson related.

In addition, as his father has aged, dementia has set in. Because of the need for round-the-clock medical care, he had to enter a care center. Elder Halverson described settling his father in at the center as one of the most difficult decisions he's ever made.

"It isn't something I'm depressed about. It's something I've shed tears over, but not to the point where I have ever felt the Lord has left us to make a decision on our own. The Lord has always been there for us."

Through these and all life's challenges, Elder and Sister Halverson have continued to act as a team, and will continue to support each other as Elder Halverson serves as a General Authority of the Church.

*****

Additional Information

Elder Ronald T. Halverson

Family: Born Dec. 18, 1936, in Ogden, Utah, to Marlowe and Hilda Tomlinson Halverson. Married Linda Jensen Oct. 13, 1960, in the Salt Lake Temple. Five children - Brent, David, Jannette King, Blair, Mark, 11 grandchildren.

Education: Associate's degree in political science, history; studied at University of Utah.

Military service: U.S. Army Reserve, 1960-66, sergeant.

Employment: President, Halverson Mechanical Inc., Marlowe Plumbing and Heating, H&H Mechanical Inc.; served in Utah House of Representatives, 1966-78, and in State Senate, 1978-1982.

Church service: Area Authority Seventy at time of call to Second Quorum of the Seventy; former Area Authority in Utah North Area, regional representative in Farmington and Centerville Utah regions, president of Norway Oslo Mission from 1990-1993, stake president, stake president's counselor, high councilor and counselor in bishopric.