Wikipedia Biographical Summary:

"...Melvin Russell Ballard, Jr. (born October 8, 1928) is an American businessman and a religious leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called to serve in the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1985...

"...Ballard was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Melvin Russell Ballard Sr. and his wife Geraldine Smith Ballard. As a young man he served as a missionary in England from 1948 to 1950. He met his wife while they were studying at the University of Utah. In 1974, Ballard was called to be the president of the Canada Toronto Mission of the church. He served as mission president and was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1976.."

"...Following the death of apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Ballard was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on October 6, 1985, and ordained an apostle of the LDS Church on October 10, 1985..."

"...Ballard married Barbara Bowen in 1951 in the Salt Lake Temple. The Ballards are the parents of seven children. One of their daughters is married to Peter Huntsman, who is the brother of Jon Huntsman, Jr., former governor of Utah, and the son of LDS Church area seventy and billionaire philanthropist Jon M. Huntsman..."

SOURCE: Wikipedia contributors, 'M. Russell Ballard', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 December 2011, 23:29 UTC, <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M._Russell_Ballard&oldid=...> [accessed 3 February 2012]