Marvin J. Ashton
Born: 6 May 1915
Called as Second Assistant Superintendent of the YMMIA: 1958
Called as First Assistant Superintendent of the YMMIA: 1961
Released from Superintendency of the YMMIA: 1969
Called as Assistant to the Twelve: 3 October 1969
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 2 December 1971
Died: 25 February 1994
Called as Second Assistant Superintendent of the YMMIA: 1958
Called as First Assistant Superintendent of the YMMIA: 1961
Released from Superintendency of the YMMIA: 1969
Called as Assistant to the Twelve: 3 October 1969
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 2 December 1971
Died: 25 February 1994
Biographical Articles
Improvement Era, May 1959, Marvin J. Ashton... New Member of YMMIA General Superintendency
Improvement Era, December 1969, Marvin J. Ashton, Assistant to the Twelve
Relief Society Magazine, December 1969, Marvin J. Ashton Appointed as Assistant to the Twelve
Ensign, March 1972, Marvin J. Ashton of the Council of the Twelve
Ensign, July 1986, Elder Marvin J. Ashton: Friend to Prisoners and Prophets
Ensign, April 1994, Elder Marvin J. Ashton: A Voice of Faith and Hope
Improvement Era, December 1969, Marvin J. Ashton, Assistant to the Twelve
Relief Society Magazine, December 1969, Marvin J. Ashton Appointed as Assistant to the Twelve
Ensign, March 1972, Marvin J. Ashton of the Council of the Twelve
Ensign, July 1986, Elder Marvin J. Ashton: Friend to Prisoners and Prophets
Ensign, April 1994, Elder Marvin J. Ashton: A Voice of Faith and Hope
"Marvin J. Ashton... New Member of YMMIA General Superintendency." Improvement Era. May 1959. pg. 333.
Marvin J. Ashton . . . New Member of YMMIA General Superintendency Elder Marvin J. Ashton, the second assistant general superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, comes to the position well-qualified, for up through the years his own life has been shaped by the Mutual program and by the Church. He played center in M Men basketball for Parleys Ward (Highland Stake) before accepting a missionary call to the British Mission in the spring of 1937. (With a facile way with words he had recorded much of the sports life of his high school and University of Utah days as he had served as sports editor for the newspapers of both schools.) In Great Britain the Church found him of value not only at the pulpit and in cottage meetings, but also on the basketball courts, the baseball diamonds, and the editorial desks. According to the "business card" that he carried during the latter part of his mission, he was "Centre- Forward" of the Catford Saints basketball team. They represented the London Branch of the Church. They won the British championship in 1938 at Wembley, England, and, as the British entry in the invitational European basketball tournament, held at Lille, France, they won that trophy in 1938 by defeating entries from both Germany and France. The printed baseball programs of the period record that Marvin Ashton was playing third base for the Catford Saints. Incidentally, "pitch-off" time was usually 3:30 p.m. Many was the newspaper headline in London those days: "The Mormons Preach by Playing." As an associate editor of the Millennial Star, the printed voice of the Church in Great Britain, Elder Ashton did much to get another kind of voice before the British nation—the singing voices of the Millennial Chorus which presented a radio program over the facilities of the British Broadcasting Corporation. When his release from the mission field came on June 2, 1939, he had labored in the Birmingham and London districts, and in the British Mission office, where he was supervising elder as well as associate editor of the Star. Elder Ashton married Norma Berntson in the Salt Lake Temple on August 22, 1940. There were more active years in M Men basketball as player, coach, and supervisor of the M Men all-Church basketball tournament held in those days at Deseret Gym. He and his committee inaugurated a "daily player award" at that tournament in 1948. He was superintendent of the Parleys Ward YMMIA and a member of the Highland Stake YMMIA board. He served for many years as athletic supervisor for divisions nine and fourteen. He is a past president of the 315th quorum of seventy of the Church. Pie was called to membership on the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association general board December 22, 1948. He has served on the Scout committee and as chairman of both the M Men and athletic committees of the board. In this latter capacity he has directed all YMMIA basketball activities for the Church. He is the son of the late Bishop Marvin O. Ashton of the Presiding Bishopric, and Mrs. Ashton. He and Mrs. Ashton are the parents of two sons and two daughters. |
Todd, Jay M. "Marvin J. Ashton... New Member of YMMIA General Superintendency." Improvement Era. May 1969. pg. 333.
Marvin J. Ashton, Assistant to the Twelve By Jay M. Todd Assistant Managing Editor Latter-day Saints have always believed that the hand of the Lord is manifest in the calling of their leaders, be they on a ward or branch level, or on a General Authority level. This abiding faith seems well sustained in the recent appointment at the October general conference of Elder Marvin J. Ashton as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, where his primary assignment will be managing director of the new Unified Social Services Program of the Church. (See page 51.) The simple conclusion of fellow workers who have associated with Elder Ashton is that he is unusually gifted to work with people, particularly people who have problems. "Brother Ashton has real human love for others, and genuine understanding"; "he has sensitivity to the needs and problems of others"; "a special gift for making people comfortable and letting them know they are worthwhile"; "a choice sense of humor, the kind of wit that puts one at ease"; "complete honesty in judgment"; "a strong sense of fair play; with empathy for the underdog"; "magnetic leadership"; "intelligence and compassion"; "ability to help heal the sick at heart, and sick of mind"; "the ability to break up a tense situation by force of personality." These sentiments, expressed by persons who have known him well—co-workers on the Mutual Improvement Association general boards with whom he served for 21 years—reflect the characteristics that would seem most important for the head of the Church's social services agency. This agency unifies under one department three previously independent child and youth related services: (1) Relief Society Social Services, previously primarily concerned with child adoption and foster home care for disadvantaged babies and youth; (2) Youth Guidance Program, previously concerned with youth with problems; (3) Indian Placement Program, which each school year places thousands of Indian students from 8 to 18 years of age in Latter-day Saint foster homes in order to provide Indian youth with more advantageous educational, cultural, and social opportunities. The Unified Social Services Program is under the Priesthood Correlation Committee, with Elder Marion G. Romney of the Council of the Twelve as chairman, and an advisory committee comprised of Elders Spencer W. Kimball and Thomas S. Monson of the Council of the Twelve, Presiding Bishop John H. Vandenberg, and President Belle S. Spafford, general president of the Relief Society. In an interview following his appointment, Elder Ashton said, "Our challenge now is to bring these three programs into one program, to set up state agencies in locations where our Church population is heavy enough to merit these services, and to provide assistance to members of the Church throughout the world, wherever help is needed. We are also preparing to place into the hands of the priesthood holders of the Church a strong social service program that will include the family, home teachers, bishop, and stake president. This correlated program follows the general pattern of the Church. As Church members, we seem to have been slow in using this channel, but it will now be the method through which our social services will be furnished." Elder Ashton also noted that the agency is concerned with parental and marital counseling: "Wherever we have youth problems, we also have a need for parental guidance. Often broken homes or homes providing an unsatisfactory environment are part of our concern." To assist in this important area of social problems, Elder Ashton observed that "we are making plans to encourage voluntary involvement of Latter-day Saints who have had professional training in numerous areas such as counseling, social work, psychiatry, law, and related fields. We certainly will not want to overburden these co-workers, but we do hope that throughout the Church we can obtain a roster of professional and highly qualified voluntary co-workers who can assist their fellow Latter-day Saint brothers and sisters in an hour of need, when called upon by a bishop and stake president." Elder Ashton also observed that in time the Unified Social Services Program may "assist our young Latter-day Saint people who relocate to the major cities for employment, but who sometimes find themselves in need of guidance. "I am a great believer that what is most important in handling our life is to react properly to what happens to us now. The past is past. But if people will make wise decisions now, they can have opportunity to enjoy a healthy and bountiful life." Such convictions are not new to Elder Marvin J. Ashton. He comes to this calling after many years of devoted community, business, and Church service, wherein he was respected for his "quiet and frank counsel" and for his faith in people. Indeed, faith was an important ingredient in his early home life. Born May 6, 1915, in Salt Lake City to Marvin O. and Rae J. Ashton, young Marvin soon acquired the traits inculcated in countless thousands of good Latter-day Saint homes. His father was a bishop, high councilor, and a member of a stake presidency during the years young Marvin grew to manhood. Widely beloved for his concern for others and for his keen sense of humor, Marvin O. Ashton was called to the Presiding Bishopric in 1938, serving until his death in 1946. Marvin J. Ashton seems to have patterned his life after the counsel of his father and mother, who, says Elder Ashton, "above all else taught us to put the Lord first, and to love the opportunity of working with both our hands and heads." As a youth and through his teens, he worked in his father's lumber business. After graduation from public schools, he entered the University of Utah and was graduated with honors in 1936 in business administration. He then accepted a call as a missionary to England, where he served as associate editor of the Millennial Star and supervising elder of the British Mission office, and captained a team that won the British Isles national basketball championship. His interest in sports was one that would never die and would someday benefit the entire Church. In 1940 he married Norma Berntson in the Salt Lake Temple, and they are the parents of four children: John, Stephen, Jonne (Mrs. Dale Wheadon), and Janice. Following his marriage, Elder Ashton's interests in business, civic, Church, and athletic affairs flowered into a consistent pattern. As early as 1940, he had assisted in the direction of an all-Church YMMIA athletic program. In 1948, after service in ward and stake MIA positions, he was called to the MIA general board, where he served for 10 years before serving another 11 years as a member of the YMMIA general superintendency. He was appointed second assistant in 1958 and first assistant in 1961. Simultaneously, during many of these years he served as senior president of a quorum of seventies. He was serving as first assistant to General Superintendent G. Carlos Smith, Jr., when he was called to head the new Unified Social Services agency. During those 21 years in MIA leadership, Elder Ashton helped expand the athletic program of the Church to include junior basketball, junior softball, golf, volleyball, and tennis. Interestingly, it is Elder Ashton's love of tennis that has given him much spirited fun throughout life. He began playing when 12 years of age. In 1951, he and his wife won the all-Church mixed doubles championship, and the same year he and his partner won the men's double title. Physical activity is still a by-word with him: "No matter how busy or how involved you are, you owe it to yourself to keep fit. I try to run a mile every day," he noted. His MIA general board activity brought him into contact with the Church scouting program. He was a worthy ambassador, for as a youth he had earned his Eagle badge. He has been active in scouting leadership for 25 years and has served as an executive board member of the Great Salt Lake Council and a member of the National Council. In 1963 he was awarded the Silver Antelope for his service to scouting. His MIA assignments have also included the supervision of dance, drama, speech, and music activities. He has represented the MIA in assignments all over the world, and his warm and helpful advice have marked him a respected and admired visitor from Church headquarters. Professionally, Elder Ashton was a founder and vice-president of a wholesale lumber company, and has served as president, vice-president, or board member of several other firms, including Deseret Book Company and Deseret News Publishing Company. From 1957 to 1961 he served a term in the Utah State Senate, where he spearheaded legislation involving youth measures, including the improvement of juvenile detention facilities. In 1960 he was chairman of the Leisure Time Division of the White House Youth Conference Committee for Utah. At the time of his appointment as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, he was a member of the board of trustees of the Salt Lake Area Community Action Program for Economic Opportunity, a member of the executive committee of the University of Utah Alumni Association Board of Control, and a member of the U's Athletic Board of Control. He is also a member of several golf, tennis, and service clubs. Obviously, from this vast background of church, business, civic, and community service, Elder Marvin J. Ashton will be well guided in his new calling as a General Authority and as managing director of the Unified Social Services Program. |
"Marvin J. Ashton Appointed as Assistant to the Twelve." Relief Society Magazine. December 1969. pg. 333.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton Appointed an Assistant to the Twelve Elder Marvin J. Ashton, former first assistant in the YMMIA general superintendency was sustained as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve at the Friday afternoon session of the 139th Semi-Annual General Conference of the Church. Prior to his appointment, Elder Ashton had served eleven years in the YMMIA general superintendency and ten years on the general board of that organization. While in the superintendency he gave supervision to the MIA activities in music, dance, drama, speech, and athletics. He had much influence in developing the Church athletic program into what it is today. He also has served as senior president of the 315th Quorum of Seventy. Only a week prior to his appointment as a General Authority, Elder Ashton had been appointed managing director of the Unified Social Services Committee, a new committee to function under direction of the Church Priesthood Correlation Committee. This committee will include the principal youth and child services of the Church: the Youth Guidance Program, the Relief Society Social Services, and the Indian Student Placement Program. Elder Ashton was born in Salt Lake City, May 6, 1915, a son of Marvin O. and Rae J. Ashton. He attended Salt Lake City schools and was graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in business administration. Elder Ashton helped establish his reputation as a crusader for youth when, as a Utah State Senator from 1957-1961, he spearheaded legislation for improvement of statewide juvenile detention facilities. He serves on various committees for the betterment of youth, and has given long service to the Boy Scouts of America. He holds the organization's highest awards, and serves on a national committee. Elder Ashton served a mission to England, and has traveled world-wide as a speaker, directing most of his efforts toward the youth. In 1940 he was married to Norma Berntson in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of four children: John, Jonne Ashton Wheadon, Stephen, and Janice. Sister Ashton is a member of the General Board of Relief Society. |