Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Early Life and Heritage

Born on November 13, 1952, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Elder Dale G. Renlund is the son of Scandinavian immigrants. His father, Mats Åke Renlund, was from Finland, and his mother, Mariana Magdalena Andersson, was from Sweden. Because his parents spoke their native languages at home, Elder Renlund grew up fluent in Swedish.¹ 

He served a full-time mission in the Sweden Stockholm Mission, where his heritage and linguistic skills allowed him to connect with the people. In 1977, he married Ruth Lybbert in the Salt Lake Temple. When Ruth was diagnosed with ovarian cancer early in their marriage, Elder Renlund supported her through her recovery and her subsequent high-profile career as a prominent attorney. They have one daughter, Ashley.² 

Professional Career

Elder Renlund’s professional life was dedicated to saving lives through medicine:

• He earned his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah, followed by a residency and fellowship in internal medicine and cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.³ 

• He became a professor of medicine at the University of Utah and the Medical Director of the Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals (UTAH) Cardiac Transplant Program.⁴

Recent teachings

In his October 2025 general conference talk, Elder Renlund likened taking on the name of Jesus Christ to the fellowship named after President Russell M. Nelson at the University of Utah.

He shared that the inagural recipient, Dr. Craig H. Selzman, said, "Now that my name will be linked with his, I need to try to be more like him."

Elder Renlund invited Church members to try to be more like Jesus Christ as we take upon ourselves His name:

"Take upon yourself the name of Jesus Christ. Identify with Him. Always remember Him. Strive to be like Him. Join Him in His work. Receive His power and blessings in your life. Etch His name in your heart, willingly and intentionally. This gives you 'standing' before God and qualifies you for the Savior’s advocacy on your behalf. You will become an exalted inheritor in the kingdom of our Father in Heaven, a joint-heir with His Firstborn, our beloved Savior and Redeemer."⁵ 

• ^{1. https://news-uk.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-dale-g-renlund-family-experiences-as-scandinavian-immigrants-resonate-with-current-european-event}
• ^{2. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2016/07/elder-dale-g-renlund-an-obedient-servant?lang=eng}
• ^{3. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/dale-g-renlund?lang=eng}
• ^{4. Ibid.}
• ^{5. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/10/55renlund?lang=eng}