Richard G. Scott Biography Quotes 23 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
Richard Gordon Scott was born on November 7, 1928, in Pocatello, Idaho, and spent much of his youth in the Washington, D.C., area. From an early age he combined a disciplined mind with a quiet, reflective temperament that would later define his ministry. He studied mechanical engineering at The George Washington University, where the rigor of his coursework and the demands of laboratory work suited his methodical approach. Those who knew him as a student remembered a reserved but determined young man, earnest in faith and precise in thought, preparing for a career in a field that was then rapidly transforming the world.

Engineering Career
After university, Richard G. Scott entered the United States naval nuclear program during the formative years of nuclear propulsion. He worked under Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the exacting pioneer often called the father of the nuclear Navy. The experience shaped Scott's professional habits: meticulous preparation, uncompromising honesty, and an engineer's insistence on verifiable truth. In an environment where safety, design integrity, and ethical responsibility were paramount, he established a reputation for calm competence. Though his future would lead away from the laboratory, the habits of inquiry and precision he learned under Admiral Rickover remained foundational to his leadership style and his later pastoral counseling.

Marriage and Family
On July 16, 1953, Richard G. Scott married Jeanene Watkins in the Manti Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jeanene was central to his life and faith. Their partnership was marked by mutual devotion, quiet humor, and a shared willingness to sacrifice when callings required it. They became the parents of seven children, two of whom died in childhood, losses that deepened their compassion for others who mourned. Jeanene's influence was evident in his public ministry; he often spoke of her example, her steady faith, and the spiritual confidence she nurtured in their home. Her passing in 1995 was a profound personal loss, and in the years that followed he frequently bore tender witness of eternal family bonds and of the sustaining power of covenants.

Early Church Leadership and Missionary Service
As his responsibilities in the Church grew, Richard G. Scott accepted assignments that took him to Latin America. He presided over a mission in northern Argentina during the mid-to-late 1960s, a period of rising membership and organizational growth. Immersed in Spanish and the cultures of the Southern Cone, he developed a lifelong affection for the people he served. Colleagues and missionaries remembered him as gentle, exacting, and deeply prayerful, the kind of leader who would listen carefully, teach line upon line, and trust those he led to rise to the spiritual standard he set. He later served in administrative roles that connected him with local and regional leaders across South America, strengthening training systems, refining programs, and encouraging members to anchor their lives in the ordinances of the temple.

The Seventy and Administrative Contributions
In 1977 he was called as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. The breadth of that assignment brought him into close collaboration with senior Church leaders and into ongoing contact with members worldwide. He participated in efforts to expand the Church's presence and strengthen its internal capacities, including family history and temple work. He traveled extensively in Latin America and elsewhere, returning again and again to the pastoral themes that would define his teaching: the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the reality of personal revelation, and the healing that comes through sincere repentance. His ability to teach clearly in both English and Spanish broadened his reach and deepened relationships across cultural lines.

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Richard G. Scott was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 1988 by President Ezra Taft Benson. In that quorum he served alongside leaders such as Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, Boyd K. Packer, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, and L. Tom Perry. The collegial environment of the Twelve drew on his engineering habit of gathering facts, weighing alternatives, and acting with steady conviction. He became widely recognized for a distinctive speaking style: deliberate, warm, and focused on the inner life of a disciple. In general conferences he often addressed those suffering in silence, including individuals burdened by shame, by the effects of pornography, or by abuse. He taught them to seek safety in truth, to trust the Savior's mercy, and to receive the quiet guidance of the Holy Ghost.

Teaching and Ministry
Elder Scott's teachings consistently emphasized spiritual practices that invite revelation: sincere prayer, regular immersion in scripture, and honest, covenant-keeping living. He urged listeners to write down spiritual impressions and to act on them promptly, promising that such patterns would invite more light. He expressed a pastor's love for youth and young adults, encouraging them to be worthy of the temple and to prepare for eternal families. He drew on his own life with Jeanene to illustrate the reality of companionship beyond the veil and the sustaining hope offered by Christ. His ministry across Latin America continued throughout his apostleship; he spoke frequently in Spanish, met with leaders and missionaries, and encouraged members to anchor their discipleship in the temple. Those who worked closely with him often noted his gentle humor, his patience in private counseling, and his unhurried way of listening until he understood.

Final Years and Legacy
In 2015, a year marked by the passing of several senior apostles, Elder Scott died in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 22, at age 86. His death followed decades of tireless service that bridged the worlds of engineering and ecclesiastical leadership. He left a legacy of carefully reasoned faith and of compassion for the wounded and the weary. Many remembered his frequent expressions of love for Jeanene and his hope-filled testimony that families can be together forever. Among the most important figures shaping his life and service were Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, whose high standards molded his professional discipline; President Ezra Taft Benson, who called him to the Twelve; and fellow apostles Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, Boyd K. Packer, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, and L. Tom Perry, with whom he labored in unity. The influence of Richard G. Scott endures in the lives of those who found, through his steady voice, courage to repent, faith to forgive, and confidence to seek the quiet, personal guidance of the Spirit.

Our collection contains 23 quotes who is written by Richard, under the main topics: Wisdom - Never Give Up - Leadership - Freedom - Faith.