Apostle to hail his 97th

Elder David B. Haight, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, celebrates his 97th birthday today.

He is the oldest living general authority and also reaches another milestone with this birthday.

"Elder Haight has now lived longer than any previously serving apostle," LDS Church spokesman Dale Bills said.

The First Presidency and Elder Haight's fellow quorum members will honor him with a private reception at the Church Administration Building today, according to Bills. This evening, Elder Haight plans to mark the milestone with a small gathering of his immediate family and a few invited guests.

He was born Sept. 2, 1906, in Oakley, Idaho, to Hector C. and Clara Tuttle Haight. He married Ruby Olson in 1930 and Thursday they will celebrate their 73rd wedding anniversary.

Elder Haight was sustained as an assistant to the Twelve on April 6, 1970, and ordained an apostle on Jan. 8, 1976, at age 69. He was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve on April 3, 1976. He has been a regional representative, president of the Scottish Mission and has also been a stake president.

Before becoming a full-time church leader, Elder Haight was mayor of Palo Alto, Calif. and worked as the regional manager of a large retail store chain. He also served as a commander in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Several other LDS Church leaders have lived well into their 90s. Elder LeGrand Richards, as well as President David O. McKay, both lived to age 96. Former church President Joseph Fielding Smith died 17 days short of his 96th birthday, and President Ezra Taft Benson died at 94.

President Gordon B. Hinckley is 93, and Patriarch Eldred Gee Smith, emeritus general authority since 1979 and four months younger than Elder Haight, is 96.

The oldest-ever general authority was Elder Joseph Anderson, First Quorum of the Seventy, who died in 1992 at age 102.

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