Elder John K. Carmack of the Seventy has been called by the First Presidency to serve as director of the new worldwide Perpetual Education Fund announced March 31 by President Gordon B. Hinckley.
The Perpetual Education Fund will assist returning missionaries who serve from areas of the world such as Asia, Africa, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Philippines. These missionaries, often lacking the resources to pay for an education, frequently return to a life of poverty after Church service. For those approved by local priesthood leaders, the fund will provide loans with minimal interest to be repaid once the individual has completed his or her education and is gainfully employed. The program will be directed through the Church institute program, under the supervision of Elder Carmack.
A former executive director of the Historical Department, Elder Carmack was sustained to the First Quorum of Seventy April 7, 1984, at age 52, while president of the Idaho Boise Mission. He received a bachelor's degree from BYU and a law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. Before serving as a General Authority, he was president of a law firm in Los Angeles and president of Westwood Bar Association. He is also a former legislative assistant for the California Legislature.
