Mormon Tabernacle Choir president Mac Christensen received the Governor's Lifetime Achievement Award from the Utah Commission on Volunteers on May 19. Utah Lt. Gov. Gary R. Herbert presented Brother Christensen with the award at a banquet in Salt Lake City.
"No matter how much we volunteer, we get so much more back," Brother Christensen said. "The only time when you're ever really happy is when you're helping others."
Less than one hour before the banquet began event organizers received a letter from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) honoring Brother Christensen's legacy of service, the contents of which were read to those in attendance at the time Brother Christensen received his award.
"The Utah Commission on Volunteers selected a very deserving person for this honor, as Mac's life is a true testament of selfless service," Senator Hatch wrote. "Mac goes out of his way to serve in the community in so many ways. Often his quiet acts of service are without fanfare, or any public recognition, which is how Mac likes it.
"I would daresay that hardly a day goes by without Mac performing a kind act for someone in need. He is the kind of person who I believe has an extraordinary soul filled with compassion and charity for all. … The good works he has performed and the influence he has had on many will be felt for generations to come."
Brother Christensen, 75, founded and operated for 43 years a clothing business in Utah, Mr. Mac. His previous Church service includes more than two years spent working as the director of the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center.
Other volunteer activities Brother Christensen has taken part in include working on the Utah State Fair Board; raising funds for Utah State University, Snow College and the American Diabetes Association; and serving on Weber State University's Board of Trustees for eight years.
He and his wife, Joan Graham Christensen, have eight children, 37 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
The Tabernacle Choir, which Brother Christensen has headed since his appointment in November 2000, is not only one of the most visible entities in the Church but is also one of Utah's major tourist attractions.
The singers are volunteers, as are the musicians in the choir's sister organization, the Orchestra at Temple Square.
