NEWARK, CALIF.
The San Francisco Bay Area chapters of the BYU Management Society awarded the 2011 Distinguished Public Service Award to Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve for his business and ecclesiastical leadership.
At the awards ceremony, held Oct. 21,. the chapter also recognized its 2011 scholarship recipients. The award and scholarships reflect the society's commitment to growing moral and ethical leadership throughout the world.
After receiving the award, Elder Christofferson spoke about the necessity of a moral foundation for a free society and the vital role that religion provides in establishing that moral foundation.
"It is an irony," he said, "that as agreement on the moral values and obligations that sustain law declines, governments feel compelled to multiply laws and regulations in an attempt to preserve order. In the long run, however, law alone cannot compensate for the absence of morality and self-control on the part of private citizens."
Further in his address, Elder Christofferson said, "May I make one final observation about the role of religion in promoting the public good, and that has to do with the unique capacity of religion to inculcate a moral accountability that leads to individual self-control. I speak of the religious concept of moral agency — that we are each personally accountable to God for our choices and our actions in relation to government and one another. The voluntary discipline of self that is engendered by religious principle is essential, as a practical matter, to the efficient and effective rule of law."
The BYU Management Society, sponsored by the Marriott School of Management, was established in 1977 by Merrill J. Bateman, then dean of BYU's College of Business and now an emeritus General Authority. It has grown into a distinctive spiritually-based professional organization with 77 chapters worldwide. Members enjoy the opportunity to network, develop careers, serve the community and hear presentations from business and community leaders.
Before recognizing the 2011 scholarship winners, Dr. Arthur Jue announced, "The fate of nations depends upon the education of youth." This year the Silicon Valley Chapter awarded twenty-nine scholarships to students from the San Francisco Bay Area for tuition at accredited four-year colleges and universities. In their quest to promote moral and ethical leadership, five San Francisco Bay Area chapters established the Distinguished Public Service Awards. Past honorees include President Thomas S. Monson, President Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th president of the Church, and Elder David B. Haight of the Quorum of the Twelve. Elder Christofferson, this year's award recipient, grew up in Utah and served a mission in Argentina. After graduating from BYU he obtained a law degree from Duke University in 1972. He was hired as a law clerk to Judge John J. Sirica and assisted him throughout the Watergate proceedings. He had a distinguished legal career in the eastern United States where he also held a variety of Church leadership callings. He and his wife, Katherine, have five children and 10 grandchildren.
