Joe J. Christensen

Joe J. Christensen, our dear husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend passed away peacefully May 18, 2021, surrounded by his loving wife and children, shortly after surgery to repair a broken hip. He was born July 21, 1929, in Banida, Idaho, to Joseph Amos Christensen and Goldie Echo Miles Christensen. He learned his love of hard work and making things grow while working on the family dairy and grain farm. He was always proud of his roots as an Idaho farm boy.

He attended elementary school in the one-room Banida School. He attended junior and senior high at Preston High School. Having skipped a grade in elementary school, he graduated from Preston High School when only 16-years old and began his university studies at Utah State University. At age 19, he accepted the call to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico and was one of the first missionaries to take the gospel to the people of Costa Rica. He had a life-long love for the people of Latin America.

While assigned to serve in Puebla, Mexico, he briefly met Ida Barbara Kohler, a sister missionary from Midway, Utah. After returning home, he transferred to Brigham Young University and faithfully wrote Barbara until she returned from her mission. They started dating while both were students at BYU and were married in the Salt Lake Temple on September 2, 1952.

Upon graduation from BYU, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force and for the next two years was stationed at Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina. Upon his return to Utah, he served in the Air Force Reserve and taught release-time seminary at Granite High School in Salt Lake City. He completed his first year of graduate school at BYU and taught in the Religion Department. While earning his Ph.D in Counseling Psychology at Washington State University, he served as Director of the Institute of Religion adjacent to the WSU campus. Upon receiving his Ph.D, he was assigned as the Director of the Institute of Religion adjacent to the University of Idaho in Moscow, and later at the Institute of Religion adjacent to the University of Utah. He served as Associate Commissioner of Education for the Church over Seminaries and Institutes, and later as Assistant Commissioner of Education for the Church.

He was a gospel scholar, brilliant teacher, extraordinary leader and remarkable humanitarian. He served in many Church callings including Bishop of the Moscow Idaho 2nd Ward, President of the Mexico, Mexico City Mission and the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, President of Ricks College, Regional Representative, member of the YMMIA General Board, Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, member of the First Quorum of the Seventy serving as the President of the Brazil Area and North America Northwest Area, and as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. He later served as the President of the San Diego Temple, patriarch of the Salt Lake Valley View Stake, sealer in the Salt Lake Temple where he performed sealings in English, Spanish and Portuguese. For 12 years, Joe and Barbara supervised the missionaries and work of the Church at Adam-ondi-Ahman.

His main loves in life were the gospel of Jesus Christ, his wife, family, farming and gardening. His dream was to be a farmer and a seminary teacher, but the Lord called him to many other places around the world. Whenever he lived in an area with enough space, he loved to grow a large garden. He enjoyed a steady supply of sweet corn all summer long. He was a fine athlete and could occasionally be found on the golf course in his 90’s.

His life was dedicated to the Lord and spreading His gospel across the world. He educated tens of thousands of students and missionaries. He was a noble example to all who knew him.

He was a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

He is survived by his eternal sweetheart, Barbara, of over 68 years and by his six children: Amy (Donald) Poulton; Susan (Jeffrey) Jones; Stephen (Marilyn) Christensen; Linda (Peter) Evans; Douglas (Cathi) Christensen; Spencer (Sheila) Christensen, 29 grandchildren and 68 great grandchildren. Preceded in death by his parents, sister Coy (John) Manning, brother Blaine (Beverley) Olsen, brother Wade (Zoy) Christensen, and great grandsons Charlie Evans and Jameson Christensen. He is survived by his brother Verl (Peggy) Christensen, sister Peggy (Sherman) Toone, sisters-in-law Zelda Isaksen and Elizabeth (Dee) Ritchie and brother-in-law Richard (LouAnn) Circuit.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 22, 2021, at the Salt Lake Valley View Stake Center, 2245 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City at 12:00 noon. Due to Covid considerations, no public viewing will be held. The service may also be viewed at https://youtu.be/nk6rtT3BhpY.

Interment will take place at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, Salt Lake City. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Christensen/Kohler Scholarship fund at BYU-Idaho at https://donate.churchofjesuschrist.org/donations/byu-idaho?funds=30687074.