U.S. ambassador to China

 Governor

Republican

Utah

Huntsman formally entered the race for the United States Republican presidential nomination on 21 June 2011.  On May 18, 2011, Huntsman opened his 2012 national campaign headquarters in Orlando, FL.

Jon Huntsman Jr. was named Saturday May 16 2009 by President Barack Obama to be U.S. ambassador to China. “I wasn’t looking for a new job in life, but a call from the president changed that,” Huntsman said, standing beside Obama at a White House press conference. Huntsman speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese learned for an LDS Church mission to Taiwan. He and his wife, Mary Kaye, adopted a daughter from China.  Deseret News

 His Father is CEO of Huntsman Chemical Corporation.  In 1987, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political.  The most polarizing issue in his campaign was a school voucher program for parents with children in private school.

By Rebecca

Jon Huntsman, Jr. is a famous politician, father, and leader. At the age of 15, he earned the Boy Scouts of America rank of Eagle Scout and was later awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He went from dropping out of high school to play in a rock band, to later becoming the governor of Utah, U.S. Ambassador to China, and a U.S. presidential 2012 candidate. The high school dropout got his GED and has since received many honorary doctorate degrees. [1] Some people don’t know the famous Mormon is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called the Mormon Church by the media).  

Global Experience

The famous Mormon has a global presence. He and his wife have seven children and have adopted children from India and China. He served a two year voluntary Mormon mission in Taiwan (where he learned Chinese). [1] The same message of the LDS Church is taught worldwide by Mormon missionaries who preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Jon Huntsman said, “I get satisfaction from many different types of religions and philosophies.” [2]

I was raised a Mormon, Mary Kaye was raised Episcopalian, our kids have gone to Catholic school, I went to a Lutheran school growing up in Los Angeles. I have an adopted daughter from India who has a very distinct Hindu tradition, one that we would celebrate during Diwali. So you kind of bind all this together. [1] 

Jon Huntsman believes that it’s important to respect others’ personal beliefs, religions, and the law. “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. We believe in… obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” [3] His personal beliefs and conviction have shown in his leadership and character. 

“I think of him as a very strong godly person, with a very powerful, very strong connection with God,” [Rabbi] Zippel said, who was with Huntsman when they visited some of Judaism’s holiest sites. “He has a broad respect for all religions.” [4] 

Famous Mormon Ancestry

Jon has said, “I believe in God. I’m a good Christian. I’m very proud of my Mormon heritage. I am Mormon.” [1] His maternal grandfather is Apostle David B. Haight, and he is a great-great-great-grandson of the famous Mormon Parley P. Pratt. [1] “The Huntsman family has made its private planes available” to several Mormon prophets, who travel worldwide. [2]  Jon Huntsman, Jr. is the son of a billionaire (Jon Huntsman, Sr.), but also has been extremely successful in his own right. 

Although he was raised in a Mormon family, Jon Huntsman decided to get baptized when he was old enough to decide for himself. Infants are not baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ, but rather someone can choose to follow their Savior’s example and be baptized at the age of accountability (8 years old).

Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children. [5] 

After Mitt Romney’s loss to incumbent Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election, the Republican Party went into a period of self-examination.  The Catholic Church had taken an active role in encouraging its members to vote for social morality, and the Republican platform contained a trust in God, and was against gay marriage and abortion.  But the majority of Latino Americans ignored that and voted Democratic, a party supporting abortion, gay marriage, and liberal immigration laws and more socialistic welfare programs.  As the Republicans tried to regroup, Jon Huntsman’s star ascended.  His name is being considered for Secretary of State, and his advice being sought for the Republican Party.  (Read more…)

Mormon Jon Huntsman’s Accomplishments [1]

• Sigma Chi fraternity, University of Utah
• Bachelors in International Politics, University of Pennsylvania 
• Honorary Doctorate of Public Service, Snow College (2005)
• Honorary Doctorate of Science, Westminster College (2008)
• Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, University of Utah (2010
• Honorary Doctorate of Laws, University of Pennsylvania (2010)
• Honorary Doctorate of Law, Southern New Hampshire University (2011) 

• White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan
• State delegate, 1988 Republican National Convention
• Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce (under President Bush)
• Appointed United States Ambassador to Singapore (under President Bush)
• Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (2001 global trade negotiations in Doha and “guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization”)
• CEO of Huntsman Corporation
• Chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation
• Chairman of the Western Governors Association
• Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
• Governor of Utah
• Member of Executive Committee of the National Governors Association
• Involved in Board of directors of the Ford Motor Company
• Involved in Board of Caterpillar Inc. (2012)
• Involved in Utah Opera, Envision Utah, the Coalition for Utah’s Future, and KSL-TV’s Family Now campaign

Additional Resources

What do Mormons Believe? See the LDS website about the Restoration of Jesus Christ’s Church

Read your own free copy of The Book of Mormon       

Read an article about the late Steven R. Covey   

Mormon Jon Huntsman’s Political Ascent

Other Famous Mormons:

Mitt Romney Ezra Taft Benson Curtis J. Clawson Cresent Hardy David Matthew Kennedy