Neil D. Schaerrer

Who was Neil D. Schaerrer?

Neil Dean Schaerrer was the fourteenth general president of the Young Men organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1977 to 1979.

Born in Payson, Utah, Schaerrer served as a LDS Church missionary to Switzerland from 1950 to 1953. He was the president of the Austria Vienna Mission of the church from 1972 to 1975. In 1975, Schaerrer established the LDS Church as a legal entity in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In 1977, Schaerrer was asked to become the general president of the Young Men. The organization had not had a general president since Robert L. Backman was released in 1974 and the organization was placed under the direct supervision of the church's presiding bishop. Schaerrer served just two years, and in 1979 was succeeded by Backman, who by then had become a general authority of the church. Schaerrer was the last non-general authority to serve as president of the Young Men until Charles W. Dahlquist II was called in 2004. Schaerrer's counselors were Graham W. Doxey and Quinn G. McKay.

Schaerrer was married to Jane Coon and was the father of four children. He was an attorney by profession, and died in Salt Lake City at the age of 54.