When John T. Doolittle was a young man, he was inspired by Church leaders to be involved in righteous causes. He felt it a principle of the gospel to make a difference in his community and in society.
In the 8th grade, he set a goal that he would one day serve in the U.S. Senate.At age 40, he achieved his goal - in a relative manner. On Jan. 3 of this year, Doolittle, a conservative Republican, was sworn into the U.S. Congress as a representative from California's 14th District.
Doolittle told the Church News that he feels it's vital for members of the Church to involve themselves in the political decisions of their country. "We have such a clear understanding of who we are and why we're here. So many in the world don't have that understanding. This clouds their ability to perform to a standard of excellence," he said. "Because I understand the role of the family and the value of individual freedom, I can act as a Congressman much easier. I've always had a clear sense of direction and that is a result of the gospel."
And the gospel is the center of the Doolittle family heritage. His middle name is Taylor, for John Taylor, third president of the Church. Doolittle is President Taylor's great-great-grandson. A high priest, Doolittle is a member of the Rocklin 1st Ward, Roseville California Stake. He was recently released as a counselor in the bishopric and has been a high councilor, high priest group leader and elders quorum president.
Doolittle began preparing himself for responsibilities at an early age. While attending Cupertino High School in Cupertino, Calif., he was involved in student government and was a member of the school's supreme court. He was honorary Cupertino mayor of the day during his senior year in high school, was president of the photography club, and was active in the school's public speaking program. He is also a life member of the California Scholarship Federation, a student honor society.
The principles of the gospel regarding faith and the power of prayer and fasting greatly influenced him during those young years. He explained that seminary, from which he graduated, and the teachings of the gospel motivated him to delve seriously into the scriptures.
During his sophomore year in high school, he read D&C 88:62-65, in which the Lord admonishes to "draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you. . . ." He noted that when he is faced with challenges, "I've always found that scripture to be of comfort," he said. "All of this combined to give me the strength to do what I thought was right regardless of the consequences."
This motivation remained beyond high school. In 1972, he graduated magna cum laude from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a bachelor's degree in history. He served from 1972 to 1974 in the Argentina Rosario Mission, which he said helped him learn to be independent, self-reliant and to develop "faith in God to meet the tests of the day."
Doolittle then received a juris doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, in 1978. In 1980, he was elected the youngest state senator in California at 30 years old.
It was while serving as a state senator that U.S. Rep. Norman D. Shumway, who represented the 14th Congressional District at the time, decided to retire. Shumway, a member of the Church, persuaded Doolittle to run in 1990 for his seat in Congress. With the support of his wife, the former Julie Harlow, and 11-year-old son, John Jr., Doolittle entered the race and edged his opponent by 51 percent to 49 percent.
Doolittle credited his wife for her sustaining influence. "You couldn't ask for anyone to be more supportive," he noted. "It's really been a team effort. She's sacrificed a lot to support me, not only in my Church callings, but also in my secular callings."
Sister Doolittle, who is a Relief Society teacher, said, "I believe very strongly in John and in his abilities. He spent his life preparing and molding himself to accomplish the things he felt were worthwhile."
Family is a high priority to the Doolittles and holding political office places high demands on time. "We work to strike the right balance. We're working on strengthening our family home evenings and having more meaningful family prayer. We're trying to follow the teachings of the Church," said Doolittle.
Among Doolittle's first assignments as a member of Congress were appointments to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and the Committee on Merchant Marines and Fisheries.
Both committees deal with natural resources. Doolittle said he was pleased with these appointments because "I represent a district that has a great deal of rural territory. It contains large amounts of public land, including national forest and Bureau of Land Management land."
"I think that God has given us land and other natural resources and we're to be good stewards with what we've been given, not to abuse these resources but to make the best use of them," he noted.
Doolittle's parents are Merrill and Dorothy Doolittle of Rocklin, Calif. Sister Doolittle's parents are LeRoy and Agda Harlow of Provo, Utah. Brother and Sister Harlow are retired instructors of public administration and English, respectively, at BYU.