Elder Joseph C. Muren understands the challenges that converts face in trying to assimilate deeply rooted family traditions with Church membership.
Born in Richmond, Calif., to a mother of Italian descent and a father of Yugoslavian descent, Elder Muren, 55, was reared in a strong traditional faith and in an European atmosphere that created for him a strong tie with his ancestral past.He joined the Church at age 21, but he neither forgets nor neglects his heritage. He firmly believes accepting the gospel and being baptized don't mean abandoning positive family traditions and heritage. With this understanding, he hopes to have an uplifting influence on converts during his new calling as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy, to which he was sustained on April 6.
"My wife and I understand the process [of conversionT. The Church asks people not only to leave the religion of their forefathers, but also to leave some traditions and habits of parents and family," Elder Muren explained. "If I had to do it [be baptizedT all over again, I would have been far more concerned about how my mother and father and relatives felt. It was difficult to separate `I am changing religions because I have found the true Church with a living prophet,' from `but that doesn't take away from my love for you.'
"I think all too often we see people join the Church and we're so concerned about their baptism, and their assimilation into the Church that we forget there should be some tender, loving care and some compassion and some soothing of relatives who may not understand that this does not mean the end of the relationship," he added. "As we become Latter-day Saints, let's not lose the positive traditions of our heritage."
Tears filled Elder Muren's eyes as he spoke of his heritage. Prior to World War I, Elder Muren's grandparents from both sides of the family immigrated to the United States from Italy and Slovenia, a republic of Yugoslavia. Elder Muren was born on Feb. 5, 1936, and during World War II, while his father served with the U.S. Army in the Pacific and his mother was ill, Elder Muren lived with his Italian grandfather.
"I think I am what I am because I was reared by an Italian grandfather in San Francisco - a grandfather who had a third grade education," Elder Muren related. He explained how his grandfather taught him "great respect for God. As a boy, I went to Church every Sunday. At night we would sit, and he would put on Italian operas on the old phonograph. He'd read to me from the Italian encyclopedia. He educated me in the ways of our Italian heritage."
This heritage clearly shows in Elder Muren's personality. During the Church News interview in the Church Office Building, he greeted close acquaintances who passed by with friendly smiles and warm hugs. To these and other acquaintances, he can converse in English, Italian or Spanish.
Elder Muren emphasized the influence his grandfather had on him. He recalled how his grandfather once said, " `Giuseppe (Joseph in Italian), we live in America. This is a place where you can go to school, where you can become learned.' "
Following his grandfather's counsel, Elder Muren received a bachelor's degree in 1957 at San Jose State University, some 45 miles from where he was reared in San Francisco. It was during this time he investigated the Church and was baptized Feb. 4, 1957.
He served a mission to Argentina from 1958-61. He was then a teacher-trainer of math and foreign language in Santa Clara, Calif., while studying at San Jose State for his master's degree in educational administration, which he received in 1962.
During this period, he went on a blind date with Gladys Smith of Colusa, Calif., a student at the university, who was at the time investigating the Church. She was baptized in 1962 and they were married in the Los Angeles Temple on April 9, 1963.
Elder Muren received his doctorate in university and college business administration from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in 1969. A 15-year career followed as an Institute of Religion director at various colleges and universities throughout the nation.
After serving as mission president in the San Jose Costa Rica Mission from 1977-80, he began a succession of positions as Church director of temporal affairs (DTA) for Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Australia, New Zealand and various Pacific islands. At the time of his call to the Seventy, he was director of temporal affairs for the United Kingdom, Ireland and Africa.
Through the years, he and his family lived in the United States, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina, Australia and England.
Elder and Sister Muren have five daughters and one son: Cynthia Bassett, 26, a registered nurse who lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Curtis, and 7-month-old daughter, Elise Catarina; Michael, 22, who is attending BYU; Michelle, 20, a student at LDS Business College in Salt Lake City; and Tricia, 19, who is at the University of Utah. Marshawn, 17, and Natasha, 13, live at home.
The gospel has been the foundation of the Muren household. In addition to being a mission president, Elder Muren's past Church callings include service on various general Church writing committees, temple sealer, counselor in a stake presidency, high councilor, stake mission president, stake Young Men president and bishop.
Sister Muren was serving as the ward Young Women president for the Solihull (England) Ward at the time of her husband's call to the Seventy. She has also served in ward Young Women presidencies in Australia and Argentina, in a ward Relief Society presidency in Peru, and has been a spiritual living teacher and cultural refinement teacher.
She described the gospel as the key to keeping their family unified throughout the many moves the family has made. "How do you survive all of that?" she asked. "You just go back to the gospel basics. You study the scriptures together. You have family prayer and try to mold that family unity. We could not have survived in these assignments without family unity."
Elder Muren recalled when Natasha was 12, she said, " `Dad, I am 12 years old. I was born in Costa Rica. I have lived in six countries. Where is home?' "
Her father's reply: " `Wherever we are.' "
The many cultures in which the Murens have lived influenced their personal interests. "I think we've tried to take advantage of what each country has to offer. In England, I'm taking an English literature class," Sister Muren said.
Elder Muren is an avid reader. "One can't surround himself with too many books," he said.
He has been the author and compiler of six books in the field of religion, including his book, "Testimony." He has been a member of the International Croatian Society and the International Churchill Society. Members of the Croatian Society have ancestors from Croatia, a republic of Yugoslavia. He was also a school board member and officer in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Lima, Peru; and was president of the Uintah Highland water district in Ogden, Utah.
On April 30, the Murens were attending a family reunion in California on the Yugoslavian side of the family when President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, telephoned to extend the call to the Seventy.
Elder Muren was first concerned about moving his family again. Later his thoughts were of "being a member of a quorum of men who I admire profoundly."
He felt "it may be asking too much to be like those men.' "
Elder Muren's ability to work with people will be an asset in this calling, noted Sister Muren. She described her husband as having an "incredible ability of making people feel good about themselves. If you have faith in yourself and faith in others you can almost do anything."
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(Additional information)
Elder Joseph C. Muren
- Family: Born in Richmond, Calif., Feb. 5, 1936, to Joseph S. and Alba Maria Cairo Muren. Married Gladys Smith, April 9, 1963, in the Los Angeles Temple. Parents of six children, they have one granddaughter.
- Education: Received bachelor's degree in history in 1957 and a master's degree in educational administration in 1962, both from San Jose State University. Received doctorate in university and college business administration from the University of Southern California in 1969.
- Employment: Church's director of temporal affairs (DTA) for the United Kingdom, Ireland and Africa.
- Church service: Mission president of the San Jose Costa Rica Mission, 1977-80; various general Church writing committees, temple sealer; counselor in stake presidency; high councilor; stake mission president; stake Young Men president; and bishop.