Dates

• Existence: 1949-

Biographical History

Brent F. Ashworth (born 1949) is a collector of documents and memorabilia of history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Utah history.

Brent Ferrin Ashworth was born January 8, 1949, in Albany, California to Dell Sheperd and Bette Jean Brailsford Ashworth. He grew up in Provo, Utah and graduated from Brigham Young High School as student body president in 1966-1967. He graduated cum laude from Brigham Young University in 1967, with a BA in History and Political Science in 1972. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves, and was called to active duty at Ft. Ord, California in 1969. He met Charlene Mills at Brigham Young University and they were married December 16, 1970, in the Salt Lake Temple. They have nine children: Amy Josephine (1973), John Dell (1975), Matthew Ferrin (1977), Samuel Mills (1978, deceased in 1985), Adam Parrish (1979), David Alden (1981), Emily Bette (1983), Luke Ranson (1986) and Benjamin Richard (1988).

Ashworth received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Utah College of Law in 1975. He served in Price, Utah as Assistant Carbon County Attorney, 1975-76 and briefly practiced law with the firm of Frandsen & Keller, 1976-77. He served as Secretary for the South-Eastern Utah Bar Association in 1977. He served as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Nature's Sunshine Products, Provo, Utah, 1977-2003, was Vice President and General Counsel of Neways International, Springville, Utah, 2003-2004, and has been a legal consultant for Shaklee Corporation in Pleasanton, California, and to several other Utah corporations and clients. Currently, he is a partner with the law firm of Ashworth and Sandberg, Provo, Utah. In 2006, he started B. Ashworths, Inc., a Provo business dealing in rare documents, books, art and collectibles.

After Price, Utah (1975-1977), the Ashworth family resided in Payson, Utah (1977-1982), where Brent served as a city councilman, acting mayor, and bishop of the Payson Park Ward. They moved back to Provo in 1982, where he was selected An Outstanding Young Man of America (1982). He has also served as President of Deseret Village, for the handicapped, in Spanish Fork, Utah (1988-90), President of the Utah Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (1991-1992), American Red Cross board (1988-1994), Vice President of the Squaw Peak Chapter, Sons of Utah Pioneers (1994-1995), Provo Oak Hills Stake High Councilman (1993-1998), President, Emily Dickinson Society of Utah (1995-1997), Chairman, Provo Landmarks Commission (1997), Chairman, Provo Library Board (2000-2006), Trustee, Springville Museum of Art (1998-2001), President, Provo Kiwanis Club (1982), Lt. Governor, Utah-Idaho Kiwanis Clubs (2001-2002), Board, Celebration of Health Foundation (1998), General Counsel, Brigham Young Academy Foundation (1995-2002), Chairman, Art Subcommittee of Provo Library Construction Oversight Committee (1998-99), Co-Chair, Provo City Sesquicentennial Committee (1998-1999), Executive Board Member, Utah National Parks Council, Boy Scouts of America (2000) and Board Member, American Heritage School, American Fork, Utah (2001-2005).

Brother Ashworth is a recipient of the Patriot Medal (1992), presented by the Utah Society, Sons of the American Revolution, the Provo Mayor's Award of Excellence (1999), for serving as the Co-chair of the Provo Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1998-99, the George S. Hixon (2000) and Reed Culp (2002) medals from Kiwanis International and the Silver Beaver Award (2006), from the Boy Scouts of America. He founded the George E. Freestone Boy Scout Museum in Provo, Utah in 2000. The highlight of his scouting career has been his seven Eagle Scout sons. Some know him for his collecting and sharing experiences with religious historical documents. He was honored in February 2013 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for his additions to the archives over the years, amounting to almost 9,000 documents.

He currently works with the Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Citation:

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website, via WWW, July 31, 2013 (Brent F. Ashworth; collector of Church history memorabilia) http://www.lds.org/church/news/collectors-historical-documents-now-augment-church-archives?lang=eng

Kiwanis website, via WWW, July 31, 2013 (Brent Ferrin Ashworth; b. Jan. 8, 1949 in Albany, Calif.; parents: Dell Sheperd Ashworth and Bette Jean Brailsford; raised in Provo, Utah; attended Brigham Young High School; graduated from Brigham Young University (History and Political Science), 1972; served in United States Army Reserves, active duty at Fort Ord in 1969; m. Dec. 16, 1970 in Salt Lake Temple to Charlene Mills, nine children; juris doctorate from University of Utah, 1975; works as an attorney in Utah; worked in county government, and in corporate settings; served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a bishop, high counselor, and as an acquisition specialist for Church History Library; has served in various non-profit and community organizations; has operated a rare books and manuscript business in Provo since 2006) http://www.uikiwanis.org/Files/Districts/3823/Documents/Biographies/Brent%20Ashworth%20Biography.pdf

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