View source for Neil D. Schaerrer

[[File:Neil Schaerrer.jpg|thumb|Neil D. Schaerrer as president of the Austria Vienna Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, June 1975]]
'''Neil Dean Schaerrer''' (April 12, 1930 – January 18, 1985) was the [[Young_Men_(organization)#Chronology_of_the_general_superintendencies_and_presidencies_of_the_Young_Men|fourteenth]] general president of the [[Young Men organization]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) from 1977 to 1979.

Born in [[Payson, Utah|Payson]], [[Utah]], Schaerrer served as a [[Mormon missionary|missionary]] for the church in [[Switzerland]] from 1950 to 1953. He was [[Mission president|president]] of the church's [[Austria]] [[Vienna]] [[Mission (LDS Church)|Mission]] 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 [[Calling (LDS Church)|called]] as the general president of the Young Men. There had not been 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 (LDS Church)|presiding bishopric]]. Schaerrer served for two years and was succeeded by Backman, who by then had become a church [[general authority]], in 1979. 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 they were the parents of four children. He was an attorney by profession, and died in [[Salt Lake City]] at the age of 54.

==References==
*[[Arnold K. Garr]], [[Donald Q. Cannon]] & [[Richard O. Cowan]] (eds.) (2000). ''Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: [[Deseret Book]])
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{{s-vac | last= [[Robert L. Backman]] | reason = {{nowrap|Organization under jurisdiction of<br>the [[Presiding Bishop (LDS Church)|Presiding Bishopric]]}}|as=President of the<br>Aaronic Priesthood MIA Young Women}}
{{s-ttl| title  = [[Young_Men_(organization)#Chronology_of_the_general_superintendencies_and_presidencies_of_the_Young_Men|General President]] of the [[Young Men (organization)|Young Men]]  | years  = 1977&ndash;1979}}
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[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:1985 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Mormon missionaries]]
[[Category:American Mormon missionaries in Austria]]
[[Category:American Mormon missionaries in Switzerland]]
[[Category:American Mormon missionaries in Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]
[[Category:General presidents of the Young Men (organization)]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saints from Utah]]
[[Category:Mission presidents (LDS Church)]]
[[Category:People from Payson, Utah]]