Elder L. Todd Budge
General Authority Seventy
When Todd Budge was a young boy, his parents taught him how to seek the Lord’s will. Throughout his life, he has tried to apply that practice in every decision.
Years later, after he and his wife had settled into a home with five children, he felt spiritual impressions to leave his career in banking and finance. The change would require significant sacrifice for him to become established in a new career.
After much effort and preparation to change careers, Elder Budge met someone uniquely qualified to give him advice. This individual suggested that Elder Budge stay with his banking career, reminding him that he would have many opportunities to counsel and help people. “We need people with integrity in business,” the person told him.
Elder Budge considered that encounter to be a tender mercy from the Lord. “I think He wanted to know where my heart was,” he says. “Once the Lord knew my heart, He did not require the sacrifice, and I trusted that He could use me for His purposes without a career change.”
His career did allow him to be an influence for good in the business world, even to open doors to share the gospel in Japan.
Lawrence Todd Budge was born on December 29, 1959, in Pittsburg, California, USA, to Lowell Jensen and Deanna Price Budge. He met Lori Capener during their freshman year at Brigham Young University. Eight months after he returned from serving in the Japan Fukuoka Mission, they were married in the Logan Utah Temple. They have six children.
After graduating from BYU in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Elder Budge worked for Bain & Company Japan; Citibank, N.A.; and GE Capital. He became president and chief executive officer of Tokyo Star Bank Limited in 2003, serving as the bank’s chairman of the board from 2008 to 2011.
Elder Budge has served as an Area Seventy, president of the Japan Tokyo Mission, stake president, bishop, elders quorum president, and stake Young Men president.