The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Elder W. Mark Bassett, a General Authority Seventy, died on May 11, 2026, after a traumatic brain injury in St. George, Utah. He was 59. The church said the incident happened while he was with his family.
Bassett had served as a General Authority Seventy since April 2016, and at the time of his death he was the Executive Director of the Missionary Department. In that role, he was overseeing worldwide missionary efforts during a period the church said was marked by historic growth and unprecedented numbers of missionaries deciding to serve.
Just days before he died, Bassett spoke at a devotional for missionaries at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. He urged them, “Invite everyone to come – and do everything you can to help them enter this beautiful gate which leads to eternal life.” The statement from the church said he would be deeply missed and remembered for his faith and dedicated service to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The announcement also said love and prayers were with his wife, Angela, their children and grandchildren. The timing gives the loss an added weight: Bassett was still speaking publicly about missionary work and still leading it when the accident in St. George ended his life.
