Merrill Joseph Bateman, born 19 June 1936, has been a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1992, when he was made a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. He is presently an emeritus General Authority. From 2003 to 2007, Bateman was a member of the Church Presidency of the Seventy. He was president of Brigham Young University from 1996 until 2003, and was the twelfth presiding bishop of the LDS Church in 1994 and 1995. In 2003 and 2004, Bateman was the general president of the Church Sunday School organization. From 2007 to 2010 Bateman was president of the Provo Utah Temple.