Gerald (Jerry) N. Lund was born in Fountain Green, Sanpete County, Utah, third child of Jewell G. and Mary Evelyn Mortensen Lund. About a year later, his family moved to Salt Lake City. Four years later they moved to Murray, Utah which became his home for the next 16 years. 

After graduating from Murray High School in 1957, he joined the U.S. Army Reserves. He spent six months active duty at Ford Ord, California for his basic military training, and at Fort Gordon, Georgia at an electronics school. At age 20 (missionary minimum age at that time), he was called to the West Central States Mission, laboring in several locations in Montana and Wyoming. 

On his return home, he enrolled at Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. He received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in sociology. Later, he did additional graduate work in New Testament studies at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles and studied Hebrew at the University of Judaism in Hollywood, California. He joined the Church Educational System (CES) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints’ in February, 1965. His career with CES spanned thirty-five years. He was employed as a seminary teacher, an institute teacher and director, a curriculum writer, the Director of College Curriculum for CES. The last ten years of his career he served as a zone administrator for CES, with responsibilities for teacher training and curriculum development.  

While still attending BYU he courted and married Lynn Stanard, daughter of Earl W. Stanard and Cora A. Klingler Stanard, who was born and raised in Great Falls, Montana. They have seven children, twenty-nine grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren (and counting).  

During his time as institute teacher in Southern California, Lund began doing research on the prophecies of the Second Coming. As he shared what he was learning in classes and firesides, many people suggested he write a book and make the information more widely available. He did so, submitting it to Bookcraft Publishers in Salt Lake City. They accepted the manuscript, and The Coming of the Lord was published in 1971. It has been in continuous print for forty years and is still available in paperback format. That began his writing career. Since then he has published more than two dozen books, has contributed numerous other articles to Church magazines, seminars and symposia. When asked what motivated him to become a writer, his standard answer is: “I write because I love to teach. Writing is just another form of teaching, but with a much bigger and more diverse class.”  

Gerald Lund is among the most-read authors in LDS Church literature. His publications have sold about three and half million copies over the years. He is unusual in that he is equally successful in both fiction and non-fiction works. Titles written by Lund include The Work and The Glory series (9 volumes), The Kingdom and the Crown series (3 volumes), The Guardian (2 volumes), The San Juan Pioneers series (2 volumes), The Coming of the Lord, One in Thine Hand, The Alliance, Leverage Point, The Freedom Factor, and Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation. His latest doctrinal book, Why Isn't God Answering Me? stands together with a trilogy exploring our relationship with our Heavenly Father and His love for His children. The other three books are Hearing the Voice of the Lord: Principles and Patterns of Personal Revelation, Divine Signatures: The Confirming Hand of the Lord, and Look Up My Soul, The Divine Promise of Hope. His latest historical fiction series, Fire and Steel, chronicals the lives of two families through some of the most turbulent times in the earth's history: WWI and WWII. 

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lund has held various Church callings including twice as a counselor in a bishopric, a bishop, a member of the Church’s Correlation Review Committee, a branch president at the Provo Missionary Training Center, a president of the BYU 14th Singles stake. On April 6, 2002, while serving as stake president, Lund was called to be a General Authority of the Church, serving in the Second Quorum of the Seventy. He and his wife were assigned to the Europe West Area with headquarters in Solihull, England. He served as 2nd counselor one year, 1st counselor one year, and as Area President one year.  After three years in England, the Lunds were transferred back to Salt Lake City, where Elder Lund served as an assistant executive director of both the Missionary Department and the Curriculum Department for the Church.