Elder John B. Dickson was called to serve as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April of 1995 after serving in the Second Quorum of the Seventy since June of 1992. As a Church leader, he serves as the president of the Africa West Area. Previously he served as an Executive Director of the Audiovisual Department, Assistant Executive Director in the Priesthood and Missionary Departments, and president of the South America South, North America West, and Asia Areas of the Church.
Elder Dickson served a mession in Mexico as a young man and returned as a mission president of the Mexico City North Mission in 1978. At the time of his call to full-time Church service, he was vice-president and partner of Summit Timber Company, an independent sawmill and timber operation in Washington State. He is former president of Northwest Independent Forest Manufacturers, a timber company association. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Brigham Young University.
Elder Dickson was born in Tacoma, Washington, on July 12, 1943. He is married to Delores Jones Dickson, and they are the parents of seven daughters and one son. They have 37 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.