John Baird Dickson (born July 12, 1943) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1992. Dickson was born on July 12, 1943 to John H. Dickson and Helen Baird in Tacoma, Washington. Dickson began service as an LDS missionary in Mexico in 1962. Before he departed he was diagnosed with bone cancer in his right arm. He was not expected to live more than a month. However, 10 months later he left to serve his assigned mission having had his arm amputated. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1968 and joined the family sawmill business in Washington.