Henry Bennion Eyring was born on May 31, 1933, in New Jersey. He grew up in a small branch (small congregation in the Mormon Church) that often met in a hotel room or the Eyring home. Both of his parents were highly educated. His father was a professor of chemistry at Princeton and earned numerous awards in his field. His mother was a graduate of the University of Utah and pursued her doctoral degree.Henry graduated with a degree in Physics, then entered the United States Air Force, which sent him to New Mexico. When he arrived, he was called as a district LDS missionary in the area and served almost exactly two full years. He then completed a degree in business administration at Harvard Graduate School of Business. He decided to teach and found a job at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He met Kathleen Johnson in 1961, and they were married in July 1962 in the Logan Utah Temple.
In the following years Henry B. Eyring continued to teach, served as an officer and director of Finnigan Instrument Corporation, founded and directed System Industries Incorporated (a computer manufacturing company), taught early morning seminary, and served twice as bishop.
In 1971 Henry B. Eyring was inaugurated as president of Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho). He also taught religion classes while president. His family grew to include four boys and two girls. After being president at Ricks for five years, he was then asked to be deputy commissioner of the LDS Church Educational System, then three years later he became commissioner.
In 1985 Henry B. Eyring was called to the Presiding Bishopric of the LDS Church. He was then called to the Seventy and continued working as Commissioner of the Church Educational System. On April 1, 1995, Henry B. Eyring was ordained as an Apostle of the LDS Church. In 2008, President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away, and Thomas S. Monson was called to be the new prophet and president of the Church. President Eyring was called as the first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, in which calling he is presently serving.