[2][3] Porter attended Harvard University and received a doctoral degree in political science emphasizing Russian affairs.

He worked for the federal government on the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and as executive director of the U.S. Board for International Broadcasting.

Porter served in Germany under two mission presidents who were both native Germans holding United States citizenship, Walter H. Kindt and Rudolf K. Poecker.

The stories that these two men frequently related to the missionaries under their supervision inspired Porter to change his university major to Russian Affairs.

[4] Since being called as a general authority, he served in the presidencies of the church's Europe East and Salt Lake City areas.