As a young man, he served as a missionary for the LDS Church in New Zealand, where his mission president was Matthew Cowley.

The marriage was performed by LDS Church apostle Harold B. Lee, who had been Rudd's stake president when he was a child.

In 1989, along with the other general authorities serving for limited periods of service, Rudd was transferred to the newly formed Second Quorum of the Seventy.

Rudd is the author of the book "Pure Religion," which details the history of the welfare programs of the LDS Church.

The book was the result of his efforts to write some material regarding the history of the church's welfare program, at the request of the First Presidency.