James Esdras Faust (July 31, 1920 – August 10, 2007) was an American religious leader, lawyer, and politician.

His family moved to the southern part of the Salt Lake Valley before he reached high school age.

He attended Granite High School in Salt Lake City,[2] where he won awards for track and a letter for football.

[2] Then later when he served during World War II in the United States Army Air Corps where he was a First Lieutenant at the time of decommissioning.

He also served as chairman of the Utah State Democratic Party and helped manage a campaign for Senator Frank Moss.

[6] In 1997, by legislative decree, Faust was made an honorary citizen of São Paulo, Brazil[7] and received a national Brazilian citizenship award.

[6] "James Esdras Faust Street" in Campinas, Brazil was named in his honor by the city mayor in 2007.

Before the 1978 revelation reversing the priesthood ban for men of African descent, Faust was head of the church's International Mission, with jurisdiction for Africa.

[11] Faust, together with Hinckley and First Counselor Thomas S. Monson, constituted the longest continuous serving First Presidency in the history of the LDS Church.