[1] He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1968 and joined the family sawmill business in Washington.

Dickson was called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy in June 1992 after serving as a stake president in Mt.

Prior to that he served as the first president of the church's Mexico City North Mission from 1978 to 1981.

In October 2013, Dickson was released from the First Quorum of the Seventy and designated as an emeritus general authority.

These former members of the Presiding Bishopric did not serve as a Seventy during their time as a general authority.