Latter-day Saints sustain new leaders — 16 general authorities, young men general presidency
During the opening moments of the 195th Annual General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday morning, President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency announced 16 new General Authority Seventies and a new Young Men General Presidency.
President Oaks also announced that Elder Kevin R. Duncan has been called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, effective August 1, 2025. He will replace Elder José A. Teixeira, who has served in the presidency since 2018.
In addition, President Oaks announced that five General Authority Seventies will be released and receive emeritus status on Aug. 1. Those leaders include: Elder David S. Baxter, Elder Randall K. Bennett, Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, Elder Rafael E. Pino and Elder Jorge F. Zeballos.
Following is a brief biography of each new General Authority Seventies.
General Authority Seventies are church leaders called by the First Presidency to be 'especial witnesses' and to assist the Twelve in 'building up the church and regulating all the affairs' and 'preaching and administering the gospel' throughout the world (Doctrine and Covenants 107:25, 34, 38). They act under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, according to a press release on ChurchofJesushirst.org.
General Authority Seventies serve full-time in the church. They are usually released in the year they turn 70 years old and are granted emeritus status.
Elder Amos was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, on November 2, 1961. He graduated with engineering degrees from Southern University, Baton Rouge and the University of Central Florida, Orlando. He is now retired from the United States Navy Reserve and Siemens Energy Inc.
At the time of this call, he was serving as a member of the Tenth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southeast Area.
He and his wife, Michelle Evette Wright, have three children.
Elder Barcellos was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on November 4, 1975. He studied business administration at São Marcos University. He went on to work in sales and marketing for several companies. In 2011 he cofounded GreenMile, LLC, where he worked as chief operating officer for four years and chief executive officer for six years.
When called to be a General Authority, Elder Barcellos was serving as a seminary teacher in the Orlando Florida South Stake.
He and his wife, Karin Spat Albino, are the parents of three children.
Elder Barlow was born in Bountiful, Utah, on January 1, 1969. He received a bachelor's degree in health education from the University of Utah in 1993. He worked as an executive in data analytics and quality improvement in health care.
At the time he accepted this assignment to be a General Authority, Elder Barlow was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area.
He and his wife, Christina Evans, have five children.
Elder Brown was born in Manchester, Jamaica, on May 18, 1976. He received a bachelor's degree in computing with management studies from the University of Technology, Jamaica, in 2008. He went on to receive a master's degree in governance and public policy from the University of the West Indies in 2012. Since 2001 he has worked for the Church's Seminaries and Institutes of Religion as an Institute coordinator, division director–training services, coordinator, and associate administrator.
At the time of this call, Elder Brown was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area.
He and his wife, Nadine Lezanne Carter, have five children.
Elder Cuvelier was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 12, 1969. He received a bachelor's degree in public relations from Brigham Young University in 1994. He joined Shell Oil Company in 1996 and worked across various business units throughout North America. He has also served as a director on several national and regional boards.
When called to the ranks of the General Authorities, Elder Cuvelier was serving as a member of the Eleventh Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southwest Area.
He and his wife, Wendi Sue Manwaring, have four children.
Elder Cziesla was born in Neumünster, Germany, on July 26, 1972. He received a degree in law from the University of Mainz in 2000. He also obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Mainz in 2003, comparing German and U.S. law as a visiting scholar at BYU. He worked as an attorney and partner for SJ Berwin LLP from 2003 to 2016, and in 2017 became senior corporate partner at McDermott Will & Emery.
At the time of this call, Elder Cziesla was serving as ward activity committee chairman for the Darmstadt Ward.
He and his wife, Margret Anne Rauh, are the parents of five children.
Elder Evanson was born in Taber, Alberta, Canada, on August 16, 1968. He received a bachelor's degree in dental materials in 1993 followed by a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1995, both from the University of Alberta. He has worked as a dentist in private practice for over 26 years.
When he was called as a General Authority, Elder Evanson was serving as a Sunday School teacher and activity days leader in his congregation.
He and his wife, Jody Karil Zobell, have five children and 11 grandchildren.
Elder Eyre was born in Logan, Utah, on January 17, 1964. He received a bachelor's degree in finance from Utah State University in 1988. In 1993, he received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Tulsa. From 2008 to 2019, he worked for Baxter International in a variety of roles including general manager, corporate vice president, and senior vice president. Since 2023, he has been a board member for HemaSource.
At the time of this call to be a General Authority Seventy, Elder Eyre was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area.
He and his wife, Susan Zari Rahimzadeh, are the parents of five children.
Elder Farias was born in Recife, Brazil, on October 19, 1969. He received a bachelor's degree in accounting from the Catholic University of Pernambuco in 1995, a postgraduate degree in finance from Pernambuco University, and later received a master's degree from the Getulio Vargas Foundation. He has worked for the Church since 1995 in various positions, including financial manager, human resources manager, and director of temporal affairs in the Brazil Area.
When he accepted the call to be a General Authority, Elder Farias was serving as president of the Georgia Atlanta Mission.
He and his wife, Giovanna de Medeiros Prata, are the parents of three children.
Elder Hall was born in Provo, Utah, on March 4, 1971. He received a degree in professional sales from Weber State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah. He worked as an executive for technology and private equity firms. Most recently, he was working for the Church as a director in the Missionary Department.
At the time of this call, Elder Hall was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area.
He and his wife, Kimberly Wade, are the parents of four children.
Elder Holmes was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 5, 1977. He received a bachelor's degree in political science in 2008 and a Juris Doctor degree in 2012, both from Arizona State University. He was vice president of Holmes Homes of Arizona from 2006 to 2010. In 2014, he founded Holmes Law, PLC. Since 2021 he has worked as general counsel for Charter One, LLC.
When he was called to be a General Authority, Elder Holmes was serving as a member of the Eleventh Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Southwest Area.
He and his wife, Alyson Margaret Wilson, have six children.
Elder Larreal was born in Valencia, Venezuela, on July 6, 1976. He received a bachelor's degree in management from Simón Rodriguez University in 2005. He went on to receive two Master of Business Administration degrees, one in 2008 from Santa Maria University and one in 2021 from BYU. From 1998 to 2008, he worked for the Church as a Seminaries and Institutes coordinator. Since 2009, he has worked for Nature Sunshine Products Inc. as general manager and then as director of Latin America from 2017 to 2023.
At the time of this call, Elder Larreal was president of the Texas McAllen Mission.
He and his wife, Sariah Alvarez Campos, are the parents of three children.
Elder Matswagothata was born in Middlepits, Botswana, on January 8, 1980. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy. He has worked in the automotive industry since 2004 with various car brands. He has held several leadership positions, including sales manager, general manager, and country manager for Barloworld Motor.
When he accepted this assignment, Elder Matswagothata was serving as a temple ordinance worker in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple and as an area self-reliance specialist.
He and his wife, Novelty Busisiwe Buthelezi, have three children.
Elder Ortega was born in Godoy Cruz, Argentina, on July 10, 1977. He received a bachelor's degree in architecture from the John F. Kennedy University, Argentina in 2008 and a master's degree from the University of Belgrano in 2016. In 2017, he received a diploma in leadership from Harvard Business School. Elder Ortega worked as a construction project manager, first for SBS Co. and then for Village Roadshow Co. He became real estate director for American Express Company in 2014, board member for Arch Royale Projects Limited in 2023, and board member for CorNet Global in 2024.
At the time of his call to be a General Authority, Elder Ortega was serving as a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the Mexico Area.
He and his wife, Gabriela Alejandra Cappi Franzia, are the parents of three children.
Elder Rowe was born in Provo, Utah, on April 23, 1967. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Brigham Young University. He also received a master's degree in public policy and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago. He practiced international law for many years as a partner in various law firms in Washington, D.C., and overseas. He has served as chief executive officer for the Stirling Foundation since 2019.
When he was called as a General Authority, Elder Rowe was serving as a member of the Twelfth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Area.
He and his wife, Brooke Francis, have five children.
Elder Wu was born in Taipei, Taiwan, on December 22, 1970. He received a bachelor's degree from the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa in 2014 and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Universidad del CEMA in 2020. He has worked for the Church since 2007, first in the Meetinghouse Facilities Department and then, beginning in 2016, as the operations and maintenance manager for the South America South Area.
When he accepted this assignment, Elder Wu was president of the Chile Antofagasta Mission.
He and his wife, Marcela Beatriz Castellani, are the parents of three children.
Members of the new Young Men General Presidency will begin service on August 1.
The Young Men organization promotes faith, growth, and development in young men through Sunday instruction, weekday service and activities, and annual camps and conferences. The Young Men General Presidency, which directs this organization for the whole Church, consists of a president and two counselors, according to a press release on ChurchofJesushirst.org. These three men are responsible for supporting young men ages 12 to 18 in the Church.
President Farnes, 55, lives in Bountiful, Utah. He is a self-employed investor and advisor. He currently serves as an Area Seventy in the Utah Area. His previous Church assignments include mission president, stake president, stake presidency counselor, high councilor, bishop, young single adult (YSA) bishop, and bishopric counselor. He and his wife, Linsey, have five children.
Brother Wunderli, 63, lives in Alpine, Utah. He is chairman of the board for ORI Inc. He currently serves on the Young Men general advisory council. His previous Church assignments include mission president, young single adult (YSA) stake president, YSA bishop, missionary training center branch presidency counselor, and ward Young Men president. He and his wife, Diane, have four children.
Brother Dixon, 54, lives in Spanish Fork, Utah. He is director of the Utah South Institute Region and has worked in various assignments in Seminaries and Institutes for the past 30 years. He currently serves as president of the Spanish Fork Utah East Stake. His previous Church assignments include mission president, stake presidency counselor, bishop, and ward Young Men president. He and his wife, M'Shelle, have five children.
President Oaks also announced that Elder Duncan has been called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy.
Elder Duncan was born in Ogden, Utah, on October 6, 1960. He has served as a General Authority Seventy since 2010. During his full-time Church service, his assignments have included president of the Central America Area and, most recently, executive director in the Temple Department.
He received a bachelor's degree in accounting, a master's degree in taxation, and a Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1991. He began his career as a tax attorney in Seattle, Washington. In 1996 he founded CaseData Corporation, from which he retired in 2005.
Elder Duncan and his wife, Nancy Elizabeth Smart, are the parents of five children.
The Presidency of the Seventy is a group of seven General Authority Seventies called as presidents by the First Presidency to preside over all members of the Seventy. One of the seven presidents is chosen to preside over the other six (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:93–94), according to a press release on ChurchofJesushirst.org. The Presidency of the Seventy oversees the work of the Seventy and assists the Quorum of the Twelve in their work throughout the world. This work includes traveling to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ; administering missionary, temple, family history, humanitarian, and other efforts; meeting with Church members and missionaries; organizing Church units; working and counseling with local Church leaders; and many other responsibilities.
The other six members of the Presidency of the Seventy are Elders Carl B. Cook (the Senior President), S. Mark Palmer, Marcus B. Nash, Michael T. Ringwood, Arnulfo Valenzuela and Edward Dube.
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