SALT LAKE CITY — At the Saturday afternoon session of the 172nd Annual General Conference, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the callings of two general authorities, 30 area authorities and a new general presidency of the Relief Society.
The new general authorities called as members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy are Elder Gerald N. Lund, Alpine, Utah, and Elder William R. Walker, Sandy, Utah.
Members of the Seventy have responsibility for administering the work of the Church throughout the world under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Some of them also have executive responsibilities in a number of Church departments. Those called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy serve for a period of about six years.
A new Relief Society general presidency was also announced. Sister Bonnie D. Parkin was called as the general president of the Relief Society, the Church’s organization for women. Sister Kathleen H. Hughes and Sister Anne C. Pingree will serve as first and second counselors. Mary Ellen W. Smoot, Virginia U. Jensen and Sheri L. Dew were released and received an expression of gratitude for their five years of leadership of the world’s largest women’s organization.
Second Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Gerald N. Lund, 62, recently served as president of the Brigham Young University 14th Stake. He earned a bachelor's and master's degree from BYU and did postgraduate work at Pepperdine University. He retired from the Church Educational System after 34 years, having served in various positions including seminary teacher, institute director, curriculum writer and administrator. He is the author of numerous articles and popular books. Elder Lund has served the Church as a full-time missionary, branch president, bishop and bishop's counselor. He is married to Retta Lynn Stanard and they are the parents of seven children.
Elder William R. Walker, 57, recently served as president of the Sandy Utah Cottonwood Creek Stake. Raised in Raymond, Alberta, Canada, he earned a bachelor's degree from BYU in international relations. He has held a number of executive positions in investment banking and is currently a
member of the board of directors and chairman of the investment committee for Beneficial Life Insurance Company. Elder Walker has served the Church as a mission president, bishop (twice), bishop's counselor, high councilor, high priests group leader and elders quorum president. He and his wife, Vicki Colleen Van Wagenen, have five children.
Relief Society General Presidency
Sister Bonnie D. Parkin, new general president of the Relief Society, was serving as a ward missionary and Laurel adviser in her home ward in Salt Lake City prior to receiving the call to direct the Church’s women’s service organization. Sister Parkin earned a bachelor's degree from Utah State University and has served her family as a homemaker. Her previous Church service includes callings as second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, member of the Relief Society general board, ward Relief Society president, stake Young Women president, Young Women adviser and ward Primary president. She served with her husband, Dr. James L. Parkin, during his assignment as president of the England London South Mission. They are the parents of four sons and enjoy their 14 grandchildren.
Sister Kathleen H. Hughes, called today as first counselor in the general presidency of the Relief Society, most recently served as Young Women president in her home ward in Midway, Utah. She earned a bachelor's degree from Weber State College and a master's degree from Central Missouri State University. She worked for 14 years in various positions with the Provo Utah School District including personnel director, assistant superintendent and director of special education. Her previous Church assignments include multistake public affairs co-director, Primary teacher, ward Relief Society presidency member and member of the Young Women general board. Sister Hughes is married to Dean T. Hughes and they are the parents of three children. She and her husband have five grandchildren.
Sister Anne C. Pingree, newly named as second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, served her home stake in Salt Lake City as Relief Society president. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Utah. In addition to her service as a homemaker, Sister Pingree has been a literacy volunteer for at-risk elementary school children and a tutor to Laotians for Literacy Volunteers of America. In the Church, she has served as a member of the Relief Society general board, stake Young Women counselor, ward Primary president and ward Relief Society president. She served with her husband, George C. Pingree, during his assignment as mission president in the Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission. They are the parents of five children and grandparents of four.
Area Authorities
Also announced today were the callings of 30 new area authority seventies. Area authorities give voluntary Church service in support of area presidencies within their assigned geographic areas. Called as area authority seventies: D. Allen Andersen, 50, Hong Kong, China; David S. Baxter, 47, Suffolk, England; C. Elmer Black Jr., 59, Clinton, Mississippi; G. Lynn Brenchley, 55, Providence, Utah; Clayton M. Christensen, 49, Belmont, Massachusetts; Ernesto A. Da Silva, 39, Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay; Hector A. Dávalos, 49, Callao, Peru; Ildefonso C. Deus Neto, 38, Curitiba, Brazil; James Dunlop, 59, Palmerston North, New Zealand; James M. Dunn, 61, Salt Lake City, Utah; I. Lee Ence, 56, Santa Clara, Utah; Carlos R. Fernandez, 57, Resistencia, Argentina; John R. Gibson, 56, Winston Hills, Australia; Stephen W. Hansen, 60, Wayzata, Minnesota; Emmanuel A. Kissi, 63, Accra, Ghana; B. Renato Maldonado, 42, Cuenca, Ecuador; Jeffrey J. Marchant, 59, Cedar City, Utah; Gerald A. Mead, 59, Pocatello, Idaho; Hyae-Kee Min, 52, Seoul, Korea; Rodrigo Myrrha, 40, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Masayuki Nakano, 58, Osaka, Japan; Yasuo Niiyama, 57, Tokyo, Japan; Carlos L. Pedraja, 56, Cochabamba, Bolivia; Carlos A. Perez, 52, Montevideo, Uruguay; D. Chad Richardson, 58, McAllen, Texas; Maury W. Schooff, 65, Papillion, Nebraska; M. Gonzalo Sepúlveda, 50, Villa Alemana, Chile; T. LaMar Sleight, 60, Vienna, Virginia; John C. Taggart, 55, Raleigh, North Carolina; Anthony R. Temple, 61, Wayne, Pennsylvania.
# # #