On Thursday, Church News released the list of mission presidents called to serve in 2020. The mission presidents will begin their service in July.
Here are six names you might recognize.
Peter M. Johnson and Stephanie Johnson — England Manchester Mission
Elder Peter M. Johnson of the Seventy made history in 2019 when he was called as the first African American General Authority. He spoke at October 2019 general conference and titled his remarks, “Power to Overcome the Adversary.”
Ricardo P. Giménez and Catherine Giménez — California San Diego Mission
Elder Ricardo P. Giménez was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 2019 general conference. On the day of his call, the native Chilean rejoiced when a temple was announced in his place of birth, Antofagasta, Chile, according to Church News.
Matthew O. Richardson and Lisa Richardson — Minnesota Minneapolis Mission
Matthew O. Richardson currently serves as the advancement vice president at Brigham Young University. He has also served as the second counselor in the Sunday School general presidency. In October 2011 general conference, he spoke on “Teaching after the Manner of the Spirit.” Brother Richardson's name will likely be recognized by the many BYU alumni who took his Marriage and Family Relations class.
Mark J. Wiest and Dana C. Wiest — México Veracruz Mission
Dana C. Wiest currently serves on the Primary General Board. She served a full-time mission in Oslo, Norway, and has an MPA from Brigham Young University, according to her biography on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. She and her husband, Mark, have four children and one grandchild.
Spencer and Kristine Eccles — New Zealand Auckland Mission
The heavily contested Utah gubernatorial race went down by one candidate last November when Spencer Eccles cited business and family responsibilities for not seeking the full-time office, according to Utah Policy. The Eccles family is well-known in the state of Utah for their philanthropy.
Jeffery R. Morrin and Laura D. Morrin — Brazil São Paulo Interlagos Mission
Jeffery R. Morrin currently serves at BYU-Idaho as the university resources vice president. He and his wife, Laura, have six children. In a June 2017 devotional at BYU-Idaho, Morrin spoke about the importance of finishing and enduring.
