During the Saturday afternoon session of the October 2020 general conference, President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the calls of a new General Authority Seventy, a new member of the Presiding Bishopric and four new Area Seventies. He also noted the releases of one member of the Presiding Bishopric, three General Authority Seventies and 47 Area Seventies.
New Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
Bishop Dean M. Davies, a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric since April 2012, was released and called as a General Authority Seventy. Bishop W. Christopher Waddell was sustained to replace Bishop Davies as the First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. Elder L. Todd Budge was sustained as Second Counselor (the position formerly held by Bishop Waddell). Elder Budge, a native of California, has been serving as a General Authority Seventy since April 2019.
“Bishop Davies has been dealing with a significant health challenge for more than a year, though his current prognosis is positive,” said Church spokesman Eric Hawkins. “We are grateful that he will be able to continue to serve in this new role as a General Authority Seventy.”
The Presiding Bishopric is responsible for many of the Church’s temporal affairs. The Presiding Bishopric consists of the Presiding Bishop and his two counselors. Each holds the office of bishop, and they serve under the direct supervision of the First Presidency.
Changes to Area Seventies and General Authority Seventies
General Authority Seventies serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, in Area Presidencies, and in other headquarters administrative functions. Under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, they travel frequently to meet with and teach Church leaders, missionaries and members of the Church in local congregations. They have authority to serve anywhere in the world, while the authority of Area Seventies is generally limited to the area where they serve.
New General Authority
Dean M. Davies, 69. Elder Davies, a native of Salt Lake City, has served as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric in 2012. Prior to that, he was employed by the Church as the managing director of the Special Projects Department with responsibility for special purpose real estate, temple design and temple construction. He and his wife, Darla James, have five children and 17 grandchildren.
New Member of the Presidency of the Seventy
Elder Brent H. Nielson, 65, replaces Elder L. Whitney Clayton as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Nielson has been a General Authority Seventy since April 2009. He is a native of Burley, Idaho. He and Marcia Ann Bradford are the parents of six children.
New Area Seventies
Laurian P. Balilemwa, 49, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; director of operations, As Salaam Air (Z) Co. Ltd; recently released as counselor in the Kenya Nairobi Mission presidency; former branch president and district president; wife: Happiness Kagemulo; two children.
Jonathon W. Bunker, 61, Las Vegas, Nevada; health care consultant; currently serving as missionary preparation teacher in the Las Vegas Nevada Stake; former bishop, counselor in a bishopric, high councilor, mission president and counselor in a stake presidency; wife: Susan; five children.
Enrique R. Mayorga, 47, Otavalo, Ecuador; coordinator, Seminaries and Institutes; recently released as president of the Ambato Ecuador Stake; former branch president; wife: Angélica; three children.
Konstantin Tolomeev, 38, Anapa, Russia; businessman, forest exporting; currently serving as counselor in the Russia Rostov-na-Donu Mission presidency; former counselor in a branch presidency, branch president and counselor in a district presidency; wife: Julia; five children.
General Authorities Released
L. Whitney Clayton
Enrique R. Falabella
Richard J. Maynes
Area Seventies Released
Ruben Acosta
René R. Alba
Alberto A. Alvarez
Vladimir N. Astashov
José Batalla
Bradford C. Bowen
Sergio Luis Carboni
Armando Carreon
S. Marc Clay Jr.
Z. Dominique Dekaye
Osvaldo R. Dias
Michael M. Dudley
Mark P. Durham
E. Xavier Espinoza
James E. Evanson
Paschoal F. Fortunato
Sam M. Galvez
Patricio M. Giuffra
Leonard D. Greer
Daniel P. Hall
Toru Hayashi
Paul F. Hintze
Adolf J. Johansson
Wisit Khanakham
Seung Hoon Koo
Pedro X. Larreal
Johnny L. Leota
José E. Maravilla
Joel Martinez
Joaquim J. Moreira
Isaac K. Morrison
Eduardo A. Norambuena
Ferdinand P. Pangan
Jairus C. Perez
Steven M. Petersen
Jay D. Pimentel
Edvaldo B. Pinto Jr.
Alexey V. Samaykin
K. David Scott
Rulon F. Stacey
Karl M. Tilleman
William R. Titera
Carlos R. Toledo
Cesar E. Villar
David T. Warner
Gary K. Wilde
William B. Woahn
Press release from Newsroom.
Lead image: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
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