The LDS Church on Saturday called a new Young Women general presidency, replaced a counselor in its Primary general presidency, called eight new general authority Seventies and 55 new area Seventies.
Appointed to the Young Women presidency — which oversees the church program for girls ages 12 to 17 — are President Bonnie H. Cordon, first counselor Michelle D. Craig and second counselor Becky Craven.
Cordon had been serving as first counselor in the Primary presidency, which oversees the faith’s children’s organization. She served with her husband, Derek, as he presided over the Brazil Curitiba Mission. She has also served in various callings in the Primary, Young Women and Relief Society organizations. She served a full-time mission in the Portugal Lisbon Mission.
Replacing Cordon as the first counselor in the Primary general presidency is Lisa Harkness.
Named as new members of the presidency of the Seventy were Elders Carl B. Cook and Robert C. Gay, who had already been serving as general authority Seventies.
Appointed as new general authority Seventies were Elders Steven R. Bangerter, Matthew L. Carpenter, Jack N. Gerard, Mathias Held, David P. Homer, Kyle S. McKay, Juan Pablo Villar and Takashi Wada.
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the governing First Presidency, noted the wide global roots of top LDS leaders now.
“We now have 116 general authorities, nearly 40 percent of them were born outside the United States in Germany, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, Canada, South Korea, Guatemala, Argentina, Italy, Zimbabwe, Uruguay, Peru, South Africa, American Samoa, England, Puerto Rico, Australia, Venezuela, Kenya, the Philippines, Portugal, Fiji, China, Japan, Chile, Columbia and France.”
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