The Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was impacted in several ways with the sustaining of general authorities and general officers in the Saturday morning session of April 2024 general conference.
Current and future members of the Presidency of the Seventy were involved with the following — releases and emeritus status being given, both effective Aug. 1; a ratification, the call of two new members, also effective Aug. 1; and the call of a new Sunday School general president.
The actions, as identified by President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, as he announced the releases and sustainings on Saturday, April 6, included:
- Elder Brent H. Nielson and Elder Paul V. Johnson, current members of the Presidency of the Seventy, being released and given emeritus status as General Authority Seventies, with both actions effective Aug. 1, 2024. The two will continue their service in the presidency until then.
- Elder Carlos A. Godoy, a current member of the Presidency of the Seventy, being released from the presidency and available for other assignments as a General Authority Seventy, both effective Aug. 1. He, too, will continue to serve in the presidency until that date and be available for other assignments as a General Authority Seventy.
- Elder Marcus B. Nash, a current member of the Presidency of the Seventy as of January of this year, being ratified and sustained by general Church members, effective immediately. He had been called to the presidency in January 2024, filling the vacancy created when Elder Patrick Kearon, the former senior president of the presidency, was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- Elder Michael T. Ringwood, Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela and Elder Edward Dube being called as new members of the Presidency of the Seventy, effective Aug. 1. Until then, they will continue in their current assignments, with Elder Ringwood the executive director of the Church’s Priesthood and Family Department, Elder Valenzuela a counselor in the Brazil Area presidency, and Elder Dube as president of the Africa South Area.
- And Elder Johnson then sustained as the new Sunday School general president, effective Aug. 1.
Most presidencies in the Church have three members — a president and two counselors. However, the Presidency of the Seventy has seven members — all are presidents and none are counselors — according to scripture (Doctrine and Covenants 107:93-94).
The Presidency of the Seventy is composed of seven General Authority Seventies who are called as president to preside over all members of the Seventy and its 12 different Quorums of the Seventy, which include other General Authority Seventies and all Area Seventies.
One of the seven presidents is chosen to preside over the other six, and all seven act under the keys and direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The current Presidency of the Seventy are:
- Elder Carl B. Cook — He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 2, 2011, and has served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since March 31, 2018. He was named Senior President of the Seventy on Jan. 16, 2024.
- Elder José A. Teixeira — He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 5, 2008, and has served served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since March 31, 2018.
- Elder Carlos A. Godoy — He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 5, 2008, and has served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since March 31, 2018.
- Elder Brent H. Nielson — He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 4, 2009, and was named a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on Aug. 1, 2020.
- Elder Paul V. Johnson — He was sustained as General Authority Seventy on April 2, 2005, and was named a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on Aug. 1, 2021.
- Elder S. Mark Palmer — He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 2, 2016, and was named a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on Aug. 1, 2021.
- Elder Marcus B. Nash — He was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 1, 2006, and was named a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on Jan. 16, 2024.
The Presidency of the Seventy had served intact from Aug. 1, 2021 until Dec. 7, 2023, when Elder Kearon — who had been serving as the presidency’s senior president since 2020 — was called as a member of the Twelve Apostles. A month later, on Jan. 16, Elder Cook was named the new senior president, with Elder Nash called to fill the vacancy in the presidency.
Over the past 10 years, there have been numerous changes in the Presidency of the Seventy, even before April 2024 general conference.
During that decade, four members of the Presidency of the Seventy were called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — Elder Ronald A. Rasband in 2015, Elder Ulisses Soares and Elder Gerrit W. Gong in 2018, and Elder Kearon late last year.
Another five have been released upon receiving emeritus status as a General Authority Seventy — those include Elder L. Whitney Clayton in 2020, Elder Robert C. Gay and Elder Terence M. Vinson in 2021, and Elder Nielson and Elder Johnson this year.
And five former members of the Presidency of the Seventy were released to other assignments in their continued service as General Authority Seventies — Elder Donald L Hallstrom, Elder Richard J. Maynes, Elder Craig C. Christensen, Elder Lynn G. Robbins and Elder Juan A. Uceda. For example, Elder Hallstrom went to be executive director of the Priesthood and Family Department in 2017, and Elders Christensen, Robbins and Uceda became area presidents the next year in the Utah, North America Southwest and Central America areas, respectively.
