Guessing the Next Two Apostles

I did a previous post on guessing who the next Apostle might be, but we've hit a rare section in time in the LDS church when two Apostles will be called at the same time. This has happened before. Dieter F. Uchtdorf and David A. Bednar were called together in 2004. Russell M. Nelson and Dallin H. Oaks were called together in 1984 (though Oaks had to wait a month to be set apart). Before that you have to go back to Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson in 1943. When two Apostles are called the same day, the older one has seniority.

Never in the history of the LDS Church has an Apostle been called that the prophet wasn't already acquainted with on some level.

I wanted to expand the field in this post, look at a broader section of who it could be, and also take into account two being called at the same time. But first, let's look at the current 13, and where they came from. (By seniority)

THOMAS S. MONSON - Called to be an Apostle at age 36 in 1963. No one has been called that young since. He'd served as a bishop but more importantly as a mission president in Canada and then Editor of the Deseret News. He would have had regular contact with church leaders, allowing them to know him and consider him as a candidate when a vacancy arose. Monson in particularly worked with Gordon B. Hinckley, who ran the Church's public affairs before being called as an Apostle two years before Monson. Monson also at one point had Harold B. Lee for a stake president.
Career expertise: Publishing

RUSSELL M. NELSON - Called to be an Apostle at age 59 in 1984. He came about his service in a rare way. He performed open-heart surgery on Spencer W. Kimball in 1972, around the same time he was called to be Sunday School General President. He served in that calling for eight years and then a regional representative for four years when he was called to be an Apostle.
Career expertise: Medicine

DALLIN H. OAKS - Called to be an Apostle at age 51 in 1984. Oaks was well-known by the Brethren when they called him to be president of BYU, where he served for nine years. He then instantly joined the Utah Supreme Court but resigned from that once he was called to be an Apostle. Oaks was not currently serving in church leadership when he was called.
Career expertise: Law, Church Education

M. RUSSELL BALLARD - Called to be an Apostle two days before his 57th birthday in 1985. He was the grandson of apostle Hyrum M. Smith and great-grandson of Joseph F. Smith. On his other side, he was the grandson Melvin J. Ballard, who served for years in the Q12 with Gordon B. Hinckley's uncle Alonzo. He was a mission president when he was called to join the First Quorum of the Seventy, and he was in the Presidency of the Seventy when called to be an Apostle. At the time, Pres. Kimball and 1st Counselor Marion G. Romney were incapacitated, so this calling likely came from 2nd Counselor Hinckley as anyone else. Ballard's daughter married David B. Haight's grandson.
Career expertise: Business

RICHARD G. SCOTT - Called to be an Apostle at age 59 in 1988. His father worked closely with Ezra Taft Benson in Washington DC. He was a misson president, then a regional representative, then joined the First Quorum of Seventy, then in the Presidency of the Seventy when called.
Career expertise: Nuclear Science

ROBERT D. HALES - Called to be an Apostle at age 61 in 1994. He was called to the First Quorum of Seventy in 1976, then he served as Presiding Bishop the nine years leading up to his calling as Apostle and was considered key in balancing church finances in the 1980's and 1990's. He'd run several successful businesses before his calling.
Career expertise: Business

JEFFREY R. HOLLAND - Called to be an Apostle at age 53 in 1994. He succeeded Oaks as President of BYU. Nine years later he went straight from there to the First Quorum of Seventy. he also served as Commissioner of the Church Educations System (CES).
Career expertise: Church Education

HENRY B. EYRING - Called to be an Apostle at age 61 in 1995. He was the third Apostle in as many General Conferences to be called, and after him, the Church went nine years before another one was needed. He is married to Pres. Kimball's niece. He was president of Rick's College. He was a Commissioner of CES. He was a Counselor to Hales in the Presiding Bishopric, and he was in the First Quorum of Seventy when he was called to be an Apostle.
Career expertise: Business, Physics, Church Education

DIETER F. UCHTDORF - Called to be an Apostle at age 63 in 2004. He'd been a stake president, in the 2nd Quorum of Seventy, 1st Quorum of Seventy, then in Presidency of Seventy when called to be an Apostle.
Career expertise: Aviation, Business

DAVID A. BEDNAR - Called to be an Apostle ate age 51 in 2004. He succeeded Eyring as president of Ricks' College and helped transition it into BYU-Idaho. He was an area authority while he worked at BYUI.
Career expertise: Church Education

QUENTIN L. COOK - Called to be an Apostle at age 67 in 2007. His mother was a Kimball, so he's second-cousins with Spencer W. He was a missionary companion of Holland. He went from bishop to stake president to area authority to 2nd Quorum of Seventy to 1st Quorum of Seventy to Presidency of the Seventy to Apostle.
Career expertise: Business, Law

D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON - Called to be an Apostle at age 63 in 2008. Richard G. Scott was his mission president when he served his mission. He was called to the 1st Quorum of Seventy in 1993 and in the Presidency of the Seventy in 1998. He was executive director for the church's Family & Church History Department.
Career expertise: Law

NEIL L. ANDERSEN - Called to be an Apostle at age 57 in 2009. He'd been called the the 1st Quorum of Seventy in 1993 and into the Presidency of the Seventy in 2005.
Career expertise: Business

So these are their experiences and how they may have been known before they will called. One should expect there will be prior relationships for the new Apostles. So first let's look at the likely pool of talent.

THE PRESIDENCY OF THE SEVENTY
Statistically it's a virtual guarantee that one of the two will come from this field, if not both. The Presidency of the Seventy works most closely and most often with the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve than any other Seventy. Four of the last five Apostles called came from the Presidency of the Seventy. The Prophet will have a good idea of how these men could fit into the Quorum.

1. RONALD A. RASBAND (2/6/1951) worked as COO of Huntsman Chemical before being called as president of the New York New York Mission. Called to the 1st Quorum of the 70 in 2000 and has been in the Presidency of 70 since 2005. If he is not called as an Apostle, he'll likely be released this General Conference and go back to being the 1st Quorum of 70. Members of the Presidency of 70 do not tend to serve longer than ten years.
Career expertise: Business

2. L. WHITNEY CLAYTON (2/24/1950) was a partner at a law firm before his calling to the 1st Quorum of 70 in 2001. He served as assistant executive director to the Family & Church History Department with Christofferson. He helped Ballard and Cook with the church's efforts on Prop 8, and he was called to Presidency of the Seventy in 2008. He's said to have been involved with regional training that led to more high-profile excommunications like Kate Kelly and John Dehlin. I think if he were selected, he'd be more in the Packer/Ballard retrenchment mold of Apostle.
Career expertise: Law

3. DONALD L. HALLSTROM (7/27/1949) was born and raised in Hawaii and worked in real estate out there. He was president of the Honolulu Hawaii stake before getting called as a regional representative, then area authority, then to the 1st Quorum of Seventy in 2000. He's been in the Presidency since 2009.
Career expertise: Real Estate, Finance

4. RICHARD J. MAYNES (10/29/1950) played basketball at BYU before graduating from there in business management. He went on to be CEO of Fountain Fresh Intl. He was a mission president in Mexico Monterrey and was called to the 2nd Quorum of 70 in 1997, moved to 1st Quorum in 2001, and joined the Presidency in 2012.
Career expertise: Business

5. CRAIG C. CHRISTENSEN (3/18/1956) played football at BYU before graduating from there in accounting. He later got an MBA and after buying some companies, he taught at BYU. He was a mission president for Mexico Mexico City and was called to 2nd Quorum of 70 in 2002, then moved to 1st Quorum in 2008 before being called to Presidency in 2012.
Career expertise: Business

6. ULISSES SOARES (10/2/1958) is our first non-American option. He was born and raised in Sao Paolo, Brazil. He earned his MBA and after working at a tire company, he got a job as a senior auditor before becoming director of temporal affairs for the LDS Church's Brazil South area. He was a mission president in Portugal and he joined the 1st Quorum of 70 in 2005 before joining the Presidency in 2013.
Career expertise: Business, Finance

7. LYNN G. ROBBINS (10/27/1952) was one of the co-founders of Franklin Quest, which later became FranklinCovey. He was a mission president in Uruguay Montevideo and was then called to the 2nd Quorum of 70 in 1997. He moved to 1st Quorum of 70 in 2000 and joined the Presidency in 2014.
Career expertise: Business

There are 63 member of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy and 21 members in the 2nd Quorum, so I won't profile them all. I'll just focus on ones I think are likely under consideration.

PRESIDING BISHOPRIC
But first, it's been a while since someone from the Presiding Bishopric was called as an Apostle, so I'll profile those three next.

GARY E. STEVENSON, 59, served his mission in Japan and later went back as president of the Japan Nagoya mission. He was the COO of ICON Health. He was called to the 1st Quorum of 70 in 2008 but then called as Presiding Bishop in 2012.
Career expertise: Business

GERALD CAUSEE, 51, was born in France, and after getting his MBA, he worked as a general manager for Ponoma, France's largest food distributor. He was a stake president and area authority before being called into the 1st Quorum of 70 in 2008. He became 1st Counselor in Presiding Bishopric in 2012.
Career expertise: Business

DEAN M. DAVIES, 64, served his mission in Uruguay and Paraguay before being president of the Puerto Rico San Juan mission. He worked in real estate and construction before Pres, Hinckley asked him to work for the church, overseeing construction of churches and temples. He was then called to be 2nd counselor in 2012.
Career expertise: Real Estate

Now to explore possibilities in the 1st and 2nd Quorums of Seventy. I will highlight different regions of the world and who might come from there. The year is when they were called to the Seventy.

AFRICA
2013 - Edward Dube - 5/12/1962 - 53 - Zimbabwe
2001 - Christoffel Golden - 6/1/1952 - 63 - South Africa
2009 - Joseph W. Sitati - 5/16/1952 - 63 - Kenya

Joseph W. Sitati joined the church in 1986. He was the first black African general authority. He was the first stake president of Kenya. He worked in the oil and gas industry before working as the director of the church's public affairs in Africa. He was president of the Nigeria Uyo mission before getting called to the Seventy. If someone from Africa is called, I'd give him the edge.

However, Edward Dube is ten years younger and if they want to make the Quorum younger (Bednar is the youngest Apostle, at age 63), I could see them going with him. He joined the church in 1984 and served a mission in South Africa and Zimbabwe two years later. He worked in CES in Zimbabwe for the church and was president of the Zimbabwe Harare mission.

ASIA & PACIFIC ISLANDS
2009 - Yoon Hwan Choi - 5/18/1957 - 58 - South Korea
2007 - Michael John U. Teh - 6/25/1965 - 50 - Philippines
2014 - Chi Hong (Sam) Wong - 5/25/1962 - 53 - Hong Kong
2011 - Kazuhiko Yamashita - 9/1/1953 - 61 - Japan
2009 - Koichi Aoyagi - 3/24/1945 - 70 - Japan
2011 - O. Vincent Haleck - 1/1/1949 - 66 - Samoa

Chi Hong (Sam) Wong was the first speaker in General Conference to give his address in a language other than English (Cantonese). Wong hails from Hong Kong. He joined the church in 1982 and went to school and BYU-Hawaii before moving back to Hong Kong. his background is in business, but his unique perspective could really help the church open up China.

Michael John U. Teh would be younger than Bednar was when he was called. He's the second Filipino to be a general authority, and he's spent his career working for the church, lastly as a manager for their statistical records division.

Yoon Hwan Choi is currently president of the Washington Seattle mission. Kazuhiko Yamashita is currently president of the Japan Nagoya mission.

AUSTRALIA
2011 - Ian S. Ardern - 2/28/1954 - 61 - New Zealand
2013 - Terence M. Vinson - 5/1/1951 - 64 - Australia

Ian S. Ardern works for CES in New Zealand, and he was president of the Fiji Suva mission.

EUROPE
2006 - David S. Baxter - 2/7/1955 - 60 - United Kingdom
2010 - Patrick Kearon - 7/18/1961 - 54 - United Kingdom
2014 - Jorg Klebingat - 12/19/1967 - 47 - Germany
2007 - Erich W. Kopischke - 10/20/1956 - 58 - Germany
2008 - Jose A. Teixeira - 2/24/1961 - 54 - Portugal
1996 - Francisco J. Vinas - 12/28/1946 - 68 - Spain
2010 - Per G. Malm - 9/12/1948 - 66 - Sweden

Jorg Klebingat is the youngest of all the General Authorities, but I have a hard time seeing them pick a second German. He's lived in the US for a few years though as a business consultant, got his masters from BYU, before he was called to be president of the Ukraine Kyiv mission.

Jose A. Teixeira is the first G.A. from Portugal, and he's worked as an international controller for the church's finances in Europe and Asia.

CENTRAL AMERICA
2011 - Jose L. Alonso - 11/17/1958 - 56 - Mexico
2005 - Benjamin De Hoyos - 2/20/1953 - 62 - Mexico
2007 - Enrique R. Falabella - 5/1/1950 - 65 - Guatemala
2006 - Daniel L. Johnson - 12/15/1946 - 68 - Mexico
2013 - Arnulfo Valenzuela - 5/1/1959 - 56 - Mexico

Benjamin De Hoyos has worked as a CES employee and also as president of the Mexico Tuxtla Gutierrez mission.

Jose L. Alonso was a pediatrician. Enrique R. Falabella was an agronomical engineer.

SOUTH AMERICA
2005 - Marcos A. Aidukaitis - 8/30/1959 - 55 - Brazil
2001 - Claudio R.M. Costa - 3/25/1949 - 66 - Brazil
2008 - Eduardo Gavarrett - 5/11/1956 - 59 - Uruguay
2008 - Carlos A. Godoy - 2/4/1961 - 54 - Brazil
2001 - Walter F. Gonzalez - 11/18/1952 - 62 - Uruguay
2008 - Rafael E. Pino - 10/27/1955 - 59 - Venezuela
2010 - Juan A. Uceda - 7/10/1953 - 62 - Peru
2008 - Jorge F. Zeballos - 7/19/1955 - 60 - Chile
2007 - Claudio D. Zivic - 12/19/1948 - 66 - Argentina
2010 - Jairo Mazzagardi - 4/10/1947 - 68 - Brazil

If you told me that of the two new Apostles, the older one was foreign-born, I'd guess Claudio R.M. Costa above all others. He's worked in CES in Brazil and was president of the Brazil Manaus mission. On the other hand, he was released from the Presidency of Seventy after only four years, so maybe he missed his window.

Walter F. Gonzalez was in the Presidency of 70 for six years. He went to school in Argentina and Ecuador and later served as president over one of the Ecudaor missions. He also worked for CES in Ecuador.

Juan A. Uceda worked for CES in Peru before moving to New Jersey in 2003 to help his father with his business.

Marcos A. Aidukaitis was born in Brazil but has a Lithuanian father who lived his first few years in Scotland. Aiukaitis graduated from BYU and served in many capacities in Brazil.

NORTH AMERICA
1st Q70
2003 - Marvyn B. Arnold - 7/19/1948 - 67 - USA-UT
2006 - Shayne M. Bowen - 8/29/1954 - 60 - USA-ID
2006 - Craig A. Cardon - 12/30/1948 - 66 - USA-AZ
2006 - Don R. Clarke - 12/11/1945 - 69 - USA-ID
2015 - Kim B. Clark - 3/20/1949 - 66 - USA-UT
2011 - Carl B. Cook - 10/15/1957 - 57 - USA-UT
2008 - Lawrence E. Corbridge - 4/6/1949 - 66 - USA-ID
2011 - LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. - 8/1/1952 - 62 - USA-UT
2010 - Kevin R. Duncan - 10/6/1960 - 54 - USA-UT
2012 - Larry J. Echo Hawk - 8/2/1948 - 66 - USA-WY (Pawnee)
2012 - Stanley G. Ellis - 1/22/1947 - 68 - USA-ID
2005 - David F. Evans - 8/11/1951 - 63 - USA-UT
2012 - Robert C. Gay - 9/1/1951 - 63 - USA-CA
2010 - Gerrit W. Gong - 12/23/1953 - 61 - USA-CA (Chinese)
2005 - C. Scott Grow - 5/1/1948 - 67 - USA-ID
2008 - James J. Hamula - 11/20/1957 - 57 - USA-CA
2015 - Allen D. Haynie - 8/29/1958 - 56 - USA-UT
2005 - Paul V. Johnson - 6/24/1954 - 61 - USA-FL
2015 - Von G. Keetch - 3/17/1960 - 55 - USA-UT
2015 - Hugo Montoya - 4/2/1960 - 55 - USA-CA (Latino)
2006 - Marcus B. Nash - 3/26/1957 - 58 - USA-WA
2013 - S. Gifford Nielsen - 10/25/1954 - 60 - USA-UT
2009 - Brent H. Nielson - 12/8/1954 - 60 - USA-ID
2008 - Allan F. Packer - 7/7/1948 - 67 - USA-UT
2008 - Kevin W. Pearson - 4/10/1957 - 58 - USA-UT
2006 - Anthony D. Perkins - 7/22/1960 - 55 - USA-CO
2005 - Paul B. Pieper - 10/7/1957 - 57 - USA-ID
1995 - Bruce D. Porter - 9/18/1952 - 62 - USA-NM
2009 - Dale G. Renlund - 11/1/1952 - 62 - USA-UT
2009 - Michael T. Ringwood - 2/14/1958 - 57 - USA-UT
2001 - Steven E. Snow - 11/23/1949 - 65 - USA-UT
2015 - Vern P. Stanfill - 8/8/1957 - 57 - USA-MT
2011 - W. Christopher Waddell - 6/28/1959 - 56 - USA-CA
2012 - Scott D. Whiting - 4/1/1961 - 54 - USA-UT
1995 - W. Craig Zwick - 6/30/1947 - 68 - USA-UT

2nd Q70
2009 - Wilford W. Andersen - 8/22/1949 - 65 - USA-AZ
2011 - Randall K. Bennett - 6/1/1955 - 60 - Canada
2009 - Bruce A. Carlson - 10/3/1949 - 65 - USA-MN
2011 - J. Devn Cornish - 4/12/1951 - 64 - USA-UT
2013 - Timothy J. Dyches - 1/1/1951 - 64 - USA-UT
2009 - Bradley D. Foster - 1/1/1949 - 66 - USA-ID
2013 - Randy D. Funk - 8/1/1952 - 62 - USA-UT
2013 - Kevin S. Hamilton - 3/1/1955 - 60 - USA-WA
2014 - Larry S. Kacher - 2/12/1952 - 63 - USA-MN
2010 - Larry R. Lawrence - 8/25/1947 - 67 - USA-MD
2014 - Hugo E. Martinez - 1/10/1957 - 58 - Puerto Rico
2009 - James R. Martino - 3/28/1951 - 64 - USA-TX
2013 - Adrian Ochoa - 3/3/1954 - 61 - USA-CA (Latino)
2009 - Kent F. Richards - 2/25/1946 - 69 - USA-UT
2009 - Gregory A. Schwitzer - 4/2/1948 - 67 - USA-UT
2011 - Larry Y. Wilson - 12/31/1949 - 65 - USA-UT

Michael T. Ringwood is Russell M. Nelson's son-in-law.

Of the five non-Anglo-Saxon 70's, Larry J. Echo Hawk is the oldest and Hugo Montoya is the youngest.

Now to start narrowing these down into those I think are most likely, and I realize much of this may be similar to when I was speculating over one Apostle. I think the most likely combination will be one American and one non-American.

FAVORITES IF SENIOR APOSTLE IS FOREIGN

1. CLAUDIO R.M. COSTA - 66 - Brazil
2. WALTER F. GONZALEZ - 62 - Uruguay
3. JOSEPH W. SITATI - 62 - Kenya
4. BENJAMIN DE HOYOS - 62 - Mexico
5. JUAN A. UCEDA - 62 - Peru

I still give the edge to Costa if they go this route. They're familiar with him, and Brazil's the 5th most populous country in the world.

FAVORITE IF JUNIOR APOSTLE IS FOREIGN

1. ULISSES SOARES - 56 - Brazil
2. EDWARD DUBE - 53 - Zimbabwe
3. CHI HONG (SAM) WONG - 53 - Hong Kong
4. MICHAEL JOHN U. TEH - 50 - Philippines
5. GERALD CAUSEE - 51 - France

Any of these Apostles would open doors, but Soares seems to be in the right position.

FAVORITE IF SENIOR APOSTLE IS AMERICAN

1. RONALD A. RASBAND - 64
2. DONALD L. HALLSTROM - 66
3. GERRITT W. GONG - 61
4. SHAYNE M. BOWEN - 60
5. L. WHITNEY CLAYTON - 65

Rasband seems the most groomed, but to have a Chinese-American like Gong would be an interesting choice. I think Clayton has his fans in the Q12, but there'd be a wave of resignations if he was made an Apostle.

FAVORITE IF JUNIOR APOSTLE IS AMERICAN

1. JAMES J. HAMULA - 57
2. CRAIG C. CHRISTENSEN - 59
3. GARY E. STEVENSON - 59
4. HUGO MONTOYA - 55
5. SCOTT D. WHITING - 54

Hamula's been working on how best to increase baptisms now that there are more missionaries in the world, so I could see him as a strong possibility. Christensen's the youngest American in the Presidency of the 70.

IF BOTH APOSTLES ARE FOREIGN, SOME DARK HORSES...

6. MARCOS A. AIDUKAITIS - 55 - Brazil
7. IAN S. ARDERN - 61 - New Zealand
8. KAZUHIKO YAMASHITA - 61 - Japan
9. JOSE A. TEIXEIRA - 54 - Portugal
10. O. VINCENT HALECK - 66 - Samoa

IF BOTH APOSTLES ARE AMERICAN, SOME DARK HORSES...

6. ALLAN F. PACKER - 67
7. KIM B. CLARK - 66
8. LARRY J. ECHO HAWK - 66
9. JAMES R. MARTINO - 54
10. S. GIFFORD NIELSEN - 60

AND SOME NON-GENERAL AUTHORITY POSSIBILITES

11. DAVID L. BECK - 62 - Former Young Men's General President
12. KEVIN J. WORTHEN - 59 - President of BYU
13. MARLIN K. JENSEN - 73 - Emeritus General Authority
14. CRAIG P. BURTON - 62 - Former mission president; husband of Linda K. Burton
15. RICHARD E. TURLEY - 49 - Church historian

BET ALL YOUR MONEY IT'S NOT ONE OF THESE

16. ANY WOMAN
17. W. MITT ROMNEY - Former stake president
18. JOHN SWALLOW - Former bishop
19. MITCH MAYNE - Former executive secretary
20. JOHN T. ENGLISH - Former executive secretary