Guessing the Next Three Apostles

I've done my pieces on guessing the next apostle after Elder Perry died, and guessing the next two after Pres. Packer died, but now that Elder Scott has died, Pres. Monson will now have the opportunity to call three Apostles at once, something that hasn't happened since Joseph F. Smith did so in 1906.

The decision is up to Pres. Monson, but he will have help/advice/suggestions from his counselors in the First Presidency as well as the other apostles. It's unclear at this point just how far along his dementia is, but you could tell at this weekend's Women's Session of Conference that he has a handler who is on him at all times to walk him where he needs to go.

As we're only a few days away, I'm going to give my best guesses as to who they'll be. I've given my analysis on most of them in previous posts, and here's my participation in a TribTalk interview with the Salt Lake Tribune's Jennifer Napier-Pearce and Peggy Fletcher Stack, Mormon Matters' Dan Wotherspoon, and A Thoughtful Faith's Gina Colvin.

AMERICAN

FAVORITES

James J. Hamula

1. Ronald A. Rasband - 2/6/51 (64) - He's been in the Presidency of the Seventy the longest. He's a few months older than Neil L. Andersen.
2. James J. Hamula - 11/20/57 (57) - I base this on confirmation from a Reddit user who claims that he works in the Church Office Building, and indeed, Rasband and Hamula are the top two Americans on the list, which coincides from what I've heard from others in the COB.
3. David F. Evans - 8/11/51 (64) - He's been a General Authority for ten years. He's a former stake president, mission president, and his mother was once a counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. His background is law, and he once worked for the prominent Utah firm Durham, Jones & Pinegar.
4. Gary E. Stevenson - 8/5/55 (60) - Current Presiding Bishop.

MAYBES

Larry J. Echo Hawk

5. Larry J. Echo Hawk - 8/2/48 (67) - I'm sensing increased interest in him. He's Native American (Pawnee), and he'd therefore be the first non-white Apostle in LDS history. He's Democrat, and so it would therefore indicate more diversity in the quorum, which has been a model of uniformity as of late.
6. Gerrit W. Gong - 12/23/53 (61) - He's Chinese, so he'd also be the first non-white Apostle in LDS history, should it happen. He's been an employee for the US State Department and worked in the US Embassy in China. He's worked as a professor at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins before working at BYU. He served his mission in Taiwan and has been a bishop and stake president before becoming a Seventy.
7. Michael T. Ringwood - 2/14/58 (57) - He worked at Huntsman Chemical with Rasband, so I think that there's no way both could be called, but if Rasband is not one of the three, I could Ringwood sliding in there. Plus he's Russell M. Nelson's son-in-law, and family relations have rarely hurt a GA's chances of becoming an Apostle.
8. L. Whitney Clayton - 2/24/50 (65) - I get the feeling if it was up to a couple of the senior Apostles, Clayton would be a shoo-in, but I think there's enough red flags against him that he won't be called. But I mention him because he is in such prime position.
9. Kevin R. Duncan - 10/6/60 (54) - He served his mission in Chile and later went back to be a mission president in Chile. He knows adversity; his first wife died in a car accident when they'd only been married for two years, leaving him with a baby to riase by himself. He remarried and became a lawyer. He's one of the youngest Americans in the Seventy.
10. David L. Beck - 4/12/53 (62) - Recently released as Young Men's General President, he has a lot of experience in Brazil. He lived there for a few years as a child while his dad was a mission president there. When he was 19, he was called to serve his mission in Brazil. Later, he would serve as a mission president in Brazil.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention Donald L. Hallstrom, Richard J. Maynes, Craig C. Christensen, and Lynn G. Robbins as possibilities. I'll also keep the names of Steven E. Snow, Tad R. Callister, Shayne M. Bowen, Allen F. Packer, Hugo Montoya, Scott D. Whiting, and Kent F. Richards out there.

NON-AMERICAN

HEAVY FAVORITES

I'm less confident in making these guesses, because deep down, I know there's a good chance all three new Apostles could still be American. Nevertheless, I hope at least one is not.

Ulisses Soares

1. Ulisses Soares - 10/2/58 (56) - Brazil - Being part of the Presidency of the Seventy is a big plus for him.
2. Claudio R.M. Costa - 3/25/49 (66) - Brazil - Had a stint in the Presidency of the Seventy, and his talks have had a more conservative bent, which might make him ideal to fit right into the Quorum and continue their uniformity.
3. Walter F. Gonzalez - 11/18/52 (62) - Uruguay - Another who had some years in the Presidency of the Seventy. Raised Catholic, he converted to the LDS church when he was 21. He was a mission president in Ecuador, and he worked for CES in Ecuador.
4. Joseph W. Sitati - 5/16/52 (63) - Kenya - He was the first Black African to become a member of the First Quorum of Seventy, and I could see his milestone-making with this calling. His last General Conference talk on eternal marriage signified he would continue the current trajectory of the Q12.

MAYBES

Edward Dube

5. Edward Dube - 5/12/62 (53) - Zimbabwe - The other Black African in the 1st Quorum of Seventy, I could see his youth and charisma being a good addition to the Q12. With Africa one of the fastest-growing continents for church membership, it'd be a good move.
6. Marcos A. Aidukaitis - 8/30/59 (56) - Brazil - He has a background in mechanical engineering, and he's been key in expanding the church in Brazil, serving as the first stake president for two newly organized stakes. He also served as mission president there. Pres. Monson called him to the 1st Quorum of Seventy his first General Conference as prophet.
7. Gerald Causee - 5/20/63 (52) - France - He was the first GA from France, and if called, he'd only be the fourth Apostle in LDS history where English was not his first language (behind Anthon Lund, John A. Widtsoe, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf).
8. Chi Hong (Sam) Wong - 5/25/62 (53) - China - China is the most populous country in the world, and having someone like him as an Apostle/ambassador would do wonders for future church growth there, should religious restrictions ease up.
9. Michael John U. Teh - 6/25/65 (50) - Philippines - The Philippines is another populous country that has seen significant growth as of late. Teh has been a church employee most of his career before becoming a GA, so he's had a chance to work with many Apostles.
10. Rafael E. Pino - 10/27/55 (59) - Venezuela - He served his mission in Venezuela and was a mission president in Argentina. He's also worked most of his career as a church employee.

Other names I could see them considering are Ian S. Ardern, Benjamin De Hoyos, Yoon Hwan Choi, Carlos A. Godoy, Jorg Klebingat, Jose A. Teixeira, and Juan A. Uceda.

So my final guess for the three: Ronald A. Rasband, James J. Hamula, and Ulisses Soares.

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

#LDSConf Highlights October 2014: Sunday Morning Session

HENRY B. EYRING - "Continuing Revelation"

My hope for us today is that we may all feel love and light from God. There are many listening today who feel a pressing need for that blessing of personal revelation from our loving Heavenly Father...

We all know that human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to the questions that matter most in life. We need revelation from God. And we will need not just one revelation in a time of stress, but we need a constantly renewed stream. We need not just one flash of light and comfort, but we need the continuing blessing of communication with God.

The very existence of the Church stems from a young boy knowing that was true. Young Joseph Smith knew that he could not of himself know which church to join. So he asked of God, as the book of James told him he could. God the Father and His Beloved Son appeared in a grove of trees. They answered the question that was beyond Joseph’s power to resolve...

My mother must have understood that principle of revelation. As a young man, I would close the back door very quietly when I came home late in the evening. I had to pass my mother’s bedroom on the way to mine. However quietly I tiptoed, just as I got to her half-opened door, I would hear my name, ever so quietly, “Hal. Come in for a moment.”

I would go in and sit on the edge of her bed. The room would be dark. If you had listened, you would have thought it was only friendly talk about life. But to this day, what she said comes back to my mind with the same power I feel when I read the transcript of my patriarchal blessing.

I don’t know what she was asking for in prayer as she waited for me those nights. I suppose it would have been in part for my safety. But I am sure that she prayed as a patriarch does before he gives a blessing. He prays that his words will come to the recipient as the words of God, not his. My mother’s prayers for that blessing were answered on my head. She is in the spirit world and has been for more than 40 years. I am sure she has been exceedingly glad that I was blessed, as she asked, to hear in her counsel the commands of God. And I have tried to go and do as she hoped I would...

Heavenly Father hears your prayers. He loves you. He knows your name. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and our Redeemer. He loves you beyond your ability to comprehend.

God pours out revelation, through the Holy Ghost, on His children. He speaks to His prophet on the earth, who today is Thomas S. Monson. I witness that he holds and exercises all the keys of the priesthood on earth.

As you listen in this conference to the words of those God has called to speak for Him, I pray that you will receive the confirming revelation you need to find your way on the journey home again, to dwell with Him in a sealed family forever. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

RUSSELL M. NELSON - "Sustaining the Prophets"

Yesterday, we were each invited to sustain Thomas S. Monson as the prophet of the Lord and President of the Lord’s Church. And often we sing, “We thank thee, O God, for a prophet.” Do you and I really understand what that means? Imagine the privilege the Lord has given us of sustaining His prophet, whose counsel will be untainted, unvarnished, unmotivated by any personal aspiration, and utterly true!

How do we really sustain a prophet? Long before he became President of the Church, President Joseph F. Smith explained, “It is an important duty resting upon the Saints who … sustain the authorities of the Church, to do so not only by the lifting of the hand, the mere form, but in deed and in truth.”

Well do I remember my most unique “deed” to sustain a prophet. As a medical doctor and cardiac surgeon, I had the responsibility of performing open-heart surgery on President Spencer W. Kimball in 1972, when he was Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He needed a very complex operation. But I had no experience doing such a procedure on a 77-year-old patient in heart failure. I did not recommend the operation and so informed President Kimball and the First Presidency. But, in faith, President Kimball chose to have the operation, only because it was advised by the First Presidency. That shows how he sustained his leaders! And his decision made me tremble!

Thanks to the Lord, the operation was a success. When President Kimball’s heart resumed beating, it did so with great power! At that very moment, I had a clear witness of the Spirit that this man would one day become President of the Church!

You know the outcome. Only 20 months later, President Kimball became President of the Church. And he provided bold and courageous leadership for many years...

The calling of 15 men to the holy apostleship provides great protection for us as members of the Church. Why? Because decisions of these leaders must be unanimous. Can you imagine how the Spirit needs to move upon 15 men to bring about unanimity? These 15 men have varied educational and professional backgrounds, with differing opinions about many things. Trust me! These 15 men—prophets, seers, and revelators—know what the will of the Lord is when unanimity is reached! They are committed to see that the Lord’s will truly will be done. The Lord’s Prayer provides the pattern for each of these 15 men when they pray: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”...

The Church today has been organized by the Lord Himself. He has put in place a remarkable system of governance that provides redundancy and backup. That system provides for prophetic leadership even when the inevitable illnesses and incapacities may come with advancing age. Counterbalances and safeguards abound so that no one can ever lead the Church astray. Senior leaders are constantly being tutored such that one day they are ready to sit in the highest councils. They learn how to hear the voice of the Lord through the whisperings of the Spirit.

CAROL F. McCONKIE - "Live According to the Words of the Prophets"
First Counselor, Young Women General Presidency

Our Father in Heaven loves all of His children and desires that they know and understand His plan of happiness. Therefore, He calls prophets, those who have been ordained with power and authority to act in God’s name for the salvation of His children. They are messengers of righteousness, witnesses of Jesus Christ and the infinite power of His Atonement. They hold the keys of the kingdom of God on earth and authorize the performance of saving ordinances.

In the Lord’s true Church, “there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred.” We sustain President Thomas S. Monson as our prophet, seer, and revelator. He reveals the word of the Lord to guide and direct our entire Church. As President J. Reuben Clark Jr. explained, “The President of the Church … alone has the right to receive revelations for the Church.”...

In a world threatened by a famine of righteousness and spiritual starvation, we have been commanded to sustain the prophet. As we give heed to, uphold, and affirm prophetic word, we witness that we have the faith to humbly submit to the will, the wisdom, and the timing of the Lord.

We heed prophetic word even when it may seem unreasonable, inconvenient, and uncomfortable. According to the world’s standards, following the prophet may be unpopular, politically incorrect, or socially unacceptable. But following the prophet is always right. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”...

As we prayerfully read and study sacred prophetic word with faith in Christ, with real intent, the Holy Ghost will speak truth to our minds and hearts. May we open our ears to hear, our hearts to understand, and our minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to our view.

I bear my witness that Joseph Smith was and is the prophet called of God to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ and His priesthood to the earth. And I testify that in President Monson we are led by a true prophet of God today. May we choose to stand with the prophets and live according to their words until we become unified in faith, purified in Christ, and filled with the knowledge of the Son of God. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

ROBERT D. HALES - "Eternal Life, to Know Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ"

Many years ago I took the opportunity to study the final testimonies of the prophets in each dispensation. Each bore a powerful witness of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

As I have read these testimonies—and many others like them over the years—it has always touched my heart to sense how deeply Heavenly Father loves His eldest Son and how Jesus shows His love by His obedience to His Father’s will. I testify that when we do what is necessary to know Them and know Their love for one another, we will obtain “the greatest of all the gifts of God”—even eternal life. For “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

How can this gift be ours? It comes through a matter of personal revelation, which has been spoken of and taught this morning.

Do you remember the first time you knew there was a God and could feel His love? As a boy, I used to gaze into the starry sky and ponder and feel His presence. I thrilled to explore the magnificent beauties of God’s creations—from tiny insects to towering trees. As I recognized the beauty of this earth, I knew that Heavenly Father loved me. I knew that I was a literal spiritual offspring, that we are all sons and daughters of God.

How did I know this? you might ask. The scriptures teach, “To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and … to others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.” From my perspective, this does not mean that some people will forever be dependent upon the testimonies of others...

You too can seek our Heavenly Father and “this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have [testified]” in the scriptures and in this general conference. As you seek a personal witness—your personal revelation—you will discover that Heavenly Father has provided a special way for you to know the truth for yourself: through the third member of the Godhead, a personage of spirit we know as the Holy Ghost.

“And when ye shall receive these things”—including what I have shared today—“I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know [with a surety] the truth of all things.”

Brothers and sisters, I testify that our Heavenly Father wants us to seek this knowledge now. The words of the prophet Helaman cry from the dust: “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation … , a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” Indeed, we will not fail.

That sure foundation is Jesus Christ. He is “the Rock of Heaven.” When we build our house upon Him, the rains of the latter days may descend, the floods may come, and the winds may blow, but we will not fall. We will not fail, for our home and our family will be founded upon Christ.

JAMES J. HAMULA - "The Sacrament and the Atonement"
1st Quroum of the Seventy

On the eve of Gethsemane and Calvary, Jesus gathered His Apostles together one last time to worship. The place was the upper room of a disciple’s home in Jerusalem, and the season was Passover.

Before them was the traditional Passover meal, consisting of the sacrificial lamb, wine, and unleavened bread, emblems of Israel’s past salvation from slavery and death and of a future redemption yet to be realized. As the meal drew to a conclusion, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to His Apostles, saying, “Take, eat.” “This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” In a similar manner, He took the cup of wine, offered a blessing on it, and passed it to those around Him, saying: “This cup is the new testament in my blood,” “which is shed … for the remission of sins.” “This do in remembrance of me.”...

The ordinance of the sacrament has been called “one of the most holy and sacred ordinances in the Church.” It needs to become more holy and sacred to each of us. Jesus Christ Himself instituted the ordinance to remind us what He did to redeem us and to teach us how we may avail ourselves of His Redemption and thereby live with God again.

With torn and broken bread, we signify that we remember the physical body of Jesus Christ—a body that was buffeted with pains, afflictions, and temptations of every kind, a body that bore a burden of anguish sufficient to bleed at every pore, a body whose flesh was torn and whose heart was broken in crucifixion. We signify our belief that while that same body was laid to rest in death, it was raised again to life from the grave, never again to know disease, decay, or death. And in taking the bread to ourselves, we acknowledge that, like Christ’s mortal body, our bodies will be released from the bonds of death, rise triumphantly from the grave, and be restored to our eternal spirits.

With a small cup of water, we signify that we remember the blood Jesus spilled and the spiritual suffering He endured for all mankind. We remember the agony that caused great drops of blood to fall in Gethsemane. We remember the bruising and scourging He endured at the hands of His captors. We remember the blood He spilled from His hands, feet, and side while at Calvary. And we remember His personal reflection on His suffering: “How sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.” In taking the water to ourselves, we acknowledge that His blood and suffering atoned for our sins and that He will remit our sins as we embrace and accept the principles and ordinances of His gospel.

Thus, with bread and water, we are reminded of Christ’s Redemption of us from death and sin. The sequence of bread first and water second is not inconsequential. In partaking of the bread, we are reminded of our own inevitable personal resurrection, which consists of more than just the restoration of body and spirit. By the power of the Resurrection, all of us will be restored to the presence of God. That reality presents to us the fundamental question of our lives. The fundamental question facing all of us is not whether we will live but with whom we will live after we die. While every one of us will return to the presence of God, not every one of us will remain with Him...

Brothers and sisters, the most important event in time and eternity is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He who accomplished the Atonement has given us the ordinance of the sacrament to help us not only remember but also claim the blessings of this supreme act of grace. Regular and earnest participation in this sacred ordinance helps us continue to embrace and live the doctrine of Christ after baptism and thereby pursue and complete the process of sanctification. Indeed, the ordinance of the sacrament helps us faithfully endure to the end and receive the fulness of the Father in the same way Jesus did, grace for grace.

I bear witness of the power of Jesus Christ to redeem us all from death and sin and of the power of the ordinances of His priesthood, including the sacrament, to prepare us to “see the face of God, even the Father, and live.” May we receive the sacrament next week, and each week thereafter, with deeper desire and more earnest purpose, I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

THOMAS S. MONSON - "Ponder the Path of Thy Feet"

All of us commenced a wonderful and essential journey when we left the spirit world and entered this often-challenging stage called mortality. The primary purposes of our existence upon the earth are to obtain a body of flesh and bones, to gain experience that could come only through separation from our heavenly parents, and to see if we would keep the commandments. In the book of Abraham chapter 3 we read: “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”

When we came to the earth, we brought with us that great gift from God—even our agency. In thousands of ways we are privileged to choose for ourselves. Here we learn from the hard taskmaster of experience. We discern between good and evil. We differentiate as to the bitter and the sweet. We learn that decisions determine destiny...

When Jesus extended to a certain rich man the invitation, “Come, follow me,” He did not intend merely that the rich man follow Him up and down the hills and valleys of the countryside.

We need not walk by the shores of Galilee or among the Judean hills to walk where Jesus walked. All of us can walk the path He walked when, with His words ringing in our ears, His Spirit filling our hearts, and His teachings guiding our lives, we choose to follow Him as we journey through mortality. His example lights the way. Said He, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

As we examine the path Jesus walked, we will see that it took Him through many of the same challenges we ourselves will face in life.

For example, Jesus walked the path of disappointment. Although He experienced many disappointments, one of the most poignant was depicted in His lament over Jerusalem as He closed His public ministry. The children of Israel had rejected the safety of the protecting wing which He had offered them. As He looked out over the city soon to be abandoned to destruction, He was overcome by emotions of deep sorrow. In anguish He cried out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!”

Jesus walked the path of temptation. Lucifer, that evil one, amassing his greatest strength, his most inviting sophistry, tempted Him who had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Jesus did not succumb; rather, He resisted each temptation. His parting words: “Get thee hence, Satan.”

Jesus walked the path of pain. Consider Gethsemane, where He was “in an agony … and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” And none can forget His suffering on the cruel cross.

Each of us will walk the path of disappointment, perhaps because of an opportunity lost, a power misused, a loved one’s choices, or a choice we ourselves make. The path of temptation too will be the path of each. We read in the 29th section of the Doctrine and Covenants: “And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves.”

Likewise shall we walk the path of pain. We, as servants, can expect no more than the Master, who left mortality only after great pain and suffering.

While we will find on our path bitter sorrow, we can also find great happiness.

We, with Jesus, can walk the path of obedience. It will not always be easy, but let our watchword be the heritage bequeathed us by Samuel: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” Let us remember that the end result of disobedience is captivity and death, while the reward for obedience is liberty and eternal life.

We, like Jesus, can walk the path of service. As a glowing searchlight of goodness is the life of Jesus as He ministered among men. He brought strength to the limbs of the cripple, sight to the eyes of the blind, hearing to the ears of the deaf.

Jesus walked the path of prayer. He taught us how to pray by giving us the beautiful prayer we know as the Lord’s Prayer. And who can forget His prayer in Gethsemane, “Not my will, but thine, be done”?...

We read in Proverbs the admonition, “Ponder the path of thy feet.” As we do, we will have the faith, even the desire, to walk the path which Jesus walked. We will have no doubt that we are on a path which our Father would have us follow. The Savior’s example provides a framework for everything that we do, and His words provide an unfailing guide. His path will take us safely home. May this be our blessing, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whom I love, whom I serve, and of whom I testify, amen.