Elder Ciro Schmeil

General Authority Seventy

Elder Ciro Schmeil has always strived to be obedient to the Lord, even when he did not understand the reason behind a specific commandment. “As we are obedient, as we keep the commandments,” he has learned, “the Lord will always bless us.”

In fulfilling his callings, he has seen the blessings that come from obedience. While serving as a bishop and a stake president, he had many treasured opportunities to “see people changing their lives because of their testimony of the Savior and of the Book of Mormon.”

Elder Schmeil was born on April 16, 1971, in Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil, to Bruno and Erica Schmeil, both converts to the Church. He grew up in Curitiba, Brazil, and about the time his parents were called to preside over the Brazil Campinas Mission, he left to serve in the Utah Ogden Mission.

While attending the University of Utah, Elder Schmeil met Alessandra Machado Louza, a student at Brigham Young University, at a devotional. “When we met for the first time at the devotional, she totally ignored me,” he said. But for him, it was love at first sight.

They were married in the São Paulo Brazil Temple in July 1994 and finished their studies in the United States. They returned to Brazil for 20 years before moving to Colorado, USA, and then to Florida, USA. Elder and Sister Schmeil are the parents of two children.

Elder Schmeil earned a bachelor of arts degree in architectural studies from the University of Utah in 1995 and an executive master of business administration degree from Ohio University in 2010. He has worked for Walmart Brasil as vice president and director of real estate development, as chief operating officer of Scopel, as general manager of Cia City, and most recently as head of real estate for JBS S.A.

Elder Schmeil has served as an Area Seventy, stake president, counselor in a stake presidency, bishop, elders quorum president, and branch president.