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Footnotes

“New Area Leaders Assigned,” Liahona, August 2015, 12–13

News of the Church

New Area Leaders Assigned

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The First Presidency has announced changes in area leadership assignments, effective on August 1, 2015. All members of Area Presidencies are members of the First or Second Quorum of the Seventy.

The Seventy are called by revelation, under the direction of the First Presidency, to assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in their ministry throughout the world.

“The history of the Seventies really goes back to the Old Testament,” said President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015), President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.¹ The first reference to the Seventy is found in Exodus 24:1, and they are later referred to in Numbers 11:16–17, 25, when they are gathered to assist Moses.

During Christ’s mortal ministry, He called the Seventy, instructed them in a manner similar to the Twelve Apostles, and sent them out “before his face,” explaining that those who heard their voices would hear His voice (see Matthew 10:1, 16–17; Luke 10).

“We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive Church,” President Packer said. “And it included Seventies.” (See Articles of Faith 1:6.) In today’s rapidly growing Church, the Seventy play an important role in assisting the Twelve. “Seventies by delegation can do anything the Twelve tell them to do,” President Packer said.²

Presidency of the Seventy

Elder Ronald A. Rasband — **Assists in all areas**

Elder L. Whitney Clayton — **Utah South**

Elder Donald L. Hallstrom — **North America Northeast**

Elder Richard J. Maynes — **North America West**

Elder Craig C. Christensen — **North America Central**

Elder Ulisses Soares — **North America Southeast**

Elder Lynn G. Robbins — **North America Southwest**

Africa Southeast

Elder Stanley G. Ellis — **First Counselor**

Elder Kevin S. Hamilton — **Second Counselor**

Africa West

Elder Terence M. Vinson — **First Counselor**

Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. — **President**

Elder David F. Evans — **Second Counselor**

Asia

Elder Randy D. Funk — **First Counselor**

Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong — **Second Counselor**

Asia North

Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita — **First Counselor**

Elder Yoon Hwan Choi — **Second Counselor**

Brazil

Elder Jairo Mazzagardi — **First Counselor**

Elder Claudio R. M. Costa — **President**

Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis — **Second Counselor**

Caribbean

Elder Claudio D. Zivic — **First Counselor**

Elder Hugo E. Martinez — **Second Counselor**

Central America

Elder Adrián Ochoa — **First Counselor**

Elder Jose L. Alonso — **Second Counselor**

Europe

Elder Paul V. Johnson — **First Counselor**

Elder Timothy J. Dyches — **Second Counselor**

Europe East

Elder Jörg Klebingat — **First Counselor**

Elder Larry S. Kacher — **Second Counselor**

Mexico

Elder Paul B. Pieper — **First Counselor**

Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela — **Second Counselor**

Middle East/Africa North

Elder Larry R. Lawrence — Larry R. Lawrence

Elder Wilford W. Andersen — Wilford W. Andersen

Administered from Church headquarters

Pacific

Elder O. Vincent Haleck — **First Counselor**

Elder S. Gifford Nielsen — **Second Counselor**

Philippines

Elder Shayne M. Bowen — **First Counselor**

Elder Allen D. Haynie — **Second Counselor**

South America Northwest

Elder W. Christopher Waddell — **First Counselor**

Elder Carlos A. Godoy — **Second Counselor**

South America South

Elder Francisco J. Viñas — **First Counselor**

Elder Walter F. González — **President**

Elder José A. Teixeira — **Second Counselor**