First Presidency Announces Area Leadership/Presidency of the Seventy Changes

Earlier today, the Church News put out a report of the changes in area leadership that will be effective as of August 1 of this year. You can read about  those changes here. I will be posting an analysis later today on what these changes mean in terms of new area leadership.

In the meantime, among the reported changes is this interesting tidbit: there will be changes in the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, who is second in seniority in that presidency and has been serving since the April 2009 General Conference when Elder Neil L. Andersen was called to the apostleship, will be released, as well as Elder Richard J. Maynes, who has served in the Presidency of the Seventy since January of 2012, when his call was the result of Steven E. Snow's call from that Presidency to become the Church's new historian and recorder.

Called in place of these two brethren were Elders Juan A. Uceda and Patrick Kearon, who were both sustained as General Authority Seventies at the same time as Elder Gerrit W. Gong. This change marks the first time of which I am aware within which 4 General Authority Seventies born outside the United States have all served together in the Presidency of the Seventy. How wonderful it was to be able to read about that. More coming on general Church news and the specific area leadership changes very soon. Thanks to you all.