As I did a few days ago for Elder Stevenson, I want to present a
brief biography of Elder Andersen, including important highlights of his time
as a general authority. Born in Logan, Utah in 1951, Elder Andersen served a
full-time mission in France.. He obtained a bachelor's degree during his time
at BYU-Provo (in economics), and his MBA at Harvard with that same major.
During his time at BYU, he met and married his wife, Kathy Sue Anderson, and
together they raised four children.
He spent his professional career working various jobs. At the
pinnacle of his career, he was Vice President of the Morton Plant Health
Stystem. His Church service involved time as a stake president, mission
president (overseeing the France Bordeaux mission) from 1989-1992. Less than a
year after his return, he was called to be a member of the First Quorum of the
Seventy.
During his time as a Seventy, he served in a wide
variety of Church assignments, including as executive director of the church's
Audiovisual Department, assistant executive director of the Priesthood
Department, and in the presidencies of the following areas:
Europe West Utah North, Utah South, North America Southwest, North America
Northeast, and the Brazil South Area (during which time he served as the area
president).
In 2005, Elder Andersen was called to the Presidency of the
Seventy, where he was assigned to preside over the Idaho and North America
Southwest areas. He gradually moved up in the ranks of the Presidency of the
Seventy until 2008, when Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s call to the Quorum of
the Twelve in April and Elder Earl C. Tingey’s release from the Presidency the
following August, at which point he became the senior president and was
assigned to assist in all areas.
When Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin’s death in December 2008 resulted in
a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Andersen became the
second apostle to be call, sustained, and ordained during President Monson’s
presidency.
Because Elder Andersen has been a part of general Church
leadership since April 1993, and had an increase of his opportunities to speak
in General Conference as a result of his subsequent calls to the Presidency of
the Seventy (being given the opportunity to speak every 1.5-2 years) and his
calling to the apostleship (where he speaks once each conference, the total
number of General Conference talks he has given in any capacity add up to 22.
To review any or all of those talks, click here.
I am grateful for Elder Andersen's ministry. I hope with all my
heart that today went well for him. For now, thanks for the privilege of your
time. Any comments are welcome and appreciated. Until I post again, all the
best.
