Hello again, everyone! With today being July 18, our newest apostle, Elder Patrick Kearon, is observing his first apostolic birthday since his call to the apostleship in early December of last year. He is now 63 years old and is the youngest and least senior member of both the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and among all 15 current apostles. This is my first biographical tribute to him, so let's dive right in!
Patrick Robert David Kearon was born on this day in 1961 to Paddy and Patricia Kearon in Carlisle, Cumbria, Northern England. His parents met when both were serving in the British armed forces. Despite his family not being religious, Patrick, the youngest of five children, his upbringing was in an environment of service, sacrifice, and devotion to one another. While his family was stationed in Saudi Arabia, Patrick spent time away from his family in boarding schools, and he recounted the hardships of that.
While at his second boarding school, he and his classmates were tasked with helping to clean up after flooding in the area of his boarding school. That too was a formative experience for him in his youth. Once Patrick finished high school, he returned to his family in Saudi Arabia, where he underwent vocational training in several industries. eventually concluding with a communications consultancy that he ran with his wife.
When he was 19 years old, his father and brother-in-law died in a tragic accident. Patrick went home to England to be with his mother for a time, but soon returned to Saudi Arabia to continue working. In a later return to London, he met some Church members. From them, he gained a genuine appreciation and respect for their Christlike examples. A couple of years after that, some impressive missionaries asked if he would like a priesthood blessing.
During that blessing from a senior missionary he knew well, he felt a strong peace, light, and joy that he couldn't deny. After a couple of other experiences that further touched his mind and heart, he was baptized on Christmas Eve in 1987. Two years later, he was in a YSA ward when he met Jennifer Hulme, who was an American-born student on a foreign-exchange program. She was impressed by the way he interacted with and treated people. They married in the Oakland California Temple in January 1991.
They raised their family in England for 19 years until Elder Kearon's April 2010 General Conference call as a General Authority Seventy. Coincidentally, that was the same conference in which his now fellow apostle Elder Gerrit W. Gong was also called as a General Authority Seventy. Prior to his call as a General Authority Seventy, Elder Kearon served as branch president, stake president, and area seventy.
Elder Kearon was called to the Presidency of the Seventy in August 2017, where he served alongside both Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares, who would become his immediate apostolic seniors. Elder Kearon became the Senior President of the Seventy in August 2020, serving in that capacity until his aforementioned call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in early December of last year.
Prior to his call to the apostleship, Elder Kearon spoke in General Conference twice as a General Authority Seventy, and once as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. His first apostolic talk was definitely one that stuck out to me from the most recent General Conference. Those who know Elder Kearon best describe him as very soft-spoken, kind, and genuinely interested in everyone with whom he comes in contact.
As he continues to adjust to his new assignment, I am pleased to testify of the divine origin of his call to the apostleship. The moment I read about the call, the Spirit witnessed clearly to me that he was the right man to fill the apostolic vacancy. He brings a wealth of experience to bear on his new assignment.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to pay tribute to Elder Patrick Kearon on this, his 63rd birthday. I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines.
I hope any of you who would like to share anything will take your opportunity to “sound off” in the comments below. Please subscribe if you liked what you read here and would like to be informed of newly added posts and comments. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Until my next post, I wish you all the best and pray that the Lord will bless you all in everything you do.
