On Saturday morning, March 31st 2018, members of the LDS faith joined in together to sustain the newest first presidency. President Russell M. Nelson was sustained as prophet, seer and revelator and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Dallin H. Oaks was sustained at the 1st counselor along with Henry B. Eyring as the 2nd counselor. At this conference, all members of the LDS Church were able to show their support and sustain the First Presidency for the very first time. A very special assembly indeed. Also, those who listened to the conference from their homes were able to sustain the new First Presidency as well.
Additionally, newly called apostles were Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Elder Ulisses E. Soares as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When President Thomas S. Monson and Elder Robert D. Hales passed away this left two vacancies which needed to be filled.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong became an apostle for the Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter Day Saints in April 2010. He later became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on October 6, 2015. Elder Gong was born on December 23rd 1953 and grew up in Redwood City, California. He served a full-time mission in the Taiwan Taipei Mission. He married Susan Lindsay in 1980 and they have four children and 3 grandchildren.
At the time of his call to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Ulisses Soares was also a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. Since 2005 he has been serving as a General Authority Seventy. He, too, served a mission and went to the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission. Elder Soares was born on October 2nd, 1958 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He married Rosana Fernandes in October 1982 Together, they have three children and three grandchildren.
To read the full biographies of the New First Presidency or the newly called apostles go to www.lds.org
