Ulisses Soares

Ulisses Soares
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31)
Called by Russell M. Nelson
LDS Church Apostle
April 5, 2018 (2018-04-05)
Called by Russell M. Nelson
Reason Deaths of Robert D. Hales and Thomas S. Monson, reorganization of the First Presidency
Presidency of the Seventy
January 6, 2013 (2013-01-06) – March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31)
Called by Thomas S. Monson
End reason Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
First Quorum of the Seventy
April 2, 2005 (2005-04-02) – March 31, 2018 (2018-03-31)
Called by Gordon B. Hinckley
End reason Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Personal details
Born Ulisses Soares
(1958-10-02) October 2, 1958
São Paulo, Brazil
Alma mater Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, (B.A., accounting and economics, 1985)
National Institute of Postgraduate Study, (MBA)
Spouse(s) Rosana Fernandes Morgado (1982–present)
Children 3
Parents Apparecido and Mercedes Carecho Soares

Ulisses Soares (born 2 October 1958) is a Brazilian businessman and is the junior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He has been a general authority since 2005 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from January 2013 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. He is the LDS Church's first apostle from Brazil. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Soares is accepted by the LDS Church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the junior and fifteenth most senior apostle in the church.[1]

Early life and education

Soares was born in São Paulo, Brazil, the son of Apparecido Soares and Mercedes Carecho Soares. He is of Amerindian and European descent.[2] His family joined the LDS Church when he was about five, after learning of the church from an aunt who had joined. The LDS branch they first attended met in a rented space above a bakery, and Soares has spoken of fond memories of the smells of baking bread wafting into sacrament meeting.[3] As a young man, Soares served as a Mormon missionary in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission.

Soares was educated in Brazil, receiving a bachelor's degree in accounting and economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo in 1985. He also received an MBA from the National Institute of Postgraduate Study.[4]

Career

Prior to his call as a general authority, Soares was employed as the director of temporal affairs for the LDS Church's Brazil South Area. At the time of his call as a general authority, he was working on a special assignment for the church's Presiding Bishopric in Salt Lake City.[5] He had worked for Pirelli Tire Company and other multi-national corporations as an auditor and accountant. He was convinced by Donald L. Clark to take a job as a senior auditor for the church. After Clark was called as a mission president, Soares replaced him as director of temporal affairs.

LDS Church service

Soares has served in the LDS Church as an elders quorum president, counselor in a bishopric, member of a stake high council and regional welfare agent. In 1995, Soares was appointed the first president of the São Paulo Brazil Cotia Stake.[6] Soares served as president of the Porto Portugal Mission from 2000 to 2003.

General authority

In 2005, Soares became a member of the LDS Church's First Quorum of the Seventy. In his first talk at a general conference in October 2005 he emphasized that the gospel is about people not programs.[7] He has served as a counselor and as president of the church's Brazil South Area and as a counselor in the Africa Southeast Area. On January 6, 2013, Soares became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, replacing Walter F. González. In that capacity, Soares had responsibility for the church's North America Southeast Area,[8] along with the Idaho and North America Central areas.[9]

Quorum of the Twelve

On March 31, 2018, Soares was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.[10] He and Gerrit W. Gong were sustained to fill the vacancies created from the deaths of Thomas S. Monson and Robert D. Hales.[11] He was widely reported as one of the first two "non-white" members of the church's Quorum of the Twelve.[12] [13]The call of Soares and Gong was called the church leadership's "most significant nod to global diversity since the 1978 revelation on the priesthood" by LDS studies scholar Patrick Q. Mason.[14] Marcus Martins, an LDS expert in sociology and a native of Brazil, said that the call of Soares showcases the potential for international service of many Brazilian members of the LDS Church.[15]

As of April 2018, Soares has given six talks in general conference, and five other talks at church universities or young adult devotionals.[16]

The first major tour Soares did as an apostle was to multiple countries in western Africa.[17] He traveled with Neil L. Anderson, and their wives, to Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana and the Ivory Coast.[18] As of June 2018, he is assigned to serve on the church's missionary executive council.[19] He is also serving as a member of the church's human resources committee and as the member of the Quorum of the Twelve with responsibility for the church's Africa West and Central America areas.[20]

Personal life

Soares married Rosana Fernandes Morgado in the Sao Paulo Brazil Temple in October, 1982. They served as missionaries in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission at the same time, however they did not actually meet until later when they were both at a stake dance in Sao Paulo.[21] They have three children.

References

  1. ↑ Apostolic seniority is generally understood to include all ordained apostles (including the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Seniority is determined by date of ordination, not by age or other factors. If two apostles are ordained on the same day, the older of the two is typically ordained first. See Succession to the presidency and Heath, Steven H. (Summer 1987). "Notes on Apostolic Succession" (PDF). Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. 20 (2): 44–56. .
  2. ↑ "The Mormon church's newest — and most diverse — apostles say they're just regular people humbled by the calling".
  3. ↑ Swensen, Jason (31 March 2018). "Church members rejoice at calling of first Asian American, Latin American apostles".
  4. ↑ "Elder Ulisses Soares", Liahona, May 2013, p. 139.
  5. ↑ "Elder Ulisses Soares". www.lds.org.
  6. ↑ 2008 Deseret Morning News Church Almanac (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Morning News, 2007) p. 323.
  7. ↑ "Elder Ulisses Soares called to serve as first Latin American apostle in LDS Church - KSL.com".
  8. ↑ "Elder Soares called to Presidency of Seventy", Church News, December 15, 2012, p. 13.
  9. ↑ Morgenegg, Ryan (12 November 2015). "Changes announced for Area Presidencies". Church News.
  10. ↑ "5 curiosidades sobre nosso novo apóstolo, o Élder Ulisses Soares". 31 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "Latter-day Saints Sustain New First Presidency in Solemn Assembly: Two new leaders named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2018-03-31
  12. ↑ "Mormon Church Selects 2 Senior Leaders, and Neither Is a White American".
  13. ↑ McCombs, Brady. "Mormons make history with Brazilian and Asian leaders".
  14. ↑ Peggy Fletcher Stark "Nelson makes history with his choice of Mormonism’s first Asian-American and Latin American apostles", Salt Lake Tribune, March 31, 2018
  15. ↑ "Nelson makes history with his choice of Mormonism's first Asian-American and Latin American apostles".
  16. ↑ "Collected Talks of Ulisses Soares — bencrowder.net". bencrowder.net.
  17. ↑ [https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900023248/lds-elders-gong-soares-first-3-months-as-apostles.html article on Soares
  18. ↑ "Elder Andersen and Elder Soares Visit West Africa Area - Church News and Events".
  19. ↑ "New mission leaders prepare to take off from 'Missionary Training Center launch pad'". 29 June 2018.
  20. ↑ Deseret News June 30, 2018]
  21. ↑ "Elder Ulisses Soares: A 'witness' for the world", LDS Church News, April 13, 2018

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles
Preceded by
Gerrit W. Gong		 Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
March 31, 2018 –		 Succeeded by
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