Elder Carlos H. Amado of the Second Quorum of the Seventy

When his family first attended an LDS meeting, nine-year-old Carlos didn’t care much for the idea, fearing it might be like chaotic meetings he had seen in some other churches. And nothing in this new church seemed to appeal—until the elder who greeted his family told Carlos about Boy Scouts!

It wasn’t long until the family joined the Church. Carlos grew up in it, and he has matured spiritually through a lifetime of service. On April 1, Elder Carlos H. Amado of Guatemala City, Guatemala, was sustained as a member of the new Second Quorum of the Seventy.

The calling came as a surprise to him—but not to his children. Knowing their father’s strengths, they have long believed he would one day be a General Authority. The Amados’ eldest son—sixteen-year-old Carlos Josue—could only weep for joy when his parents told their children of the call. Excitement took over for their other children—Julio, sixteen, whom they have recently adopted; David, fifteen; Juan Pablo, eleven; Andres, ten; and Mayavel, eight, named for her mother.

Elder Amado reflects that he and his wife are part of “the first generation of members who have grown up in the Church in Guatemala.” Both were born in Guatemala City, he on 25 September 1944, and she eight years and two days later. Mayavel’s parents joined the Church when she was four. She and Carlos knew each other as children. But their romance did not develop until after her family returned from five years of living in El Salvador, and after he had served in the Andes Mission from 1965 to 1967. They were married in December of 1971.

He was working as a draftsman when he was called as a bishop several years ago. He had been teaching seminary since the beginning of the program in Guatemala, and he continued while he served as bishop. After two years, he was hired to work in the Church Educational System, and three months later, he was called to be CES area director in Guatemala. He has worked for the Church Educational System for fourteen years.

In the years since his mission, Elder Amado has been a branch president, bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, stake president, mission president, and twice a Regional Representative. While he was president of the Guatemala Guatemala City Mission from 1980–84, he was asked to reopen and preside simultaneously over the El Salvador San Salvador Mission.

After being released as mission president and before being called again as Regional Representative, Elder Amado served as Blazer leader in their ward. Typically, his wife says, he prepared as thoroughly and carefully for his Primary lesson as he would for a presentation to a group of priesthood leaders.

She, too, has given much in Church callings throughout their married life; for some time now she has served as an assistant matron in the temple. The Amados know they must support each other as husband and wife to be able to fulfill their responsibilities.

On occasion, Elder Amado may relax by playing table tennis with his children, and he tries to run every day for exercise. But he seems to thrive on Church work.

“The thing that made me admire him when we met, after not having seen each other since we were children, was his love for the Lord,” Sister Amado says. “His greatest concern is that we focus our attention on Christ.”

Often, fulfilling his many Church leadership responsibilities has required great personal sacrifice. But it is not in his nature to think of service as a sacrifice. “I have never felt that my callings are burdens—but blessings,” Elder Amado explains.

“Everything I am, and all that I have, I have received through being involved in the service of the Lord.”