Elder David R. Stone

Of the Seventy

Seeing the world has been a commonplace experience for Elder David R. Stone, recently called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 16 June 1936, he grew up speaking English at home and Spanish at school. When he was 10, his parents divorced, and during his teen years he lived in a boarding school and spent summers on a cattle ranch near Córdoba.

His mother, who was baptized in 1951, moved to Provo, Utah, so that her children could attend Brigham Young University. David was 18 when he arrived at BYU. On a visit to the health center, the doctor happened to find out he had been investigating the Church and asked how long. “For two or three years,” replied David. The doctor looked at him and said, “If you don’t make decisions in time, time makes decisions for you.” The words lodged in his mind, and David decided to pray for an answer. He was baptized six weeks later.

Elder Stone served in the Spanish American Mission, and after graduation from BYU, he went to work for Procter and Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. On a visit home, he met Rosalie Erekson. On their first date, both felt good about each other. Nine days later they became engaged by telephone when he called Rosalie from Chicago between flights home. They were married in February 1966 in the Salt Lake Temple.

In 1967 he became marketing manager for the Gillette Company in Argentina. He stayed with the company for 16 years, during which he and his wife had six children: Eric, born in New York; Angela, in Argentina; Julie, in Peru; Carolyn, in Boston; Michael, in Argentina; and Jonathan, in England. During these years he served in six bishoprics in four countries. Other assignments included serving on a stake high council, in a stake presidency, and as a regional representative.

In 1986 he joined Black & Decker, retiring in 1994. In 1996 he and his wife were called to preside over the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West Mission. “My previous executive positions were only preparation for my work as a mission president,” said Elder Stone. “We have always been willing to do what the Lord has asked us to do.”