Conference Reaching Members Worldwide; New Seventies Called

President Gordon B. Hinckley, approaching his 96th birthday, overcame the effects of the surgery he underwent earlier this year to address Church members Saturday evening and Sunday morning and to bless listeners as the 176th Annual General Conference of the Church concluded.

“God bless you, my beloved brothers and sisters,” he said at the close of the conference. “I leave my love and my testimony and my blessing with you and pray that the Lord will be with us each and every one until again we meet.”

President Hinckley’s words, as well as the teachings of his counselors in the First Presidency, the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities and general Church leaders, were broadcast by satellite in 85 languages to 5,952 Church-owned receiving sites in 83 countries worldwide. They were carried online in up to 61 languages, depending on the session. Video streaming carried conference to selected meetinghouses outside the Church satellite network.

The 85 languages, including English, represent the native tongues of 98 percent of Church members. The Church hopes to reach 100 percent by 2010. New languages this conference were Efik, Hiligaynon, Ilokano, Lingala, and Yoruba.

On Saturday, 10 new General Authorities and 17 new Area Seventies were called.

Called as General Authorities to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy are David S. Baxter, Shayne M. Bowen, Daniel L. Johnson, Marcus B. Nash, and Anthony D. Perkins. New General Authorities called to serve in the Second Quorum of the Seventy are Craig A. Cardon, Don R. Clarke, Keith R. Edwards, Stanley G. Ellis, and Larry W. Gibbons. (Information on the new General Authorities begins on page 124.) In addition, Elder Keith K. Hilbig, a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy since 2001, was named to the First Quorum of the Seventy (see biographical information in Liahona, July 2001, 125; Ensign, May 2001, 106).

Area Seventies give part-time voluntary Church service within their assigned geographic areas and support Area Presidencies in international areas. Called as Area Seventies are Jose L. Alonso, 47, San Nicolas, Mexico; Vladimiro J. Campero, 60, Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Juan A. Etchegaray, 61, Montevideo, Uruguay; Hernan I. Herrera, 50, Santiago, Chile; David J. Hoare, 52, Sunbury, Australia; César H. Hooker, 47, Lima, Peru; Javier Ibañez, 51, San Cristobal, Venezuela; Daniel M. Jones, 53, Cedar City, Utah; Stephen C. Kerr, 45, Stirling, Scotland; Joni L. Koch, 44, Balnéario Camboriú, Brazil; Daniel A. Moreno, 53, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Kent H. Murdock, 58, Salt Lake City, Utah; J. Michel Paya, 61, Mougins, France; Stephen D. Posey, 58, North Augusta, South Carolina; Carlos F. Rivas, 46, San Salvador, El Salvador; Juan M. Rodriguez, 54, Mexico City, Mexico; Carlos Villanova, 43, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Releases to be effective on May 1, 2006, were announced for the following 16 Area Seventies: Salvador Aguirre, Jose C. Aleson, Daniel P. Alvarez, David S. Baxter, Shayne M. Bowen, Yatyr M. Cesar, Robert M. Cowan, Keith R. Edwards, Stanley G. Ellis, Franz R. Gaag, Daniel L. Johnson, Joel H. McKinnon, Marcus B. Nash, Armando A. Sierra, Jeffrey C. Swinton, and Remus G. Villarete.

For information on available video, audio, and text archives, visit www.lds.org/broadcast.

Young women and their leaders at the general Young Women meeting in March were encouraged by President Hinckley during a video presentation: “You dear, wonderful girls, I speak with a father’s love for you. I thank you that you’ve traveled so well, so far. I plead with you to never let down, to establish a purpose and hold to the line and move forward undeterred by any opposing temptation or force that may cross your path. You live in many lands, you speak various languages, and every one of you has something divine within you. You are second to none; you are daughters of God.”