“Elder Carl B. Cook,” Liahona, May 2018
Elder Carl B. Cook
Presidency of the Seventy
Elder Carl B. Cook believes that the privilege of serving is one of the great blessings of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But, he acknowledged, accepting and magnifying callings requires faith.
Elder Cook, sustained a member of the Presidency of the Seventy on March 31, 2018, likens members of the Church—who serve together in branches and wards, quorums, and auxiliaries—to a “compound gear” on an automobile, which generates more torque.
A compound gear, along with four-wheel drive, “allows you to gear down, power up, and move,” he said in the October 2016 general conference. “Just as gears combine to provide greater power in compound, we have greater power when we join together. As we unite to serve one another, we accomplish much more together than we could on our own. It is thrilling to be engaged and unified as we serve and assist in the Lord’s work.”
Elder Cook was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 2, 2011. Prior to his new assignment, Elder Cook served at Church headquarters, where he assisted with the oversight of the North America West Area, among other responsibilities. Previously, he served as President of the Africa Southeast Area.
Elder Cook has encouraged Latter-day Saints to remember that callings in the Church come from God through His appointed servants.
“Blessings come as we persevere in our callings and responsibilities and hang on with all the faith we have.”
Elder Cook received a bachelor of arts degree from Weber State College in Utah and a master of business administration from Utah State University. Before being called to the Seventy, he worked in commercial real estate development.
Elder Cook’s callings include serving as a full-time missionary in Hamburg, Germany, and as a bishop, stake president, Area Seventy, and president of the New Zealand Auckland Mission.
He was born in Ogden, Utah, USA, on October 15, 1957. He married Lynette Hansen in December 1979. They are the parents of five children.