Seven General Authority Seventies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were released and given emeritus status during the Saturday afternoon session of the 188th Semiannual General Conference held in the Conference Center on Saturday, Oct. 6.
Elder Mervyn B. Arnold
Elder Mervyn B. Arnold was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 5, 2003. He previously served as Area President of the South America South Area in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has also served as assistant executive director in the temple and missionary departments, a member of the boundary and leadership change committee, president of the Brazil South Area and counselor in the Brazil North and Brazil South Areas. At the time of his release he was serving at Church headquarters.
Before his call as a General Authority, Elder Arnold earned a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in public administration from Brigham Young University. He founded and co-owned a building and development company. Later he expanded and was a cofounder of Guardian State Bank. After he retired, he became director of training and field services in the Missionary Department of the Church, where he was working when called as a General Authority.
Elder Arnold has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Northern Mexico Mission, president of the Costa Rica San José Mission, counselor in a stake presidency, stake high councilor, bishop and elders quorum president.
Mervyn Bennion Arnold was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 19, 1948. He married Devonna Kress Arnold in August 1971. They are the parents of six children.
Elder Craig A. Cardon
Elder Craig A. Cardon was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 1, 2006. He has served as a member of the Africa West Area presidency, editor of Church magazines, and an assistant executive director in the Priesthood and Family Department. At the time of his release he was serving as a member of the Pacific Area presidency.
Elder Cardon studied accounting and earned a bachelor of arts from Arizona State University. He received a master of public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School with a methodological area of concentration in leadership and was named a Littauer Fellow. Prior to his call in 2006 he was an entrepreneur with multiple business interests.
Elder Cardon has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Italian Mission, president of the Italy Rome Mission (1983–1986), stake president, bishop, high councilor, counselor in a stake presidency, counselor in a bishopric, elders quorum president, institute instructor and gospel doctrine teacher.
Craig Allen Cardon was born in December 1948. He married Deborah L. Dana in November 1970. They are the parents of eight children.
Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk
Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on March 31, 2012. He previously served as second counselor in the Philippines Area presidency (2013–2015). At the time of his release he was serving as an assistant executive director in the Correlation Department and on the boundary and leadership change committee at Church headquarters.
Elder Echo Hawk received a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in 1970 and a juris doctor degree from the University of Utah in 1973. A member of the Pawnee Nation, Elder Echo Hawk was elected attorney general of Idaho in 1990, the first American Indian in U.S. history elected as a state attorney general. He had served as the Bannock County prosecuting attorney since 1986. Before that, he served two consecutive terms in the Idaho House of Representatives, from 1982 to 1986. He subsequently worked as a law professor at the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. At the time of his call to the Seventy, he was serving as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Elder Echo Hawk has served in numerous Church callings, including stake president, bishop, and gospel doctrine instructor.
Larry Jack Echo Hawk was born in Cody, Wyoming, on Aug. 2, 1948. He married Teresa Joanne Pries in December 1968. They are the parents of six children.
Elder C. Scott Grow
Elder C. Scott Grow was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 2, 2005. He was called as an Area Authority in August 1995 and as a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in April 1997. As an Area Seventy, he served in the North America Northwest Area Presidency and as president of the Idaho Area. As a General Authority, he served as president of the Mexico North Area, counselor in the Mexico Area presidency, and counselor in the South America Northwest Area presidency. Elder Grow has served as an area assistant with the Idaho and North America Central Areas, assistant executive director of the Family History Department, assistant executive director of the Correlation Department, and as a member of the Communication Services Committee. At the time of his release, he was on medical leave from his assignments.
Elder Grow received a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Brigham Young University in 1971. He was a certified public accountant, an accredited estate planner and a registered investment advisor representative. After working with an international CPA firm in Los Angeles, California, Elder Grow was president and founder of Grow Rasmussen LLP, a CPA firm in Boise, Idaho. He was twice elected as a school board trustee and was also appointed by the governor of Idaho to serve on two state advisory boards.
Elder Grow has served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Southeast Mexican Mission, counselor in a bishopric, executive secretary to a regional representative, stake Young Men president, high councilor, counselor in a stake presidency, president of the Uruguay Montevideo Mission (1988–1991) and stake president.
Cecil Scott Grow was born in Moscow, Idaho, on May 5, 1948. He married Rhonda Lee Patten in October 1969. They are the parents of eight children.
Elder Allan F. Packer
Elder Allan F. Packer was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 5, 2008. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Young Men general board. He has also served as executive director of the Family History Department and at the time of his release was serving as a member of the South America South Area Presidency.
Elder Packer received a bachelor of science degree in electronics technology from Brigham Young University in 1973. After graduation, he worked for such companies as Boeing, EatonKenway and Auto Soft Corporation. He was vice president of O.C. Tanner, MyFamily.com and iLumin. At the time of his call as a General Authority, he was an infield representative for the Missionary Department.
Elder Packer has been involved in many civic and community activities, including chairman of the Little Cottonwood Creek Community Council. He has also served at district and council levels for the Great Salt Lake Council of the Boy Scouts of America and is a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award.
Elder Packer has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Andes Mission, high councilor, bishop, Scoutmaster, counselor in a stake presidency, president of the Spain Málaga Mission (2001-2004) and Young Men general board member.
Allan Forrest Packer was born in Brigham City, Utah, on July 7, 1948. He married Terri Anne Bennett in June 1970. They are the parents of eight children.
Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer
Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 4, 2009. Elder Schwitzer spent his first three years of his assignment serving as president of the Europe East Area. He spent the next year as an assistant executive director in the Temple Department. At the time of his release he was serving as an assistant executive director in the Missionary Department.
Elder Schwitzer graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in biology from the University of Utah in 1972. In 1975 he received his medical degree, also from the University of Utah. In 1980 he was named assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah and later became a physician of emergency medicine at Wasatch Emergency Physicians. In 1992 he was named vice president of clinical support services at Intermountain Health Care and remained there until 2005.
Elder Schwitzer has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the North German Mission, bishop, high councilor, stake president, and president of the Russia Yekaterinburg Mission (2005–2007).
Gregory Allan Schwitzer was born in Ogden, Utah, on April 2, 1948. He married Jo Ann Elizabeth Rawsthorne in June 1971. They are the parents of five children.
Elder Claudio D. Zivic
Elder Claudio D. Zivic was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on March 31, 2007. He served previously in the Fourth Quorum of the Seventy in the South America South Area and as a member of the South America South Area presidency. He also served as an assistant executive director in the Temple Department and as a member of the Boundary and Leadership Change Committee. At the time of his release he was serving as a member of the Caribbean Area presidency.
Elder Zivic is a certified public accountant. He attended the University of Buenos Aires, graduating in 1973 with an accounting degree. For more than 10 years he worked as an executive for the Grimoldi Company, a shoe manufacturing and marketing firm. At the time of his call to full-time Church service, he was self-employed as an auditor and consultant.
Elder Zivic has served in a number Church callings, including elders quorum president, institute teacher, counselor in a bishopric, bishop, stake high councilor, counselor in a stake presidency, temple ordinance worker, regional representative, Area Authority and president of the Spain Bilbao Mission (2003–2006).
Claudio Daniel Zivic was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 19, 1948. He married Dina Noemí Alvarez in January 1972. They are the parents of five children.
