Leadership changes at the 190th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints included changing the counselors in the Presiding Bishopric, the releasing of three General Authority Seventies to emeritus status, the calling of four new Area Seventies and the releasing of 47 Area Seventies.
The changes were announced by President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency during the Saturday afternoon session of the October 2020 general conference.
Presiding Bishopric counselors
Bishop Dean M. Davies and Bishop W. Christopher Waddell were released as first and second counselors, respectively, to Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé. Bishop Waddell was then sustained as the new first counselor, with Elder L. Todd Budge sustained as the new second counselor.
As part of the change, Elder Budge was released as a General Authority Seventy, a call to which he was sustained last year at the April 2019 general conference.
With his release from the Presiding Bishopric, Elder Dean M. Davies was called and sustained as a General Authority Seventy.
“Bishop Davies has been dealing with a significant health challenge for more than a year, though his current prognosis is positive,” said Church spokesman Eric Hawkins. “We are grateful that he will be able to continue to serve in this new role as a General Authority Seventy.”
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell
Called as second counselor to the Presiding Bishopric on Oct. 9, 2015, Bishop Waddell will remain in the bishopric, now as first counselor. He had previously served as a General Authority Seventy since April 2011.
Born in Los Angeles, California, on June 28, 1959, he married Carol Stansel in July 1984; they are the parents of four children.
He served as a full-time missionary in Spain and is fluent in the Spanish language.
He received a bachelor's degree in 1984 from San Diego State University and worked from that year until his call to full-time Church service with Merrill Lynch in several positions, including first vice president of investments.
Bishop L. Todd Budge
Currently serving as first counselor in the Asia North Area presidency, Bishop Budge was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019, after previously serving as an Area Seventy.
Bishop Budge was born in Pittsburg, California, on Dec. 29, 1959, and married Lori Capener in 1981; they are the parents of six children.
He received a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Brigham Young University in 1984 and worked for Bain & Company Japan, Citibank N.A. and GE Capital. In 2003, he became president and CEO of Tokyo Star Bank Limited, serving as chairman of the board from 2008 to 2011, when he retired.
His previous Church experience includes serving as a full-time missionary in the Japan Fukuoka Mission, stake Young Men president, elders quorum president, stake executive secretary, bishop, stake president and president of the Japan Tokyo Mission.
Elder Dean M. Davies
Called as second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric in March 2012 to then-Presiding Bishop Gary E. Stevenson (now a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), Elder Davies was then called as first counselor to current Presiding Bishop Caussé in April 2015.
Professionally, Elder Davies was employed as the managing director of the Church's Special Projects Department, with responsibilities over special-purpose real estate, temple design and temple construction.
Previously he served the Church as a mission president, mission president’s counselor, stake president, stake president’s counselor, stake executive secretary, high counselor, and as a full-time missionary in the Uruguay/Paraguay Mission.
Elder Davies, 69, was born in Salt Lake City and is married to Darla James; they have five children.
General Authority Seventies
In addition to Elder Davies being sustained as a General Authority Seventy, Bishop Budge was released as a General Authority Seventy as he begins his new assignment.
Three General Authority Seventies — Elder L. Whitney Clayton, Elder Enrique R. Falabella and Elder Richard J. Maynes — were released and given emeritus status, after having provided a combined 55 years of full-time Church service.
In addition to his release as a General Authority Seventy, Elder Clayton also was released as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Brent H. Nielson was sustained as the Presidency of the Seventy's newest member.
Elder L. Whitney Clayton
Sustained as a General Authority Seventy on March 31, 2001, Elder Clayton had served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since 2008 and its senior president from Oct. 6, 2015, until August of this year, when the Church’s new area assignments were made.
From 2002 to 2006, Elder Clayton served in the South America South Area Presidency in Buenos Aires, Argentina — first as counselor from 2002 to 2003 and then as president from 2003 to 2006.
His prior Church service includes as a full-time missionary in Peru, regional representative, mission president’s counselor, stake high councilor bishop, stake mission president and gospel doctrine teacher.
Born Feb. 24, 1950, in Salt Lake City, Utah, he married Kathy Ann Kipp on Aug. 9, 1973; they are the parents of seven children.
An attorney in the state of California from 1978 to 2001, he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance at the University of Utah and a law degree at the University of the Pacific.
Elder Enrique R. Falabella
The second native Guatemalan to be called as a General Authority Seventy, Elder Falabella was sustained on March 31, 2007, having served as president of the Church’s Central America Area as an Area Seventy.
His most recent assignment, until this past August, was as president of the South America Northwest Area. He also had served as assistant executive director of both the Church’s Correlation Department and the Priesthood and Family History Department.
Previously he served the Church as a full-time missionary in Central America from 1970 to 1972, stake mission president, bishop and stake president. He served 10 years as a regional representative in Guatemala and Costa Rica, two years as an Area Authority and eight years as an Area Seventy.
Born May 9, 1950, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, he married Blanca Lidia Sanchez in June 1975. She passed away in March 2014.They are the parents of five children. He married Ruth Cuellar Alvarez on Aug. 23, 2017.
Elder Falabella earned a degree in agronomy from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala in 1975 and worked for a number of years for Bayer. At the time of his call as a General Authority Seventy, he was country manager of Bayer in Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize.
Elder Richard J. Maynes
Elder Maynes, who served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from January 2012 to August 2017, was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 5, 1997.
He previously served as executive director of the Family History Department and as assistant executive director in both the Priesthood and Family History and Missionary departments, as well as president of the Philippines and South America West areas.
Elder Maynes’ earlier Church service includes as a full-time missionary in the Uruguay and Paraguay Mission and president of the Mexico Monterrey Mission (1989-1992).
He was born in Berkeley, California, on Oct. 29, 1950, and married Nancy Jane Purrington in August 1974; they are the parents of four children.
He received a bachelor of science degree from Brigham Young University in business management and an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. He formerly owned and was CEO of a company specializing in factory automation.
Newly called Area Seventies
The four newly called Area Seventies are:
- Laurian P. Balilemwa, 49, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; director of operations, As Salaam Air (Z) Co. Ltd; recently released as counselor in the Kenya Nairobi Mission presidency; former branch president and district president; wife: Happiness Kagemulo; two children.
- Jonathon W. Bunker, 61, Las Vegas, Nevada; health care consultant; currently serving as missionary preparation teacher in the Las Vegas Nevada Stake; former bishop, counselor in a bishopric, high councilor, mission president and counselor in a stake presidency; wife: Susan; five children.
- Enrique R. Mayorga, 47, Otavalo, Ecuador; coordinator, Seminaries and Institutes for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; recently released as president of the Ambato Ecuador Stake; former branch president; wife: Angélica; three children.
- Konstantin Tolomeev, 38, Anapa, Russia; businessman, forest exporting; currently serving as counselor in the Russia Rostov-na-Donu Mission presidency; former counselor in a branch presidency, branch president and counselor in a district presidency; wife: Julia; five children.
Released Area Seventies
The following were released as Area Seventies:
Ruben Acosta, René R. Alba, Alberto A. Alvarez, Vladimir N. Astashov, José Batalla, Bradford C. Bowen, Sergio Luis Carboni, Armando Carreon, S. Marc Clay Jr., Z. Dominique Dekaye, Osvaldo R. Dias, Michael M. Dudley, Mark P. Durham, E. Xavier Espinoza and James E. Evanson.
Also, Paschoal F. Fortunato, Sam M. Galvez, Patricio M. Giuffra, Leonard D. Greer, Daniel P. Hall, Toru Hayashi, Paul F. Hintze, Adolf J. Johansson, Wisit Khanakham, Seung Hoon Koo, Pedro X. Larreal, Johnny L. Leota, José E. Maravilla, Joel Martinez, Joaquim J. Moreira and Isaac K. Morrison.
Also, Eduardo A. Norambuena, Ferdinand P. Pangan Jairus C. Perez, Steven M. Petersen, Jay D. Pimentel, Edvaldo B. Pinto Jr., Alexey V. Samaykin, K. David Scott, Rulon F. Stacey, Karl M. Tilleman, William R. Titera, Carlos R. Toledo, Cesar E. Villar, David T. Warner, Gary K. Wilde and William B. Woahn.
