Elder Patrick Kearon was born on July 18, 1961, in Carlisle, England, and has served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since Dec. 7, 2023.
First introduced to the gospel while working in Laguna, California, Elder Kearon later met missionaries on the streets of London, England, and was baptized on Christmas Eve in 1987. He married Jennifer Hulme Jan. 12, 1991, in the Oakland California Temple, and they have four children.
Elder Kearon attended schools in Saudi Arabia and England. Until his call as a General Authority Seventy, he and his wife owned a communication consultancy. Prior to his call as an Apostle, Elder Kearon was serving as senior president of the Presidency of the Seventy.
In honor of his 63rd birthday today, here are nine recent quotes from Elder Kearon.
1. Find joy in the gospel
“You are led by optimists. ... Stop worrying so much — just work hard and be happy.”
— Devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center, June 22, 2024
2. God’s intent
“God is in relentless pursuit of you. He wants all of His children to choose to return to Him, and He employs every possible measure to bring you back.”
— “God’s intent is to bring you home,” April 2024 general conference
3. The power and grace of Jesus Christ
“You can heal, and you can trust that with the power and grace of Jesus Christ, you will overcome and conquer. Jesus specializes in the seemingly impossible.”
— Easter video message, March 18, 2024
4. The plan of happiness
“The intent of our Heavenly Father is that we will return to Him; it is not His intention to keep us out. It is why we have the plan of happiness. It is because and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we can feel true repentance.”
— Ministry in Africa West Area, Feb. 28, 2024
5. ‘He loves you’
“Your Father in Heaven is real. He lives, and He loves you, adores you and cherishes you — every single one of you. To those of you who are thinking, ‘Well, not me,’ He especially loves you.”
— Facebook post, Feb. 14, 2024
6. The Savior will return
“Our extremity and our most exultant times seem to be the best preparations. I attest to the fact that our Savior will come back, and we will be healed of everything that has been a burden to us. We just have to do our part.”
— Church News interview about his new calling, Jan. 23, 2024
7. Sacred space in the house of the Lord
“In this sacred space, our true selves can be found, as we leave the distractions and pettiness of the world outside and receive an extra measure of the Spirit of the Lord to help us hear His still, small voice and meet the demands of life. We can be found here in the temple because here in the temple, we find Jesus Christ. ... Everything else from the outside world just falls away. You belong again.”
— Orem Utah Temple dedication, Jan. 21, 2024
8. The hand of God
“My friends, if we strive to be led purely by the hand of God, and not by any other influence, we will be empowered to face the unknowns of our future with sustaining faith and abiding trust.”
— BYU-Hawaii commencement exercises, Dec. 8, 2023
9. ‘I will strive to serve Him’
“This sacred call is so very daunting and humbling to me. I will need to place all my trust in the Savior as I seek to become what He needs me to be and share my witness of His love and light. ... The abundance and grace of Jesus Christ have brought immense joy into my life, as well as healing balm in times of trial. I love Him. I will strive to serve Him to the best of my ability.”
— Speaking about his new calling, Dec. 8, 2023
