Elder Michael Cziesla was sustained as a new General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the Saturday morning session of the April 2025 general conference. His journey to that calling began long before, shaped by a legacy of faith, a personal path of testimony and a commitment to trust in the promises of the Savior.
Patterns of faith
Elder Cziesla’s great-grandmother and grandmother were baptized in Selbongen, Germany’s East Prussia, in 1926. His parents and three older brothers served missions and often shared how their missions changed their lives.
Born in Germany and raised in Schleswig-Holstein, he grew up in the Church and anticipated serving a mission like those before him. “I always had a strong belief in God; His Son, Jesus Christ; and His restored gospel,” recalled Elder Cziesla.
During his late teens, however, the secular world outside his home made it difficult for believers in Christ. Being fascinated by many intellectual philosophies, he started to question certain things and began to doubt his faith.
Still, he continued to apply key patterns of faith his parents had established — daily prayer, service, sacrament meeting attendance, scripture study and participating in seminary and youth activities. These key patterns helped and protected him when his faith and testimony were weak and sparked a desire again to serve a mission.
When his bishop invited him to serve a mission, “it was like a light switch went on,” he remembered.
He was called to serve in the Utah Ogden Mission from June 1992 to July 1994, and Elder Cziesla’s mission president often quoted 3 Nephi 13:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (also see Matthew 6:33).
Elder Cziesla said this scripture has accompanied him in every aspect of life, emphasizing that as he has put God first, “everything needed has been added,” just as was promised by the Savior.
Finding eternity is worth the drive
Sister Margret Anne Rauh Cziesla grew up in the small German town of Griesheim, some 500 miles from Elder Cziesla’s home in Schleswig-Holstein. She served her full-time mission at Temple Square in Salt Lake City from 1993 to 1995, concurrent for a year with Elder Cziesla’s service in Utah.
Yet, they first met at a returned-missionary conference held in their native Germany after their missions. And though they consider their missionary service instrumental in introducing them, Elder Cziesla said it wasn’t that easy getting her to notice him, calling his “first approach” unsuccessful.
A few months later, he saw her at a Church volleyball tournament and decided to try again.
“He is a good example to never give up,” Sister Cziesla said with a smile, and his second approach worked and they quickly fell in love.
Living so far apart was a challenge but not a deterrent, said Elder Cziesla about his willingness to travel long distances to find his eternal companion. And after about a year of driving back and forth almost every weekend and huge telephone bills, Elder Cziesla and Sister Cziesla were sealed in the Frankfurt Germany Temple on April 4, 1997.
“Margret is the love and light of my life. We are very different, but our differences are our strength,” Elder Cziesla said.
Establishing their home in Griesheim, the newlyweds shared the desire to work toward their hopes and goals grounded in faith as they progressed through the unknown challenges ahead.
Renewed strength through intentional family time
With Elder Cziesla’s long work hours and his growing responsibilities in Church leadership, they learned to be intentional about family time. Sister Cziesla thoughtfully organized simple, meaningful traditions to make the most of their moments together — nature outings, Friday movie nights, visits to their favorite ice cream parlor in nearby Seeheim-Jugenheim to enjoy spaghettieis, and an annual stay on the Danish island of Rømø.
These intentional efforts continue to be a steady source of forward strength amid life’s many demands.
Heavenly Father’s personal care
Law school demanded intense focus and effort for Elder Cziesla. So, when they learned their first child would be born one month before final exams, they faced the joy of growing their family alongside concern about how to meet the moment. Through determined effort, prayer and faith in God’s help, Elder Cziesla not only passed with honors — he was able to quickly find a good job.
Within a few years, the Cziesla family had two more children. However, a fourth pregnancy ended in miscarriage. The loss was especially difficult for Sister Cziesla, who didn’t want to talk with anyone. She said God understood their pain and prompted a member of their ward, unaware of their loss, to call. When Elder Cziesla told him they “in fact weren’t doing very well” and explained what had happened, the member offered quiet comfort for their sorrow.
Sister Cziesla said, “He knows me, He knows my husband, and He knew where we were at that moment.”
She said that heaven-sent gesture became a sustaining reminder to them in the years ahead, as she endured additional miscarriages before they were able to welcome their last two children.
Elder Cziesla said they were blessed again by this quiet witness of God’s personal loving care during what he described as one of the most challenging times of their lives. Within a week’s time, he lost his job after his international law firm collapsed, a broken pipe flooded their home, and their home was robbed a few days after that. All this at the same time they were experiencing other difficult trials.
Sunday came. Elder Cziesla put on his white shirt, his tie and a smile. Serving as stake president at the time, Elder Cziesla needed to sit facing the congregation. “I had a big smile on my face, but inside of me there was turmoil, pain, suffering and a lot of uncertainties,” he said.
After the meeting, a brother in his ward came up to Elder Cziesla. “Michael, what’s wrong?”
The brother listened as Elder Cziesla shared some of what was happening and then gave him a big hug.
“It felt like the Lord was embracing me,” said Elder Cziesla, feeling a renewal of hope and assurance that things would, in time, be all right.
Faith and flexibility, joy in the interim
While Elder Cziesla was working long hours in his professional career, serving as an Area Seventy for the Church and raising with his wife their busy family, they received a call that would require some creative use of time.
It was June 2020, and COVID-19 travel restrictions were in full swing, causing a two-month gap between the departure and arrival of mission leaders for the Germany Frankfurt Mission. The Czieslas were asked to serve as interim mission leaders, starting in a couple of days. They prayed for strength and inspiration and felt assured the Lord would provide a way to successfully manage all they needed to do.
“It was a miracle to see and feel how the Lord was guiding us, and we felt immediate love for our missionaries,” said Elder Cziesla, adding that the Lord did not give them more time. Rather, He increased their stamina and helped them understand how to use the limited time they had.
“It was a miracle to see and feel how the Lord was guiding us.”
— Elder Michael Cziesla
For two hours before and after work, Elder Cziesla conducted missionary interviews. Administrative matters were tended to during his lunch break. And on weekends, the Czieslas traversed the mission, holding zone conferences on Saturdays and attending different wards on Sundays.
Elder Cziesla said it was a joyful time as they and the missionaries embraced the Spirit in their service, focusing on what they could do for the Lord rather than their imperfections and limitations, and the Lord provided the way.
The Czieslas picked up the new mission leaders when they arrived at the airport. Their hearts were tenderly grateful for the two months they had been blessed to “fill their shoes for a little while.”
Faith in the Lord’s empowering promises
Elder Cziesla did not anticipate being called as a General Authority Seventy, saying he felt overwhelmed by what lies ahead and the adaptations to life as they knew it.
“But we strongly believe and know that everything we do not see right now and our personal shortcomings will be compensated, and what is required will ‘be added unto’ us,” Elder Cziesla said, emphasizing, “The Lord has always kept His promises.”
About Elder Michael Cziesla
Family: Michael Cziesla was born July 26, 1972, to Armin Ludwig Cziesla and Irmtraut Hanna Wolynski in Neumünster, Germany, and grew up in Schleswig-Holstein. He married Margret Anne Rauh, also of Germany, on April 4, 1997, in the Frankfurt Germany Temple. They have five children and were living in Griesheim, Germany, at the time of his call to the Seventy.
Education: University of Mainz, Juris Doctor (2003); University of Mainz and J. Reuben Clark Law School, Doctor of Jurisprudence (2002).
Employment: He worked as an attorney and partner for SJ Berwin LLP from 2003 to 2016 and became a senior corporate partner at McDermott Will & Emery in 2017.
Church service: At the time he was called as a General Authority Seventy, Elder Cziesla was serving as ward activity committee chairman. Prior to this, he served as an Area Seventy (Europe Central Area), interim president of the Germany Frankfurt Mission (July-August 2020), stake president, high councilor, bishopric counselor and full-time missionary in the Utah Ogden Mission (1992-1994).
