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 64th birthday today, here are nine of his quotes from the last year.
1. Missionary efforts are not wasted
“Your efforts are not wasted. Your service and expressions of genuine love will bless both you and them. I’m here to remind you that no loving, Spirit-led effort is wasted.”
— Remarks at the 2025 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, June 21, 2025
2. Humility and revelation
“I know that I am much more likely to be receptive to revelation when I am humble, when I am not thinking about myself, when I am thinking about others.”
— Question and answer with youth in Davao, Philippines, May 25, 2025
3. The purpose of the temple
“Everything about this holy house points us to our Heavenly Father and our Savior. Everything here is to help us look beyond ourselves and come to a deeper understanding of our life’s purpose.”
— Dedication of the Auckland New Zealand Temple, April 13, 2025
4. ‘Accept, open, and receive this gift’
“You are a child of God. This is not just a nice song we sing. Will you please accept, open and receive this gift of knowledge and understanding from Him? Will you hold it close as the precious treasure it is? Re-receive this gift, or perhaps truly receive it for the very first time, and let it transform every aspect of your life.”
— "Receive His Gift," April 2025 general conference
5. A God of hope
“Our God of hope offers miraculous healing, peace and assurance that we are never alone, and when we are in the depths of misery and cannot feel His love and grace in our hearts, we must cling to the knowledge of this eternal truth in our heads until we can feel once again.”
— Utah Coalition Against Pornography Conference, March 1, 2025
6. Sons and daughters of God
“Do you sometimes feel like everyone is looking at you? Does it make you feel vulnerable? I wish everyone would not worry so much. You are sons and daughters of God.”
— Youth devotional in the Caribbean Area, Feb. 9, 2025
7. The Savior is found in the temple
“Our Savior can be found everywhere in the temple. In every ordinance, in every covenant, in every promised blessing and particularly in the power and grace we receive as we shed the practices and priorities of the world in favor of pursuing our relationship with Jesus Christ.”
— Dedication of the Tallahassee Florida Temple, Dec. 8, 2024
8. An invitation
“If you have yet to discover this joy, embark on its quest. This is an invitation to receive the Savior’s gift of peace, light and joy — to revel in it, to wonder at it and to rejoice in it, every Sabbath.”
— "Welcome to the Church of Joy," October 2024 general conference
9. ‘This is your Church’
“This is the Church of joy; this is the Church of new beginnings; this is your Church; this is what you will make of it. This is the place where you can feel peace.”
— Ministry in Quezon City, Philippines, Aug. 18, 2024
