Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was born on Sept. 8, 1940, in Logan, Utah. He has served as an Apostle since Oct. 6, 2007, when he was called to fill the vacancy in the Quorum created when President Henry B. Eyring was called to the First Presidency following the death of President James E. Faust, a counselor to President Gordon B. Hinckley.
In a news conference following his call as an Apostle, Elder Cook said: “As you know in the Church, we neither seek calls or have any expectation ever that a call will come to us, and I certainly had no idea I’d be receiving this call. Neither do we turn down a call particularly when it comes from a faithful loving Prophet who is so dear to us. And so I accept that call and pledge to do everything that I possibly can to be worthy and accomplish what the Lord would have me accomplish.”
Elder Cook served as a young full-time missionary in the British Mission and married Mary Gaddie in the Logan Utah Temple on Nov. 30, 1962. They have three children.
He previously served in the Philippines Area presidency, as president of the Pacific and North America Northwest areas and as executive director of the Missionary Department.
In honor of his 86th birthday, here are nine of his quotes from the past year.
1. A mighty oak tree
About 4.5 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints live in South America. In Argentina, there are more than 500,000 Church members, some 80 stakes, 500-plus wards, 14 missions and five operating temples.
“We see this work going forward in a wonderful way, and we are grateful for that.”
— Missionary devotional in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sept. 11, 2025
2. Welcoming new converts
Latter-day Saints have a sacred duty to accept and welcome new and returning members. As the Lord hastens His work, Latter-day Saints should love, nurture and serve those who accept His gospel.
“My counsel to the members of the Church is to wrap our arms around these precious elect people who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
— October 2025 general conference, “The Lord Is Hastening His Work”
3. Love of God and fellowman
“It is important to remember that if we love God, we will keep His commandments. And if we love our fellowmen, we will serve them and as missionaries strive to gather scattered Israel.”
— Christmas address at the Provo Missionary Training Center, Dec. 25, 2025
4. Choose truth
“The future of the Church and our very civilization depend on members and individuals who have deep faith, moral courage and the ability to navigate an increasingly complex world. Let me emphasize again that in the artificial intelligence age, you need to choose truth when deception is easy.”
— Devotional at Brigham Young University, March 3, 2026
5. To the women of the Church
“You have my love and admiration for who you are and your commitment to the Lord and His Church in this difficult world. Dear sisters, please do not underestimate the power and impact of your capable, loving and sensitive influence on those with whom you associate. You bless many as you strive to live Christlike lives.”
— Relief Society Worldwide Devotional, March 8, 2026
6. Restoration of sealing keys
“I promise to you on this Easter day that as you adhere to His ordinances, covenants and commandments, you will grow closer in your relationship with our Savior as well as your appreciation and gratitude for the sealing keys that have been restored in this dispensation.”
— April 2026 general conference, “Keys, Covenants and Easter”
7. Personal peace
“In a world where there is no peace, I invoke a blessing upon you, that you will have personal peace because of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.”
— United Kingdom and Ireland devotional broadcast, May 28, 2026
8. Religious freedom
“Principles upon which this nation was founded transcend party politics. ... Rejoice together in God’s blessings of freedom and talk about why freedom is important and how we can support it to fulfill God’s purpose in this great latter-day work.”
— Fifth-Sunday discussion on religious freedom, June 8, 2026
9. The Book of Mormon
“The Book of Mormon is truly a second witness of Jesus Christ and the keystone of our religion in that it contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. ... The Book of Mormon is fundamental for missionary work.”
— Seminar for New Mission Leaders, June 19, 2026
