Elder Ulisses Soares was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 2, 1958, and named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on March 31, 2018. He married Rosana Fernandes in October 1982.
Elder Soares received a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting and economics in 1985 from São Paulo Pontifical Catholic University. He later received a Master of Business Administration degree. He was an accountant and auditor for multinational corporations in Brazil and director for temporal affairs in the Church area office in São Paulo.
He had been a General Authority Seventy since April 2005, being named a member of the Presidency of the Seventy in January 2013. He served previously in area presidencies in Africa and Brazil. He was a young full-time missionary in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission, and he and Sister Soares led the Portugal Porto Mission from 2000 to 2003.
In honor of Elder Soares’ birthday today, here are nine of his quotes from the past year.
1. Cultivating temperance
“As we strive, with faith and diligence, to weave temperance into our actions and words, I testify that we will strengthen and anchor our lives more securely upon the sure foundation of our Redeemer.”
- “Adorned With the Virtue of Temperance,” October 2025 general conference
2. Temples are living testimonies of God
“Each temple is a living testimony that God lives, that He loves His children and that He continues to reach out in mercy to all generations — past, present, future. These sacred buildings bear witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Through His infinite Atonement, the plan of salvation is made possible for each of us.”
- Bahía Blanca Argentina Temple Dedication, Nov. 2, 2025
3. ‘We work with everybody who wants to bless the lives of God’s children’
“As ambassadors of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we try everything possible to bring hope and peace [to] the hearts of people. [The Church is] not connected to any political parties. We are neutral. ... But we work with everybody who wants to bless the lives of God’s children.”
- Meeting with vice president of Brazil, Feb. 26, 2026
4. Remain ‘connected to the True Vine’
“In a world of many voices, remaining connected to the True Vine is not merely desirable; it is essential to our spiritual survival.”
- “Jesus Christ — the True Vine,” April 2026 general conference
5. You are a lighthouse keeper
“You are not only called to preserve the light — you are called to beam it forth, to act upon it, to bless and sometimes rescue others because of it.”
- BYU Commencement ceremony, April 23, 2026
6. ‘Our role as missionaries is to love the people’
“The Lord is the one who does that work through His Spirit. Our role as missionaries is to love the people, help them to recognize that the feelings they are experiencing are divine.”
- Meeting with missionaries in the Philippines Missionary Training Center, May 20, 2026
7. Purpose-centered mission leadership councils
“He will inspire your thoughts, guide your decisions and bless your missionaries to become true disciples of Jesus Christ. Through your faithful leadership, many of God’s children will come unto Him and feel His redeeming love.”
- Seminar for new mission leaders, June 18, 2026
8. Be a peacemaker
“Peace in the world begins within each of us. We become peacemakers as we choose kindness over contention, understanding over suspicion, respect over prejudice and love over hatred.”
- Meeting with local Christian and Jewish leaders, Aug. 21, 2026
9. Center your life on Jesus Christ
“As we center our lives on Jesus Christ and allow Him to be the most powerful influence in our decisions, our discipleship is strengthened and our hearts become more fully united with Him.”
- Stake conference in Mexico, Aug. 30, 2026
