President Dieter F. Uchtdorf was born on Nov. 6, 1940, in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, and was named acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles by President Dallin H. Oaks on Jan. 8, 2026, 22 years after becoming an apostle. He has served as a general authority since April 1994.
His family became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany in 1947. He joined the German Air Force in 1959, earning his wings in both the German and U.S. air forces in Texas and Arizona and serving six years as a fighter pilot.
President Uchtdorf married Harriet Reich in 1962, and they have two children. After leaving the military, he became a commercial pilot for Lufthansa German Airlines in 1965, rising to top levels of management before retiring in 1995.
In honor of his 86th birthday, here are nine quotes from President Uchtdorf in the past year.
1. ‘You are the present. This is your time’
“I hear people say that the youth and young adults are the future of the Church. In some ways, that is true, I agree. But you are also the present. You are the present. This is your time. … Please do not ever underestimate or procrastinate the good you can do.”
— BYU-Hawaii devotional, March 1, 2026
2. Witness of Jesus Christ
“We can ask ourselves: What have we seen, felt or experienced? Shall we not, therefore, become witnesses of Jesus Christ? Shall we not share our love for Him with others?”
— “Encounter at the Empty Tomb,” April 2026 General Conference
3. Comfort through pain
“The Lord has not promised us no pain, no fires, no accidents, no illnesses. But what He is promising is that He is there. He will walk with us through all of life’s challenges. These moments of suffering can lift us up to new heights, and I have seen that in this community.”
— Social media post, Aug. 26, 2026,
4. The veil can become thin
“Indeed, the veil can become thin as you enter the house of the Lord with the proper attitude, with a teachable heart and with a desire to learn.”
— Willamette Valley Oregon Temple dedication, June 7, 2026
5. ‘You’re on the team’
“No matter who you are, if you have desires to serve, you’re on the team. You don’t have to be good at it in order to start. Just follow Jesus Christ, walk in His paths and seek to become more like Him.”
— 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, June 18, 2026
6. Jesus Christ opens doors
“We have to protect our own solid situation within the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not perfection — we need to be willing to be as good as possible. Then we know that Jesus Christ opens the temple doors, and with the temple doors, He opens the door into the eternities.”
— Announcement of the Salt Lake Temple celebration theme, Sept. 1, 2026
7. Following Christ is not the easiest choice
“If you have done your best and exercised your own agency in righteousness, you can rest peacefully at the end of each day — and then wake up the next day, ready to give your best again.”
— Devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center, Sept. 9, 2026
8. ‘One in Christ’
“In the Savior’s Church, it is not our political views, culture or personal interests that unite us. It is our love for God and neighbor — God’s children. It is our commitment to our covenants with Jesus Christ and to His restored gospel. We are ‘one in Christ.’”
— “Christ-centered Unity,” October 2026 general conference
9. ‘The Lord is near’
“No matter where we are on that path, the Lord is near. He does not wait for us at the finish line. He walks beside us. He cheers us on. He does not ask us to be perfect today. He asks us to come unto Him and be willing to follow Him as we choose to be perfected in Him.”
— Facebook post, Oct. 7, 2026
