Elder Neil L. Andersen was born on Aug. 9, 1951, in Logan, Utah, and raised in Pocatello, Idaho. He met his wife, Kathy Williams Andersen, while attending Brigham Young University, and they have four children. He has been serving in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since April 4, 2009.
Elder Andersen earned a masters of business administration from Harvard University. After the family moved to Tampa, Florida, Elder Andersen served as president of the Tampa Florida Stake. From 1989 to 1992, Elder and Sister Andersen were mission leaders in the France Bordeaux Mission.
Elder Andersen was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1993 and had Church assignments and responsibilities in Brazil, Western Europe, Mexico and Central America. In addition to English, he speaks French, Portuguese and Spanish.
In honor of Elder Andersen’s birthday today, here are nine of his quotes from the past year.
1. Missionary invitations are a gift
“The invitation to enter the sacred covenant of baptism and receive the Holy Ghost is a missionary’s precious gift. If accepted and righteously received, this precious gift opens the door to the kingdom of God. If embraced as the first ordinance on the covenant path, the future is glorious and far-reaching.”
— 2023 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, June 24, 2023
2. Speak of the Savior
“Speak the words of the Savior. Speak of His experiences; speak of His parables; speak the words of scripture and of prophets testifying of Him. As we teach and testify of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost will confirm in the hearts of our young disciples the truth of His life and teachings with a power far more lasting than the power of our own teaching.”
— Broadcast for seminary and institute teachers, June 11, 2023
3. God’s timetable
“We keep pressing forward, doing what’s right and depending on the Lord. And I promise you in His name that what will come to you is not only spiritual guidance but spiritual power — the power to know, the power to believe, the power to help other people. ... As you prepare yourself, you will have experiences that will guide ... the rest of your mortal life and beyond.”
— MTC devotional, April 11, 2023
4. The thought of Jesus Christ
“As you continue to attentively catch hold of this thought of Jesus Christ, trust in Him and keep His commandments, I promise you not only heavenly guidance but heavenly power — power that brings strength to your covenants, peace to your difficulties and joy to your blessings.”
— “My Mind Caught Hold upon This Thought,” April 2023 general conference
5. Ministering
“The Church is established, but we need to have more ministering to our members and to our youth rather than merely entertaining our youth. We need to have more efforts to bear our witness at home rather than just having it done at Church. … We need more ministering than administering. We need more conversation about Jesus Christ.”
— Leadership meetings in Brazil, March 4, 2023
6. ‘The flame of your faith’
“What are your hopes and plans for your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in the next 50 years? Looking back 50 years later, will your faith in the Savior be the most powerful force that moved you forward? How will you withstand the temptations and pressures that seek to diminish your faith in Jesus Christ? If the Savior has not returned, how will you keep the flame of your faith burning brightly for the next five decades?”
— Brigham Young University devotional, Jan. 17, 2023
7. All will be well
“With all the worry and uncertainty, the difficulties and the trouble that follow us here in our mortal life, for those who are righteous, who have faith and trust in the Lord, in the end, all will be well.”
— First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional, Dec. 4, 2022
8. Love for the Savior
“As you allow your love for the Savior and His love for you to sink deep into your heart, I promise you added confidence, peace and joy in meeting the challenges of your life.”
— “Drawing Closer to the Savior,” October 2022 general conference
9. Honesty
“Seeking answers to our prayers requires that we come honestly before our Heavenly Father, expressing openly our desire to follow His Son. We do not excuse or try to cover our sins before the Lord. Honesty is at the heart of spirituality.”
— Utah Valley Institute devotional, Sept. 9, 2022
