Eight General Authority Seventies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been released and given emeritus status during October 2022 general conference.
The eight — who have turned or will turn 70 years old in 2022 — are Elder Weatherford T. Clayton, Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., Elder Randy D. Funk, Elder Christoffel Golden, Elder Walter F. González, Elder Larry S. Kacher, Elder Lynn G. Robbins and Elder Joseph W. Sitati.
Together, the eight have provided some 120 years of full-time Church service as General Authority Seventies.
The releases and expressions of appreciation were part of the sustaining of Church authorities done by President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, in the Saturday afternoon session.
Earlier in the week, the First Presidency announced the call of six new Area Seventies. The announcement and sustaining of the new leaders was done Thursday, Sept. 29, in the leadership session of the October 2022 general conference meetings.
Elder Weatherford T. Clayton
Elder Clayton was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 2, 2016. At the time of his call, he was president of the Canada Toronto Mission.
He was born March 1, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, the son of Whitney Clayton Jr. and Elizabeth Touchstone Clayton. He married Lisa Thomas on March 16, 1976, in the Salt Lake Temple; they are the parents of five children.
He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a medical degree from the University of Utah. He was an obstetrician and gynecologist from 1985 to 2013.
Other previous Church service included full-time missionary in the French Canadian Mission, bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, ward mission leader and stake president.
Before his release as a General Authority Seventy, he was serving at Church headquarters as an assistant executive director in the Missionary Department and as chairman of Missionary Health Services.
Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr.
Elder Curtis was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 2, 2011.
Born LeGrand Raine Curtis Jr. on Aug. 1, 1952, in Ogden, Utah, to LeGrand R. Curtis Sr. and Patricia Glade Curtis, he married Jane Cowan on Jan. 4, 1974, in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of five children.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Brigham Young University in 1975 and a juris doctor degree from the University of Michigan in 1978.
Previous Church service includes full-time missionary in Italy, high councilor, counselor in a stake presidency, stake president, Area Seventy and president of the Italy Padova Mission.
Prior to his release as a General Authority Seventy, he served as Church historian and recorder, chairman of the Book of Mormon visual library steering committee and a member of the Scriptures Committee. Previous he served as president of the Africa West Area, counselor in the Utah Area presidency, assistant executive director in the Priesthood and Family Department and Church History Department and a member of the Area Committee.
His professional work prior to his full-time Church service included attorney and partner in the law firm Manning Curtis Bradshaw & Bednar and as an adjunct professor at BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School.
Elder Randy D. Funk
Elder Funk was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2013. At the time of the call, he was serving as president of the India Bengaluru Mission.
Randy Dennis Funk was born Aug. 1, 1952, in Logan, Utah, the son of C. Dennis and Rebecca Funk. He married Andrea Clyde May 29, 1976, in the Logan Utah Temple; they are the parents of six children.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Utah State University in 1976 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah Law School in 1979.
His earlier Church service includes a a full-time missionary in Indonesia, bishop, high councilor, stake president and Area Seventy.
Prior to his release as a General Authority Seventy, he was a counselor in the Middle East/Africa North Area presidency, an assistant executive director in the Priesthood and Family Department, editor of Church magazines and on the Area Committee. His previous service included president of the Asia Area and counselor in the Utah Area presidency.
His professional work included attorney and partner in the Denver, Colorado, law firm of Sherman & Howard.
Elder Christoffel Golden
Elder Golden was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on March 31, 2001.
Born on June 1, 1952, in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Christoffel and Maria Oosthuizen Golden, he married Diane Norma Hulbert on Dec. 12, 1981. They were sealed in the London England Temple three days later, and they are the parents of four children.
He graduated from the University of South Africa in Pretoria with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a postgraduate degree in international politics.
His earlier Church service included full-time missionary in South Africa, ward and stake young Men president, institute teacher, bishop, stake president and Area Seventy.
Prior to his release as a General Authority Seventy, he was president of the Europe East Area. He has previously served as president of the Africa Southeast Area, counselor in the Africa West Area presidency and executive director of the Priesthood and Family Department.
An experienced businessman, he has a background in banking, pharmaceuticals and marketing.
Elder Walter F. González
Elder González was sustained a General Authority Seventy on March 31, 2001.
Born Walter Fermin González on Nov. 18, 1952, in Montevideo, Uruguay, to Fermin Gabino and Victoria Dolores Nuñez Gonzalez, he married Zulma Anahir on Feb. 28, 1975. Later sealed in the Washington D.C. Temple, they are the parents of four children.
He received a bachelor’s degree in general studies at Indiana University and a technician’s certificate in business administration at CEMLAD Institute.
He joined the Church at age 18, later serving as stake president, president of the Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission, area public affairs director and Area Seventy.
Prior to his release as a General Authority Seventy, he was serving as a counselor in the Utah Area presidency and as an assistant executive director in the Priesthood and Family Department. Previous assignments were as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy; as president of the South America South, South America West, Brazil North and Caribbean areas; and as counselor in the South America North and Brazil North area presidencies.
Previous professional work includes director of the Church Educational System for the South America North Area and CES employee in several South American countries.
Elder Larry S. Kacher
Elder Kacher was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 5, 2014.
Larry Stephen Kacher born Feb. 12, 1952, in Mankato, Minnesota, to Albert and Elaine Kacher. He married Pauline Miller on Oct. 29, 1976, in the Manti Temple; they are the parents of six children.
A convert at age 19, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from BYU in 1976 and a master’s degree in organizational behavior from the same university in 1978.
His previous Church callings include full-time missionary in French Polynesia, branch president in Belgium, bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, president of the Switzerland Geneva Mission and Area Seventy.
Prior to his release as a General Authority Seventy, he was serving as first counselor in the Africa West Area; previous assignments include counselor in the Europe East Area presidency.
In his professional career, he worked for Honeywell, later as Europe director of human resource development, based in Brussels, Belgium, and then consulting with large international companies in strategy, organization design and leadership development. When called as an Area Seventy in the Middle East/Africa North Area, he was working with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, based in the United Arab Emirates.
Elder Lynn G. Robbins
Elder Robbins was sustained a General Authority Seventy on April 5, 1997.
Born Oct. 27, 1952, in Springville, Utah, to Joshua Grant and Evelyn Reed Robbins, he married Jan Nielson on June 27, 1974, in the Manti Utah Temple. They are the parents of seven children.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and political science from Utah State University and in 1977 a Master of Business Administration in world business from American Graduate School of International Management.
His earlier Church service includes full-time missionary in Argentina, high councilor, stake assistant executive secretary, bishop and bishopric counselor, and president of the Uruguay Montevideo Mission.
Prior to his release as a General Authority Seventy, he was chairman of the JustServe steering committee, member of the JustServe Advisory Committee, priesthood adviser of the Welfare and Self-Reliance Service Department, assistant executive director of the Correlation Department and member of the Area Committee. Previously, he has served in the Presidency of the Seventy and as president of the North America Southeast, North America Southwest, North America West, South America South and Central America areas.
Prior to full-time Church service, he was one of the founders of the Franklin Quest Co.
Elder Joseph W. Sitati
Elder Sitati was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 4, 2009.
Joseph Wafula Sitati was born May 16, 1952, in Bungoma, Kenya, to Nathan and Lenah Sitati. He married Gladys Nang’oni Nassiuma on July 10, 1976, and after converting in 1986, they were sealed in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple in 1991. They are the parents of five children.
He received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the the University of Nairobi in 1975 and a diploma in accounting and finance from the Association of Certified Accountants; he also completed course work for an MBA degree at the same university.
After joining the Church, his service includes as branch president, district president, counselor in a mission presidency, stake president, Area Seventy and mission president of the Nigeria Calabar Mission.
Prior to his release as a General Authority Seventy, he was serving as Africa Central Area president. Previous assignments include as counselor in the Africa West and Africa Southeast area presidencies, member of the Self-Reliance/PEF Committee, assistant executive director in the Priesthood and Family Department, member of the Boundary and Leadership Change Committee and assistant executive director in the Missionary Department.
His professional work included as executive for Reach the Children, a nongovernmental charitable organization, and several positions with the Total Group, a global oil and gas company.
