Leadership changes announced during Saturday afternoon LDS general conference session

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SALT LAKE CITY – Several changes in church leadership assignments were announced during the Saturday afternoon session of the 181st Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Claudio R.M. Costa was released as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Elder Tad R. Callister was sustained to take his place in the Presidency.

Elder Costa has served in the Presidency of the Seventy since 2007. He will continue to serve as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Elder Callister was called to the Presidency of the Seventy from the Second Quorum of the Seventy, where he has served since 2008.

Also during the session, Elders Gary J. Coleman, Richard G. Hinckley, Yoshihiko Kikuchi, Carl B. Pratt and Cecil O. Samuelson were released as members of the First Quorum of the Seventy and given emeritus status as general authorities. All of these men turned 70 during the past year.

Elder Kikuchi, it should be noted, has served as a general authority since 1977 — the longest tenure of the current members of the Quorums of the Seventy.

A church press release indicated that Elder Samuelson "will continue to serve as president of Brigham Young University" as an emeritus general authority.

Elders Won Yong Ko, Lowell M. Snow and Paul K. Sybrowsky were released as members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. Elders Ralph W. Hardy Jr., Jon M. Huntsman Sr., Aleksandr N. Manzhos and J. Willard Marriott Jr. were released as Area Seventies.

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