LDS General Conference: New leadership changes

Besides the calling of Elder Neil L. Andersen to the Quorum of the Twelve, leadership changes announced and sustained at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Saturday afternoon session of general conference included a new member of the Presidency of the Seventy, 12 called to the Quorums of the Seventy, the reorganization of the Sunday School and Young Men general presidencies and 40 new Area Seventies.

Presidency of the Seventy

Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, 59, was sustained to the First Quorum of the Seventy April 1, 2000, at age 50. A former Area Seventy, regional representative, stake president and bishop, he is the former president and owner of a real estate economics company, having received a bachelor's degree in economics from BYU. Born July 27, 1949, in Honolulu to James E. and Betty Jo Lambert Hallstrom, he and his wife, Diane, have four children.

First Quorum of the Seventy

Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, of Seoul, Korea, was serving as an Area Seventy and as a counselor in the Asia North Area presidency, With a Utah State University master's degree in business information systems and education, he is currently a regional manager for church temporal affairs. He is married to Bon Kyung Koo; they have three children.

Elder Brent H. Nielson, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was serving as an Area Seventy. He received a law degree from the University of Utah and has been an attorney/partner at a law firm since 1985. He and his wife, Marcia Ann, are the parents of six children.

Elder Dale G. Renlund, of Salt Lake City, was serving as an Area Seventy. With an M.D. degree from the University of Utah and medical and research training from Johns Hopkins Hospital, he has been the medical director of a cardiac transplant program since 1991. He and his wife, Ruth, have one daughter.

Elder Michael T. Ringwood, of Salt Lake City, is a former stake president and president of the Korea Seoul West Mission. With a bachelor's degree in accounting from BYU, his work has been most recently as president and chief financial officer of two different business entities. He and his wife, Rosalie, have five children.

Elder Joseph W. Sitati, of Nairobi, Kenya, has been serving as president of the Nigeria Calabar Mission and is a former Area Seventy. He has worked as an executive for a nongovernmental organization and in several positions with a large oil and gas company and more recently has served as the Church's international director of public affairs in Africa. He and his wife, Gladys, are the parents of five children.

Elder Mervyn L. Arnold, 60, was also called to the First Quorum, having serving as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy since 2003.

Second Quorum of the Seventy

Elder Wilford W. Andersen, of Mesa, Ariz., was serving as an Area Seventy and is a former president of the Mexico Guadalajara Mission. With a juris doctor degree from BYU, he has been managing partner of an investment firm since 1969. He and his wife, Kathleen, have nine children.

Elder Koichi Aoyagi, of Chiba-ken, Japan, was serving as an Area Seventy and is a former president of the Tokyo Japan Missionary Training Center. He is a retired church real estate manager and construction manager and was an assistant recorder in the Tokyo Japan Temple. He and his wife, Shiroko Momose, are parents of four children.

Elder Bruce A. Carlson, of San Antonio, Texas, has been serving as a Sunday School teacher and member of the Military Advisory Committee. A retired general in the United States Air Force after more than 37 years of service, he and his wife, Vicki Lynn, are the parents of three children.

Elder Bradley D. Foster, of Rigby, Idaho, is a former president of the California Arcadia Mission. An agricultural business owner, he has served on a number of agricultural and educational-related boards of directors. He and his wife, Sharol Lyn, have four children.