Two aging members of the Quorum of the Twelve are battling serious health issues.
Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve, 92, has been diagnosed with cancer, church spokesman Eric Hawkins said Friday, April 25.
Elder Perry will begin radiation treatment Friday to treat cancer discovered in his thyroid gland, Hawkins said. Elder Perry was hospitalized earlier last week with breathing difficulty, but allowed to go home after tests and observations.
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve, 86, was hospitalized Thursday night with gastrointestinal bleeding, Hawkins said. Elder Scott is resting now after the bleeding was brought under control. He did not attend April general conference for health reasons.
Nine of the 15 members of the Quorum of the Twelve and First Presidency are at least 80 years old. President Thomas S. Monson is 87. Elder Perry is the oldest of the group.
Originally from Logan, Utah, Elder Perry spent his professional career as a vice president and treasurer in retail business before being named to the quorum in 1974. He was one of four leaders to meet with President Barack Obama during his recent trip to Utah.
Elder Perry spoke earlier this month at general conference in Salt Lake City. He described his recent visit to the Vatican for an international conference about families. He said the LDS church would be a leading advocate for traditional families and speak out against “counterfeit and alternative lifestyles.”
“It was remarkable for me to see how marriage and family-centered priorities cut across and superseded any political and economical and religious differences,” Elder Perry said. “When it comes to love of spouse, hopes and worries and dreams for children, we are all the same.”
