By Julie Howard
Seven new General Authorities have been called to serve in the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The First Presidency of the LDS Church announced the callings at the Saturday afternoon session of the church’s 170th Annual General Conference.
New members of the First Quorum of Seventy are Elder Donald L. Hallstrom from Honolulu and Elder Ronald A. Rasband from Sandy, Salt Lake County.
New members of the Second Quorum of Seventy are Elder Douglas C. Callister from La Ca?anda, Calif.; Elder Darwin B. Christenson from Idaho Falls, Idaho; Elder Keith Crockett from Pima, Ariz.; Elder H. Aldridge Gillespie from Manti, Sanpete County; and Elder Robert C. Oaks from Sewickley, Pa.
Elder Hallstrom, 50, has been an Area Authority Seventy and member of the Fifth Quorum of Seventy since 1997. He works in real estate as president of his own company. He and his wife, Diane Clifton Hallstrom, are the parents of four children.
Elder Rasbund, 49, serves as the Young Men president in his ward and on the Member-Missionary Programs Advisory Committee. He is a self-employed consultant who previously was president and chief operations officer of Huntsman Chemical Corporation. He is married to Melanie Twitchell Rasband, and they are the parents of five children.
Elder Callister, 61, has been serving as an Area Authority Seventy and member of the Fifth Quorum of Seventy since 1996. He owns and operates his own law firm. He and his wife, Jeanette McKibben Callister, are the parents of six children.
Elder Christenson, 64, serves in the Sunday School presidency of his ward and as a temple recorder in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple. Before retiring, he worked as a tax specialist for the LDS Church. He is married to Sandra Joelene Lyon Christenson and they have four children, three living.
Elder Crockett, 66 is retired after a career in teaching and administration for the Church Educational System. He serves as the executive secretary in his ward. He and his wife, Kathleen McBride Crockett, have six children.
Elder Gillespie, 64, serves as president of the Mexico Tampico Mission. Before his call to serve in Mexico, he was the director of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Transportation Safety Institute. He is married to Virginia Ann Larsen Gillespie, and they have five children.
Elder Oaks, 64, serves as a stake president. He is the senior vice president of operations at U.S. Airways, and previously served as a commander of the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife, Gloria Mae Unger Oaks, have six children.
