Elder Patrick Kearon is the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Photo: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
SALT LAKE CITY — Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have announced the newest member of the faith’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Patrick Kearon, 62, was called on Thursday, Dec. 7 and ordained later that day by President Russell M. Nelson and the other members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Elder Kearon, a British and Irish national, has been serving as senior president of the faith’s Presidency of the Seventy since 2020, fills the vacancy left by the passing of President M. Russell Ballard, who died last month.
In a statement, Elder Kearon said, “This sacred call is so very daunting and humbling to me. I will need to place all my trust in the Savior as I seek to become what He needs me to be and share my witness of His love and light. The abundance and grace of Jesus Christ have brought immense joy into my life, as well as healing balm in times of trial. I love Him. I will strive to serve Him to the best of my ability.”
Elder Kearon was raised in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, where his father worked in the defense industry. At age 10, he attended boarding school in England while his parents remained in Saudi Arabia. The significant trial of that separation fostered lasting insights and sensitivities that have come to mark his ministry.
In his most recent General Conference address in April 2022, Elder Kearon spoke to the survivors of abuse. He stated that there was no place for any kind of abuse—physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal—in any home, any country, or any culture.
“Please know that the Savior has descended below all things, even what has happened to you.” Elder Kearon said. “Because of that, He knows exactly what real terror and shame feel like and how it feels to be abandoned and broken. From the depths of His atoning suffering, the Savior imparts hope you thought was lost forever, strength you believed you could never possess, and healing you couldn’t imagine was possible.”
The Church said in a press release that Elder Kearon will be formally sustained by the faith’s membership during the next General Conference in April 2024.
In his adult life, Elder Kearon lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and the United States in a range of industries, including running his own communication consultancy.
Before his call as a General Authority, Elder Kearon’s Church assignments included Area Seventy, stake president, and branch president.