New Latter-day Saint apostle named

SALT LAKE CITY — Bishop Gérald Caussé was announced Thursday as the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Caussé, 62, has been serving as the presiding bishop for the church for 11 years. He was called to the apostleship on Thursday and ordained the same day by President Dallin H. Oaks and the other members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

“I’ve always had a testimony of Jesus Christ,” now-Elder Caussé said. “He’s always been in the center of my life. I know Jesus Christ lives. And I know he’s our Savior and Redeemer. What a wonderful thing it is to be a witness of Christ. That’s the best responsibility or stewardship we might have in our lives.”

Elder Caussé is a native of Bordeaux, France. He was the third presiding bishop born outside the United States and the first for whom English is a second language,according to the church.

Elder Caussé previously served as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric and as a General Authority Seventy. He married his wife Valérie Babin on Aug. 5, 1986, in the Bern Switzerland Temple. They have five children.

Due to his calling in the church, he and his family have lived in Germany and the United States.

The new apostle has spoken in general conference several times. He has touched on the importance of being responsible stewards of the Earth, emphasizing what it means to be a disciple of Christ, and how relying on the Lord can bring blessings even amid trials.

“The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances, and the door to his blessings remains wide open to you no matter the challenges you face,” he said in his most recent conference address in April 2025.

Prior to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Elder Caussé spoke to youth in a devotional broadcast, comparing the discipline of athleticism to discipleship. He was joined by former BYU basketball star and Olympic athlete Jimmer Fredette and two-time Olympic gold gymnast Peter Vidmar.

“(Olympic) athletes are an incarnation of the universality of the values that unite all these countries,” he said. “These are values that are close to the values of the gospel — especially the fact that all the sons and daughters are united together for the same event, to celebrate the same thing — something that’s absolutely remarkable, which echoes what we preach: to have a world that’s divided and conflicted see that the people of the world can be reunited. It fills us with joy.”

Elder Caussé is the third apostle called who hails from Europe, joining Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf and Elder Patrick Kearon.

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This story may be updated.