Eight new members of the Second Quorum of the Seventy were sustained during the Saturday afternoon session of general conference, expanding the number in that body to 34.

The new Seventies are: L. Edward Brown, Pocatello, Idaho; Sheldon F. Child, Salt Lake City; Quentin L. Cook, Hillsborough, Calif.; Wm. Rolfe Kerr, Provo, Utah; Dennis E. Simmons, Las Vegas, Nev.; Jerald L. Taylor, Colonia Dublan, Chihuahua, Mexico; Francisco J. Vinas, Madrid, Spain; and Richard B. Wirthlin, Salt Lake City.Elder Brown, 58, was serving as an area authority in the North America Northwest Area at the time of his call to the Second Quorum. He has previously served as a stake president and counselor, stake mission president, and bishop.

A native of Preston, Idaho, Elder Brown has been with the Church Educational System since 1963, first as a teacher and, since 1990, as an area director. He earned a bachelor's degree from Utah State University, and a master's degree and doctorate in education from the University of Kansas. He is a former Pocatello mayor and city council member and served three terms in the Idaho House of Representatives.

He and his wife, Carol Ewer Brown, have eight children.

Elder Child, 57, has been serving as an area authority in the Utah North Area. He has also served as president of the New York New York Mission, and as a stake president and counselor, and bishop.

A native of Syracuse, Utah, he studied at Utah State University and the University of Utah. He is president of R.C. Willey Home Furnishings, a company he started working for in 1966. Elder Child has been active in the Boy Scouts of America and has served on the board of the Davis North Hospital.

He and his wife, Joan Haacke Child, have six children.

Elder Cook, 55, was serving as an area authority in the North America West Area. He has also been a regional representative, stake president and counselor, and bishop.

A native of Logan, Utah, Elder Cook graduated from Utah State University and earned a law degree at the Stanford University Law School. He is vice chairman of Sutter/California Healthcare System, and is a former president and chief executive officer of California Healthcare System. He has also served the past 14 years as city attorney in Hillsborough, Calif.

He and his wife, Mary Gaddie Cook, have three children.

Elder Kerr, 60, is serving as president of the Texas Dallas Mission. His other callings have included Sunday School General Board member, stake president, high councilor, bishop's counselor, and missionary in Great Britain.

A native of Tremonton, Utah, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Utah State University and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Utah. He is a former Utah commissioner of higher education and executive vice president of BYU. He has also been president of Dixie College in St. George, Utah; assistant to the president at Utah State University; and associate dean of students at the University of Utah.

He and his wife, Janeil Raybould Kerr, have six children.

Elder Simmons, 61, was serving as an area authority in the North America Southwest Area. His other callings include president of the Washington D.C. North Mission, regional representative, and stake president.

A native of Beaver Dam, Utah, Elder Simmons earned a bachelor's degree from Utah State University and a law degree from George Washington University. Prior to earning his law degree and opening his own law firm, he taught school and worked in private business. He was also a legislative assistant for former U.S. Sen. Alan Bible of Nevada. Elder Simmons has been active in the Boy Scouts of America.

He and his wife, Carolyn Thorpe Simmons, have six children.

Elder Taylor, 59, has been serving as an area authority in the Mexico North Area. He has also served as president of the Chile Santiago South Mission, a regional representative, stake president, and bishop.

A native of Colonia Dublan, Mexico, Elder Taylor earned a bachelor's degree from BYU. He is a self-employed rancher.

He and his wife, Sharon Willis Taylor, have six children.

Elder Vinas, 49, was serving as an area authority in the Europe West Area. He previously served as president of the Argentina Salta Mission, as a regional representative, stake president, and bishop.

He was born in Seville, Spain, but grew up in Uruguay. He earned his bachelor's degree and was a basketball coach at a physical education institute. He has been with the Church Educational System since 1977, most recently as country director in Spain. Early in his career he was a production cost supervisor for the Bayer Company.

He and his wife, Cristina Gaminara Vinas, have three children.

Elder Wirthlin, 65, has previously served as a regional representative, stake president's counselor, bishop, ward mission leader, and missionary in Swiss-Austrian Mission.

A native of Salt Lake City, Elder Wirthlin earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Utah and a doctorate in economics from the University of California at Berkeley. He is chairman and chief executive officer of Wirthlin Worldwide, an opinion research firm. In 1981, he was named by Advertising Age magazine as the U.S. Advertising Man of the Year.

He and his wife, Jeralie Mae Chandler Wirthlin, have eight children.