The First Presidency announced this week new assignments in area presidencies and the creation of the new Chile Area, bringing the number of areas in the Church to 23. (See related article on page 3.)

The new area presidency assignments and the creation of the new area are both effective Aug. 15.Fifty-nine members of the Seventy and 10 area authorities have been assigned to serve in eight domestic areas and in 15 international areas throughout the world. Most of the members of the Seventy who will serve in domestic areas will continue to reside in the Salt Lake City area, while those assigned to the international areas will live near their offices in other countries.

Currently, there are 76 members of the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy. Those who have not been called to area presidencies have been assigned responsibilities at Church headquarters in the Young Men and Sunday School general presidencies, and in the Missionary, Temple, Family History, Correlation, Curriculum, Historical and Priesthood departments, and as temple presidents.

Last year, after President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the position of area authority in the April 1995 general conference, three area authorities were called as members of area presidencies. This year, 10 area authorities will serve as counselors in area presidencies. They are: Asia Area, Chung Hei (Patrick) Wong; Africa Area, Christoffel Golden Jr; Central America, Julio Enrique Alvarado; Chile Area, Eduardo A. Lamartine; Mexico North Area, Tomas Valdes O.; Mexico South Area, Octaviano Tenorio D.; North America Northwest Area, C. Scott Grow; Pacific Area, Phillip B. Mitchell; and South America North Area, Carl B. Pratt.

The policy of administering the affairs of the Church in various lands through area presidencies was announced in June 1984, at which time 13 areas were created. Since then, additional areas have been created.

Currently, there are two areas covering Utah and portions of adjoining states, one area for California and Hawaii, and five areas for the rest of the United States and Canada. Six areas cover the Spanish-speaking areas of Mexico, Central and South America, and another covers Portuguese-speaking Brazil.

Three areas are responsible for Europe, two for Asia and one each for Africa, the Pacific and the Philippines/Micronesia islands.

*****

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. Utah North

Robert E. Wells, First Counselor

Alexander B. Morrison, President

Robert K. Dellenbach, Second Counselor

2. Utah South

L. Lionel Kendrick, First Counselor

Ben B. Banks, President

Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Second Counselor

3. North America Northwest

Wm. Rolfe Kerr, First Counselor

Glenn L. Pace, President

C. Scott Grow, Second Counselor

4. North America West

C. Max Caldwell, First Counselor

Loren C. Dunn, President

Cree-L Kofford, Second Counselor

5. North America Central

J. Richard Clarke, First Counselor

Hugh W. Pinnock, President

V. Dallas Merrell, Second Counselor

6. North America Northeast

W. Don Ladd, First Counselor

Vaughn J Featherstone, President

Marlin K. Jensen, Second Counselor

7. North America Southeast

John K. Carmack, First Counselor

F. Burton Howard, President

F. David Stanley, Second Counselor

8. North America Southwest

Lynn A. Mickelsen, First Counselor

Dean L. Larsen, President

Angel Abrea, Second Counselor

9. Mexico North

Andrew W. Peterson, First Counselor

John M. Madsen, President

Tomas Valdes O., Second Counselor

10. Mexico South

Gary J. Coleman, First Counselor

D. Todd Christofferson, President

Octaviano Tenorio D., Second Counselor

11. Central America

Lino Alvarez, First Counselor

William R. Bradford, President

Julio Enrique Alvarado, Second Counselor

12. South America North

Francisco J. Vinas, First Counselor

Jay E. Jensen, President

Carl B. Pratt, Second Counselor

13. Brazil

W. Craig Zwick, First Counselor

Dallas N. Archibald, President

Claudio R.M. Costa, Second Counselor

14. South America South

Carlos H. Amado, First Counselor

John B. Dickson, President

Hugo A. Catron, Second Counselor

15. Chile

Jerald L. Taylor, First Counselor

F. Melvin Hammond, President

Eduardo A. Lamartine, Second Counselor

16. Europe North

John E. Fowler, First Counselor

Cecil O. Samuelson Jr., President

Spencer J. Condie, Second Counselor

17. Europe East

Bruce D. Porter, First Counselor

Charles Didier, President

F. Enzio Busche, Second Counselor

18. Europe West

Neil L. Andersen, First Counselor

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, President

Gene R. Cook, Second Counselor

19. Africa

Dennis E. Simmons, First Counselor

James O. Mason, President

Christoffel Golden Jr, Second Counselor

20. Asia

John H. Groberg, First Counselor

Kwok Yuen Tai, President

Patrick Wong, Second Counselor

21. Asia North

Rex D. Pinegar, First Counselor

David E. Sorensen, President

L. Edward Brown, Second Counselor

22. Philippines/Micronesia

Sheldon F. Child, First Counselor

Kenneth Johnson, President

Quentin L. Cook, Second Counselor

23. Pacific

Bruce C. Hafen, First Counselor

Lowell D. Wood, President

P. Bruce Mitchell, Second Counselor