Four new stakes have been created, in Guatemala, Mexico and South Africa.

The Retalhuleu Guatemala Las Palmas Stake, which includes the Concepcion, Pedregal, Retalhuleu 2nd, Samala and San Sebastian wards, and the El Astintal and La Verde branches, has been created by Elder William R. Bradford of the Seventy.

The Soweto South Africa Stake, which includes the Florida, Kagiso, Protea Glen and Soweto wards, and the Carletonville, Jouberton, Khutsong and Klerksdorp branches, has been created by Elder Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy.

The Teziutlan Mexico Stake, which includes the Ejidal, El Pinal, Independencia, Martinez De La Torre and Teziutlan wards, and the Altotonga and San Juan Xiutetelco branches, has been created by Elder Richard E. Turley of the Seventy.

The Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico Centro Stake, which includes the Albania, Convivencia, Juarez, La Pimienta and Reforma wards, and the Chiapa De Corzo and Suchiapa branches, has been created by Elder Octaviano Tenorio of the Seventy.

Elsewhere, stakes have been reorganized in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, New Zealand and Taiwan, and in Texas and Utah.

New stakes

RETALHULEU GUATEMALA LAS PALMAS STAKE: (Feb. 28, 1999) Created from the Retalhuleu Guatemala Stake. President — Moises Gomez G., 36, sales manager; wife, Albertina Perez M. de Gomez. Counselors — Mario Luis Pivaral A., 31, purchasing agent; wife, Judith Juarez M. de Pivaral. Cruz Dionicio Mejia G., 37, accountant; wife, Lidia Eugena Yax V. de Mejia.

SOWETO SOUTH AFRICA STAKE: (March 14, 1999) Created from the Roodepoort South Africa Stake. President — Robert Eppel, 53, director of temporal affairs for Church Area office; wife Pamela Anne Greenhalgh Eppel. Counselors — T. Jackson Mkhabele, 38, lecturer; wife, Dorah Mjujwa Mkhabele. Khumbulani D. Mdletshe, 34, regional coordinator for Church Educational System; wife, Cynthia Ntombiruthi Mdletshe.

TEZIUTLAN MEXICO STAKE: (March 7, 1999) Created from the Jalapa Mexico Stake. President — Alejandro Perez A., 37, English teacher; wife, Elsa Dominguez G. de Perez. Counselors — Mariano Renero G., 43, mining recovery company supervisor; wife, Miryam Obregon C. de Renero. Israel Portugal T., 27, marketing specialist; wife, Veronica Huesca M. de Torres.

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ MEXICO CENTRO STAKE: (Feb. 28, 1999) Created from the Tuxtla Guiterrez Mexico Grijalva Stake and the Mexico Tuxtla Gutierrez Mission. President — Mario Alberto Morales Z., 33, area information manager for DIF-Chiapas; wife, Clary Iveth Galvez R. de Morales. Counselors — Enrique Alonso Sanchez M., 32, professor at Chiapas Autonoma University; wife, Edith Pelayo L. de Sanchez. Walter Lopez H., 27, Secretary of Education and Finance; wife, Emma Esther Soriano H. de Lopez.

Stake reorganizations

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY 3RD STAKE: (March 21, 1999) President — Richard L. Hill, 48, attorney and partner of Hill, Johnson & Schmutz; succeeding Clayne L. Pope; wife, Kathryn Smith Hill. Counselors — Steven M.R. Covey, 37, president of training and education for Franklin Covey Co.; wife, Jerolyn Shae Hutchings Covey. R. Scott Runia, 41, financial consultant for Merrill Lynch; wife, Tamara Wood Runia.

CALI COLOMBIA STAKE: (Feb. 14, 1999) President — Jose Luis Alvear A., 33, administrator for Compu Master; succeeding Lizardo Amaya Hernandez; wife, Illanda Villota M. de Alvear. Counselors — Javier Pinedo T., 32, safety analyst for Comfamiliar Andi; wife, Carolina Gonzalez M. de Pinedo. Oscar Villarreal A., 48; wife, Marlene Hernandez V. de Villarreal.

COMODORO RIVADAVIA ARGENTINA STAKE: (March 14, 1999) President — Camilo Manuel Merino, 42, division supervisor for Federal Administration of Public Income; succeeding Jorge Esteban Detlefsen; wife, Olga Noemi Valle de Merino. Counselors — Richard Ernesto Maimo R., 32, assistant for Church Educational System and adviser for A.F.J.P. Previnter; wife, Sandra Elizabeth Sanchez de Maimo. Ruben Oscar Cunningham, 39, assisted freedom operator for Health Ministry, professor in Ministry of Education, and worker at nursing home; wife, Elisa Mabel Gimeno de Cunningham.

CUIABA BRAZIL STAKE: (March 7, 1999) President — Renato Capelletti, 31, financier for Vidracaria Guapore; succeeding Julio Cesar Kern; wife, Rossiane Karla Ludgero da Silva de Capelletti. Counselors — Jose Henrique Porto Serra, 40, assistant professor at University of Mato Grosse; wife, Angela Raeder Pinto Porto Serra. Tone Cesar da Costa, 31, self-employed and owner of T.H.A.M. Information; wife, Janaina Dos Santos Vilas Boas Costa.

ESMERALDAS ECUADOR STAKE: (March 14, 1999) President — Cesar Omar Intriago A., 38, owner of Galvantotecnia Technicians; succeeding Cesar Joel Campos Armijos; wife, Maryuri Maria Del Consuelo Ferrin A. de Intriago. Counselors — Sergio Emilio Gonzalez P., 69, maintenance technician for Emerald Broadcasting; wife, Maria Estilita Avila C. de Gonzalez. Francisco Enrique Trejo E., 27, self-employed; wife, Sondra Sugey Castro A. de Trejo.

HOUSTON TEXAS EAST STAKE: (Mach. 21, 1999) President — Dennis P. Smith, 44, senior research associate for Exxon Production Research; succeeding Wilson James Dinsdale; wife, Joy Hoffmann Smith. Counselors — Theodore G. Bardo, 55, salesman for Venetian Blind & Floor Co.; wife, Phyllis Joan Hersiovsky Bardo. David R. Berges, 44, senior inspector for Equistar Chemical; wife, Lucinda Jo Priest Berges.

KAOHSIUNG TAIWAN STAKE: (Feb. 28, 1999) President — Shih-Jung Li, retained. Counselors — Steven Yang, 35, professional artist; wife, Mei-Jyan Peng Yang. Hsin Hsiung Chen, 38, English language center manager for Terry Crowther; wife, Ming-Fang Mindy Yao Chen.

LOS MOCHIS MEXICO STAKE: (March 21, 1999) President — Arnoldo Felix, 31, consultant for Peak Performance of Mexico; succeeding Ramon Alejandro Jimenez Chavez; wife, Patricia Castro H. de Felix. Counselors — Martin Orozco, 35, teacher; wife, Maria Luisa Valenzuela S. de Orozco. Miguel Moreno, 30, manager for Taquerias Efrain; wife, Isela Lugo M. de Moreno.

RETALHULEU GUATEMALA STAKE: (Feb. 28, 1999) President — Carlos Ernesto Garcia R., 41, mechanic for Coca Cola Bottling; succeeding Jose Marbin Maldonado Villatoro; wife, Lidia Trinidad Moralez D. de Garcia. Counselors — Everardo Napoleon Villatoro O., 40, professor ; wife, Kenly Lusbeth Dardon G. de Villatoro. Rodrigo Lopez N., 58, self-employed; wife, Blanca Esthela Castro C. de Lopez.

RIO DE JANEIRO BRAZIL STAKE: (March 21, 1999) President — Jose Gomes Mendes, 59, bakery business; succeeding Mario Nazareth Campanella; wife, Isabel Gomes Mendes. Counselors — Marco Antonio Novello, 35, computer systems analyst for Esso Petrolem of Brazil; wife, Elisa Eleonora Greco Novello. Fernando da Silva Torres, 33, partner of FAO Trust; wife, Regina Helena Greco Torres.

ST. GEORGE UTAH COLLEGE 1ST STAKE: (March 7, 1999) President — Rodney Frank Savage, 51, accountant and partner of Savage & Esplin; succeeding Larry Higbee Gardner; wife, Marlene Baker Savage. Counselors — Richard Grant Whitehead, 57, executive director of institutional advancement at Dixie College; wife, Launa Tucker Whitehead. H. Clark Christensen, 56, partner of Christensen Clothing Co.; wife, Kathleen Felt Christensen.

SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS BRAZIL STAKE: (Feb. 28, 1999) President — Edison Ideo Tsuchiya, 46, aviation project manager for Embraer; succeeding Flavio Alegretti De Campos Cooper; wife, Maria Manuera Videira Santos Tsuchiya. Counselors — Moacir Dorneles Alendes, 42, business representative for Degen & Alendes; wife, Rosa Maria Degen de Alendes. Ricardo Galaori Jose, 33, assistant manager in personnel department; wife, Ana Maria Ferreira de Jose.

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ MEXICO GRIJALVA STAKE: (Feb. 28, 1999) President — Moises Ulloa S., retained. Counselors — Javier Tlapale M., 42, regional coordinator for Church Educational System; wife, Rosa Maria Reyes M. de Tlapale. Saul Perez R., 36, English professor; wife, Bertha Elena Guitierrez H. de Perez.

WELLINGTON NEW ZEALAND STAKE: (March 14, 1999) President — J. Scott Butters, 49, Church Educational System coordinator; succeeding Mitchell Mackrory; wife, Sheryl Delma Strother Butters. Counselors — George A. S. Harvey, 50, operators manager for National Mutual; wife, Elaine Rahera Carr Harvey. Manoa T. Jacob, 46, taxi driver and owner; wife, Ranginavanci Babe Maehe-Mmarsh Jacob.