After serving five years or more in the Second Quorum of the Seventy, eight General Authorities were released Sept. 30.

Appreciation was expressed for the service of Elder Ronald T. Halverson, Elder Dale E. Miller, Elder H. Bryan Richards, Elder Donald L. Staheli, Elder David R. Stone, Elder H. Bruce Stucki, Elder Robert J. Whetten and Elder Richard H. Winkel.

During the session of Church business Saturday afternoon, one new Area Seventy, Erich W. Kopischke, 49, Frankfurt, Germany, was sustained and three Area Seventies were released: Cesar A. S. Milder, Hyae-Kee Min and Masayuki Nakano.

As is the practice with the Second Quorum of Seventy, the brethren served in area presidencies, at Church Headquarters and in other capacities.

Elder Halverson, 69, was sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 4, 1998, and served as president and counselor in the Pacific Islands Area presidency, as counselor in the North America East Area presidency and as an assistant executive director of the Audiovisual Department and the Family and Church History Department. Elder Halverson has been called to serve as president of the Family History missionaries at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

Elder Miller, 70, was sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 5, 1997. He has served as president of the Chile and North America East areas, as a counselor in area presidencies in Mexico North and North America Southwest and as executive director of the Audiovisual and Priesthood departments.

Elder Richards, 72, was sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 4, 1998, and has served as president of the Asia Area, counselor in area presidencies for Asia and North America Northeast and as an assistant executive director of the Missionary Department. He has been called as president of the Bountiful Utah Temple and his wife, LynneAnne Richards, has been called as matron.

Elder Staheli, 74, was sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 5, 1997. He has served three times as president of the North America Central Area, as well as serving as a counselor in area presidencies for North America Northeast and North America Central.

Elder Stone, 70, was sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 3, 1999. He has served as president of the Australia and South America West areas of the Church, as a counselor in area presidencies for the Philippines, South America West and Mexico North and as an assistant executive director of the Family and Church History Department.

Elder Stucki, 68, was sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 3, 1999. He served as president of the Africa West Area and as counselor in area presidencies for New Zealand/Pacific Islands, North America Southwest and Africa West. Additionally, Elder Stucki served as an assistant executive director of the Priesthood Department, the Correlation Department and the Audiovisual Department.

Elder Stucki has been called as president of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple, and his wife, Cheryl Stucki, will serve as temple matron.

Elder Whetten, 63, was sustained to the Seventy on April 4,1998. He spent his entire time as an expatriate, presiding over or serving as a counselor in the Mexico North Area and presiding over or serving as counselor in the South America North Area.

Elder Winkel, 64, was sustained to the Second Quorum of the Seventy on April 3, 1999. He served as president of the Mexico South Area and as a counselor in the North America West Area, the Utah Salt Lake City Area and the New Zealand/Pacific Island Area. Elder Winkel and his wife, Karen, are serving as president and matron of the newly dedicated Sacramento California Temple.