For the First Time In History Mormon Leadership Gets Diversity

The Mormon Apostles Added two Non-White Members

For the first time in history the mostly all white Mormon Apostles have added a Brazilian American and a Chinese American.

For the First Time In History Mormon Leadership Gets Diversity[/tweetthis]

Ulisses Soares and Gerrit W. Gong will be added to 12 members of the second highest leadership group in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons believe their leaders are chosen by God. Most of the members of the Apostles come from other leadership positions in the Mormon Church.

#Mormon history has been made today. South America gets its first @ldschurch apostle in Ulisses Soares, and Gerrit Gong, who is from California, becomes the first apostle of Asian descent. @RNS #ldsconf pic.twitter.com/sKbKcQE4Ol

— Jana Riess (@janariess) March 31, 2018

The move toward diversifying could be tied to the fact that most of the Mormon Church’s expansion has come from overseas. More than half of Mormons come from outside the United States. Mormons are actively involved in missionary work that has helped expand the religion.

This has been matched by the Mormon Church promising to build seven new churches, bringing the global total up to 189 locations.

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is where the president of the Mormon faith is selected. This could mean there may be the first non-white Mormon president in the future.

Resources

• LDS
• Desert News
• PEW

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