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Salt Lake City native Ronald A. Rasband ranks as the most senior of the three new members of the faith's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Because he was the first of the three newcomers to receive his "call," his place in the quorum will reflect that seniority. 

Quorum members' seniority is based on when they were appointed, not their age. That means Rasband is 12th in line to be president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the two counselors in the governing First Presidency are apostles as well).

"I know in my heart that this calling comes from the Lord Jesus Christ," Rasband, 64, said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. He described meeting Tuesday with LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson, whom Mormons regard as a "prophet, seer and revelator."

Monson was strong and loving, Rasband said, and assured him the calling was from God.

"It's my great honor and great privilege to serve the rest of my life," Rasband said, adding that he's a sixth-generation Latter-day Saint. "My pioneer ancestors from England and Denmark paid a heavy price that someone in their posterity would receive this call."

Rasband, former president and chief operating officer of Huntsman Chemical Corp., has held a number of positions in the Utah-based faith, according to an LDS Church news release.

He credited Jon Huntsman Sr. with teaching him a lesson that he has carried into church service: "It's people that matter most."

A Mormon general authority for 15 years, Rasband has served as a bishop, mission president and area supervisor. He was a counselor in the Europe Central Area Presidency and executive director of the Temple Department. He became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 2000 and senior president of the Quorums of the Seventy nine years later. As a young man, he had served a Mormon mission based in New York City.

In fact, Rasband was the mission president of Jason Love, the husband of Rep. Mia Love, in New York and Connecticut. Rasband even held the Bible when Mia Love was sworn into office ceremoniously earlier this year as the first black Republican woman elected to Congress.

"He didn't even hint that he was called as an apostle when we saw him last night," the congresswoman wrote Saturday on Facebook. "May Heavenly Father bless Sister Rasband and President Rasband, my husband's mission president, our spiritual liaison and his family, who we consider our family. We love you."

Rasband said he would be grounded in his new post by his roots.

"I was born to a Wonder Bread truck driver," he said, "and a dear mother who tried her very hardest to stay at home and raise a family."

In 1973, Rasband married Melanie Twitchell. The couple have five children, all married, and 25 grandchildren, many of whom surrounded him after the news conference. He held one tiny granddaughter, waving her hand and mugging for the camera.

Rasband said he and his wife prayed for confirmation about this new position.

"I had a spiritual impression that there's nothing about this that was politically motivated, nothing about it that was an election, nothing about it that was a vote, nothing about it was my desire," he said. "It was the Lord's decision and that I needed to understand that and have it confirmed to me just like President Monson told me."

Thomas Burr contributed to this story.