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Former Utah Valley University president joins LDS Church’s general authority ranks

Several well-known figures were named Saturday as new leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Former Utah Valley University President Matthew Holland, son of apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, was one of nine new general authority Seventies called.

Two Africans — Thierry Kasuangi Mutombo and Adeyinka Ayodeji Ojediran — were appointed as well, along with two Latin Americans — Ciro Schmeil, who was born in Brazil, and Moisés Villanueva, a native of Mexico.

(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Thierry Kasuangi Mutombo is a newly appointed general authority Seventy.

(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Adeyinka Ayodeji Ojediran is a newly named general authority Seventy.

The church also selected a new Young Men presidency. Steven J. Lund, a NuSkin executive who serves as a regent for the Utah System of Education, is the president, with Ahmad S. Corbitt, who works for the faith’s missionary department, and Bradley R. Wilcox, a religion professor at Brigham Young University and a popular author and speaker, as counselors.

(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Steven J. Lund

Corbitt is the first African American to serve in the Young Men presidency.

The 58 new area Seventies named Saturday included Clark G. Gilbert, currently president of BYU-Pathway Worldwide and former president and CEO of the Deseret News, and David H. Huntsman, president and chief operating officer of the Huntsman Foundation, a former mission president, and a brother of Paul Huntsman, chairman of The Salt Lake Tribune’s nonprofit board.

(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Ahmad S. Corbitt