Russell M. Nelson was named the 17th president of the nearly 16 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sure, there had been a couple of non-American apostles before then-President Gordon B. Hinckley, in , picked him mostly Canadians , but he was the first one in a long while from another continent to join that elite group. Thus, Uchtdorf became the symbol of what so many hoped would be seen as an increasingly global faith.
He talked about being a pilot so often that it became a standing joke. But it was more than his silver hair, his accent and smooth manner than endeared Uchtdorf to the masses. He is a beloved leader. Your Privacy. Strictly Necessary Cookies. Performance Cookies. Functional Cookies. Targeting Cookies.
More Information. Privacy Preference Centre. Elder Dieter F. He was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October He has served as a General Authority since April Prior to his calling as a General Authority, Elder Uchtdorf was the senior vice president of flight operations and chief pilot of Lufthansa German Airlines.
Elder Uchtdorf was born in in what is now the Czech Republic. He grew up in Zwickau, Germany, where his family joined the Church in He and his wife, Harriet Reich Uchtdorf, are the parents of two children and have six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
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Save Settings. Allow All. All Books. All eBooks. All Audiobooks. All Teaching Helps. All Art. All Statues. All Scriptures. All Movies. Four-year-old Dieter was frightened but also fascinated by the lights of aircraft as they flew overhead.
He remembers his mother taking him to air-raid shelters for safety. Her husband had been drafted into the German army, and Sister Uchtdorf bravely fended for her family as the war in Europe swirled about them. President Uchtdorf remembers his father as kind and loving, strong and tender. His father cherished his priesthood responsibilities as a deacon, teacher, priest, and elder. His mother, Hildegard, who died in , was not only courageous, but she was also a true convert and devoted disciple who served in many callings in the Church.
These parents and their children were sealed in the Swiss Temple in Since then, his brothers, Wolfgang and Karl-Heinz, have passed away. Harriet was baptized when she was nearly 13 years of age, along with her mother and her sister, after missionaries knocked on their door and taught them the gospel. Her mother and her sister have since passed away.
A remarkable reward came to one of those missionaries, Elder Gary Jenkins, who had taught and baptized the Reich family. What a joyful day it was for him, decades later, when on February 16, , his granddaughter, Crystal, was sealed to her husband, Steven, in the Salt Lake Temple by a member of the First Presidency, President Dieter F.
He calls Harriet the sunshine in his life. Her support is a continuous source of strength. She is the love of his life. Harriet describes her husband as having a big heart. He is a good and compassionate leader. We hear that from many of his former professional colleagues as well as from friends in the Church.
He is a wonderful husband, always looking for ways to support me. He is a man of great humor and wit. I am very blessed to be his wife. The Uchtdorfs are the parents of two children. Their daughter, Antje, is married to David A.
Antje and David have three sons: year-old twins, Daniel and Patrick, and 8-year-old Eric. They live in Darmstadt, Germany. South Mission. He married Carolyn Waldner from Basel, Switzerland. Gallen Switzerland Stake. They are parents of three children: Jasmin, age seven; Robin, age five; and Niklas Ivan, age one. We were never a second priority. When we have a problem, we seek his advice.
And our children feel that Opa will know the answer, whatever the question may be. Now that he is in the First Presidency, we feel an even greater responsibility to do our very best. He spoke of an occasion several years ago when he, his sister, mother, and father all took skiing lessons. That was the beginning of an enjoyable family tradition—skiing together. Guido and Antje learned from their parents the importance of time together as a family.
Whether an outing was educational or recreational, it helped strengthen family ties. Parenting and grandparenting at a distance are now facilitated for the Uchtdorf family by the use of modern technology. E-mail and telephone calls are augmented by the transmission of movie clips and photographs via the Internet.
But time together is valued. Especially meaningful for Guido was being able to attend the April general conference and to be present as his father stood at the Conference Center pulpit. In counseling with his family, President Uchtdorf has always stressed fundamental principles. These things are much more important to him than to wonder where Kolob is located. That temple is dear to Harriet and Dieter because their parents, they, and their children were all sealed there.
One cannot study the life of this great man without gaining a sense of his unique and unshakable faith. He has total faith in God, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in the Church, and faith that heavenly help will come to him when needed. His parents risked their lives for their freedom and faith. His father honored the priesthood that had been entrusted to him. He learned from his mother—particularly during their risky escape from East Germany—to pray and to trust in the Lord.
President Uchtdorf describes his mother as brilliant. He explains that she could do mathematics in her head, and she taught him to do the same. Though their family was penniless twice as refugees of war, they lived the law of tithing. They knew that the Lord would open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon those who faithfully obeyed this law.
President Uchtdorf has special feelings of fondness for the late Elder Theodore M. Burton —89 , who served as president of the West German Mission.
It was Elder Burton who ordained Dieter F. Uchtdorf to the office of elder and gave memorable instruction that Dieter heeded precisely. It became an imperative for them.
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