The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announces ordination of Gérald Caussé as new apostle
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- Elder Gérald Caussé and his wife, Valérie, speak about his new call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square in Salt Lake City on Thursday, November 6, 2025.
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- Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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- Courtesy The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday the call and ordination of Gérald Caussé as the newest member of its Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Caussé, who is from Bordeaux, France, served as the church’s presiding bishop for the last 10 years, a position that focuses on areas such as humanitarian aid, welfare programs, tithing and fast offerings, physical facilities, and the organization of membership records.
He also served as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric (2012-2015) and a General Authority Seventy (2008-2012).
Caussé becomes the fourth member of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to be born outside of the United States, joining Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Czech Republic), Ulisses Soares (Brazil) and Patrick Kearon (England).
Here is the complete release from the church:
“Elder Gérald Caussé is the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called on Thursday, November 6, 2025, and ordained the same day by President Dallin H. Oaks and the other members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“‘I’ve always had a testimony of Jesus Christ,’ Elder Caussé said Thursday. ‘He’s always been in the center of my life. I know Jesus Christ lives. And I know He’s our Savior and Redeemer. What a wonderful thing it is to be a witness of Christ. That’s the best responsibility or stewardship we might have in our lives.’
“Apostles are special witnesses of the name of Christ throughout the world. They also engage in significant administrative responsibilities, overseeing the operation and development of a global Church. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is the second-highest presiding body in the government of the Church. They serve under the direction of the First Presidency, which includes the Church President and two counselors.
“Elder Caussé, 62, is a native of Bordeaux, France. At the time of this call, he was in his 11th year of service as the Church’s Presiding Bishop. He was the third Presiding Bishop born outside the United States and the first for whom English is a second language. The Presiding Bishopric manages such matters as humanitarian aid, welfare programs, tithing and fast offerings, physical facilities, and the organization of membership records, among others. They also travel frequently to minister to Church members around the world.
“Elder Caussé also served as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric (2012-2015) and a General Authority Seventy (2008-2012).
“Born in Bordeaux, France, on May 20, 1963, to Jean Caussé and Marie-Blanche Bonnet Caussé, Elder Caussé moved to Paris when he was 19. There he served one year of military service. He began dating Valérie Babin, who he had known since they were children, when they were in the same ward in Paris. Both are second-generation Latter-day Saints. Elder Caussé’s parents were baptized when he was six months old; Valérie’s parents joined the Church when she was 3 years old.
“They were married on August 5, 1986, in the Bern Switzerland Temple, and they are the parents of five children.
“Elder Caussé’s assignments as a General Authority first took him and Valérie and three of their children to Germany, then later to the United States. The Caussés praised his children for enduring those difficult moves.
“‘That was not an easy thing to do,’ Elder Caussé said. ‘We admire them for being so consecrated. They never complained. They moved with us and changed life. And those who stayed in France, we admire them for not having their parents nearby for now 17 years.’
“‘They encouraged us,’ Sister Caussé added. ‘One of them told us she cried every night, but she didn’t tell us anything besides encouragement. We’re so proud of them.’
“Part of Elder Caussé’s ministry as a General Authority has been to the rising generation. In August 2025, for example, he reminded young adults that the work of the gathering of Israel is the most important thing taking place today — and as Latter-day Saints, they are called to be part of it.
“‘The Church needs you — not in spite of who you are, but because of who you are,’ Elder Caussé said. ‘Each of you brings unique gifts and life experiences that are essential to fulfilling the Lord’s purposes.’
“The new Apostle has also given significant addresses about the importance of caring for God’s creations. At a conference in Brazil in 2023, for example, he spoke to 100 young Latter-day Saint professionals about the Church’s approach to environmental sustainability.
“‘God has entrusted us with stewardship over His creations, including that of caring for His children — our brothers and sisters,’ Elder Caussé said. ‘Acting in this stewardship is a way of sharing the love that our Creator extends to us. Every disciple of Christ should feel the importance of blessing their families and the community in which they live.’
“Most important has been his focus on the hope found in Jesus Christ, a topic he touched on in his most recent general conference address.
“‘This message of hope and comfort is for all of us, children of God,’ Elder Caussé said in April 2025. ‘None of us can escape the challenges and limitations of mortality. After all, we are all born with an inherent incapacity to save ourselves. Yet we have a loving Savior, and ‘we know that it is by [His] grace that we are saved, after all we can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23).'”
