Ulisses Soares (born 2 October 1958) is a Brazilian religious leader and former businessman who serves as a member of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group. According to ''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'', the ...
of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church). He has been a
general authority since 2005 and served as a member of the church's
Presidency of the Seventy
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...
from January 2013 until his
calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. He is the LDS Church's first
apostle
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
from South America. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Soares is accepted by the LDS Church as a
prophet, seer, and revelator
Prophet, seer, and revelator is an ecclesiastical title used in the Latter Day Saint movement. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is the largest denomination of the movement, and it currently applies the terms to the membe ...
. Currently, he is the junior and fifteenth most senior apostle in the church.
Early life and education
Soares was born in
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, the son of Apparecido Soares and Mercedes Carecho Soares. He is of Amerindian and European descent. His family joined the LDS Church when he was six, after learning of the church from an aunt who had joined. The LDS
branch
A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term ''twig'' usually ...
they first attended met in a rented space above a bakery, and Soares has spoken of fond memories of the smells of baking bread wafting into sacrament meeting. Soares was baptized at age eight. Soares was present at a meeting in 1966 when the LDS Church's first
stake, both in Brazil and in South America, was organized. Soares was called as a youth
Sunday School teacher by his bishop when he was 15-years-old.
For three years prior to his
mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
, Soares worked in both the payroll accounting departments of a company to save money to serve as a missionary. He attended evening classes in an accounting high school during this same time. Beginning in early 1978, Soares then served as an LDS Church missionary in the Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
Mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
. The mission then included all of Brazil north and west of Rio de Janeiro, including
Fortaleza where Soares would later dedicate a
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
. His
mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A mission president presides over a geographic area known as a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending o ...
was
Helio da Rocha Camargo. When Soares began his mission there was no
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
in Latin America. When a temple in
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
was dedicated in late 1978, Soares was given permission to leave the mission and to receive his
temple ordinances, including the
endowment, in January 1980.
Soares was educated in Brazil, receiving a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in accounting and economics from the
Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo
The Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo ( pt, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, PUC-SP), locally known as ''PUC'' or the ''Catholic University'' ('), is a private and non-profit Catholic university. It is one of the larg ...
in 1985. He also received an
MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
from the National Institute of Postgraduate Study.
["Elder Ulisses Soares"]
'' Liahona'', May 2013, p. 139.
Career
Prior to being called as a general authority, Soares was employed as the director of temporal affairs for the LDS Church's Brazil South
Area
Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an ope ...
. At the time of his call as a general authority, he was working on a special assignment for the church's
Presiding Bishopric in Salt Lake City. He had worked for
Pirelli Tire Company and other multi-national corporations as an auditor and accountant. He was convinced by Donald L. Clark to take a job as a senior auditor for the church. After Clark was appointed as a
mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A mission president presides over a geographic area known as a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending o ...
, Soares replaced him as director of temporal affairs.
LDS Church service
Soares has served in the LDS Church as an
elders quorum president, counselor in a
bishopric
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
, member of a
stake high council
In Mormonism, a high council is one of several different governing bodies that have existed in the church hierarchy on many Latter Day Saint movement denominations. Most often, the term refers to a stake high council in a local stake, but other h ...
and regional welfare agent. In 1995, Soares was appointed the first
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of the São Paulo Brazil
Cotia
Cotia is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 253,608 (2020 est.) in an area of 323.99 km². The city is at an elevation of 853 m. Cotia is linked with t ...
Stake. Soares served as
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of the
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
Mission from 2000 to 2003.
General authority seventy
In 2005, Soares became a member of the LDS Church's
First Quorum of the Seventy. In his first talk at a general conference in October 2005 he emphasized that the gospel is about people not programs. He has served as a counselor and as president of the church's Brazil South
Area
Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an ope ...
and as a counselor in the Africa Southeast Area. While in the later position, he lived in South Africa and oversaw church operations in about 20 African nations, including Mozambique and Angola with their officially Portuguese speaking status. On 6 January 2013, Soares became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, replacing Walter F. González. In that capacity, Soares had responsibility for the church's North America Southeast Area, along with the Idaho and North America Central areas.
While serving in that assignment, Soares participated in the dedications of the
Meridian Idaho,
Fort Collins Colorado, and
Star Valley Wyoming temples. In September 2017, Soares accompanied
Neil L. Andersen to organize the church's 100th stake in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
Quorum of the Twelve
On 31 March 2018, Soares was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He and
Gerrit W. Gong were sustained to fill the vacancies created from the deaths of
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson (August 21, 1927 – January 2, 2018) was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). As president, he was considered by adherents of the re ...
and
Robert D. Hales.
He was widely reported as one of the first two "non-white" members of the Quorum of the Twelve and first Latino apostle. The appointments of Soares and Gong was called the church leadership's "most significant nod to global diversity since the 1978 revelation on the priesthood" by LDS studies scholar
Patrick Q. Mason.
Marcus Martins, an LDS expert in sociology and a native of Brazil, said that the call of Soares showcased the potential for international service of many Brazilian members of the LDS Church.
The first major tour Soares did as an apostle was to multiple countries in western Africa. He traveled with
Neil L. Andersen, and their wives, to
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
,
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, and the
Ivory Coast. As of June 2018, he is assigned to serve on the church's missionary executive council. He is also serving as a member of the church's human resources committee and as the apostle with responsibility for the church's Africa West and Central America areas.
In 2019, Soares dedicated the church's
Fortaleza Brazil Temple in June and the
Arequipa Peru Temple in December. Also in December 2019, Soares was a speaker at the
First Presidency
Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...
Christmas Devotional. Along with all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, he participated in the dedication of the
Rome Italy Temple in March 2019, along with accompanying
Dallin H. Oaks
Dallin Harris Oaks (born August 12, 1932) is an American religious leader and former jurist and academic who since 2018 has been the first counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was ...
in the dedication of the
Barranquilla Colombia Temple in December 2018. Also in 2019, Soares visited an immigrant welcome center and the Texas Central Foodbank to review the operation aid being given by the church and to show general support. In September 2019, Soares presided at a "Face to Face" worldwide broadcast for young adults, along with Craig C. Christensen, a general authority seventy. The event originated from the campus of
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
, with questions answered in Spanish, Portuguese, and English to generate international participation in the event. This was the church's first worldwide broadcast which originated using multiple languages.
In February 2020, Soares did a multi-country ministry tour of Central America, during which he visited the president of
Guatemala and the leader of
Costa Rica's legislature.
In July 2020, Soares spoke in the church's first Youth Music Festival.As of October 2020, Soares is serving as an advisor to the committee working on revising the church's
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...
and
children's
A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person young ...
song books.
In February 2021, Soares participated in the church's first ever worldwide broadcast to
Primary children. In March 2022, he and his wife participated in Family Discovery Day, part of the church's annual
RootsTech conference, to share their life stories, family history, and the history of the church in Brazil.
Personal life
Soares married Rosana Fernandes Morgado in the
Sao Paulo Brazil Temple in October 1982. They served as missionaries in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission at the same time, but did not meet until they were both at a stake dance in Sao Paulo.
They have three children.
References
Further reading
* Gerry Avant,
External links
General Authorities and General Officers: Elder Ulisses SoaresNew mission presidents
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soares, Ulisses
1958 births
Brazilian general authorities (LDS Church)
Brazilian Mormon missionaries
Mission presidents (LDS Church)
Mormon missionaries in Brazil
Mormon missionaries in Portugal
Members of the First Quorum of the Seventy (LDS Church)
Living people
People from São Paulo
20th-century Mormon missionaries
21st-century Mormon missionaries
Apostles (LDS Church)
Brazilian expatriates in the United States
Brazilian expatriates in South Africa