In the 170-plus year history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, every member of Quorum of the Twelve (apostles) has been a white male of American or European heritage. This pattern remains unbroken following the October 2, 2004 announcement at its General Conference of two new apostles – David A. Bednar, an American and Dieter F. Uchdorf, a German. The two fill the vacancies left by the deaths of apostles Neal A. Maxwell and David B. Haight, who died several months ago within weeks of each other.
Though over half of the Mormon Church’s 12 million members are now in countries outside North America, and more than a third (4.25 million) are Latin Americans, there continues to be a noticeable lack of representation in the Quorum of the Twelve from those of a non-Anglo or non-American/European cultural or ethnic heritage. The Quorum of the Twelve remains a solidly white body. It’s difficult to imagine that Mormons of color will not be disappointed and perhaps dismayed by this development.
There are a number of non-Anglos in the Quorums of the Seventy, most of whom are of Hispanic descent. However, none has ever been elevated to the position of apostle, even though many of them have been Seventies for 10 years or more. Currently these include Carlos Amado, Claudio Costa, Walter Gonzalez, Yoshihiko Kikuchi, Francisco Viñas, and Adhemar Damiani. All of these are members of the first and second quorums of the Seventy, and the majority have more years seniority at this level than either Bednar or Uchdorf.
Mormon membership in Germany, homeland of new apostle
Dieter Uchdorf, is less than 37,000; in all of Europe –West,
Central and Eastern combined – Mormon membership is barely
393,000. By comparison, the Church boasts memberships of
nearly a million in Mexico, 850,000 in Brazil, and in excess
of 500,000 in both Chile and the Philippines. Yet in terms
of qualification for the Mormon hierarchy, the message to
non-Anglo Mormons and especially those who are people of
color from these and other countries, seems to be,
non-Anglos need not apply.
[Statistical data taken from the Deseret Morning News
2004 Church Almanac, published in Salt Lake City, Utah,
2004.]