General Authority - General Authority Firsts

General Authority Firsts

First Individual Date Position Notes
First second-generation general authority Joseph Smith, Sr. December 18, 1833 Presiding Patriarch son Joseph Smith, Jr. was President of the Church
First non-American general authority John Gould April 6, 1837 president of the Seventy British subject, having been born in Upper Canada; released on September 3, 1837
First third-generation general authority John Smith February 18, 1855 Presiding Patriarch father was Hyrum Smith, Assistant President of the Church and presiding patriarch; grandfather was Joseph Smith, Sr., presiding patriarch
First fourth-generation general authority Joseph Fielding Smith April 7, 1910 Quorum of the Twelve Apostles father was Joseph F. Smith; President of the Church; grandfather was Hyrum Smith; great-grandfather was Joseph Smith, Sr.
First general authority of Asian descent Adney Y. Komatsu 4 April 1975 Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Joined the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1976; was given emeritus status in 1993
First Native American general authority George P. Lee 3 October 1975 First Quorum of the Seventy Excommunicated in 1989
First resident of Europe general authority Charles A. Didier 3 October 1975 First Quorum of the Seventy Native of Belgium; was a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from 1992 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2007
First resident of Asia general authority Yoshihiko Kikuchi October 1977 First Quorum of the Seventy Native of Japan
First resident of the United Kingdom general authority (i.e. resident when called) Derek A. Cuthbert March 1978 First Quorum of the Seventy
First resident of Latin America general authority Ángel Abrea 20 March 1981 First Quorum of the Seventy Given emeritus status in 2003
First resident of Australia general authority Robert E. Sackley April 1988 First Quorum of the Seventy transferred to Second Quorum of the Seventy in 1989; died in 1993
First general authority of black African descent Helvécio Martins April 1990 Second Quorum of the Seventy released in 1995
First Korean general authority Han In Sang July 1991 Second Quorum of the Seventy released in 1996
First Filipino general authority Augusto A. Lim July 1992 Second Quorum of the Seventy released in 1997
First Chinese general authority Tai Kwok Yuen July 1992 Second Quorum of the Seventy released in 1997
First resident of Africa general authority Christoffel Golden Jr. April 2001 First Quorum of the Seventy Resident of South Africa
First black African general authority Joseph W. Sitati April 4, 2009 First Quorum of the Seventy Native of Nairobi, Kenya

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