Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf (b. 6 November 1940) is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Uchtdorf was born to ethnic Germans Karl Albert Uchtdorf and Hildegard Else Opelt Uchtdorf in Moravská Ostrava, Czechoslovakia (today Ostrava, Czech Republic).^[1] Uchtdorf first entered the aviation industry as a pilot, later acting as a Lufthansa Airlines executive prior to his appointment on April 7 1996 to serve in the First Quorum of The Seventy of the LDS Church.^[2] Uchtdorf was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on 2 October, 2004 at the 174th Semiannual General Conference of the Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was ordained on 7 October 2004 by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley. Uchtdorf was called to fill the vacancy created by the death of Elder Neal A. Maxwell, who died on 21 July 2004. Although Uchtdorf is the 93rd person to hold the Apostleship since the LDS Church was organized in 1830, he is only the eleventh Apostle to be born outside the United States. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Uchtdorf is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. He is the first German born member of the Twelve, and was the first born outside of North America since the death of John A. Widtsoe.

Uchtdorf and his wife, Harriet Reich Uchtdorf, have two children and six grandchildren. They are natives of Germany.

References

Preceded by Henry B. Eyring	Quorum of the Twelve Apostles October 7, 2004—	Succeeded by David A. Bednar

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