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SALT LAKE CITY — On Saturday afternoon, three new apostles were announced for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

President Henry B. Eyring announced Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson and Dale G. Renlund would join the Quorum of the Twelve, the second-highest leadership organization in the religion. General Authority callings are lifelong. Russell M. Nelson was also sustained as president of the quorum, a calling which was extended to him in July following the death of President Boyd K. Packer.

Three apostleship positions were left vacant by Elder L. Tom Perry, 92, who died in May; Packer, 90, who died in July; and Elder Richard G. Scott, 86, who died in September. Following past practice, the three apostle callings were not announced until the next general conference in Salt Lake City. It was the first time since 1906 that three seats were simultaneously vacant in the quorum.

LDS Church members sustained the newest members of the quorum by a show of hands and they joined the quorum on the stand afterward.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Elder Gary E. Stevenson and Elder Dale G. Renlund were named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, October 3, 2015. (2015 Intellectual Reserve, Inc.)

Ronald A. Rasband

Prior to being called as an apostle, Rasband was serving in the Presidency of the Seventy as the senior president. He was born in Salt Lake City in 1951. In 1987, he became the president and chief operating officer of the the Huntsman Chemical Corporation.

"I can't ever remember not believing in Jesus Christ," Rasband said in a statement. "I have loved him since I learned of Him from the knees of my mother sharing scriptures with me and reading stories. I have just grown up in the Lord. I've always loved Him. I've always had a desire to serve Him. I love the Lord, I know He is God's living Son, Jesus the Christ. I'm honored beyond my words to express, to have been called to serve Him up to this very moment and I will devote my time, my talents, everything I have now ‘til the day I die. I'm committed to do it. I'm honored to do it."

Gary E. Stevenson

Stevenson has been serving as the Presiding Bishop of the church since March 2012. He was born in Ogden in 1955 and met his wife, Lesa Jean Higley, while attending Utah State University.

Before becoming Presiding Bishop, Stevenson served as the area president of the church's Asia North area from 2008 to 2012. He was also the Japan Nagoya Mission president from 2004 to 2007.

"I've often said that I feel like I was blessed to have a sense of the truthfulness of the gospel, really from my earliest memories, and something that instilled in me the desire, the duty to live the gospel, and every day, try to do that," Stevenson said in a statement. "Balance was probably one of the great lessons. When you're going through something that can be so consuming, what do you do to make certain that you maintain a balance of family, of profession and of Church calling? And then making certain that you take care of yourself as well? Those are the challenges and the struggles that people face. I think that's been a great preparation, and something that really blessed us."

Dale G. Renlund

Renlund was called to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 2009. He was born in Salt Lake City in 1952 and attended the University of Utah as both an undergraduate and medical student. He went on to work as a professor of medicine at the U. and become the medical director of the Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals Cardiac Transplant Program.

"We must recognize that the Savior helps everyone," Renlund said in a statement. "Saints are sinners who keep on trying. There is something about seeing people as Heavenly Father sees them -as a beloved son or daughter of Heavenly parents, and as such, with divine potential. All true followers need to plead for that pure love of Christ that He does give (Moroni 7:48). God is so mindful of individuals, and status doesn't much matter. Faith and hope matter. He knows His children one by one."

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