Gary E. Stevenson

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Gary Evan Stevenson was named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 3, 2015. At the time of his call, he had been serving as the Presiding Bishop of the Church, having been called on March 31, 2012.

At the time of his call to the Presiding Bishopric, Stevenson had been serving as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy since 2008 and was the president of the Asia North Area. As a young man he served a full-time mission to the Japan Fukuoka Mission and has also served in the Church as a high councilor, bishop, stake president’s counselor, president of the Japan Nagoya Mission, and ward Sunday School teacher.

He attended the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. He co-founded ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., where he served as president and chief operating officer until 2008. He served on the board of the Marriott School of management National Advisory Council, the Utah State University Foundation Board and the Executive Board of the Trapper Trails Council — Boy Scouts of America.

He was given an honorary degree of doctor of business during USU’s commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 4, 2023.

Elder Stevenson was born on August 5, 1955, in Ogden, Utah, and raised in Cache Valley, Utah. He married Lesa Jean Higley in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple. They are the parents of four sons.

They were in Japan as he served as president of the Asia North Area when an earthquake and tsunami hit in March 2011. In a Church News article dated May 5, 2012, Bishop Stevenson expressed his admiration for the way the Church assisted the victims.

"We witnessed the gospel of Jesus Christ in action," said Bishop Stevenson. "We saw the way the Lord provides for those who have been adversely affected by natural disasters. ... And we felt the compassion of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve and the Presiding Bishopric for both the members of the Church and for those who were not members of the Church in a very generous humanitarian offering."[1]

Apostleship

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, accompanied by his wife, Sister Lesa Stevenson, completed a ten-day ministry tour across Europe, visiting members and missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Netherlands, Greece, Bulgaria, and Italy from October 17–27, 2024.

Elder Stevenson presented individual pedigree charts to 12 governors during a National Governors Association meeting held at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City on July 11, 2024. In his remarks to the governors, Elder Stevenson said, “Family history and genealogy and the ability to be able to find our roots ... strengthens communities and societies and states in a nation.”

Elder Stevenson spoke at the G20 Religion Forum on November 3, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia. “We gather from around the world as ecclesiastical leaders, spiritual guides and scholars of various religious beliefs to share perspectives in this noble work of building peace. We face many challenges, but one of the tests of a successful society is to learn from the past and accept new light and knowledge that comes into the world. Religion is no different. We can all learn from one another — from our past and from our present.”

At the request of event organizers, Elder Stevenson spoke about the 1978 revelation that extended priesthood and temple privileges to every worthy member. Elder Stevenson noted that “Latter-day Saints rely on a foundational doctrine of continuing revelation.” He explained to the attendees how revelation unfolds in the ongoing restoration. He called the revelation “a great blessing” to all Church members, who have “been lifted and strengthened by the full participation of all God’s children.”[2]

Temples dedicated by Elder Stevenson

Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple · Helena Montana Temple · Okinawa Japan Temple

Books by Elder Stevenson

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room (2020)

Quotes from Elder Stevenson

"The miracle of the Atonement can make up for imperfections in our performance."

April 2014 General Conference, "Your Four Minutes"

"You have the Savior of the world on your side. If you seek His help and follow His directions, how can you fail?"

April 2014 General Conference, "Your Four Minutes"

"Satan, the father of lies and the great deceiver, would have us question things as they really are and either ignore eternal truths or replace them with something that appears more pleasing. 'He maketh war with the saints of God' and has spent millennia calculating and practicing the ability to persuade God’s children to believe that good is evil and evil is good."

October 2019 General Conference, "Deceive Me Not"

“When a moment to bear testimony comes, grab it and embrace it. You will feel the warmth of the Comforter inside you when you do.”

October 2022 General Conference, "Nourishing and Bearing Your Testimony"

"In reality, the Book of Mormon shares the greatest Easter story ever told. Let it not be the greatest Easter story never told. I invite you to look at the Book of Mormon in a new light and consider the profound witness it bears of the reality of the risen Christ as well as the richness and depth of the doctrine of Christ.”

April 2023 General Conference, "The Greatest Easter Story Ever Told"