Neil L. Andersen

Mormon Apostle Elder Neil Linden Andersen

Neil Linden Andersen is a a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Andersen has been serving as a General Authority of the Church since 1993. On April 3 in 1993 he was sustained a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and in 2005 he was assigned to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Andersen was sustained as an Apostle on April 4, 2009.

Andersen was born in Logan, Utah, on August 9, 1951, and was raised in Pocatello, Idaho. As a young man, he served a full-time mission in France. After his mission, he graduated from Brigham Young University and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

He then moved to Tampa, Florida, his wife's hometown. He lived and worked in Tampa as the vice president of the Morton Plant Health System. In the Church, Andersen served as a member of a stake High Council. He also served as a counselor in a stake presidency, and as a stake president in Tampa. Between 1989 and 1992, Andersen was president of the France Bordeaux Mission.

As a General Authority, he has been the executive director of the Church's Audio-visual Department and assistant executive director of the Priesthood Department. He has also been in the presidencies of the Utah North, Utah South, North America Southwest, North America Northeast, and Europe West Areas of the Church. From 1997 to 2001, Andersen was a member of the Church's Sunday School general presidency.

While a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, he was president of the Idaho Area of the Church, where in 2006 he broke ground for the construction of the Twin Falls Idaho Temple. In 2007, Andersen was transferred to preside over the North America Southwest Area, overseeing the activities of the Area Seventies in this area. On February 14, 2009, he broke ground for the construction of The Gila Valley Arizona Temple, located in Central Arizona.

Andersen married Kathy Sue Williams in 1975. They are the parents of four children.

Apostleship

Elder Andersen ministered in the Philippines for nine days in February 2024. He met with youth and young adults. He also visited humanitarian agencies with whom the Church collaborates, meet with a prominent journalist and civic leaders, and ministered to individuals and families. He concluded his trip by joining The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square as its world tour begins in the Philippines.

In March 2023, he completed a nine-day ministry in Brazil where he met with prominent civic leaders, visited the then-soon-to-be-dedicated Brasília Brazil Temple, and taught and testified to members, missionaries, and leaders throughout the South American country. His wife, Kathy, and the Brazil Area Presidency accompanied him. He met with Rosângela Lula da Silva, the first lady of Brazil, who spoke with him about her goal to help children in her country who are hungry and lack basic needs. He noted that the Church had made a donation to help with the initiative. He visited several national, state, and city leaders. He also conducted leadership instruction to stake presidencies, bishops, stake and ward Relief Society presidents and elder quorum presidents from more than a dozen São Paulo stakes and held a special stake conference and youth devotional.[1]

In December 2022, Elder and Sister Andersen visited New Zealand, Fiji, and Australia to meet with members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In May 2016 they visited the Cook Islands, bringing with them their son Derek and his wife, Erica. They made a short trip to Mangaia, the most southern island in the Cook Islands group, where Derek once served as a missionary.[2]

Temples dedicated by Elder Andersen

Lisbon Portugal Temple · Praia Cabo Verde Temple · Brasília Brazil Temple

Books by Elder Andersen

The Divine Gift of Forgiveness (2019)

Quotes from Elder Andersen

“The wisdom of the world, while in many cases very valuable, is most valuable when it humbly bows to the wisdom of God.”

BYU–Idaho commencement address, April 10, 2009

“Jesus’s call “Come, follow me” is not only for those prepared to compete in a spiritual Olympics. In fact, discipleship is not a competition at all but an invitation to all. Our journey of discipleship is not a dash around the track, nor is it fully comparable to a lengthy marathon. In truth, it is a lifelong migration toward a more celestial world.”

April 2012 General Conference, "What Thinks Christ of Me?"

“We keep pressing forward, doing what’s right and depending on the Lord. And I promise you in His name that what will come to you is not only spiritual guidance but spiritual power — the power to know, the power to believe, the power to help other people. ... As you prepare yourself, you will have experiences that will guide ... the rest of your mortal life and beyond.”

MTC Devotional, April 11, 2023

“What are your hopes and plans for your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in the next 50 years? Looking back 50 years later, will your faith in the Savior be the most powerful force that moved you forward? How will you withstand the temptations and pressures that seek to diminish your faith in Jesus Christ? If the Savior has not returned, how will you keep the flame of your faith burning brightly for the next five decades?”

BYU devotional, January 17, 2023