General Authority
Perry was called as a general authority and Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1972. The death of church president Harold B. Lee created a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve when Spencer W. Kimball, who had been serving as quourm president, became church president. Perry was sustained as a member of the Twelve on April 6, 1974 and was ordained an apostle on April 11, 1974.
Today, Perry ranks behind only church president Thomas S. Monson and quorum president Boyd K. Packer in apostolic seniority. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Perry is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator.
In 2004, Perry was asked by church president Gordon B. Hinckley to serve as president of the church's Europe Central Area, headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, a position normally held by a member of the seventy. This made Perry one of the most senior officials of the church ever to be stationed away from Salt Lake City. While serving in this capacity, Perry initiated a more proactive institute program that emphasized meeting the social and intellectual needs of young single adult church members.
Read more about this topic: L. Tom Perry
Famous quotes containing the words general and/or authority:
“The nearest the modern general or admiral comes to a small-arms encounter of any sort is at a duck hunt in the company of corporation executives at the retreat of Continental Motors, Inc.”
—C. Wright Mills (1916–1962)
“See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 10:19,20.