Richard G. Hinckley - General Authority

General Authority

At the church's April 2005 general conference, Hinckley was accepted by the church as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. His father, who was the church's president at the time, preemptively disavowed any involvement his son's calling in a sermon given later that day:

I make it clear that I did not advance his name. That was done by others whose right it was to do so. I feel extremely sensitive about the matter of nepotism. As the lawyers say, I recused myself from participating. However, I believe he is worthy and qualified in every respect. In the first place, he had a great and wonderful mother. I wish I could recommend his father.
I mention this only because of my sensitivity concerning the matter of nepotism. Please do not hold it against him for his relationship to me. He’s powerless to help it.

When Richard Hinckley delivered his first general conference address a year later, he joked that he "was likely the only General Authority in the history of the Church to be sustained by the members in spite of a disclaimer by the prophet!"

During the church's October 2011 general conference, Hinckley was released from the First Quorum of the Seventy and designated as an emeritus general authority.