Walter F. González
Encyclopedia
Walter Fermín González Núñez (born 18 November 1952) is a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and has been one of the seven presidents of the seventy of the church since October 2007.
González was born in Montevideo
, Uruguay
in a Roman Catholic family. He converted to the LDS Church in 1973.
González earned a law degree from the University of the Republic
in Montevideo and later studied economics
at the Universidad de las Fraternidades y Agrupaciones Santo Tomás de Aquino in Buenos Aires
, Argentina
. He also earned a business administration degree from Instituto CEMLAD in Ecuador
and a distance learning degree from Indiana University
.
Beginning in 1975, González was employed by the Church Educational System
(CES) of the LDS Church. In 1989 when he was called as a mission president
, he was serving as the CES associate area director for Ecuador. After serving as a mission president, González served as area director for the CES in Ecuador.
In the church, González has been a member of a stake high council, stake president and was a regional representative of the Twelve
. He was also the president
of the Ecuador
Guayaquil
Mission
of the church from 1989 to 1991. During his tenure, the mission was divided, and González served until 1992 as the president of the Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission. In 1995, González became an area authority. In 1998, Gonzalez became the second counselor in the presidency of the South America North Area
of the church. In 2001 he became a general authority
and a member of the First Quorum of Seventy of the church.
In October 2007, González was made a member of the Presidency of the Seventy to replace Quentin L. Cook
, who was called from the Presidency of the Seventy to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In this capacity, González's primary duty is to supervise the work of the area seventies in the North America Southeast Area of the church.
González is married to Zulma Anahir Núñez and is the father of four children.
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and has been one of the seven presidents of the seventy of the church since October 2007.
González was born in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
in a Roman Catholic family. He converted to the LDS Church in 1973.
González earned a law degree from the University of the Republic
University of the Republic, Uruguay
The University of the Republic is Uruguay's public university. It is the most important and country's largest university, with a student body of more than 80,000 students. It was founded on July 18, 1849 in Montevideo, where most of its buildings and facilities are still located. Its current...
in Montevideo and later studied economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at the Universidad de las Fraternidades y Agrupaciones Santo Tomás de Aquino in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He also earned a business administration degree from Instituto CEMLAD in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
and a distance learning degree from Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
.
Beginning in 1975, González was employed by the Church Educational System
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
(CES) of the LDS Church. In 1989 when he was called as a mission president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
, he was serving as the CES associate area director for Ecuador. After serving as a mission president, González served as area director for the CES in Ecuador.
In the church, González has been a member of a stake high council, stake president and was a regional representative of the Twelve
Regional representative of the Twelve
Regional representative of the Twelve, commonly shorted to regional representative or regional rep, was a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1968 and 1995...
. He was also the president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
of the church from 1989 to 1991. During his tenure, the mission was divided, and González served until 1992 as the president of the Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission. In 1995, González became an area authority. In 1998, Gonzalez became the second counselor in the presidency of the South America North Area
Area (LDS Church)
An area is an administrative unit of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which typically is composed of multiple stakes and missions...
of the church. In 2001 he became a general authority
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
and a member of the First Quorum of Seventy of the church.
In October 2007, González was made a member of the Presidency of the Seventy to replace Quentin L. Cook
Quentin L. Cook
Quentin LaMar Cook is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Currently, he is the thirteenth most senior apostle in the ranks of the Church....
, who was called from the Presidency of the Seventy to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In this capacity, González's primary duty is to supervise the work of the area seventies in the North America Southeast Area of the church.
González is married to Zulma Anahir Núñez and is the father of four children.