36 Facts About Ulisses Soares

Ulisses Soares was born on 2 October 1958 and is a Brazilian religious leader and former businessman who serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Ulisses Soares has been a general authority since 2005 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from January 2013 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018.

Ulisses Soares is the LDS Church's first apostle from South America.

Ulisses Soares's family joined the LDS Church when he was six, after learning of the church from an aunt who had joined.

The LDS branch they first attended met in a rented space above a bakery, and Ulisses Soares has spoken of fond memories of the smells of baking bread wafting into sacrament meeting.

Ulisses Soares was present at a meeting in 1966 when the LDS Church's first stake, both in Brazil and in South America, was organized.

Ulisses Soares was called as a youth Sunday School teacher by his bishop when he was 15 years old.

For three years prior to his mission, Ulisses Soares worked in both the payroll accounting departments of a company to save money to serve as a missionary.

Ulisses Soares attended evening classes in an accounting high school during this same time.

When Ulisses Soares began his mission there was no temple in Latin America.

Ulisses Soares was educated in Brazil, receiving a bachelor's degree in accounting and economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo in 1985.

Ulisses Soares received an MBA from the National Institute of Postgraduate Study.

Ulisses Soares had worked for Pirelli Tire Company and other multi-national corporations as an auditor and accountant.

Ulisses Soares was convinced by Donald L Clark to take a job as a senior auditor for the church.

Ulisses Soares has served in the LDS Church as an elders quorum president, counselor in a bishopric, member of a stake high council and regional welfare agent.

In 1995, Ulisses Soares was appointed the first president of the Sao Paulo Brazil Cotia Stake.

Ulisses Soares served as president of the Portugal Porto Mission from 2000 to 2003.

In 2005, Ulisses Soares became a member of the LDS Church's First Quorum of the Seventy.

Ulisses Soares has served as a counselor and as president of the church's Brazil South Area and as a counselor in the Africa Southeast Area.

On 6 January 2013, Soares became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, replacing Walter F Gonzalez.

In that capacity, Ulisses Soares had responsibility for the church's North America Southeast Area, along with the Idaho and North America Central areas.

In September 2017, Soares accompanied Neil L Andersen to organize the church's 100th stake in the Philippines.

On 31 March 2018, Ulisses Soares was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Ulisses Soares was widely reported as one of the first two "non-white" members of the Quorum of the Twelve and first Latino apostle.

Marcus Martins, an LDS expert in sociology and a native of Brazil, said that the call of Ulisses Soares showcased the potential for international service of many Brazilian members of the LDS Church.

The first major tour Ulisses Soares did as an apostle was to multiple countries in western Africa.

Ulisses Soares traveled with Neil L Andersen, and their wives, to Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast.

Ulisses Soares is serving as a member of the church's human resources committee and as the apostle with responsibility for the church's Africa West and Central America areas.

In 2019, Ulisses Soares dedicated the church's Fortaleza Brazil Temple in June and the Arequipa Peru Temple in December.

Also in December 2019, Ulisses Soares was a speaker at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.

Also in 2019, Ulisses Soares visited an immigrant welcome center and the Texas Central Foodbank to review the operation aid being given by the church and to show general support.

In September 2019, Soares presided at a "Face to Face" worldwide broadcast for young adults, along with Craig C Christensen, a general authority seventy.

In February 2020, Ulisses Soares did a multi-country ministry tour of Central America, during which he visited the president of Guatemala and the leader of Costa Rica's legislature.

In July 2020, Ulisses Soares spoke in the church's first Youth Music Festival.

In February 2021, Ulisses Soares participated in the church's first ever worldwide broadcast to Primary children.

Ulisses Soares married Rosana Fernandes Morgado in the Sao Paulo Brazil Temple in October 1982.