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| The World Welcomes Elder Gérald Caussé as the Newest Apostle |
A Deep Dive into the Historic Calling and Humble Ministry of the Church’s 62-Year-Old New Leader
SALT LAKE CITY, November 7, 2025 — A profound sense of peace mingled with astonishment settled over the global membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this week, following the momentous announcement of Elder Gérald Caussé’s calling to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The news, which arrived on Thursday, November 6, 2025, marks a significant milestone: the ascension of a respected French leader—a devoted servant who previously presided over the Church’s temporal affairs as the 15th Presiding Bishop—to one of the highest ecclesiastical bodies in the world.
Just one day after his ordination by President Dallin H. Oaks and the other members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Caussé, 62, met with members of the news media at the historic Joseph Smith Memorial Building. What transpired was not a dry press conference, but a deeply personal, faith-affirming introduction to a man whose humility and deep testimony resonated immediately.
“There is a Christ”: A Universal and Intimate Witness
The cornerstone of Elder Caussé’s inaugural message as an Apostle was a simple, yet powerful, declaration: “There is a Christ, there is a Savior and Redeemer for all mankind.”
Speaking with the warmth of his native Bordeaux, France, Elder Caussé beautifully articulated the two-fold nature of the Savior’s mission—one that is both cosmic and profoundly personal. He emphasized that the Redeemer’s responsibility is universal, a gift to save all of God’s children. Yet, he continued, this gift is also “incredibly personal and intimate.” This balance between global responsibility and intimate knowledge—the idea that the God who created the cosmos knows each one of us—is set to become a hallmark of his ministry.
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| Elder Gérald Caussé, the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks to members of the news media in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Friday, November |
A Call That Came as a Shock, Received with Peace
The news of the calling was unexpected, even to Elder Caussé and his beloved wife, Valérie. Sister Caussé candidly described the moment, saying, “It came as a shock, as you can imagine... because I never thought it could happen to us.”
Elder Caussé mirrored the sentiment, admitting, “That’s not something you’re prepared for.” However, the surprise quickly gave way to a powerful confirmation. “I felt peace. I knew it was coming from the Lord,” he affirmed, a testimony rooted in a lifetime of unreserved devotion. His family motto, a guiding star through many difficult assignments, speaks volumes about their commitment: to go where the Lord wants them to go.
This commitment has involved significant personal sacrifices, including geographic moves and periods of separation from their five children as he served as a General Authority Seventy (beginning in 2008), leading them from France to Germany and then to the United States. Sister Caussé spoke movingly of their children’s continued devotion to the Gospel, a profound blessing she attributes to their family’s consistent enjoyment in serving others.
Elder Gérald Caussé, the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, plays the piano for members of the news media in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Friday, November 7, 2025. Elder Caussé is an accomplished pianist. He developed a love for music when he began taking piano lessons at age 7.
Connecting Through the Universal Language of Music
The media availability offered a glimpse into Elder Caussé’s rich personal life, particularly his deep love for music. An accomplished pianist since age 7, he took a moment to sit at the piano and play the beloved hymn, “Come, Come, Ye Saints.”
For Elder Caussé, music is more than a hobby; it is a spiritual conduit. “This language [of music] transcends every culture,” he noted, emphasizing that it requires no verbal translation to communicate feeling and Spirit. “I’ve always viewed music as a way to communicate with God and to feel the Spirit.” It was also one of the ways he and Valérie connected when they were dating in their Paris ward, with him as the ward pianist and her in the choir—a delightful detail adding to the warmth of their thirty-nine years of marriage.
The Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Bishop Gérald Caussé (Bishop), Bishop W. Christopher Waddell (first counselor) and Bishop L. Todd Budge (second counselor), Official Portrait, October 2020.
A Legacy of Stewardship: From Presiding Bishop to Apostle
Elder Caussé’s call to the Twelve comes directly from his service as the Presiding Bishop—a calling focused on the temporal and administrative strength of the global Church. He was the first Presiding Bishop for whom English was a second language and only the third born outside the United States.
The Presiding Bishopric oversees an enormous scope of work, including:
Humanitarian aid and welfare programs.
The management of tithing and fast offerings.
The maintenance of physical facilities worldwide.
The organization of membership records.
He expressed a genuine sadness at leaving his counselors, Bishop W. Christopher Waddell and Bishop L. Todd Budge, and the dedicated professionals in the temporal affairs department. This work, he noted, is carried out by “consecrated” individuals who “put the Lord first in their lives”—a reflection of the stewardship and professionalism he brought to the office.
His experience in the Presiding Bishopric (including time as a counselor from 2012–2015) is valuable, placing him in the company of two other current leaders—President Henry B. Eyring and Elder Gary E. Stevenson—who served in the Bishopric before their calls to the Quorum of the Twelve.
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| “Je sais que le Christ vit.” |
A Message to His Homeland: “Je sais que le Christ vit.”
In a deeply touching moment, Elder Caussé paused to deliver a message in French to the Saints in his native France, reassuring them of his love and the hope of future visits with Sister Caussé.
“I know Christ lives and that He is the one who directs this Church through a prophet of God,” he declared. This simple, powerful testimony echoes the very core of the new Apostle’s calling: to be a special witness of the name of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
As Elder Gérald Caussé now steps onto the world stage, bringing his international perspective, his musical soul, and his profound, quiet faith, the Church gains a leader uniquely prepared to testify of a Savior who is both universally majestic and intimately personal. His ministry begins at a crucial time, and members around the globe look forward to being uplifted by his unique witness.
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