Gérald Caussé

Gérald Caussé
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
November 6, 2025 (2025-11-06)
Called byDallin H. Oaks
LDS Church Apostle
November 6, 2025 (2025-11-06)
Called byDallin H. Oaks
ReasonDeath of Russell M. Nelson, reorganization of the First Presidency
Presiding Bishop
9 October 2015 (2015-10-09) – 6 November 2025 (2025-11-06)
Called byThomas S. Monson
PredecessorGary E. Stevenson
SuccessorW. Christopher Waddell
End reasonCalled to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
31 March 2012 (2012-03-31) – 9 October 2015 (2015-10-09)
Called byGary E. Stevenson
PredecessorRichard C. Edgley
SuccessorDean M. Davies
End reasonCalled to be Presiding Bishop
First Quorum of the Seventy
5 April 2008 (2008-04-05) – 31 March 2012 (2012-03-31)
Called byThomas S. Monson
End reasonCalled to be First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
Personal details
BornGérald Jean Caussé
(1963-05-20) 20 May 1963 (age 62)
Bordeaux, France
Alma materESSEC Business School
Spouse(s)
Valérie Lucienne Babin
(m. 1986)
Children5

Gérald Jean Caussé (born 20 May 1963) is a French religious leader and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has been a general authority of the church since 2008, and was the first ever appointed from France. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Caussé is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.[1]

Caussé was born in Bordeaux. He served for a year in the French Air Force and later earned a master's degree in business from ESSEC Business School. He worked as a strategy consultant and later served as general manager. Caussé has held numerous positions in the church throughout his life and was called as an apostle on November 6, 2025. He has been married to Valérie Lucienne Babin since 1986, and they have five children.

Church service

Caussé was president of the church's Paris France Stake from 2001 to 2007. In April 2007, he became an area seventy in the church's Europe West Area. On 5 April 2008, Caussé became a member of the church's First Quorum of the Seventy.[2] For most of his four years as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, Caussé served in the presidency of the church's Europe Area.

On March 31, 2012, he was called to serve as the first counselor to Gary E. Stevenson in the Presiding Bishopric. When Stevenson was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 2015, Caussé succeeded him as the church's presiding bishop. Under the direction of the First Presidency, the Presiding Bishopric is tasked with general oversight of many of the church's day-to-day operations.[3][4] Among other areas of management, this includes the construction and maintenance of church meetinghouse facilities around the world.[5]

Caussé served on the Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees from 2017 until his call to the apostleship.[6] Humanitarian aid and charitable giving increased under Caussé's leadership, reaching nearly $1 billion per year.[7][8] In 2020 Caussé addressed the controversy surrounding the church's investments, managed by Ensign Peak Advisors, "It is a church. It's not a financial institution . . . and because it is a church, the funds that are managed within the church are contributed by the members of the church and are really sacred. We really consider those funds as belonging to the Lord."[7]

On November 6, 2025, Caussé was set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, filling a vacancy left by the death of recent church president Russell M. Nelson, the appointment of Dallin H. Oaks to succeed him, and the appointment of D. Todd Christofferson to the First Presidency.[9]

Personal life

Caussé married Valérie Lucienne Babin on August 5, 1986 in the Bern Switzerland Temple. They are the parents of five children. Caussé plays the piano and has produced three albums together with Italian composer Nicolas GiustiJoyful (2019), Noël (2020), and As a Child (2023).[10][11]

References

  1. ^ Apostolic seniority is generally understood to include all ordained apostles (including the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Seniority is determined by date of ordination, not by age or other factors. If two apostles are ordained on the same day, the older of the two is typically ordained first. See Succession to the presidency and Heath, Steven H. (Summer 1987). "Notes on Apostolic Succession" (PDF). Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. 20 (2): 44–56. doi:10.2307/45216003. JSTOR 45216003..
  2. ^ "Brief biographies of new leaders called to LDS Church hierarchy", Deseret Morning News, 2008-04-05.
  3. ^ Lovett, Ian; Levy, Rachael. "The Mormon Church Amassed $100 Billion. It Was the Best-Kept Secret in the Investment World.", The Wall Street Journal, Salt Lake City, 8 February 2020. Retrieved on 17 February 2020.
  4. ^ Mims, Bob. "Mormonism's top moneyman credits members' sacrifices and sacred financial principles for faith's prosperity". sltrib.com. Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  5. ^ Twila Van Leer, "LDS Church announces changes to presiding bishopric, Relief Society presidency, First Quorum of the Seventy", Deseret News 31 March 2012.
  6. ^ Church Education: About CES Administration, churchofjesuschrist.org. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  7. ^ a b Watch, Tad. "Church finances: Presiding Bishopric offers unique look inside financial operations of growing faith", Deseret News, Utah, 14 February 2020. Retrieved on 17 February 2020.
  8. ^ Pierce, Scott D.. "Mormon church to up its food donations by 20 million pounds a year", The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah, 27 September 2018. Retrieved on 17 February 2020.
  9. ^ "Elder Gérald Caussé Is Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles".
  10. ^ "Bishop Gérald Caussé and Nicolas Giusti: Why the Presiding Bishop and His Friend Recorded An Album of Piano Duets". LDS Living. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  11. ^ "Bishop Gérald Caussé's message to young adults begins as a concert — with the presiding bishop at the piano". Deseret News. Retrieved 7 November 2025.