Christoffel Golden Jr.

Christoffel Golden Jr. (born 1 June 1952) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 2001. Golden was the first resident of Africa to become a general authority of the LDS Church.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Golden joined the LDS Church in 1972. From 1977 to 1979 he was a missionary in the church's South African Mission. Following his missionary service, Golden earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of South Africa.
According to the official LDS Church website, "He is an experienced businessman, with background in banking, pharmaceuticals, and optical marketing. He graduated from the University of South Africa in Pretoria, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science and a post-graduate honors degree in international politics."
Golden married Diane Norma Hulbert in 1981 and they are the parents of four children. Golden is an Afrikaner and is fluent in English and Afrikaans.
Prior to his call as a general authority, Golden served in the LDS Church as a bishop, stake president, and area seventy. Though he had served previously as a stake president, in 1995, the Roodepoort South Africa Stake was created, with Golden serving as the first president. He served in that capacity for three months, prior to his call as an area seventy. In addition to parts of South Africa, the stake included all the LDS Church units in Botswana at the time. He became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 2001. Since becoming a general authority, Golden has served in the presidencies of the church's Africa West and Africa Southeast areas. In 2011, he was assigned to church headquarters in Salt Lake City, including service as Assistant Executive Director of the church's Curriculum Department. As of late 2016, Golden was serving as Executive Director of the church's Priesthood and Family Department.

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