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SALT LAKE CITY — Emily Belle Freeman, an author, speaker and teacher, will be the new Young Women general president, Elder Dallin H. Oaks announced on Saturday.
Elder Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also announced new counselors, Sister Tamara W. Runia and Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, and a new counselor in the Young Men presidency.
President Freeman has written books and taught in the Church Educational System. She was born in Massachusetts and raised in Utah. She and her husband, Greg Freeman, have five children. She has served as both Relief Society president and Young Women president in her own ward.
Sister Runia, who was called as first counselor, met her husband Scott at Brigham Young University and they have seven children. They served as leaders of the Australia Sydney Mission. She was raised in Walnut Creek California and lives in Provo, where she has spent 20 years on the board of the Food and Care Coalition.
She has served teaching scripture classes in her state, as stake Young Women president and in the stake Relief Society presidency.
Sister Spannaus is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and served in the Argentina Resistencia Mission. She studied early childhood education, art and interior design.
She has been an adviser in a young single adult ward, as a seminary teacher. With her husband, Alin, she served as a leader in the Mexico Cuernavaca Mission and on the committee to organize youth conferences in the South America South Area. She and her husband have two daughters.
Young Men General Presidency counselor
Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt, who has served as the first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, was called to be a general authority seventy and Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, who was previously the second counselor in the presidency, is now the first counselor.
Brother Michael T. Nelson, from Salt Lake City, was called to be the new second counselor. He is currently a chief financial officer at a Utah company and has studied organizational communications. Brother Nelson has served as president of the California San Bernardino Mission, stake president, bishop, and Young Men president at the ward and state level.
Brother Nelson and his wife, Barbara Fluckiger, have nine children.
