Larry R. Lawrence

Elder Larry R. Lawrence had been serving as a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America West Area when called to serve in the Second Quorum of the Seventy at General Conference April 2010. He was released and given emeritus status on September 30, 2017.

Elder Lawrence earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural biochemistry from the University of Arizona in 1969. In 1973 he received a doctorate of medicine, also from the University of Arizona, then later completed an ophthalmology residency in Fresno. He has been an ophthalmologist since 1977.

Since joining the Church in 1970, Elder Lawrence has served in numerous callings, including elders quorum president, bishop, stake high councilor, stake president’s counselor, stake president, stake mission president and president of the Russia Novosibirsk Mission. This calling surprised him, since as a convert to the Church, he had never served a mission as a young man and had no foreign language experience. He has recently been assigned to return to Russia as first counselor in the Europe East Area presidency.

Larry Ray Lawrence was born in Cheverly, Maryland, on 25 August 1947. He married Laurel Stott in 1971. They are the parents of six children and reside in Clovis, California.

• Read about Elder Lawrence's conversion and the family decisions that have led him to this calling.