Church Update

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, that Elder Clark G. Gilbert has been called as the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was ordained on Thursday, February 12, by President Dallin H. Oaks, assisted by the other members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder Gilbert’s call marks a sacred new chapter in a lifetime of discipleship, leadership, and devotion to helping others recognize their divine worth and eternal potential.

Born on June 18, 1970, in Oakland, California, Clark Gilbert grew up with a love of learning and faith. He married Christine Calder in 1994, and together they are the parents of eight children. Family life has long been central to his ministry and message—a living expression of his belief in eternal identity and purpose.

Elder Gilbert received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University before pursuing advanced degrees from Stanford University and Harvard University. His academic path eventually led him back to Harvard, where he served as a professor of entrepreneurial management.

His professional experience later expanded into media leadership when he became the chief executive officer of the Deseret News and Deseret Digital Media. In that role, he advocated for journalism and digital communication that strengthened families, faith, and civic understanding.

In 2015, Elder Gilbert was appointed president of BYU–Idaho, where he emphasized both spiritual development and innovative educational models designed to serve students from diverse circumstances. He was subsequently named the inaugural president of BYU–Pathway Worldwide, an organization created to expand access to higher education across the globe. Under his leadership, BYU–Pathway grew rapidly, providing flexible, faith-based educational opportunities to tens of thousands of students in more than 180 countries around the world.

On April 3, 2021, he was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In that calling, he later served as Commissioner of the Church Educational System, overseeing the Church’s vast network of universities, seminaries, and institutes. In each of these roles, his focus remained remarkably consistent: helping individuals discover who they truly are as children of God.

That theme resonated powerfully in his October 2021 general conference address titled “Becoming More in Christ: The Parable of the Slope.” In recounting a conversation with a nationally recognized educator, Elder Gilbert described explaining the success of BYU–Pathway Worldwide. He initially outlined the organization’s retention programs and mentoring efforts—proven educational practices that support student achievement. But then he offered something deeper.

“These are all good practices,” Elder Gilbert explained to the educator, “but the real reason our students are progressing is because we teach them their divine potential. Imagine if your whole life, you were told you could never succeed. Then consider the impact of being taught that you are an actual son or daughter of God with divine possibility.”

He recalled that the educator paused before replying simply, “That’s powerful.”

Those two words capture much of what has characterized Elder Gilbert’s life and ministry. In classrooms, boardrooms, devotionals, and conference pulpits, he has testified that true transformation begins with identity—an understanding that every son and daughter of God carries divine capacity within.