Clate W. Mask, Jr.

Clate W. Mask, Jr.
Second Quorum of the Seventy
April 5, 2003 (2003-04-05) –
Called by	Gordon B. Hinckley
Personal details
Born	Clate Wheeler Mask, Jr. August 20, 1942 (1942-08-20) (age 69) El Paso, Texas

Clate Wheeler Mask, Jr. (born 20 August 1942) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 2003. Mask is a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy and has been the president of the Caribbean Area of the church since it was first organized in 2006. Mask is also the first American general authority of Mexican descent in the church's history.^[1]

Mask was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Although his mother was a member of the LDS Church and his grandfather had been the first native Mexican to serve as a missionary for the church, Mask's father was not a member of the church when Mask was young. However after returning from his time in the U.S. Army during World War II, the elder Clate Mask did join the Church. Mask's grandfather, Andres C. Gonzalez, had been a Spanish teacher in the Mormon Colonies in Mexico, while his maternal grandmother, Minnie Spencer, was the child of Mormon Anglos who had settled in the Colonies.

Mask served as a Mormon missionary in the church's the Central American Mission from 1961 to 1963. He later served in the United States military and then studied at Brigham Young University. Mask married Paula Carol Garns, who he had first met when they were both missionaries. They were married in the Los Angeles California Temple in 1965.

For a short time after earning a bachelor's degree in English and Spanish, Mask was involved in construction sales. However, after serving for a time as an early-morning seminary teacher, he became a full-time employee of the Church Educational System, where he was employed for 30 years. He later earned a master's degree in education from California State University, Northridge. Among other things that Mask did while employed by CES was the establishment of institute classes in Spanish in both Southern California and Arizona.

Mask served for three years as president of the Spain Barcelona Mission from 1997 to 2000. He served as a bishop, a branch president, a stake Sunday School president and in several other callings in the church prior to his becoming a general authority.

The Masks are the parents of six children.

Notes

1. ^ Mask's mother was of Mexican birth and ancestry. Although previous general authorities (such as Marion G. Romney) had were Americans who had been born in Mexico, they were all of Anglo-descent.

References

• “Elder Clate W. Mask Jr. Of the Seventy,” Ensign, May 2003, p. 126
• 2008 Deseret News Church Almanac (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News, 2007) p. 56
• Church News, June 10, 2006; May 3, 2003
• Miner, Caroline Eyring and Edward L. Kimball. Camilla. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1980) p. 16.

External links

• Grampa Bill's General Authority Pages: Clate W. Mask, Jr.

Persondata
Name	Mask, Clate W. 2
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1942-08-20
Place of birth	El Paso, Texas
Date of death	2003-04-05
Place of death