Francisco J. Viñas

Francisco José Viñas (born December 28, 1946) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1996. He is the first general authority of the LDS Church to have been born in Spain.

Viñas was born in Seville, Spain, but immigrated with his parents to Paraguay in 1948. His parents were baptized into the LDS Church in Paraguay and in 1950 the family settled in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Viñas was employed by Bayer and the LDS Church's Church Educational System (CES), working as a director of an Institute of Religion in Uruguay and eventually acting as the CES supervisor for the entire country. Viñas was also employed by the LDS Church's finance department in Uruguay.

Prior to his call as a general authority, Viñas was a bishop, stake president, regional representative of the Twelve (three times), and an area seventy in the church. He was also a mission president in Argentina for a three-year term. In 1996, Viñas became a member of the Second Quorum of Seventy, and in 1998, he was transferred to the First Quorum of Seventy. He is currently the first counselor in the Europe West Area of the church.

Viñas is married to Cristina Gaminara and is the father of three children.

References

* [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3c267cf34f40c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “Elder Francisco J. Viñas of the Seventy,”] "Ensign", May 1996, 104
*"2007 Deseret Morning News Church Almanac" (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Morning News)

External links

* [http://gapages.com/vinasfj1.htm Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: Francisco J. Viñas]