Helio da Rocha Camargo

Helio da Rocha Camargo (born 1 February 1926) was the first Brazilian general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy for a limited time and then was moved to the Second Quorum of the Seventy when the limited-term members of the First Quorum were made into a separate Second Quorum.

Camargo was born in Rio de Janeiro. He entered a military academy in 1943. Camargo advanced to the rank of captain in the Brazilian military before his retirement.

Camargo married Nair Belmira de Bouvea. They had six children.

After leaving the military Camargo moved to São Paulo where he became a banker and also entered a Methodist seminary. Camargo was ordained a Methodist minister but was later expelled from the seminary because he opposed infant baptism. He was one of three ministers expelled at that point, the other two were Saul Messias de Oliveira and Walter Guedes de Queiroz, who also later joined the LDS Church.

Camargo read literature he had previously received from the Mormon missionaries and then started attending meetings of the LDS Church. His conversion was helped by hearing the testimony of a young lady on the power of the law of chastity [James E. Faust, [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3063dbdcc370c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “The Importance of Bearing Testimony,”] "Ensign", Mar. 1997, p. 2] He was baptized in 1957.

Camargo served as the first president of the São Paulo East Stake when it was organized in November 1968. ["2008 Deseret Morning News Church Almanac" (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Morning News, 2007) p. 323.]

Camargo also served as a bishop, counselor to a mission president and as a mission president.

Camargo served as a general authority from 1985 to 1990.

Notes

References

* [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=2bbc61cb2b86b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “The Church in Brazil,”] "Ensign", Feb. 1975, p. 24
*McClellan, Richard D. "Helio R. Camargo" in Garr et. al, "Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History", p. 172
* [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=0c0d8949f2f6b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “Elder Helio R. Camargo of the First Quorum of the Seventy,”] "Ensign", May 1985, p. 93

External links

* [http://gapages.com/camarhr1.htm Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: Helio R. Camargo]